Draceana Marginata (sp)

16 years ago

Hey Everybody,

I ususlly post on the c&s forums, but I have a question about my dracaena marginata(sp). It seems no matter what I do with it, it's unhappy. I tried a north window, south east window(i think, it only gets morning sun), shade, everything. If I put it outside in the nice weather (in complete shade) it droops. If I move him from any spot, he droops. His leaves arch and face down, they don't stand up straight. The only time they don't droop completly is when he is in the corner of the room next to a window, but I'm afraid he will not live too long without proper light. I had him for about 3 years now. Should I continue to leave him in the corner next to the window, or should I keep trying to move him to better light and once he acclimates he will stop drooping? Will he perk back up after a while in the new window?? Thanks in advance for any help...Sharon

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Comments (13)

sahm2ae
16 years ago
From what I understand, and do with mine, the Dracaena marginata needs indirect light. I also water only when it's starting to dry out to about an inch down into the soil. I would try keeping it in the corner, and not moving it around so much.

Chandres
blutarski
16 years ago
has it been in the same pot for three years? if so,maybe it needs to be repotted.
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Hi Al. I have to use my phone for Internet. DM is auto-corrected from DE - diatomaceous earth. Sorry about that. Yes, I bare-rooted it, washed the roots, and spread them out in the pot. It is all grit, no soil, no bark. I don't have a place to sift messy bark fines in my tiny apartment, so you and I discussed it and left them out. I use exactly the method you describe to get the excess water out of the bottom of the grit after I water this plant. (It seems an enormous pot to me). I don't do it hard enough to get more than a couple tablespoons though. I don't know why I hadn't thought to do that when it wilted. I have done the dowel test though, a number of times, and it comes out dry. I use meat skewers, which are actually bamboo, but that should make little difference. If I leave the skewer in the grit and just pull it out when I'm testing the wetness, the skewer is always damp. If I just shove one into it for a few seconds to test it, it comes out dry. I don't know the optimum amount of time to leave it in. Suggestions? When it wilts, I water it, so I don't know if it would perk up on its own overnight. That's an interesting observation though. With soil it's easy to tell why something wilts. I've been watering it every two days since it last wilted, so I'll return to the previous twice weekly schedule and see if it releases any water with the shake test before watering it again. It is growing surprisingly fast. I cut a broken leaf off of it just a week or so ago, and I'm surprised to see the leftover stub has grown about 1/2 inch. That seems a lot for a Draceana in mid-winter in this climate. All but my succulents, Sansevieria, and Beaucarnea have been growing quite fast all fall & winter though, despite the cold and gloom here. The only exception was a pothos in straight DE, but that took off after changing to 2:1 mix. Thanks for your help, Al. I'll let you know if I get any water out of the pot in a couple days. In case anyone's following this, the thread Al's referring to is below. Here is a link that might be useful: Draceana and increasing disenchantment...
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It is the nature of this plant, to a more or less degree, to shed lower leaves as it grows in height and makes new leaves at the top. The rate of loss and the yellowing of the tips on so many of the lower leaves, could indeed be an issue of drainage and watering. Sand is NOT a good option although it has its uses but in this case a 50% addition will be heavy and compacting down like concrete when dry, being then hard to wet, and allowing little air movement around the roots. You are far better to stick with a commercial potting mix, which is usually organic and provides not only better drainage but good air circulation around the roots. Being winter, I am not going to suggest you do anything too severe, you had best wait till the weather is warming a little. As you have 3 trunks on the plant, I would sacrifice the longest one to try cut off the top and root it, and chop up the rest of it's trunk into pieces a few inches long (plenty of articles on the web about this) to try to propagate more. That way at least you will have some new, lower foliaged plants, available to add to a planting later and provide a bit of coverage for the rest of the trunk. You could do this progressively with the others if you were successful. The cut part of the original plant should also re-sprout side shoots, although all this will be very gradual. When the weather is warmer, I would remove the plant from the current mix and re-pot it in a better mix. You don't have to wash off all the soil but give it a bit of a shake to remove the excess and then backfill when you've replaced it in its pot, and fill up again to the original level, water and leave to recover.
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bennymino
Original Author
16 years ago
Hi,

Thanks for the advice. I repotted it last year so it shouldn't be that. I don't water frequently either. It droops no matter where I put it, except in the corner next to a window which doesn't get that much light. I just don't know what to do with it. I'll just leave it be so at least the leaves won't droop. I wanted to give him better light, though it looks like that isn't going to happen. *Sigh*
tjsangel
16 years ago
Is the potting mix you repotted in staying too wet? Either that or the roots are compacted into a ball and cant get enough moisture. I would inspect the roots, and if nothing is wrong I'd keep it where it is. Plants sulk sometimes when moved around too much.

Jen
tootswisc
16 years ago
I can appreciate your post Sharon because I have the same problem. My plant has never really thrived. I wonder if it's my water. It is odd that I have can be so successful with some plants and just can't seem to figure out others. So far peace lilies, a janet craig and this draceana have managed to stump me. There are lot's of other plants that have died on me for various reasons, but I have seriously tried to figure out what those 3 plants need and I've just not been able to. I hope you will get lot's of responses
bennymino
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks again everyone:) The soil/rootball is fine. The soil is fast draining and I don't over water. I think he may be sulking too so I'll leave him alone now:)

Tootswisc- Thanks for the comment. I have a huge peace lily that my mother-in-law gave me 5 years ago which was a clump from her peace lily. Mine blooms constantly for me and hers never bloomed for her. Go figure. You never know I guess. Now if I could only make this dracaena happy...
saucer
16 years ago
Jen is right, I think you're moving it around too much! No plant really likes to be moved around a lot. It may take some time, but where ever you leave it it will eventually get acclimated. That south-east window would be best IMHO.

And when it comes to watering, a fellow gardenweber and dracaena expert (whose name ascapes me at the moment!) once said that D. marginata get a dark spot on their trunk when they're sufficiently moist. When the spot disappears it's time to water. Infallible method!
mr_subjunctive
16 years ago
I believe it was watergal who said that, and she said the dark spot appears when the plant is too wet, as in, in danger of rotting out due to overwatering.
hardin
16 years ago
I don't know if this will help any, as you have gotten good advice already. The company that I work for, they have plants all through the building and I am their caretaker. I had several Dracenas and the 3 that did the best were in a long hallway without any type of light except for the overhead florescent lighting. The main thing on these is not to overwater. Also on all of the plants I have, there is a tube that runs down to the bottom of the pot to the bottom and I just add water there. I sometimes moisten the top of the soil, but not much. I would leave plants where they seem happiest. Hope this helps some.
bennymino
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks again for all your help. I decided I will just leave him where he is, at least there he doesn't droop. Like I said, I had him for 3 (or 4) years and he's always been like that. I take good care not to overwater at all either, so I know it's not that. I just hope he's happy where he is that's all...again Thank you:)
birdsnblooms
16 years ago
Ben, Marginata's are one of the pretties Dracaenas around..especially variegated.
You said you keep it on the dry side..but when you water, do you soak thoroughly? Little sips here and there isn't good, and can harm a plant.
Marginatas need to dry between waterings, but they need a hearty drink when thirsty..My marginata is in a huge pot, but there's 3 types living in this pot.
If possible, carry your plant to a sink/shower and let water run over leaves..If you set in the tub, let sit inside shower a few hours to a day. If water aims at soil, it's no biggie, as long as the soil isn't drenched to begin with..Aim water on foliage 2-3 minutes..close shower curtain for added humidity..though Marginata's dislike wet feet, they enjoy humidity. Shower wkly..
If your plant is happy in the corner, keep it there..I agree with other posters, plants shouldn't be moved around. Good luck, Toni
They need to adapt to one spot.
ines_99
16 years ago
I have mine several feet back from a lower light window and it looks great. I think indirect light is best, I have burned these plants in too much sun.

Could the drooping be a water issue? Mine droops when dry, but they could also droop if too wet. They seem to get rootbound fast and use up their water quickly, maybe next time you see it drooping check the soil, really get your fingers in there, and see if maybe it is dry down by the roots.
birdsnblooms
16 years ago
Depending on pot size, sometimes it's difficult testing soil..If the container is larger than 12", sticking finger in soil doesn't work as well as it does testing smaller pots..That's why guages are used, but economically speaking, lifting pot works fine..if plant is light weight when lifted, you can bet soil is dry..if heavy, even if top soil looks crumbly, mid to lower soil is moist.
IMO, Marginatas prefer dry well-draing soil, but need a hearty drink when dry..they also enjoy humidity..I mist its leaves daily, and set in shower every week or two.
Bright light works fine, but depending on the species, (variegated) needs more sun than green w/red edge..otherwise the pink/green and/or red leaf loses color. There's a pic in the Plant Expert Plant book of a red leaf marginata..beautiful plant..But to keep leaves red, sun is mandatory..I think they'd adapt to full sun, even direct summer light, but placing in driect sun would have to be done gradually, especially if wintered indoors. I rotatee marginatas, but keep pink and reds closer to light in south windows..Drooping occurs when soil is over or underwatered..it takes experimenting. Also, marges prefer cooler temps than other Dracaenas..Hot, stuffy rooms invite mites and mealy..Toni

Draceana Marginata (sp)

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