Question
My Dracaena Massangeana Cane leaves are brown half way down and it appears to be dying. I water it once a week and it sits it the living room opposite a bay window. I have only had it for a couple of months, it is in a 10'' pot. How can I correct this problem and can you give me advice on how to trim the Mass Cane plant so it can have aesthetic beauty? Many thanks. Lisa

Answer
Lisa,

Your problem is two-fold. Where do you live? Do you have city water with flouride added? Dracaenas are very sensitive to flouride. They react by getting brown spots on the leaves as you describe. They also hate overwatering. Watering once a week is probably too much. The plant needs to be very dry before you water it again. Remember, even if the surface of the soil feels dry it is still moist or even wet a few inches below the surface. You can get a moisture meter with a soil probe at many garden centers for around $10.00.  That will tell you if it is dry down in the root zone. Too much water makes the roots rot and it will take time for it to grow new roots. When you start to see new leaf growth you will no it is on the mend.

To get rid of the flouride you need to let the water sit in an open bucket for 48 hours before using it to water your plants. The flouride and chlorine will dissipate into the air then the water is safe for the dracaena. Or you can find bottled or filtered water for it.

As for trimming it. You can prune the dry brown leaves off and once it starts growing new leaves you can even cut it back and let it grow a whole new top.  Give it a dose of Miracle Grow once a month but be very careful about not watering too much. Probably every 2 to even 3 weeks is close enough. Roots need breathing periods between watering so they do not begin to rot. If you have more questions write again. Good luck.

Darlene