Question
I have a Dracaena that has suffered from a fungus. The fungus is pretty spot on to the one described here:  http://en.allexperts.com/q/House-Plants-721/2010/11/Dracaena-3.htm It is indoors near a window tall window. There are . I water it once a week and less since I've noticed the fungus problem. It's in a 12'' dia. pot that is about 18'' deep.  There are 4 dracaena in the pot. I put it into this from a similar sized one when I bought it about a year ago.  Two of the plants have suffered badly from the fungus and have lost all their leaves and the trunks have withered inside and their "skin" is loose around them. One of the two still feels strong about 12'' from the top (3' trunk), the other is withered from top to bottom (5') I read the previously mentioned answer on how to deal with the fungus. My question is this: Can I salvage any portion of these plants, if so how best?

Answer
Hi Scott,

I believe the answer is no, your plant cannot be salvaged. Any stem that has lost all of its leaves or has turned soft anywhere or has loosened bark will not survive.

I suspect the problem occurred with the repotting that you did. The soil you added was probably contaminated with fungus spores. However, the fungus did not damage the stems. Rather, it was the over-sized pot that is keeping the roots too moist for too long.

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

If this information has been helpful, please click the Rate Volunteer bar below and enter a rating and nomination for me. I am a volunteer on this site so Ratings are the only compensation I receive for answering plant questions.

Need more information? Visit my website at www.HorticulturalHelp.com
or email me at [email protected] or call me at 917-887-8601 (EST)
 
Regards,
Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC

Visit my website at  www.HorticulturalHelp.com