Question
The tips on the leaves of the office plant are turning yellow.  Could this be from over watering or fertilizing?

I don't know the name of this plant but it's tree-like with long thin, red trimmed leaves.  Another office mate has the same plant and the leaves cover much of the "stalk"/trunk.  Ours only has leaves at the top.  The plant is next to the window and was last repotted about 1 yr ago.  

Answer
Hi Venet,

From your description, I suspect you have a Dracaena marginata. Whenever this plant is a bit unhappy, the tips of the leaves turn yellow or brown. If it is really unhappy, it loses a lot of leaves completely.

Yellow leaves are most often caused by overwatering. Brown tips are caused by underwatering, too much fertilizer or too little light.

This plant almost never needs repotting. When yours was repotted a year ago, that increased the chances of overwatering. That is because the extra soil takes longer to dry out properly. If soil stays moist for too long, then roots slowly rot. Make sure the top quarter of the soil gets dry before watering thoroughly.

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: [email protected]

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