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Explore DiscussionsFeatured Home DiscussionsFeatured Garden Discussions
House Plants
stopka999_gw

Dracaena Limelight

stopka999
17 years ago

I have 5 Dracaena Limelight plants that are getting brown crispy tips on the leaves. A couple of the plants have entire leaves turn brown very quickly. They are not in direct sunlight, but do get nice indirect light. The average temp inside is probably 70 degrees. It is very dry inside the house right now. I water once every week or 10 days, but the soil always seems very dry. I live in Chicago and they did much better in the summer than they are doing now (winter). Their growth has slowed tremdously. Does anyone have any advice? thanks

mike

Featured Answer
  • rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
    17 years ago

    Judging by the clues that you've given us, it sounds like your plant is overly dry. Plants are supposed to slow down in the winter, by the way....the general rule is to cut back on watering and stop fertilizing so that plants can snooze through a winter season (when there is typically much less light).

    I'd suggest that you make certain that your plants are watered thoroughly whenever watering day comes 'round. The entire root/soil mass must be saturated. You may want to consider watering in the sink to take care of the volumes of drainage that is sure to occur.

    Allowing the soil to become overly dry can create problems for plants that are sensitive to a build-up of fertilizer salts and chemicals in the water (fluoride and chlorine). Dracaenas just happen to fall into the 'sensitive plant' category.

    No one can advise you how often to water. That varies with many factors: time of year (as you've discovered), the temperature of the surroundings, humidity, light duration and intensity, size of the plant in association with the size of the container, type of container (permeable or non), drainage capacity of the potting mix, and overall vigor of the plant.

    Let your fingers be the judge of how often to water, and don't let allow your plant to stay parched (OR soggy).

    • Comments (10)

    • stopka999
      Original Author
      17 years ago

      Thanks for the info. I have tried giving them a shower and really letting them get soaked. It might be to soon to tell, but I think it helped.

      Mike

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    • mlbalinge_gmail_com
      13 years ago

      I have my dracaena limelight babies in violet pots (the pot within a pot) and they're doing very well. It was just an experiment, because I'd read that dracaena are sensitive, and it seems to have worked well so far. However, the plants are getting bigger and will need to be repotted and I don't think they make a bigger size of violet pot!

      I guess the lesson is, dracaena need more water than many tropical houseplants, despite what the tag may say. Perhaps a little less than a peace lily, but don't dry it out like a palm.

    • mlbalinge_gmail_com
      13 years ago

      I have my dracaena limelight babies in violet pots (the pot within a pot) and they're doing very well. It was just an experiment, because I'd read that dracaena are sensitive, and it seems to have worked well so far. However, the plants are getting bigger and will need to be repotted and I don't think they make a bigger size of violet pot!

      I guess the lesson is, dracaena need more water than many tropical houseplants, despite what the tag may say. Perhaps a little less than a peace lily, but don't dry it out like a palm.

    • rdstringer_centurytel_net
      13 years ago

      I have my limelight dracaena plants in huge pots and they are getting too tall for the room. Can they be pruned, and if so, how? Is there a way to prevent them from getting any larger? Also, I have leaves with brown tips and edges. It looks ugly. Will the brown parts eventually fall off, or stay like this from now on? Apparently I am not giving them enough water, although I water them weekly.

    • gerry619
      9 years ago

      I have the same issues with mine. When I bought it was very healthy but one day I accidentally left it out in the sun during the summer and it scorched the leaves. Since then I've been trying to get it back to look as it did when I bought it. So far this is what it looks like. Not even close to how it did when I first bought it.

    • MsGreenFinger GW
      9 years ago

      You can't fix damaged leaves. New growth looks healthy. You can cut away the brown parts, make sure you only remove brown, don't hurt the green tissue.

    • Valerie Calkins
      9 years ago
      last modified: 9 years ago

      See the new growth..I HAD to repot this. I can't wait to see how big it get in this approximately 4lb pot....there are 2 I discovered while Repotting.

    • Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
      9 years ago

      Keeping them looking good.

    • emerald1951
      9 years ago

      HI..in winter with the furnace on the air in the house gets very dry...try to keep your plants away from the furnace vents, I fine that dries the leaf tips, turns them brown...and yes plants growth slow in winter, some stop growing..they all like light..I more my plants closer to the south windows in the fall though spring and then move them back and away from the south window though summer, unless they are going outside and then I keep them on the north side of my house they get morning and evening sun and do well......

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