I like to do cuttings in the spring when light is stronger and longer, and have more success than propagating in the winter. For Succulents (Euphorbia and Aloe), make sure the ends of the cuttings have dried and calloused for a few days, then put into dry, very well drained soil mix. Don't water, or mist lightly, until new top growth is seen. Your Flytrap is best repotted into a mix of perlite and sphagnum moss, and kept as cool as possible (they're hardy down to 20F) during the winter. Keep the soil moist, as they are bog plants outside in the southeast. Never fertilize, and try to avoid tripping the traps, especially during the winter.

Interesting thing about Dracaena names - no one ( I mean growers, botanists, collectors, researchers, etc.) agrees on what to call them. Mainly this is because the plants can change aspects (leaf coloration, size, growth pattern, etc.) more than once in the course of several years, based on the age of the plant as well as the cultural conditions. They also throw sports very easily. There are also many unnamed varieties in the wild, which can be introduced to the trade at any time. All of this is leading up to the observation that I don't think your plant is an 'Arturo' - those have yellow-green margins on the leaves, and it looks to me like yours has solid green leaves. Here's a link to the original patent information http://www.google.com/patents/USPP13814 and some color pics that show the margins more clearly, as well as loads of other dracaenas if you're interested. http://www.nieuwkoop-europe.com/downloads/Dracaena_brochure_spread.pdf Yours looks to be some form of Dracaena 'Janet Craig,' but as there are several varieties of that, you almost have to consult with the grower to identify specific cultivars. Even then, growers can have incorrect information, or at least information differing source to source. Until some energetic research facility undertakes a complicated genetic evaluation to determine which Dracaenas are related to which, the whole naming thing is a mish-mash.

I would actually be inclined to let a Dracaena massangeana (or D. fragrans, or whatever -- we're talking about a corn plant, right?) get even drier than pageysgirl suggests. Something more like, when the pot is dry halfway down. Not only is it 1) easy to rot a Dracaena if you're not careful, but 2) there's often nothing left of it to save by the time you notice, and 3) nothing in my plant-raising experience smells as unpleasant as a Dracaena cane that has rotted and then been cut or peeled open. It's this awful, sharp, ammonia smell with an undernote of, I don't know, like, dead feet soaked in sour milk. It's indescribably terrible, and worth going to some lengths to avoid. But I see I've digressed. Ahem. Removing the fungus is good, and removing the top layer of soil entirely is better, though it may or may not make the fungus stop coming up. That's not really your main concern now, the fungus. Neither are the mealybugs, though something probably does need to be done about them. I would suggest first physically removing as many of them as possible with rubbing alcohol -- probably, given the size of the plant, a paper towel soaked in rubbing alcohol, though a cotton ball might be easier to use. Then, after an hour or so, I would take the plant outside, cover the soil in something water-repellent and flexible (maybe saran wrap, or aluminum foil?), lay it down, and try to spray off the leaf and stem surfaces as much as possible. (The saran wrap / foil is to keep this from adding water to soil which is probably already too wet; I make no promises about how well that might work out, but it seemed better to try something than not to.) You do want to be careful about how strong the stream of water you're using is. Too little, and you're just giving the mealybugs a bath. Too much, and you'll blast holes through the plant. Think in the neighborhood of a bathroom shower that has decent but not amazing water pressure. If you can get some soap in there, too, that's a plus, but it's not really the main point of the spray. The idea there is that you'll be able to physically remove some bugs that are in crevices between leaves and stuff, that you couldn't reach with the rubbing alcohol. Then, after a day or two of letting the plant rest, I would hit it with some kind of over the counter insecticide. I don't personally have a favorite, so you're basically left with whatever people recommend to you at your garden center or box store or wherever you go. I'd make sure that the label specifies that it kills mealybugs (all poisons are not equal), but beyond that, go with whatever you like. And then repeat as much as seems appropriate to you. Like pageysgirl said, you're going to have to do the alcohol treatment, at least, several times, and a 4-cane Dracaena is going to have a lot of spots for bugs to hide in, so you're going to have to be pretty vigilant, and do it often for a while, whether you see bugs or not. You can also repeat the insecticide (which should be more effective right after the alcohol) according to the label directions. I would *not* repeat the garden hose bit, because of the likelihood of making the plant wetter. I don't imagine that Culligan water is any better or worse than any other water. I don't personally worry about fluoride, though I understand it's a biggish deal with spider plants. East-facing window is also probably fine.

Hey thanks for your advice! Jeannie7, the banana would be too wide unfortunately - the inner door opens into the vestibule with about an 18-20 inch clearance from open door edge to wall/corner. So I figured a 12-14 inch pot won't interfere with the clearance at bottom; and if top of plant stays narrow (max about 16in. diameter, it won't interfere with people either. The ficus might work since I will be able to maintain it; I'll look for the bamboo palm to see how wide they are. Mentha, yep- I've rcvd. a cut once or twice on some palms - good point I didn't think of! Although the palm (if that's what it is) I am thinking of has very very soft fronds. Sort of reminds me of lily grass in texture, but it sits like a basketball atop a trunk maybe the diameter of a quarter or half dollar and 2-4 ft high. I'm still searching for a photo of one so I'd have a name! Oklahoma_tim, I will check out the sanseveria - I never heard of it. I thought about having a pothos on a post, but not really sure if that would look full enough. What I really wish I could find is something that would flower like a mandavilla vine, but would work indoors. In winter. In Albany! Severely limits the options, huh! The good thing about the space is that the corner is made of 2 large windows, so I think (hope) the light situation is OK. Thank you all again! Anything else come to mind, I will happily take your advice. Doing this for my friend as a congrats gift!