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Dracena Mas


Question
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Followup To
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I have recently bought a dracena massengus I was told by the nursery not to water it too much once every two weeks give it a good soak. I brought it home and noticed that after a week or so the ends of the leaves were brown at the tips and right above it yellow the rest of the leaf was green so I begin watering once a week about a cup of water.
Now I notice that one of the stems of the plant all of its leaves, the entrire leaf are like a yellowish green color i suspect it was because i watered it and it didnt need it.
I dont want the plant to die but i dont know what caused the first symptom the brown and yellow on the tips of the leaves.
Please help. I live in las vegas and we keep the temp 80 in summer and 68 in winter.We have hard water. Any advice would be apprecaIted as to what to do at this point do I not water it for a long time? Do i trim the brown and yellow tips off and what do i do about the yellowish green leaves do i cut off?
Does it need lots of light it is in a 10in pot in the dining room by a window that receives indirect filtered light no strong sun.
Answer -
Sylvia,

Dracaena fragrans Massangeana also known as a corn plant is a plant that likes high humidity but it needs to dry out totally between waterings. It should be watered with distilled water because I'm sure that in Las Vegas there is both chlorine and flouride in the city water and Dracaenas hate both flouride and chlorine. When it is watered it needs enough water so all the soil in the pot is moist. So set it in your sink or tub or outdoors overnight with no drain tray under it so it drains out as mcuh water as possible. Then do not water it again until it is bone dry and feels very light weight when you tilt the pot. Then  water it with about 3 cups of distilled water so it is all moist. Then let it dry out again. This will probably take 2-3 weeks. The original brown tips were either because of flouride in the water or because it was not watered enough when it was watered which left dry spots in the soil.

It needs bright light  from a north or east window but no direct sun shining on it. Too much sun will burn it.  Good luck.

Darlene

So at this point should I water it again or let it dry out, because some of the leaves have the brown tips on one stub and others are yelloish green on another stub ?
Answer -
Sylvia,

When you stick your finger down into the soil how wet does it feel?  Also, does the pot it is in have a drainage hole in the bottom of the pot? If you pick up or tilt the pot how heavy does it feel, very heavy or very light or somewhere in the middle???

Darlene

It is heavy, but the tips are still brown, now the yelloish green leaves are turning brown all over. The plant faces a north window. There is a drainage hole, it weighs in the middles I stuck my finger down and it feels dry to me but then why are the leaves yellowish green same as when I overwater my pythos plant they turn yellowish green then yellow but not brown?  

Answer
Sylvia,

Evne though it feels dry I am sure it is wet down further in the pot. That is why it feels heavy. That is also why the leaves are turning yellow. Did you repot this plant after you bought it? If you did what kind of potting soil did you use.  Make sure you buy bottled water for it when you need to water it again.  The flouride in the water is the cause of the brown leaf tips. The yelloish green leaves are turning brown because they are dying. You will need to trim them off. Then let it dry out until it feels light weight. If you do not beleive me that it is wet in the bottom of the pot then go to Lowes or Home Depot and get a moisture meter for about $12.00. Put the probe low in the pot and see what it reads. That will definitely tell you whether you are over or under watering it. Good luck.

Darlene

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