Dying Magenta (Dracaena)

My plant needs medium light, moderatly moist soil, and an average warm temperature. I have done all of this, and it grew larger and gained many leaves. Then, it suddenly started losing leaves, and the top dried out. I increased the water, and gave it warmer temperatures. It is getting worse, so i plan on transplanting and giving it miracle grow. Anything else? PLEASE HELP ME!

 

Can you post a pic? Would just be easier for everyone to work out what could be wrong with it then...

Where were the leaves falling off from? Some species of Dracaena's bottom leaves die off naturally as they grow so that might have been why they fell off.

I'm not sure if you should fertilise it this time of year, as to repotting it I don't know. It might be worth at least lifting out the root ball to see what shape the roots are in. Since things got worse when you watered it - it might be a too-much water situation. Check to see if the roots are healthy. If they are black and mushy it has root rot and you'll need to remove as much of the damaged roots as possible and repot it in a light well draining soil. Otherwise I'm not sure.

There are plenty of people on here more experienced than me with plants and gardening so they might have more idea!

 

The leaves are falling off from the top, which is turning brown and hard. The leaves at the bottom seem fine. The roots seem fine, except that they are sticking out through the drainage holes! That's why i thought of replanting when i first checked it out. I think im going to replant it and check the rest of the roots, too. I'll post a pic later on, though. My brother broke my camra i lent him, and i am trying to get a new one.

Thanks for trying to help, it's much appreciated.

 

No problem - I'm not an expert though!

If the roots are coming out the bottom it definitely needs re-potting, when you do make sure the pot isn't more than 2 in. bigger than the one it's in now otherwise you'll run the risk of overwatering it! Once its repotted it might improve - good luck with it and keep us posted...

 

I replanted it a few days ago, and it seems to be doing well. no leaves are falling off anymore, but none are growing, either. it might take awhile for it to start a full recovery. i've been keeping the soil moist, and i gave it some miracle grow. so im waiting and watching. once again, thanks for the help! i give more info if anything changes! thank you!

 

I was watering my plant today and notice somethin strange. out of a bulge in the trunk, something small and white was coming out. im not sure if the trunk is trying to regrow or what, since the top of the plant is completely dead, but it was quite weird. it is hard, and has a slightly red tip, similar to the leaves. any advice??? this plant has been constantly confusing me ... i appologize, the photo isn't good. the second photo shows the same whitespot, but the pic is horribly dark, as is the third pic, which at the top of is the dried up stem.

 

The white spot is slightly larger now, though the plant doesn't seem to be affected by it. There is another small bulge forming across the plant from the white growth. When i researched other Dracaena plants, i found that some can be cut and planted, creating two stems instead of one. Im not sure how acurate this info is, though. If it's acurate, could the white growth be a root? And if the info is not acurate, then what is the growth? Once again, i need help. my appologies for inexperience!!! assistance requested!!!

 

I don't think it will be a root, it might be about to branch and grow a new stem but I'm not sure....just keep an eye on it, it could be nothing. I have a cordyline (closely related to the dracaenas) and i noticed a while back it was getting little white bumps on some parts of the stem and thought YAY it's going to grow more branches but this was a while back and they've grown a bit bigger but no branches as of yet:(

Sorry I'm not much help - i must admit to being something of a novice myself:S

 

Hey, thanks again. You've been a great help with this plant. I guess it would make sense if it was growing branches ... the pot it's in now is much bigger, and the miracle grow has been working for awhile. Thanks so much. Since no one i've talked to has any idea of whats going on, i'll take your advice and watch it. I'll keep you posted! Thanks!

And being a novice is nothing to worry about! It just takes experience ... or so my mother says!

 

I don't worry about it too much, I'm just warning people that I might not be right!

 

late to this thread...

normal growth patter for drac's is new leaves come out at the top and the older leaves die off at the bottom.

if the top leaves are browning up then there's a problem. you fixed one - roots coming out the bottom of the container. so, the rootbound issue is resolved with the repotting.

still leaves the issue of the leaves at the top browning up...the pics, thanks for posting them! are too fuzzy to get a good look at the 'white' stuff. i'd say it's mealy bugs and not new growth starting. mealies will suck the juices out of the plant and the leaves will die - if left untreated, the whole plant will eventually die.

if it's white and fluffy-looking, then it's most likely mealies and you can easily get rid of them with a q-tip dipped in rubbing alcohol and then touch the bugs with the wet end. also get the base of the leaves really well, too, since that's where they tend lay eggs. treat again in about 10 days to catch any that hatched and then again in another 10 days or so.

check any other plants in the vicinity as the mealies will travel.

after repotting, the plant will take a few weeks to get re-situated and you won't see any new growth until it does, so, don't worry about it yet ;)

as for watering - dracs like the soil to dry out a bit before getting a good drink, so, allow the soil to dry down about two inches before watering again. keeping it too moist will cause the roots to rot.

you CAN cut the top off and root it...which is nice with an older one that has gotten too tall. you root the top piece and the original one will put out new growth - so you end up with two plants.

 

thanks for the reply joclyn! i don't think it's bugs. the white stuff lookes jagged and it's very hard to the touch. so far i've been going with a branch idea, since the edges of the white is starting to look like a white version of the trunk. as ive been looking and studying the plant, more subtle bulges are appering up the trunk. i've only noticed this because i've been watching it so closely. i could be imagining it in my worried state, though. still, i have no idea. but the leaves haven't fallen off since i replanted it. any more advice? i really need and appreciate it!

Quick question: if it is new growth, would it hurt it if i put hydrogen peroxide (i don't own any rubbing alcohol) on it? just in case it was some bug?

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The white thing is turning green ... now what? im still confused.

 

The white thing is turning greener, and getting larger. i've looked at several sites and asked some other people what is going on, but im still not getting any clear answers ... help!!!

I'm worried that more of my plant is dying again ... it is starting to look shriveled at the top.

 

Hi, it sounds as though you have some new growth happenning to compensate for something nasty happening at the top of the plant. Sorry it is very difficult to give advice without pics - we could be way off the mark.

 

That's what I was thinking as well.

 

Stop over watering it... it can take drought, once it comes back and stabiliized to normal growth habits...

 

These are new pics, just taken. Bear with me, my camera sucks at close-ups and sometimes goes overboard on the flash. The pics are fuzzy and the lighting is off. Thanks for the help!!!

 

Hi, only watering the plant when it is dry and needs a drink is important. K Baron is right these are tough plants which can tolerate low moistuire, besides if it is winter where you are, they really only need minimal water to keep them going until the growing season.
From the photos it looks as though the leaves have something white on them towards the point where they join the stem. Is this the case or has it perhaps been caused by the flash?

 

No, it isn't the flash. That's the mysterious growing white thing that i've quieried about in previous replies. It's turning green and getting bigger, so im pretty sure that it's growth. Is it? I don't know.

 

If it's going green I'd imagine it probably would be.....looks like it's recovering okay:) It might be unable to grow from the top any more so is growing itself a new branch!

Don't water at all unless the top two inches of soil at least are dry.

 

Jessie,

I wouldn't worry about the growth so much, but the plant does look over-potted (pot too large) and the soil looks heavy and wet. Try using a smaller clay pot that's only slightly larger then the root-ball, leaving about an inch of room between the root-ball and the inside of the pot. Water only when DRY. Doing this helps keep the roots from rotting. You want the roots to be mingled through-out the soil, not surrounded by excess un-used wet soil.
Dracaena's do well indirect bright light, direct sun can burn the leaves. I wouldn't feed it at all now, not in winter, and especially if it's ailing.

 

okay ... could it stay in the pot it is in? or would that be really bad? i'm sad to admit i know practically nothing about this plant except for what the people told me when i bought it ...

i repotted it previously, as the plant had outgrown it's pot. if the roots have stayed about the same, then it would be aproximatly 2 in. from each edge. i've put miracle grow on it twice [don't worry i read the instructions =)] and it always seems to perk up about three days later. i did some research and found that i shouldn't fertilize it ... so i haven't recently. and i haven't watered it for four days now, and the soil is starting to get real dry on top. it gets sun in the later afternoon. it's cold in the room the plant is in, though it says the plant can stand 55*F temp ... could the temp and/ or sunlight be effecting it?

if anyone has anymore advice or answers to my questions, please respond. thanks for the help!!!

 

Hi, if you just do as joclyn said re watering you'll be right. As it is winter in your part of the world it is probably best if you keep the plant in a bright, warm spot and only water as needed. I think doing less is best during the winter months

 

I doubt it will be the sun, it might not be altogether happy with the temperature but unless it actually gets below freezing (unlikely inside) all it'll do is curl its leaves up at you and grow a little less - it won't actually kill it so don't worry, just follow everyone's advice with the watering and it'll be fine.

The pot i'd say is too big for it, i have one with the same amount of leaves as yours but a much shorter stem and it's at most in a 3" pot! If you really want to keep the pot its in, don't water until it's dry half way down the pot, that should stop the roots from rotting.

 

Thanks everyone! It is a branch, and none of the other bulges have produced anything. the plant seems to not be affected by the new stem, which is producing leaves. my plant is healthy and growing, thanks to your help!