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Dracaena stem died/color change

8 years ago

Help! My dracaena has been healthy until last month when one of the stems slowly started to turn brown until that section of the plant had died and I had to remove it. It was the shortest of all the stalks, but now the new shortest stalk ate has also started to discolor and the tips of the leaves on that stalk are also turning brown and slightly drooping. I have had the plant nearly a year and never had a problem until recently... Should I have repotted it, does it need to be fertilized?? Please help, I don't want to lose my plant.

Featured Answer

Mentha (East TN, Zone 6B-7A)

8 years ago

How often are you watering your plant? It sounds like you are overwatering. Do you have pictures of the damage?

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Comments (10)

bottinger83
Original Author
8 years ago
Watering once a week or less. I'm trying to upload the pics, having a bit of trouble with that right now.

The soil is fully dried out between each watering, as it tends to be very dry here in AZ.
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Hi Summit. I had a similar problem this winter. I bought a Striped Dracaena at the grocery store. It was out no longer than 3 minutes. From door to a warm car. That night the temp was about 3F. By the time we got home, most leaves were frostbitten. They had a gray-brown color, and felt soft. I clipped them off, thankfully new growth is normal. IMO most if not all Dracaenas are cold sensitive, so temps before 32F will freeze a plant in minutes. How cold do you think the window gets? Did you ever check the temp there? Unless your window was opened, or leaks air, even on the coldest nights, a plant shouldn't frost indoors. (My front windows leak air, we place towels underneath all winter, sthere were times plants frosted) If seeping cold air isn't the problem then it's possible Dracaena roots iced over. Do you keep soil wet? They only need water when soil dries. Also, if an area gets cold at night, it's best watering in the morning, so a newly watered plant doesn't sit overnight in the cold. I lost a Sago Palm and Pachypodium/Madagascar Palm Cactus watering at night, because the area leaked cold air. If leaves are yellowing, there's a chance you're overwatering. Unfortunately, marred foliage will not turn green, nor, on a JC will new leaves grow. So, you have two options. Either let the JC grow as is, (palm-like) or cut in 3" sections, and root. What do you think you'll do? One more thing. This probably isn't the cause, but have you checked for plant bugs? Toni
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I think the first issue could easily be a residual symptom of oedema, which can result from over-watering at any point, but especially during periods of cool conditions and low light. An unscientific way to think about oedema is like this: The roots are pushing water upward. If the plant can't use all the water being sent, some of it causes cells to burst and die. During low light and cool temperatures, photosynthesis (uses water) and respiration are slowed, which compounds the problem to the degree that over-watering may not even be a necessary component for oedema to become an issue. When herbaceous plants are wounded, the cambium often dies back (from dessication) a considerable distance from the wound site. In order for the plant to close the wound, new callus tissue needs to form a collar and roll over the old, dead cambium. This can cause an unsightly swelling. It's a common problem for bonsai practitioners because of how critical they are about appearances (bulges & reverse taper of branches/trunk are shunned), but the problem is actually more pronounced on the softer plants as opposed to those that are woody. To minimize the scarring, you can hollow out the wound with a very sharp knife so the wound is concave, & make sure the cambium is trimmed so it forms as close to an even oval surrounding the wound as possible. Then, paint the wound with waterproof wood glue right to the edge of the wound so all surfaces that could lose moisture are covered. Alternately, you could smear Vaseline or Preparation-H on the wound to keep it moist and facilitate "healing". Al
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Comments (21)
Very sad, what did it do just start wilting? Maybe there is yet hope. The plant barely had any roots and is now struggling to adjust to soil. If you could increase the humidity it might help. But all depends on how far gone the little guy is. But don't saturate the soil. The soil should be moist not soaking.
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Dracaena stem died/color change
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Comments (0)
Help! My dracaena has been healthy until last month when one of the stems slowly started to turn brown until that section of the plant had died and I had to remove it. It was the shortest of all the stalks, but now the new shortest stalk has also started to discolor and the tips of the leaves on that stalk are also turning brown and slightly drooping. I have had the plant nearly a year and never had a problem until recently... Should I have repotted it, does it need to be fertilized?? Please help, I don't want to lose my plant.
...See More
Mentha (East TN, Zone 6B-7A)
8 years ago
Well, the next option is under watering, which has about the same symptoms as over watering. You could be under watering. Use a wooden bbq skewer or a dry stick and put it in the soil if it comes out clean it's time to water, if it comes out with soil on it or darker wait a couple of days.
bottinger83 thanked Mentha (East TN, Zone 6B-7A)
bottinger83
Original Author
8 years ago

Here is a picture that shows the stalk that is discolored and dying.
bottinger83
Original Author
8 years ago
Tips of the leaves on that stalk are browning. Also, the whole stems on the stalk are kind of drooping.
MrBlubs
8 years ago
Looks like you have some sort of stem rot happening there. The trunks should never droop down like that.

The soil looks rather heavy.

Does the pot have any drainage at all? Do you remove the water that collects in the larger pot after watering?
bottinger83 thanked MrBlubs
bottinger83
Original Author
8 years ago
I don't ever really have water collect in the larger pot once I water it. If it is stem rot, how would I treat that, and would there be any other signs to look for? I have a small round cork plate beneath the first pot to absorb any drips of water from it, but I've never notice it be too wet.

Also, when you say the soil "looks heavy" what do you mean? And how can I lighten it up?
Mentha (East TN, Zone 6B-7A)
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Are there any brown mushy spots on that stem? Look closely between the leaves.

The brown leaf tips usually mean too much fertilizer, chlorine or fluoride in the water, or too low humidity or a combination of the three. Droopy stems usually mean too much water, or fungal infections.
bottinger83 thanked Mentha (East TN, Zone 6B-7A)
bottinger83
Original Author
8 years ago
No mushy spots that I can tell. I have never used fertilizer, but I do water with tap water, so maybe that's why? Also, I'm in Arizona and it is very dry, so maybe also low humidity.
Mentha (East TN, Zone 6B-7A)
8 years ago
No mush is good. If the cache pot doesn't have a drainage hole you can line the pot with perlite then set the other pot on top of it, this will catch any run off and it will also raise the humidity. You can also pack sphagnum moss around the plastic pot. Ideally I like to see plants in clay pots but now is not the best time to be playing with roots. I would also give the soil a good flush. Put the pot in the shower and give it a good soak. Let the water run out the holes and drain then flush it again. Once no more water comes out tip the pot to release the perched water then put it back. You can also cut off the brown tips to make the plant look better.

Good luck!
bottinger83 thanked Mentha (East TN, Zone 6B-7A)

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