Question

corn plant   Hi Will
I have a multi-tiered question: first, is it best to move my dracaena frangrans out of the edge of my sunroom where its been now for over two yrs since the leaf-tips are now turning brown (a supposed sign of too much sun)? Second, if the corn plant is to be moved, I have a very established pothos/ monstera deliciosa in the same pot as the corn plant which is snaked on the walls around the entire room; what is the best way to repot the pothos/monstera deliciosa so it may remain in the sunroom where it has truly THRIVED and what pot would be best for it at this point?

Thank you!
A.B.

Answer
Hi A.B.

The brown tips on the Corn Plant leaves are not caused by excess light. The likely cause is periodic excessive dryness, although keeping the soil constantly moist can also cause this problem. If the plant is badly potbound, that might also cause the leaf tipping.

Excess light usually causes bleaching of the foliage, turning the leaves to a light shade of green. I don't see evidence of that in the photo, so I don't think too much light in the sunroom is a problem.

In addition, the fact that the Pothos and Monstera are in the same pot and are thriving is another reason I don't think light is the problem. All three plants do best in bright, but indirect sunlight. Excess light for one, would be excess light for all three.

So there is no reason to separate and repot the Monstera and Pothos from the Corn Plant. Trying to separate them would be problematic in any case because the roots of the three plants have grown together and are so intertwined that trauma is likely if you were to try to separate them.

I recommend that you keep the plants in their present location and monitor the watering a bit more carefully. In the interim, trim off the brown tips, as they will not re-green. Your goal is to prevent the development of additional brown tipping.

I have written articles on Corn Plant and Pothos care that I will email for free to you (or anyone else) who sends a request to me at [email protected].

Please let me know if any of this is unclear or if you have any additional questions.

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Regards,
Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC

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