There are many things you can do to make sure dracaena reflexa plant is happy, including:
- Shield dracaena reflexa from direct sunlight by placing it in a location where filtered light shines on it as much as possible. ...
- Water dracaena reflexa when the soil only feels dry, not bone dry like clay that can’t be dampened no matter how hard you try. ...
- Feed dracaena reflexa with a balanced fertilizer every two weeks. ...
How to grow Dracaena reflexa indoors?
Filtered indoor light or a semi-shaded spot is ideal for growing your Dracaena Reflexa plant. Talking about the water requirement, your plant requires very little water compared to other indoor plants; therefore, add water only when the soil dries out. I
How do you prune Dracaena reflexa?
Dracaena Reflexa can grow very big, but when necessary, they’re simple to cut off. Use a sharp, clean knife or cutters to prune your plant for better results when it is actively grown in spring or summer. It’s a good idea to dip the knife blade into the water and little bleach earlier so that no plant diseases are transferred.
How to take care of a Dracaena?
So when you're watering the Dracaena you want to let the soil dry out in between waterings. When you do water them, do it throroughly. However, make sure no excess water stays behind in the pot. A pot with draining holes would be ideal in this situation, but if you don't have one, just water it a little bit less.
When should I fertilize my Dracaena reflexa?
Fertilize your plant in spring and summer when it is actively growing. Dracaena Reflexa is a popular species of Dracaena, commonly known as the Song of India or Pleomele. The genus name is drawn from the Greek word ‘drakaina,’ which means a female dragon.
Is Dracaena Reflexa an indoor plant?
The dracaena plant is a popular ornamental houseplant, grown both indoors and outdoors in subtropical climates. It reaches a height of about three feet indoors, and has a bushy tree type of look. Its glossy leaves can grow up to one foot long and a couple of inches wide.
How often should I water my Dracaena Reflexa?
Dracaenas do not require a lot of water and are happiest when their soil is kept slightly moist but never soggy. Water your dracaena about once a week or every other week, allowing the soil to dry between waterings. You can also help keep your dracaena hydrated by misting its leaves once or twice a week.
Do you water a dracaena from top or bottom?
BOTTOM WATERINGFill the plant tray with water.Make sure the soil is in contact with the water on the tray.Wait for about 10 minutes.Feel the soil to see if it absorbed enough water —> if the soil is moist throughout, remove any excess water from the tray.If it's still dry —> add more water to the tray.More items...
Does dracaena like sun or shade?
Growing conditions: Dracaena prefers bright, indirect light; it tolerates dimmer light, but growth slows as a result. The plant grows well with standard indoor potting soil and average house temps and humidity.
Why does my dracaena have brown tips?
If the tips of your dracaena leaves turn brown, it's a sign that you may not be watering your plant enough. If you allow your plant to go dry for a long time, your dracaena reacts, not by wilting, but by tipping you off with brown tips. But don't overreact by overwatering, which is the most common plant killer.
What does an overwatered dracaena look like?
Overwatering is the most common cause for Dracaena leaves to turn yellow. Leaves of the dracaena lose their green color and turn pale. They lose their crisp, semi-rigid bearing and start feeling soft and limp. Instead of reaching for the sky, they droop down and sag towards the floor.
Can you water dracaena with tap water?
Dracaena Marginata can be sensitive to high fluoride levels in tap water, so it's often best to use distilled, filtered, or rainwater if at all possible.
How do I know if my dracaena needs water?
How much water does dracaena need and when to water dracaenas? A general rule of thumb is to only water dracaena when the soil feels dry to the touch. Water plants thoroughly, or until water freely flows from the drainage holes at the bottom of the pot.
How long do Dracena plants live?
The Dracaena Marginata is one of the most popular home plants since it is very easy to care for and its tropical appearance integrates well in modern environments. With proper care, it has a great lifespan, living up to a decade in a pot, and it has an even longer life expectancy outdoors.
Should I cut the brown tips off my dracaena?
Should I Cut Brown Tips Off Dracaena Plants? The choice is entirely up to you if you want to cut the brown tips off your Dracaena Plant. These unsightly Dracaena leaf tips are just as useless as they look. Brown tips are dead plant material and can be cut off with a clean, sharp pair of scissors.
Why is my Dracena dropping leaves?
When a dracaena is losing leaves, overwatering is the first place to look, but the problem can also be caused by too little water. Touching the soil at the bottom of the pot will let you know if this may be the case. Dracaena leaf drop might also be caused by a cool wind or too much heat.
Why is my dracaena dying?
Usually the reasons for a dying dracaena are overwatering and poor drainage. Dracaena plants need good drainage and do not tolerate, consistently damp soil, boggy soil. If the soil is too damp the dracaena leaves turn yellow with a drooping and dying appearance, due to root rot.
How do I know if my dracaena needs water?
How much water does dracaena need and when to water dracaenas? A general rule of thumb is to only water dracaena when the soil feels dry to the touch. Water plants thoroughly, or until water freely flows from the drainage holes at the bottom of the pot.
Can you water dracaena with tap water?
Dracaena Marginata can be sensitive to high fluoride levels in tap water, so it's often best to use distilled, filtered, or rainwater if at all possible.
Should I cut the brown tips off my plant?
Once you start to address the plant leaves turning brown, your plant should start to grow new, healthy foliage. As for the leaves that still have brown tips, you can snip the dead parts away with a pair of scissors without hurting the plant.
How fast does Dracaena Reflexa grow?
However, grown as houseplants, they rarely grow more than 5 feet. In addition, the Dracaena Reflexa growth rate is exceptionally slow, only three to four inches in one year, so you can cultivate it for decades before its dimension becomes problematic for an average living space.
Is Dracaena Reflexa toxic?
Dracaenas are poisonous to dogs and cats. Don't let your animals consume your plant. Poisoning side effects include nausea, losing weight, loss of...
Where should I plant my Dracaena Reflexa?
When selecting the appropriate location to plant your Dracaena Reflexa, think about sunlight and humidity. See for a region in your lawn or home th...
How frequently should I water my Dracaena Reflexa?
Dracaena Reflexa does not need a lot of water and is happiest when their soil is kept somewhat moist but never soggy. Water your Dracaena Reflexa a...
How fast do Dracaena Reflexa grow?
Dracaena Reflexa plants grow at a relatively slow pace that varies upon their developing environments. When it is planted in an idyllic atmosphere...
How to get rid of mealybugs on Dracaena Reflexa?
Attempt blasting mealybugs off with a strong spray of water from the sprayer at your kitchen sink. If your Dracaena Reflexa plant is outside, wash it with a garden hose. You can also utilize a cotton ball or cotton swab sunk in rubbing alcohol to wipe the bugs. Wash your plant with clean water when you are finished.
How to grow Dracaena Reflexa from cuttings?
Once the cuttings grow roots, you can transfer them to a larger, potting mix-filled container. In a few days, you will have your young Dracaena Reflexa plant.
Why are my Dracaena Reflexa leaves turning brown?
When Dracaena Reflexa is planted in areas with too low humidity, the leaves can become brown and ultimately decline.
How often should I feed my Dracaena Reflexa?
I like using houseplant fertilizer; just feed your Reflexa once every 2 weeks in summer and spring.
Why is Dracaena Reflexa used in NASA?
NASA used Dracaena Reflexa in its Clean Air Study plan to demonstrate its ability to eliminate formaldehyde. The leaves are the biggest appeal of this visually impressive houseplant. The yellow lines depicted on the narrow pointed leaves cannot be overlooked.
How hot does a dracaena grow?
Dracaena Reflexa is an ornamental house plant that can flourish in subtropical environments, where the temperature remains 65 to 78 degrees Fahrenheit (18 to 25.5 degrees Celsius).
What is the best light for Dracaena Reflexa?
Filtered indoor light or a semi-shaded spot is ideal for growing your Dracaena Reflexa plant. Talking about the water requirement, your plant requires very little water compared to other indoor plants; therefore, add water only when the soil dries out. I.
What is a Dracaena Reflexa?
Dracaena reflexa is an ornamental plant you can add to your collection of indoor plants.
Where did Dracaena reflexa originate?
Dracaena reflexa originates from Madagascar, Mauritius, and islands in the Indian Ocean. Jean-Baptist Lamarck introduced the plant in 1786. Since then, it has become a common ornamental houseplant. The Dracaena song is famous for growing indoors and outdoors.
What is the name of the tree with red leaves?
The plant is also known as the dragon tree , a very popular houseplant. The plant has a tall skinny trunk with green sprouts of long red-tipped leaves. With its abstract silhouette, you can add height to your houseplant arrangement. Or, you can place it behind your sofa or against a blank wall.
How do you know if you're overwatering a plant?
So how do you know you’re overwatering this plant? If you notice yellow leaves, the water might not be draining out well. But as they mature, they can also dump the leaves to produce new ones.
What is the best organic matter for a container?
Some great organic matter to use is peat moss or compost. The container needs proper drainage allowing the water to drain well. So grab one part peat moss, one part houseplant soil, and one part perlite for the best soil mix for your plant.
How does a plant help you?
First, the plant provides you with air purifying to remove the toxic gases in your living space. The plant reduces air pollutants from carbon dioxide to benzene in the air. Further, it also enhances your concentration to sharpen your focus.
How big does the song of India plant grow?
The song of India plant can grow high and wide , so it is best to provide it with enough space to grow indoors. While the size might be overwhelming growing up to 15-feet, there is no need to worry as caring for it is easy. Once you learn to provide it with the best growing conditions, you’ll notice it thrives well. So keep reading to find out how to care for this beautiful plant.
How to kill mealy bugs?
When you're dealing with mealy bugs, the stick cotton like spots, it's easiest to kill them with rubbing alcohol. You can do this by dabbing them with a q-tip that has soaked in the rubbing alcohol. If this doesn't work, you can also use a plant spray and cover the whole plant that way.
How to make a dracaena grow straight?
To ensure that your Dracaena grows as straight as possible, make sure you give it enough light or rotate the plant regularly. During the winter months, when the sun isn't as powerful, it's perfectly fine to put a Dracaena closer to a big window. The direct sunlight won't leave burn spots.
What happens when you water a dracaena?
When your dracaena is under watered, it'll start to show wrinkles on its stems and the tips of the leaves with start to dry out, turning crispy and brown. When this happens, water your plant as soon as you can and watch the wrinkles disappear on your dracaena.
Why are my sage leaves turning yellow?
Overwatering the plant will cause the leaves to yellow and brown and fall off. Luckily this happens early on, so you will know quite soon that you've overwatered the plant. When this happens, try to get rid of the drain the moisture and wait with further watering.
How to propagate dracaena?
As you can see in the picture at the to, all leaves grow out of the ends of stems on the Dracaena. All you have to do is cut the stem about 3 inches under the leaves at the top and put that back in the soil. This stem will start to grow roots. At the same time, the now exposed stem on the parent plant will start to grow new leaves, and eventually stems as well. The plants might grow slowly, but by propagating them, you can very quickly have a lot of them.
How to get rid of black spots on a plant?
This is a pretty tough thing to get rid of. If it's not going away by itself, a way to get rid of it is by cutting all of the leaves off.
Do all dracaenas look the same?
There are many types of Dracaena out there, not all of them look like the Dracaena Marginata, the plant in the image at the top. The different Dracaenas might not look alike all the time, but they're very similar to care for.
How cold can dracaenas get?
Maintain a comfortable temperature of 60–70 °F (16–21 °C). At night, 50–55 °F (10–13 °C) is fine, but don’t let the temperature drop more than that. Dracaenas do not tolerate cold well. If your dracaena is positioned near a window during cold weather, pull it away so that no foliage is touching the cold glass.
How tall do dracaenas grow?
Also, trim off brown or unhealthy leaves at the nodes, which is where leaves sprout from the branch. Dracaenas can grow 2–10 feet (0.61–3.05 m) tall, although indoor plants typically max out at 6 feet (1.8 m) tall. You can also trim your dracaena into a particular shape, if you’d like.
How much light do dracaenas need?
Provide 2-4 hours of indirect sunlight daily for the healthiest foliage. Dracaenas grow best when they get 2-4 hours of bright, indirect sunlight every day. They will tolerate less light, but growth will slow down significantly and they won’t look as green and leafy.
What is a dracaena plant?
This article has been viewed 16,097 times. Dracaena plants are hardy houseplants with a lush, tropical appearance and strap-shaped leaves. They’re attractive, easy to maintain, and can tolerate low light conditions, which makes them popular indoor plants in homes and offices.
How to keep dracaenas happy?
Since these plants like an average amount of humidity, up to 50% humidity is fine. When the humidity drops below 30%, which usually only happens in winter, mist the foliage every few days to keep your dracaena happy.
Why are my dracaena leaves turning yellow?
If you notice that the leaves have brown tips, you may be overwatering. Yellow foliage typically indicates that your plant needs more water. Tip: Dracaenas are sensitive to flouride, which is commonly found in tap water. Use distilled or bottled water for the best results.
How to keep pests out of my garden?
3. Wipe the leaves gently with a damp cloth every few weeks to prevent pests. One of the easiest ways to prevent pests is to regularly wipe down the foliage with a damp cloth. Be gentle and be sure to wipe down the underside of the leaves, as well.
What is the best houseplant for beginners?
Everyone who develops a love of houseplants needs to start somewhere. A great plant for novices is the rewarding, yet forgiving, Dracaena reflexa or Song of India.
How to help Dracaena Reflexa?
The key to helping Dracaena reflexa thrive is to keep things balanced. If you are comfortable with your room temperature, your plant will be too. Do not water too much and it will be happy. It likes bright light but, like you, it will get a sunburn.
Where did the name Dracaena reflexa come from?
Dracaena reflexa was first described by famed French naturalist Jean-Baptiste Lamarck in 1786. Though it has gone through several name changes since then, its genus name Dracaena comes from the Greek word drakaina meaning a female dragon.
What is the best potting mix for a plant?
A peaty, well-drained potting mix is best. It is good to remember that the more peat in the mix the faster the soil will decompose. You will need to repot plants and change the soil to alleviate this issue. Check yearly in the spring if this is a problem. One way to remedy this is by making a potting mix of your own with bark, peat, pumice, ...
What is the symptom of fluoride damage?
A good practice is using bottled, or purified water to water your plants. A symptom of fluoride damage is yellow wilting on the leaf margins.
How much sunlight does the Song of India need?
Light. The Song of India requires bright indirect sunlight, at least four hours a day. You will get the most vibrant leaf coloration in these conditions but be sure to remember that too much sun is a bad thing. It can cause scorch which will appear as browning of the leaf tips and margins.
How tall is the Song of India?
As a house plant, look for it to reach a maximum height of three to six feet. What draws admirers to the Song of India, besides, its relatively easy care, is the eye-pleasing foliage. It has striking alternating dark green and chartreuse stripes on narrow-lanceolate leaves with veins that run parallel along their length.
What Is The Song of India?
- Dracaena reflexa originates from Madagascar, Mauritius, and islands in the Indian Ocean. Jean-Baptist Lamarck introduced the plant in 1786. Since then, it has become a common ornamental houseplant. The Dracaena song is famous for growing indoors and outdoors. Interestingly, the genus name comes from Greece ‘drakaina,’ meaning female dragon. Another intriguing thing is …
Song of India Plant Care Basics
- The song of India plant can grow high and wide, so it is best to provide it with enough space to grow indoors. While the size might be overwhelming growing up to 15-feet, there is no need to worry as caring for it is easy. Once you learn to provide it with the best growing conditions, you’ll notice it thrives well. So keep reading to find out how to care for this beautiful plant.
Other Dracaena Species
- You can find approximately 120 species of shrubs and trees in the Dracaena genus. Here are some gorgeous plants you may encounter along your way.
Possible Diseases & Pests
- The good news is that the song of India is, to some extent, pest-free. Yet, fungus gnats are more of a concern when you plant them in bark soil or compost. Here are some pests and diseases you may find on your plant: 1. Mealybugs is one insect you need to keep an eye on. You notice them with a fuzzy or as a cotton mass. You can use a strong spray o...