Question
Thanks for the clarifications!

The Dracaena is in a corner exactly next to a south facing glass door (7 ft x 4 ft) covered only by a sheer.  The room is my kitchen/living area so it will not be in total dark nights.  Could the fading of the yellow stripes be due to nutrient or water problems?

Thanks once again!
 
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The text above is a follow-up to ...

-----Question-----
Hello from Malta!
I have a 6 year old Dracaena fragrans kept inside in moderate to high light and being watered as the first 5cms of soil gets dry.  I have 2 problems which I need some help on.

1. The yellow band on the leaves are gradually darkening and most leaves have now almost became only green in colour. Is it something wrong with my plant maybe watering/lighting problem?

2. The plant has never produced flowers.  Should it be able to flower? In what conditions do these plants flower? My plant consists of 2 canes each having 2 foliage 'shoots'.  New leaves are constantly being produced although not at a very fast rate.

Thanks for you help!

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Hi Patrick,

Your Dracaena fragrans may be a hybrid that is reverting to all-green. In low light, the yellow striping often fades, but you described the light as "moderate to high" so that would seem to rule that out. Perhaps you are overestimating the light. Can you tell me how far from the nearest window it is located and which direction the window faces and whether the window is completely uncovered and unobstructed?

Getting this plant to flower takes a lot of patience and some luck. Flowers tend to occur on older plants that have been in the same pot and soil and in the same location for many years. Having completely dark nights also helps. But even with all of that, not all corn plants flower. So it is better to be surprised than to anticipate.

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

You can E-mail me directly at: [email protected]

Visit my website at  www.HorticulturalHelp.com

If you would like to e-mail me some photos, I may be able to provide some additional insights.  

Answer
Hi Patrick,

If your plant is off to the side and the window is covered my a sheer, then I would describe that as low light even though the window faces south. That may explain the loss of variegation.

Nutrient or water problems would not cause the loss of variegation. In fact, if your tap water is very hard or the soil pH is not in the 6.0 to 6.8 range, that would increase the yellowing, but not in a way that you want.

Consider opening the sheers some during the day or moving the plant directly in front of the sheer-covered window. Or just leave it as is and enjoy the dark green leaves.

Will