How to care for dracaena

Where to put the dracaena

Choose a bright place for the plant, out of direct sunlight. Dracaena with solid green leaves grow quite well in light shade. Variegated ones need a lot of diffused light. Without it, they will lose their color.

Comfortable temperature for the warm season is from 20 to 30 ° C. In late autumn and winter - 16-18 ° С. During this period, protect the plant from the heat of the batteries. For example, put wet sheets on them or install screens.

At any time of the year, protect the dracaena from drafts and sudden temperature changes.

How to water dracaena

Use boiled or filtered water that has settled for several days.

Pour liquid into the pot from above. So the soil is moistened evenly. When watering through a sump, problems are possible: the lower layers of the substrate will become waterlogged, and the upper ones, on the contrary, will not receive enough moisture.

How to care for dracaena: How to water dracaena

After 15–20 minutes, drain the water from the pan.

Water the dracaena when the soil in the pot is about half dry. Avoid drying out and waterlogging: they are equally dangerous.

Once every one and a half to two weeks, remove dust from the leaves. Use a soft, damp cloth for this.

Or bathe the plant in a warm shower. At the same time, cover the pot with a bag or film so that moisture does not get into it.

In large-leaved species, after water procedures, remove excess moisture from the sockets with a cotton swab. Be careful not to damage the young leaves. If a little water remains, it's okay: it will evaporate.

In winter, when the room is more than 25 ° C and the air is dry from batteries, spray the plant every couple of days.

How to transplant dracaena

Make your first change 10-14 days after purchase. Store plants are usually in peat, which is good for transportation, but not suitable for long-term cultivation.

Transplant the young dracaena every year. The one that is more than 5-6 years old - every 2-3 years, depending on the growth rate. Change the pot as soon as the root system gets cramped.

How to care for dracaena: How to transplant dracaena

Try to carry out this procedure in the spring or early summer.

Which pot to choose for dracaena

Choose a tall, but not wide pot for the plant. This form corresponds to the characteristics of the root system.

In size - a centimeter or two more in width and height than the previous one. In too large, the soil will quickly sour, and the roots will begin to rot.

What land to choose for dracaena

Use a special palm primer or a 4: 1 blend of universal and baking powder. Baking powder can be coconut chips, coarse sand, or fine gravel.

At the bottom, put a centimeter and a half of drainage, such as expanded clay.

How to transplant

If this is your first transplant after purchase, carefully clean the soil from the root system and place in a new soil mixture.

For a planned transplant, remove the dracaena along with the ground. Lightly shake off the lump and place it in a new pot with drainage and some soil at the bottom. Fill in the voids along the walls and compact slightly.

How to fertilize dracaena

Feed from April to August or September. The optimal frequency is every two weeks.

Use complex fertilizers for indoor plants.

How to treat dracaena

Pay attention to the condition of the plant. Its appearance will tell you what mistakes are made in leaving.

The lower leaves dry up

Cause: natural process.

The dying off of the lower leaves, which live for 2-3 years, and the gradual exposure of the trunk is a normal phenomenon for dracaena. If the top remains green, there is no cause for concern.

The variegated leaves turn pale

How to care for dracaena if variegated leaves turn pale

Causes:

lack of light;
excess nutrients in the soil.

If the lighting is the problem, just find a better spot for your green pet. If it's about overfeeding, change the soil.

The tips and edges of the leaves dry out

Causes:

insufficient watering;
too dry air;
drafts.

It will not be possible to restore damaged leaves. But to avoid the problem in the future, pay attention to the content of the plant. Choose a more suitable watering schedule, periodically spray the dracaena and protect it from drafts.

Leaves become lethargic and droop

How to care for dracaena if the leaves become lethargic and wilted

Cause:

bay;
hypothermia.

Hypothermia is especially dangerous when the soil in the pot is still damp: the roots can rot.

When flooding, remove the plant from the pot. Shake off wet soil and dry the root system with paper towels. Remove rotten roots and cut with crushed charcoal.

Then plant in dry ground. Do not water for the first 3-4 days.