Question
QUESTION: My corn plant tips are turning yellow and brown.Also, one of the bottom leaves has faded to yellow. I have the plant 4 weeks, and I only watered it once(underwatering?), but the soil still feels moist.It does not get sun,and is in a cool location. I also mist the plant.What's going on, help!

ANSWER: Hi Carol,


Just calm down!  Take a deep breath, nothing is wrong.  Your Dracena is experiencing some changes in its environment, and it is having some "adjustment" problems.  The very best thing that you can do is provide it more light.  These plants are grown in greenhouses with plenty of light, then shipped off to the consumer in prime health.  Though most of these plants are ideal for indoor use, they truly prefer brighter environments than those provided in a typical home.

You have not over/underwatered the plant.  Plants that are popular houseplants have a very high tolerance for variation in watering patterns.  So, they withstand very well underwatering and to a less extent overwatering.

If your weather outdoors is reliably warm (or when it gets reliably warm), move the plant outdoors for the summer months.  If that is not possible, then move the plant to a very bright window.  If you have only a window to place the plant in, then you will need to rotate the plant frequently so that it does not grow "lopsided" toward the light.

The browning of the tips/margins of the leaves is probably because of a very low humidity or chemicals (chlorine) in the water.  This is a typical symptom of many plants in a new environment.

To determine when to water, place your index finger into the soil to the depth of the first knuckle.  If it is just moist at that depth, then it is time to water.  A partial drying of the soil is essential to minimize populations of fungus gnats and other pests that can thrive in overly moist/wet soils.

Good luck.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks for the info, a couple more questions please, what is the best way to provide humidity for the plant, and will artificial light suffice, since the plant is in a finished basement that does get alot of sunlight.

Answer
Hi Carol,

One of the best ways to improve the humidity is to use a room humidifier. They can be purchased at a local hardware store.  They come in various sizes, some holding as much as 10 gallons.  Remember, a relative humidity of 50% is considered "dry" to most plants outside the desert areas.  If you have other plants, place all of them together in a group.  This will increase the humidity also.  Continue misting the plant, but that does not provide a very consistent humidity level.  As the temperature increases, the relative humidity decreases.  A side benefit from higher humidity is the relative warm feeling that you feel in a cooler room.  For example, a room that is 68 degrees F at 60% relative humidity feels more like 72 degrees F at 25% relative humidity.  

Light can be provided by a number of means, but the most effective way is to use a combination of incandescent (providing the red wavelength light) and fluorescent (providing the blue light).  The problem with artificial lighting is that in order to be useful to the plant, the fluorescent light must be very close (within 6 to 8 inches) to the plant, and the incandescent must be farther away because of the heat generated.  There are plant lights and fixtures available, but they can be quite expensive.  A normally lit room provides approximately 1/40 of the light needed by the plant.  Obviously a room that bright would require human occupants to wear sunglasses all the time.  Even plants that are considered "low light" plants require at least 20 times more light than a normal room environment can give.  Plants that grow in the shade outdoors have probably 20 times more light than in an average indoor room. The Draceana grows very well in the shade outdoors, and will tolerate even a small amount of direct sunlight.  

Understand that these lighting conditions are optimal conditions, and plants will survive quite well in lower light conditions, but to remain healthy they must have enough light to produce the required energy for survival.  So, your plant will benefit from additional light however you can provide it.