QuestionHelloooo,Will
My wife and I were given a "Potted Garden" for the birth of our son. It contained 4 different kinds of plant in an 8 inch pot. I am thinking about re-potting because I like one of the plants very much, and would like it to get bigger. The plant appears to be a palm of some sort. The stem or trunk has over-lapping layers, and is about 10 inches tall. The leaves all come from the top of the stem as individual spikes. They are long, 8 to 10 inches, and 3/4 inch wide. The outside edge of each spike is reddish, then white, which fades to green. Can you give me a clue what kind of plant this is, and how big it can get given the room to grow? Thanks
AnswerHi there David!
From your brief description, I believe you have a Dracaena marginata tricolor. If you are unable to confirm this, let me know and send me a photo to my address below.
Your plant will not grow big if you give it more room, i.e. a larger pot. This is a common misunderstanding about plant growth. A plant's growth rate is determined primarily by the amount of light that it receives. A long day of filtered direct sunlight from all angles will achieve optimum growth. That's what you get in a greenhouse, but is hard to duplicate at home.
Plants grow when they are quite potbound. In large pots, they tend to put their energy into growing more roots so as to fill the pot. In addition, a larger pot greatly increases the risk of root rot.
So try to increase the light and if you do repot make sure you move it into a small pot barely large enough to contain the roots and some soil to cover them.
In a typical home, a small D. marginata will not get much more than 3-5 feet tall and that will take many years.
Please let me know if any of this is unclear or if you have any additional questions.
Regards,
Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC
You can E-mail me directly at:
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