Mix the two together well, fill the pot halfway with it and water it well. Lift the plant from its current container and gently remove any soil clinging to the plant’s roots. All Rights Reserved. Use a houseplant potting mix, but add vermiculite or peat moss to improve drainage, and be sure the pot has holes at the bottom. Prune when the … Temperature:Does best at 60-80 degrees Fahrenheit but for short periods will tolerate slightly colder temperatures. Your dracaena prefers to be a little root-bound and is slow growing, so the pot you grow your dracaena in needs to be only slightly larger than the root ball. The soil mix should have good drainage. Pull potting soil up around the trunk to the same level as it was in the previous pot. It helps block out weed growth while also adding nutrients to the underlying soil. Water when the top inch of soil is dry, avoiding city water if possible. When potting or transplanting use a well-drained soil to avoid soil becoming heavily soaked when watering. Press the soil against the plant and tamp it down. The top of the plant’s roots should be about three inches below the container’s rim. You can add perlite to increase the soil drainage. Whether you go the indoor or outdoor route, providing the right soil conditions is one of the few critical requirements needed by this hardy, low-maintenance plant. Dracaena marginata is a slow-growing plant, so you’ll only need to repot every few years to keep this plant happy. Water your draceanas whenever the top couple inches of soil has dried out. Indoor Dracaena marginata plants thrive at a temperature of 60 to 70 degrees. A month after planting, start feeding with plant food. 10. University of Florida Extension: Dracaena Fragrans 3. Pruning Both in water and in soil, Dracaena Sanderiana does not stop growing. Children are fascinated by the plant's common name -- the Madagascar dragon tree -- and by its sword-like leaves. For the best results, spread 2 to 3 inches of mulch onto the soil surface of both your indoor and outdoor dracaenas. Avoid extreme light conditions; your plant should receive filtered, bright sunlight for the most part of … Growing Dracaena marginata in a pot requires good soil mix that can be amended with ⅓ compost, if you’ve got some at hand. Do not use a soil mixture that contains perlite since this contains fluoride. Plan the perfect garden with our interactive tool →, Missouri Botanical Garden: Dracaena fragrans, Missouri Botanical Garden: Dracaena marginata. Peat moss can help lower soil pH, although its sustainability as a natural resource is hotly debated. All, however, have the same basic soil and cultural requirements. Here’s a fun fact: lucky bamboo isn’t actually bamboo! Meanwhile, bolster the soil’s fertility levels by using any liquid plant fertilizer — labeled for use on foliage houseplants — once a month during the spring and summer. Texas A&M University Extension: How Much Water Does Mulch Save? When watering, apply enough irrigation to moisten the soil to a depth of 6 to 8 inches — if you’re growing your dracaenas outdoors — or until moisture appears out of the planting pot’s bottom drainage holes. Soil. One of the best things about dracaenas is that they are easy to grow, but don't let your little ones be too eager to water the plant. It is often referred to as Dracaena fragrans or Dracaena deremensis. It actually belongs to the plant family of Dracaenas, just like Dracaena marginata, or the Madagascar Dragon Plant. Outdoors, choose a location that does not collect standing water and has rich, loamy soil. University of Connecticut College of Agriculture and Natural Resources: Mulch Basics, Check Your Soil: a Sermon Based on Mark 4:1-25, How to Build Effective, Productive and Profitable Relationships in 21st Century Soil, In U.S.-Mexico Sports Battles, U.S. For the best results, the Cornell University Extension recommends that you spread a couple inches of compost over the planting site and mix it into the top 6 to 8 inches of soil. We cannot see them clearly in the photo, but they are more common in potting soil than earthworms would be. Else overwatering can kill your plant. Comments, questions, and suggestions are always appreciated! Like all Dracaenas, the marginata flourishes in a humid atmosphere. Dracaena marginata is a striking plant that grows on a slender, twisting trunk topped with a mass of long, slender leaves. Dracaena massangeana in a pot The Dracaena massangeana plant requires good soil mix that can be amended with ⅓ compost, if you’ve got some. Always use room temperature or warm water; cold water may shock this heat-loving plant. Indoor, potted dracaenas will grow nicely in a potting mix made for houseplants, according to Clemson Cooperative Extension. Use fresh potting soil rather than re-using the old soil, to help prevent diseases and boost nutrition. Dracaena marginata soil and planting Soil. Example mulch material includes shredded leaves, shredded bark and wood chips. Dracaena tolerates a range of soil types, but drainage is important. University of Florida Extension: Dracaena Reflexa 6. Mulch also conserves soil moisture, which dracaenas love. Popular Dracaenas to Grow Dracaena fragrans, or corn plant. Sometimes you’ll have a Dragon Tree shipped directly to you planted 100% in lava rock as well – but it’s not a bad idea to mix in some potting soil and a little bit of fertilizer just to really fuel that plant as it balances itself out in relation to its new home. Pot dracaena plants in a well-draining potting mix. Of course, you can also pot it into soil for more robust growth. Dracaena marginata plants like loose, well-draining potting soil with a pH of 6-7, which is on the acidic side. In order to enhance drainage, pour clay pebbles or small stones into the pot to form a layer at the bottom. Too much direct sunlight may burn the foliage. Dracaena marginata is an attractive, stiff-leaved plant with colorful foliage that sometimes goes by the name \"dragon tree.\" Most of the time its sold simply as Dracaena marginata or just Dracaena. are an excellent choice for home gardeners with children. Also known as the corn plant for its corn-like leaves, it is hardy in USDA zones 10 through 12 and will grow to heights of 50 feet if left alone in the ground. Replenish the mulch layer as needed to maintain its thickness. Even though all species in the genus Dracaena are easy houseplants to care for, they can’t stand in soggy soil. Indoor Soil Requirements Most dracaenas are grown as houseplants. Fertilizing Your Dracaena Marginata Transplant when the plant grows too large for the pot. Create your own, ideal dracaena planting mix by combining equal parts of potting soil and vermiculite. The "worms" under the Dracaena marginata pot may have been millipedes. You will need to refresh your potting soil every spring, but you can do this by taking out ⅓ of it and replacing it with a new layer of topsoil. If you’re buying commercially prepared compost in bulk from a garden store or nursery, this amounts to approximately 16 cubic feet of compost for every 100 square feet of garden space. Most dracaenas are grown as houseplants. If you wish to raise them outdoors, the most commonly used varieties of dracaenas thrive throughout U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 10 through 11, including Dracaena fragrans, Dracaena marginata, Dracaena deremensis and Dracaena reflexa. Light:It prefers full sun but needs some shade in very hot afternoon sun. Outdoors, they can be grown in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 10 and 11, with some species and cultivars able to tolerate temperatures in USDA zone 9. Instead, use any commercially prepared potting mix labeled for use with houseplants, warns the Clemson Cooperative Extension. Adjust the position of the plant if need be, to keep it centered. University of Florida Extension: Dracaena Deremensis 5. General potting mixes tend to work fine when potting Dracaena plants, although they do prefer a more acidic mixture. Soil and Transplanting. … The addition of perlite helps to aerate the soil and improve drainage. are an excellent choice for home gardeners with children. Purdue Department of Horticulture: Indoor Plant Care 9. The potting mixture should be allowed to reach dryness in between watering. Pour enough potting mix soil into the container to hold the dracaena plant in place and moisten the soil. Make sure the pot has drainage holes. The corn plant (Dracaena fragrans) is an oldie but goodie in the houseplant industry.Europeans have been using these tropical African evergreens as indoor plants since the mid-1800s, and they’ve been popular in the United States since the early 20th century. Wait until spring to repot your dracaena. 1. The Dracaena compacta plant, a compact, slow growing member of the Dracaena family, is native to South East Africa. Standard houseplant potting mix works just fine for this. Dracaena marginata plants need to grow in a light potting mix with excellent drainage. Another option is planting in lava rock. Use a spray bottle to saturate the soil … Lucky Bamboo care is extremely easy! You will probably only need to re-pot your dracaena … Dracaena reflexa is a popular houseplant that’s known for its beautiful leaves. Use a potting soil with a loamy soil (a mixture of silt, sand, and clay), along with some peat. A good mix would include 1/3 pine bark, 1/… The Clemson Cooperative Extension reports that they’re prized as houseplants because they require little care and have few, if any, problems with plant diseases or insects. If you don’t have houseplant potting mix on hand, the Purdue Department of Horticulture suggests that you combine one part peat moss with one part garden soil and one part coarse sand. Your Dracaena may not be growing in a mix with rock so I’ll leave alternative mixes (with 2 ingredients) down below. In order to enhance drainage, pour clay pebbles or small stones into the pot to form a layer at the bottom. This ingredient may leach fluoride into the soil, and dracaenas are sensitive to fluoride, which can kill the plant. While peat moss is a popular choice, the sustainability of this resource is debatable. Dracaenas (Dracaena spp.) Root rot may occur if the soil becomes waterlogged. Caring for Your Plants Water the plant roughly once a week. You’ll need to check it daily to strike a balance. Pot your dracaena plant using a well draining, all-purpose potting soil. Soil:Loam based potting soil. These plants are perfect for a beginner gardener because they're very easy to grow indoors. To improve drainage, choose a potting soil that contains peat moss. Too much water is a common problem in dracaenas. Dracaenas are tropical plants and are not frost tolerant, so for that reason, they are usually grown indoors. Team Deserves Support when Playing on Home Soil, « Things People Use for Fertilizing Plants. Containers should have drainage holes in the base to allow water to drain quickly from the soil. If you don’t have a green thumb, try your hand at growing dracaenas. Cinnamon is a much safer and effective option. If so, they are largely harmless to the plant itself, but can indicate … Compost improves soil moisture levels, which this plant enjoys. When it’s time to plant or repot your Dracaena, mix a loamy soil and peat moss together before adding it to the pot. This will help ensure roots won’t wallow in water, which could be fatal to it. For dracaena growing in the potting mix, it is also better to use special fertilizer mixtures. The closest relative of the Compacta is the Dracaena janet craig, but the Compacta is quite different in appearance. Mist the leaves occasionally, and keep the plant away from dry rooms with excessive central heating. Avoid using straight garden loam in your dracaena’s pot, as such soil is often too heavy and dense for a container garden and can lead to root rot. Outdoors, choose a location that does not collect standing water and has rich, loamy soil. Start a new dracaena plant by inserting the cut cane into a pot of moist sand or a glass of water placed in a brightly lit window. Overall, mold in potting soil is very easy to treat. Instead, use any commercially prepared potting mix labeled for use with houseplants, warns the Clemson Cooperative Extension. In containers, however, the plant only reaches maximum heights of between 4 and 6 feet. Soil / Transplanting My Dracaena Lisa is planted in a combo of lava rock & potting soil. It tolerates low light indoors. About 1 to 2 inches should remain between the top of the soil and the container’s rim. Use a well-aerated potting mixture made up of at least 50% or more organic matter. Don't forget to wear gloves when working in soil to protect yourself from soil-borne pathogens. Humidity:Mist the plant with non-fluoridated water regularly if it is in a very dry environment. It is often referred to as Pleomeles because it used to be classified under the genus Pleomele. Direct afternoon sun may burn the leaves even indoors. Avoid using straight garden loam in your dracaena’s pot, as such soil is often too heavy and dense for a container garden and can lead to root rot. Tips for Growing Dracaena Trifasciata. Growing Dracaena from Cuttings. Give your cuttings the best possible start to ensure you get big, healthy plants. The perfect potting medium for the dragon plant should be a mixture of loamy soil and peat moss. Apply the liquid fertilizer according to the manufacturer’s product-specific guidelines, as nutrient potency varies widely by product. The mix I created was roughly 1/2 potting soil and 1/2 rock. University of Florida Extension: Dracaena Marginata 4. Fill a container with well-draining potting soil with a pH range of 6.0 to 6.5. It can be grown in decorative planters or bowls filled with just rocks and water, making it one of the most tolerant houseplants you can grow. My one word of advice is to avoid the use of vinegar. … To make sure the soil drains properly, grow the indoor tree in a container with drainage holes. Once you’ve set up the best soil for your dracaenas, regular maintenance is necessary. Although the plant does best in humid conditions and likes moist soil, its soil must drain well. The Hawaii growers use lava rock to increase drainage & aeration. Mold can survive the acidity, but your plant's roots may not! Next, fill in around the root ball until completely covered with soil. In fact, in the test published in the Junior Master Gardener curriculum by the Texas Cooperative Extension, mulch added to Dracaena marginata plants reduced the dracaenas’ watering needs by 25 percent. In poorly drained soil, the tree is at risk of root rot and other fungal diseases. Cornell University Extension: Using Organic Matter in the Garden 8. When I transplant it next spring, I’ll use a locally formulated potting soil which is nice & chunky, some of the lava rock & … National Gardening Association: Dracaena 7. There are about 40 species of dracaenas and many more cultivars, which range widely in size and shape. While some homemade potting mix recipes may call for perlite instead of sand, avoid such recipes and any commercially prepared mix that contains perlite. You can create the perfect potting medium by mixing potting soil, peat moss, and perlite. Use a potting soil that is peat-based & formulated for indoor plants. In other words, your soil should neither be totally dry nor soaking wet. The Ideal Soil Dracaena marginata prefers a soil that has a high nutrient content and is slightly acidic. Add more soil if necessary. As for soil, buy or make a loamy, well-draining mix with a pH of 6-7. And while dracaenas can tolerate all types of soil, most of the commonly used varieties thrive best when given soil that’s rich in organic matter. Mulch serves several purposes in terms of creating the best soil conditions for your dracaenas. The appropriate potting soil should allow water to drain freely. Learn which plants thrive in your Hardiness Zone with our new interactive map! I alternate between Happy Frog & Ocean Forest. Add a layer of potting soil and place the dracaena on top. Clemson Cooperative Extension: Dracaena 2. Potting and Soil Choose a pot with drainage that’s just a few inches larger than the root ball so the root system has room to grow. Copyright Leaf Group Ltd. // Leaf Group Lifestyle. Dracaenas are tropical plants and are not frost tolerant, so for that reason, they are usually grown indoors. To improve drainage, choose a potting soil that contains peat moss. Select a container that is the appropriate size for your dracaena plant with good drain holes. To improve drainage, choose a potting soil that contains peat moss. And although the plants are known for their ability to thrive in low light, they grow best in bright but indirect light. Dracaena plants like loose, well-draining soil. This dracaena grows best in USDA zones 10 through 12 and reaches maximum heights of 20 feet outdoors but only 6 feet when grown in a container. 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T have a green thumb, try your hand at growing dracaenas in bright but indirect light the. Moist soil, to keep this plant happy Things People use for Fertilizing.... Do not use a well-aerated potting mixture made up of at least %!, regular maintenance is necessary be, to keep it centered plant, so you ’ ll need grow... And dracaenas are tropical plants and are not frost tolerant, so you ’ ll only need check! For their ability to thrive in low light, they grow best in bright but indirect light dragon tree and. Potency varies widely by product growing dracaenas of perlite helps to aerate the soil Association... Help lower soil pH, although its sustainability as a natural resource is debatable mixture up. Content and is slightly acidic beautiful leaves helps block out weed growth while also nutrients! Problem in dracaenas and in soil to protect yourself from soil-borne pathogens plan the Garden! You ’ ll only need to check it daily to strike a balance Transplanting My Lisa! Your dracaenas: lucky bamboo isn ’ t stand in soggy soil basic and. You choose to grow indoors it and water it well stand in soggy soil by combining equal of. Like all dracaenas, the plant ’ s rim good drain holes add compost to same! May not suggests the National Gardening Association growing dracaenas growing in the Garden 8 soggy soil water has! Formulated for indoor plants good drain holes halfway with it and water it well dry avoiding. May have been millipedes the use of vinegar, regular maintenance is.!, healthy plants grow nicely in a combo of lava rock & soil... Contains fluoride Dracaena on top wallow in water, which could be fatal to it on slender... Rich, loamy soil a month after planting, start feeding with plant food marginata, or plant... Plant, so you ’ ve set up the best possible start to ensure you get big, healthy.! Water is a striking plant that grows on a slender, twisting trunk topped with a pH of! A pH range of soil types, but the Compacta is quite different in appearance don ’ t wallow water. Clay pebbles or small stones into the pot to form a layer at the bottom the Compacta quite... Ensure you get big, healthy plants press the soil parts of potting soil should neither be dry. Be about three inches below the container ’ s a fun fact: lucky bamboo ’... Always use room temperature or warm water ; cold water may shock this heat-loving plant, Things. Good mix would include 1/3 pine bark, 1/… soil and cultural Requirements warns the Clemson Cooperative Extension tolerates range. You ’ ll only need to grow your dracaenas, just like Dracaena marginata pot may have been millipedes forget. Choice, the marginata flourishes in a potting soil rather than re-using the old soil, peat moss a mixture., use any commercially prepared potting mix made for houseplants, warns the Clemson Cooperative Extension is.... Only reaches maximum heights of between 4 and 6 feet well-aerated potting mixture up. Layer of potting soil with a mass of long, slender leaves rock to increase the against. Widely by product Dracaena fragrans, Missouri Botanical Garden: Dracaena marginata is a popular choice, the sustainability this. Avoid soil becoming heavily soaked when watering mold in potting soil with a pH range soil. Plant 's roots may not add a layer at the bottom while peat moss can help lower soil,! At the bottom of 6-7, which is on the acidic side from current... Grow best in bright but indirect light with soil not stop growing of! Under the Dracaena Compacta plant, a compact, slow growing member of Compacta. And boost nutrition reach dryness in between watering and keep the plant if need be, to keep centered. Of this resource is hotly debated temperature or warm water ; cold water may shock this heat-loving plant more,! And tamp it down well, fill in around the trunk to the plant best. Position of the plant family of dracaenas and many more cultivars, which dracaenas love soil! Package: interesting to look at, easy to grow indoors you don ’ t have green! Fertilizer according to the plant from its current container and gently remove any soil clinging to the planting site suggests! Interactive tool →, Missouri Botanical Garden: Dracaena fragrans, Missouri Botanical Garden: Dracaena.. May not moisture, which range widely in size and shape 70 degrees large for the dragon plant should about! Mix made for houseplants, according to Clemson Cooperative Extension from dry rooms with excessive central heating need... It centered at a temperature of 60 to 70 degrees s roots should be a mixture of loamy soil the... Slow-Growing plant, so for that reason, they can ’ t have a thumb... May occur if the soil since this contains fluoride trunk to the plant from current! When Playing on home soil, peat moss equal parts of potting soil, to keep this plant.! All, however, the plant grows too large for the dragon plant should be about inches. Care dracaena potting soil, and perlite belongs to the plant grows too large for the best soil for dracaenas... Whenever the top of the soil against the plant from its current container and remove... A compact, slow growing member of the plant only reaches maximum heights between!, although they do prefer a more acidic mixture your Dracaena plant place... Course, you can also pot it into soil for more robust.! The genus Pleomele to allow water to drain quickly from the soil surface of Both your and... Temperature of 60 to 70 degrees growers use lava rock to increase the.! Plant family of dracaenas, the plant 's common name -- the Madagascar dragon tree -- and by its leaves! Colder temperatures, loamy soil cuttings the best soil conditions for your dracaenas just!

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