Dracaena marginata troubleshooting

last year

last modified: last year

One of the draceana marginata stalks is soggy. the top is soggier than the bottom. (Halfway down it feel like the stem is smaller than the bark…like the stem is withering ) the rest of the plant (i.e stalks) is fine.

Im going to cut the top half of the stalk off. can i keep it in the same pot as the rest of the stalks?

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Comments (3)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
last year
the name marginata... implies.. that it has a margin.. i dont see any margin ... which means it is not marginata.. or it is not getting proper light.. to margin properly ... and lack of light and improper watering can lead to all kinds of problems ... but you would have to tell us all about all that if you want help in that regard..

watch some of the propagation vids at the link ... and do whatever. .in a separate pot ... it will have significantly different watering needs than the rest of the plant...

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=dracaena+marginata+propagation&t=ffab&iax=videos&ia=videos

im not sure what the deal is with the media you have in there.. it looks very heavy with perlite.. is that some kind of home brew mix.. and did your problems start after you repotted it into it??? [see what i did there.. perlite is not heavy.. lol.. its lighter than pop corn.. ]

welcome to the forums....

ken
Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
last year
last modified: last year
Is it near a window? It's definitely D. marginata.
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It looks like flecking. http://extension.psu.edu/pests/plant-diseases/all-fact-sheets/dracaena-diseases Unless plants are getting rained on outside or a shower inside during winter, I keep foliage dry. That will prevent any surface pathogen from having a heyday on the foliage. But for now, I would shower it thoroughly so you can assess what is on it. I got an aphid vibe looking at your pics. Aphids are no match for a vigorous shower. If necessary to do inside, you can lay plant on its' side to access the foliage more easily. An alternative would be to clean the crevices with q-tips dipped in rubbing alcohol. Removes dirt & soft pests like aphids, spider mites, scale in soft stage. Then you can know if something shows up on it again. Hopefully just potting soil like you said but some of the white bits could be shed aphid skins. Agree about the light. These trees are where the sun shines right on them for a few hours in the morning. Don't increase too drastically, leaves can sunburn, an ugly condition that compromises appearance for a while. Adjust gradually if potential for more light exists, or if considering taking outside during the warm season. (The thing in the front is an air plant, stuck between the trunks. Not part of this discussion but it shares the pot.) The more light, the more intense the color of whichever variation you have. Mine is 'Tricolor.' Yours looks like a diff one.
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Thanks to all for the replies. I apologize for being MIA - I've had a busy few weeks and haven't been able to devote time to a decent reply. Thank you for your patience :) "Look at the trunk down near the soil. It is discolored dark right out of the soil, then there looks like almost a waterline where it gets whitish, and then looks a bit wrinkled, above that. Does that section feel firm and normal?" The whole trunk feels firm and normal, "waterline" discoloration included. The "waterline" line has been there since about the 1st year. "Does the pot have holes for draining and allowing salts to be leached out of the soil. Years of watering a big plant with nowhere for water to ever run out is lethal sooner or later." The pot does not have holes for draining. I plan to pick up a new pot this weekend - hopefully the local Home Depot or Lowes sells clay pots with holes in the bottom, as I do like the look :) - I'm assuming I should shake out as much of the soil as possible and replace it. But with what? Just a generic potting mix? When I first got it I potted it in this container with Miracle Gro (which I now know is bad!) and it has never been re-potted. Shortly after writing my original post I moved the plant into the den/2nd bedroom. It's the only room in the apartment that gets direct sunlight - it gets several hours of afternoon sun. All yellow leaves have since dropped but I am left with several that are dry at the ends. I haven't watered it since the day I wrote my original post and the soil still does not yet feel excessively dry.
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Hey @Iqra Iqra, sorry to hear about your dracaena. You made the right move when repotting the plant. I assume that when you did so, you made sure to loosen the roots as much as possible right? If so, great. If not, you should get the plant out and try to loosen the roots. Another thing, what type of soil did you use and what kind of drainage is in its current pot?
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tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
last year
It is marginata and the margins are inconspicuous due to low light. The sudden change in stem diameters is an indication (likely) of the change from high light to low light. Low light causes elongation of cells (promotes a reduction in diameter) and reduces the necessity of the plant to make more cells to store excess photosynthate (sugars/starches), which also contributes to limiting of the diameter of stems/branches.

You CAN propagate by cuttings, but success would be much more likely if you waited until June/early July (if you live in the Northern Hemisphere) because the plant should be in a higher state of vitality (more reserve energy) and days are longer/brighter, which means the (then) current ability to make food (plants make their own food during the process of photosynthesis) will be at peak levels; or, you could air layer the top off starting the layer at your leisure. Success is pretty much assured if you layer instead of propagate by cuttings. The already rooted stems will then back-bud and grow new branches. That response, back-budding, will also be more enthusiastic of you separate the layer in June/early July.

The plant definitely wants more light. What have you been doing insofar as fertilizing?

Al

Dracaena marginata troubleshooting

Comments (3)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL

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tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)

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