Question

Is my plant/tree dying   QUESTION: Hi, I contacted you earlier but could not receive an answer due to the fact i did not know my plant/tree,s name so i have enclosed an image  (yes i know my tree looks pathetic!)the problem is i placed it in my garden from pot to ground in summer of last year & it was flourishing & lush up to 3 months ago. I,m devastated, what has happened to it? & can it be salvaged. The leaves have turned yellow to brown & basically falling off, the new green shoots are also going brown at the tips. Is there anything i should be doing besides keeping watered?

ANSWER: Hi Sheila, it is in pretty bad shape, but it looks like either a Yucca or a Dracaena, either way, it is showing root stress, from something that may have been leached into the soil at its base or just too much water! Can you tell me a little history on it, how you have been watering it and if something recently has happened to the soil around it?

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------


20ft tree next to my p   QUESTION: I have been watering every day, the soil i believe has ash in it maybe from many years ago when the house used coal.
(we noticed this recently as we have been clearing around that area & dug up a lot of soil plus the soil is like clay, we did not notice this when planting the tree but we mixed the soil with compost before placing in the soil. Also we have quite a large tree (20ft high) quite near to the plant (unknown but image below). The plant did take quite a bashing with the bad weather we had this winter but still maintained good health afterwards. I have not done anything else but i was concerned about feeding it as i have been told you have to be careful when feeding these type of plants??? i do not know myself. I hope i have given you some insight & if at all i can salvage what is left. Many Thanks

Answer
..I am thinking that the soil may be the culprit here, it sounds like the moisture retention arouund the roots may be whats compromised the them, and you watering everyday is way too much; back off the watering and let those roots dry out, because browning fronds are a sure sign of too much water. I would even be inclined to lift it and put it in a pot with some light potting mix, until it recoups.