Question
EPSN0597
I have a 6 ft. tall corn tree that has to be 15 to 20 years old. It has hit a few rough spots along the way, but for the most part it has been pretty healthy until now. It has almost completely shriveled up, but several months ago it sprouted new leaves up through the soil and they are still green and growing. I hope that I will at least be able to save the new growth.
When searching this site for help, I found that one of the other experts had been asked about this same problem and his answer was, "Corn plant canes do not put out bottom growth until the main cane is already in the process of dying.....you can try to sever the bottom growth and root that in a small pot filled with damp potting mix, but the main plant is on the way out."
Assuming that this information is correct, I could really use some directions on how I should go about trying to cut off or separate the new growth and its roots from the original tree. If you could help me do this correctly I would really apprieciate it.
Do you think that this new bunch of leaves can or will actually grow into a new corn tree one day? I really hope I can salvage something from this tree that has been with us for so long.
Thank You,
Courtney
AnswerCourtney,
Your dracaena problems come from (at least in part) it being in way too large a pot. This plant much prefers to be in a small pot and to be pot bound. In a large pot it gets overwatered too frequently and just cannot use up that much water soon enough to have a dry period before you are coming along with a watering pot again. Corn plants need that dry period for the roots to breath before they are watered again or they suffer from root rot.
Since the new plant is already growing off of whatever roots are left on the old plant I suggest that you cut the trunk of the old plant down to about 4 inches above where the new plant is coming off of it. Then you obtain a new pot that is no larger than a 12 inch diameter and a bag of perlite. Remove the plant from the pot you have it in and carefully remove enough soil to reduce the root ball to the point that it will easily fit in the 12" pot. I suspect it will not be difficult to do this. Mix some of the soil you removed, or new soil if that soil seems too deteriorated with the perlite at a 50/50 ratio and use that to tuck in around the plants roots.
Be sure to place your new plant in a very bright location where your hand will make a good shadow but not where the sun will actually shine on it. Insert a bamboo skewer like you would use to make shish kabobs into the soil. Do not water it until you can pull that skewer out of the soil and it is dry. Do not water it with water that has flouride or chlorine in it, in other words city water. If you have city water you need to allow it to sit in an open bucket for 48 hours before using it to water this plant or any other dracaena so the flouride & chlorine will dissipate into the air and not harm to the plants. Two weeks after replanting you can fertilize it with a half strength dose of water soluable fertilizer such as Miracle Grow. If you have more questions feel free to write again. Good luck.
Darlene
