Question

Potted Plant   QUESTION: I received these plants potted together at a funeral recently.  I know the middle one is a 'corn plant' and the hearty green and yellow striped one is 'mother in laws tongue' I do not know what the other two are or if it is ok to keep them potted together.  They are so pretty and seem to be growing quickly.  I am watering to keep the soil just moist and misting a couple of times weekly.

thank you for any help you can provide!

ANSWER: Hi Kimberly,

Your dish garden has three different types of Dracaena in it. The Corn Plant is a Dracaena massangeana. The plant with slightly reddish margin on its this leaves is a Dracaena marginata. The green and yellow striped plant is a Dracaena deremensis 'lemon-lime." The fourth plant you have correctly identified as a Mother-in-law Plant or Sansevieria.

They all have the same general requirements so it is not necessary nor a particularly good idea to separate them. Keep your dish garden on or close to a north or east facing windowsill. Allow the top inch of soil to dry out before adding just enough water so that the top inch dries out again an about a week. It will take a little experimenting before you determine just what the right amount of water is.

Your dish garden probably does not have a drain hole, so it is not a good idea to use any fertilizer and if your tap water is hard, then use filtered or distilled.

Misting neither harms nor helps your plants, so it is entirely optional.

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

Visit my website at: A link to HorticulturalHelp.com


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

QUESTION: Thank you! The dish is ceramic and does have a small drain hole along with an attached plate. I do not allow water to sit in the dish. Is this correct?

Answer
Hi Kimberly,

Thank you for the top ratings. It is much appreciated!

Good to know your dish garden does have a drainage hole. That will help insure against inadvertent over watering and the buildup of mineral salts from fertilizer and hard water. Most dish gardens do not have drain holes.

You are being overly cautious about water in the attached saucer. Whatever small amount it holds will evaporate quickly enough for it not to be a problem. When you water, add just enough so that a small amount trickles through. Then don't water again until the top inch of soil feels dry.

~Will