Question
Hi, I have a large Madagscar Dragon tree whos leaves are turning yellowish and falling off. I've had it for 3 years and recently repotted it to find that the old soil was very wet. I have not watered it since and don't plan to for a week or two to let the soil around the root dry out. Is this the right approach?

I also have a money tree that I recently repotted and the taller of the leaves look like their wilting. What does this mean?

Answer
Dracaena marginata (Dragon tree) develops the symptoms that you described when the roots are not allowed to dry out sufficiently and frequently enough between waterings. So letting to soil dry out more is the right approach.

However, if you moved the plant to a larger pot, that will delay the drying out process even further. If you replaced the soil, that will probably shock the plant and aggravate the problem.

Likewise, your money tree is responding negatively to the repotting. In part because it is in shock and in part because the roots are not drying out sufficiently.

Unnecessary repotting is the most common of all plant care mistakes and the most common cause of plant decline. I have written an article on repotting that describes the most common of all plantcare mistakes in detail. Contact me at my email address below and I will email you a copy.

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

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