Here is my reasoning: Since you haven't repotted in 7 years, it's a virtual certainty that the original fraction of Ca and Mg that would have been in the lime incorporated into the soil when it was made is depleted, leaving the break-down of soil particles and your tap water as the only source of Ca and Mg. Abnormal new growth is often a sign of a deficiency of one of the immobile nutrients, which would most likely be a micro-nutrient or Ca. Since all the micro-nutrients likely to be deficient in container media are included in your regular applications of MG fertilizer, that leaves Ca/Mg as potential problems. We can guard against that issue w/o contributing significantly to the level of dissolved solids in the soil, so let's do that right after we flush the soil. If you need a little gypsum, let me know & I'll mail it - that way you won't have to buy 10 (if you can find a small pkg) or 50 lbs. Epsom salts doesn't purify the soil. It's a salt, and if not used judiciously can be a limiting factor. Those that apply Epsom salts or iron supplements in a quest for greener plants are more often doing harm than good, because anything in the soil solution not needed has the potential to be limiting. When 'treating' your plants with elements or compounds aimed at providing a single nutrient, it's wise to make sure you understand the implications, the ripple effect, of actions taken. Your first step should be to flush the soil with room temp water. Move the plant to a shower/tub/near a drain .... and saturate the soil. Wait 10 minutes and then pour a volume of water equal to the volume of the container the plant is in, through the soil repeatedly. Do this at least 5-10 times, the more the better. Tilt the container at a 45* angle after flushing. This changes the shape of the saturated layer of soil to an inverted triangle and forces much of the excess water from the pot. After it stops draining, unpot the plant & set it on newspaper until the wet spot is no longer expanding. This removes the rest of the excess water from the soil. Inspect the roots. If they are black/slimy/sour-smelling, you'll need to repot. This entails removing old soil, pruning roots back to sound tissue, and repotting into the same size or a smaller container, depending on soil choice and what fraction of roots you remove. Hopefully, you can avoid repotting at this time because winter and early spring are poor times to repot most houseplants because their energy levels are lowest in late winter & early spring. Are you with me so far? Al

I was reading about air layering at this website: http://www.extension.iastate.edu/Publications/PM268.pdf And the document they wrote seems to imply that dracaena plants *require* this type of treatment. But information I've seen elsewhere on this site implies that you don't need to go to all that trouble. Some owners say they are very hardy plants, and you can just cut them down and stick them in the dirt. I'm confused about all this information. One consideration is that my brother and his wife are being very kind to care for the plant while we are relocating to Seattle from Chicago, but eventually we need to ship this plant to Seattle. Maybe we just cut it down when the time comes and stick it in our carry on luggage? Air layering requires alot of work, and creates an unsightly plant for a period of time. I am hesitant to put that burden on my brother's family as they care for our plant. And I'm not sure they would feel comfortable doing plant surgery. Oh boy... What is the consensus opinion? Is air layering really our only viable option?

The advice not to water your JC was way off..if the soil was dry, it should have been given a drink. JC is one of the easiest dracaenas around..And fast-growing, too. I agree it needs more light..is there anyway you can set closer to the window/s? Even a bright north would do fine. (if plant is sitting in window) 25' away from a window is low-low light. Other than mushrooms, I doubt plants will grow/thrive so far away. How about artificial lighting? Is there any above? Toni

JHC - For the sake of accuracy - the most common cause of spoiled foliage on dracaena and all other plants we so often discuss here is over-watering, often exacerbated by a high level of solubles (salts) in the soil, both of which regularly accompany the use of overly water-retentive soils. ALL fertilizers and ALL tap water carry with them the certainty that solubles will build up in the soil if poor watering habits are used - not just synthetic soluble ("chemical") fertilizers. 65-75* temperatures are ideal for most houseplants and are not the cause of spoiled foliage. Even though I allow water to rest overnight to come to room temperature before I water indoor plants, I have never found anything credible or anyone who should know (I'd asked a lot of people with plant related degrees) that would agree cold water 'shocks' plants. That I have always watered houseplants summering outdoors with cold water directly from the hose with no sign of problems supports the probability that the cold water thing is a myth, yet I still let irrigation water sit out night for plants over-wintering indoors - but NOT with the thought that it helps with chlorine/fluorine dissipation. Lol - I have no explanation for WHY I do this, other than habit, and perhaps because I'd rather have everything in place & ready to go when it's time to water instead of procrastinating. Hopefully, you'll find some value in this link that gives a basic overview that will help you avoid most of the things that bring people here seeking resolution to common problems. This link goes into a considerable amount of detail in outlining a concept that will help you get a feel for the fact that your choice of soil is extremely important in determining how easy/difficult it will be to get your plants to grow as close to their genetic potential as possible. Some soils are so limiting they make it extremely difficult, even for experienced growers, to obtain results that offer a satisfying return for the effort expended. Al