Question
Hello, I hope you can help my mother out. She received a stem of a Dracaena fragrans "Massangeana" about 12 inches 12 years ago. Now, the plant touches the ceiling, but doesn't flower at all! She waters it daily and keeps it next to the window. The "mother" or original plant that belongs to my grandmother has been blooming. This has been a problem for a long time. Please help us out! =]

thank you.

Answer
Hillary,

This plant needs to be quite old to bloom, usually 15- 20 years old and rootbound. If it is frequently repotted it will probably never bloom. It also likes to dry out between waterings. The top 3-5 inches of potting soil needs to dry out between waterings. If it is kept constantly moist the roots will rot and it will never bloom. In the spring I recommend that your mother take a couple of cuttings off of her tall plant and put them in the pot beside her planet so she will have 3 plants in the pot and it will become rootbound faster. Then do not repot it and let it dry out a bit more between waterings. And finally, be patient, it will bloom in it's own time. It should not be a competition. You have a beautiful healthy plant. Good luck.

Darlene