Well, now that I wrote it out, I think I know the answer. I should have re-cut it, because what happened is, the tissue at the bottom died back during the time it was out of damp soil and out of water.

And even though a cutting has to survive while it grows roots, it can only grow those roots from tissue that is still alive, and which is kept in contact with damp (but not wet) soil.

So leaving the dead part on the bottom was bad not only because that part cannot grow roots, but also because now the part that may still be alive ... is not buried.

Phooey. I had a feeling I should have re-cut, I just wasn’t sure. I think I will re-cut and see if it perks back up. Blimey.

Like tiffany said, to stick it right into soil and keep it dry until you see new growth. being in SoCal really is beneficial! Good luck

Well, so I think I was wrong and I didn’t need to re-cut. I pulled it out and re-cut and it seemed as though there was still live tissue in there.

I will attach photos if I can. When I pulled it out, the end looked dry but when I cut a bit off, there was still green. So I put on more rooting powder and put it back in. Then I put the little stump in powder and stuck that too. I hope this works. Anyhow, maybe someone can learn from this. This is the dried end.

This is the cut end. (I need a new chopper.) I am hoping that green means something good.

That, unfortunately, looked to me like a root that got torn off when I took the cutting out of the medium. Sorry it’s out of focus.

That is the little bit I cut off, before I stuck it in again, and that other stick is the lower part of the original cutting.

And this is the top of it. It is definitely unhappy with me and I don’t blame it. (This isn’t where I’m keeping it, this was just for the photo. It is out of direct light.)

Not only should I plant sooner next time, per Tiffany ... but then I should probably leave it alone after that. If any of them take, I will update.

Thanks again!

Oh btw ... I just happened upon this post from last year ... the ones in the black pot sprouted. Nothing happened all winter but I kept putting water on it every so often, and then this spring they came up.

I had totally forgotten that it had cuttings in it and I'm glad I could tell it was a dracaena because I almost thought it was weeds at first. I guess I should label.

So, just lately I noticed that this plant has made a couple of little baby plant/plantlets on its flower stalks ... so does that mean it wasn't a Dracaena at all? It was near a spider plant, but, it also doesn't look like that spider plant. It is still so young that I guess I'm not sure what it is (although I certainly did put D. cuttings in there).

Do dracaenas make plantlets?

You’ve got two different plants there. The latest picture does indeed show a spider plant with a dried up Dracaena stem in the middle. But the previous pictures show Dracaena.

Okay, thanks!! I like the spider plants too. It is too bad about the dracaena but I can get another one.