Dracaena leaves turn yellow and dry. Low indoor humidity. What to do when the leaves dry out in the middle

Dracaena is one of the most common indoor plants that serves spectacular decoration many apartments and offices. Unfortunately, most novice flower growers, when purchasing a flower they like, are not always interested in the features. Questions usually arise after a pet loses its attractive appearance. So that lovers of growing exotic flowers do not have to wonder why the tips of the dracaena leaves dry out or why the leaves of the dracaena tree fall off, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with optimal conditions cultivation and care. But it is advisable to start by getting acquainted with representatives of the Dracaena genus.

Depending on the size of the plant and the location of its distribution in natural conditions, Dracaena species are conventionally divided into two groups. Tree-like varieties prefer arid, semi-desert areas, while shrubby varieties are the understory of tropical forests. Representatives of the second group served as the basis for breeders to develop common indoor plants. Ornamental plants differ in size, variety of shapes and colors of leaves, but there is little chance to enjoy flowering - at home blooming dracaena very rare. In addition to aesthetic functions, a houseplant perfectly purifies the air.

Decorative dracaena prefers regular but constant care. The lighting is preferably bright, without direct sunlight (lack of lighting affects the colors). Room temperature without sudden changes, completely suitable for efficient growth and development. The frequency of watering depends on the time of year and the species - plants with wide leaves are watered more abundantly (use drainage to prevent flooding). The requirement for high air humidity is characteristic of all species - in the spring-summer period, daily spraying of the leaves from a sprayer is recommended, in the autumn-winter period 2-3 times a week. As you can see, it’s nothing complicated, but flowers sometimes lose their attractiveness, which means it’s necessary to look for the reason for this phenomenon.

Possible problems and solutions

It is natural that flower lovers show the greatest concern when growing one of the most common species - Dracaena marginata or marginata. In natural conditions, it is a slender tree, reaching a height of 3-5 m and resembling a palm tree in appearance. If you come across the name “Madagascar dragon tree” or “red-edged dracaena”, do not be surprised - these names belong to the same species.

A distinctive feature is the shape and coloring of the leaves - narrow and long, deep green with a brown edge. Decorative indoor flower kept everything best qualities its wild ancestor - a beautiful, bright palm tree, only in miniature.

But when the tips of the dracaena leaves begin to dry, most people have a natural question - the dracaena is drying up, what to do?

We suggest taking a closer look at when to worry and when there is no reason to worry:

  1. the tips of the lower tier of leaves turn yellow and begin to dry out (dracaena turns yellow and dries) - this is not yet a reason for concern. The peculiarity of the species is that the development of the plant occurs evenly - the trunk grows and the crown grows with it. Young leaves constantly appear in the center of the crown, but their life period is not long - 1.5-2 years. Then, starting from the tips, they turn yellow and gradually dry out; this is a normal natural process; in natural conditions it proceeds in exactly the same way. If you don’t want the dracaena to lose decorative look– periodically trim off the dying ends; this is not a problem for the plant;
  2. The leaves of the upper tiers turn yellow and begin to dry out (dracaena - the top dries out) - a serious reason to search for and eliminate the cause of this phenomenon. The most likely reason is a violation of the plant’s watering regime (not regular or excessive watering). Important - try to water in such a way that only the top layer of soil dries out, and the rest is constantly moist;
  3. young leaves darken at the end and dry out (dracaena - leaves dry out) - a clear sign of unsuitability of the soil (lack of nutrients in the soil or vice versa, oversaturation with fertilizers). The plant needs a complete replacement of the soil;
  4. the young shoots of the plant dry out, the leaves begin to fall off en masse (dracaena - the leaves crumble). The reason is complex - a violation of the temperature regime and excessive watering (typical for the autumn-winter period). The consequence is rotting of the root system and falling leaves.

There is little chance of saving an adult flower, but don’t despair

  • You can cut several cuttings from a healthy stem, thereby propagating the species you like;
  • Mechanically damaged or deformed leaves are recommended to be removed without delay.

Common diseases of dracaena

Despite the general unpretentiousness, failure to follow basic care recommendations can lead not only to the drying out and falling of dracaena leaves, but also to the loss of the plant. But if the care is correct, and the pet is not pleased with its appearance, then the reason may be associated with an infectious disease (despite its strong immunity) or pests.

  • Alternaria (concentric or light brown spotting)

External signs are light spots on the stem and leaf crown, which subsequently change color to dark brown and black. Treatment is spraying with a fungicide (a preparation containing copper) 3 times a month at equal intervals.

  • Heterosporosis (elongated light brown spotting)

External manifestation - unlike Alternaria, the spots are elongated in length with a dark and reddish border. Treatment using fungicide spraying.

  • Phyllosticosis (brown spotting)

As a rule, it appears on the leaves of the lower tiers, large spots of light-colored Brown with yellow border. For treatment, spraying with a fungicide is necessary, according to the instructions for use of the drug.

  • Bacteriosis (bacterial infection)

Visual signs - rotting brown spots appear on the tips of dracaena leaves. The disease can also appear on leaf blades in the form of roundish ulcers. Factors that contribute to the development of the disease are high humidity And heat air. It is recommended to destroy diseased plants.

Pests in flower pots

Appearance in flower pot pests are no less dangerous for dracaena than an infectious disease or improper care. Like most house flowers, dracaena leaves are susceptible to attack spider mites, scale insects, aphids and thrips. Given the short distance between flower pots in room conditions, pests are usually found on several neighboring plants and the means to combat them does not depend on the type of flower. Detected pests must be removed with a soapy sponge, and the entire plant must be treated with an insecticide (apply according to the instructions).

Finally. The publication discusses in detail the symptoms of possible dracaena diseases and methods of their treatment. The appearance of the leaves of this decorative flower can “tell” an attentive gardener about all his problems, so we recommend that you periodically conduct a thorough inspection of the plant. We hope that the theoretical knowledge gained after reading the article will be useful in organizing the care of your favorite flower.

Dracaena has gained its popularity as a houseplant due to its decorative and simple care. However, this does not mean that there are no problems with it. Beginning flower growers are often interested in why dracaena leaves turn yellow. By purchasing this plant for an apartment or office, you also need to know why the tips of dracaena leaves dry out. However, the main reason lies in improper care.

Dracaena leaves are long, lanceolate, live on average about two years, then gradually dry out and fall off, and this process begins lower leaves. The result is a bare trunk with traces and a lush cap of young foliage on the top, which is why the plant is called false palm. This is a natural process. Don't worry when the leaves start to dry out one by one. Usually they are trimmed so as not to spoil the appearance, and after half the leaf has dried out, it is cut off.

When the leaves of a healthy dracaena turn yellow and fall off at the top, young leaves wither, lose turgor, dry out and fall off - all this indicates errors in care, which can lead to the death of the plant. When the tips of the dracaena leaves dry out, the question “What to do?” somewhat premature. First you need to determine the cause of the trouble, and then take decisive action.

Dracaena gets sick, leaves turn yellow and fall off if the pot is in the wrong place. The watering or lighting regime may also be disrupted, or the temperature in the room may change sharply. Rare transplants or incorrectly selected soil can also cause dracaena leaves to turn yellow. Pests and diseases rarely appear with good care, but they can cause dracaena to wilt. Leaves turn yellow and dry, as a rule, at the very beginning of these troubles.

Wrong choice of location

Yellowed withered leaves on the top of the head may indicate a draft or air movement of another origin - for example, from an air conditioner. There should be no air movement in the place where the flower pot is located, especially with changes in temperature. It is better to remove the plant from the windowsill while airing, especially in the cold season. Dracaena will suffer less from temporary movement than from a stream of cool air.

It is very bad if the plant is exposed to direct sunlight - this causes the dracaena leaves to turn yellow and fall off, but first brownish spots appear on them. A tropical plant needs a lot of light, especially its variegated varieties, and it must be diffused. Due to lack of light, the leaves dry out, starting from the edges.

Watering mode

Dracaena loves moisture; if there is insufficient watering, the leaves dry out and fall off. However, troubles can also occur if too much moisture accumulates in the ground. Therefore, you need to check the condition of the soil before watering: in summer 2–3 cm of soil should dry out, and in winter you can check the depth with a wooden stick.

If water remains in the axils of the leaves after showering or spraying, this can lead to rotting. The first “bell” will be yellowing and lethargy.

Poor quality soil

A young palm tree is replanted annually because it does not have enough space in the old pot. Adult dracaena grows much more slowly, but it also needs to be replanted every 2-3 years or even more often. After prolonged use, the soil becomes depleted, loses its looseness, and begins to retain excess water. In addition, after watering, a lot of salts settle in the ground, which makes it difficult for the roots to absorb nutrients. For this reason, the soil needs to be changed more often, but this should be done very carefully, because the roots are fragile and can be easily damaged.

The plant must receive feeding on time - the tips of the leaves turn yellow often due to lack of nutrition. Dracaena turns yellow and loses color saturation even with a lack of nitrogen. You can’t overdo it either - excess nitrogen reduces resistance to fungal diseases.

If the soil was chosen incorrectly, this will also affect the appearance of the palm tree - it will shed its leaves if the soil is alkaline or too acidic. The soil must be sufficiently loose, contain nutrients, and there must be a high-quality drainage layer at the bottom of the pot.

Diseases

Dracaena also loses its leaves due to disease. Fungal diseases spread when low temperature And high humidity. On the leaves they appear as brown or yellow spots, dryness along the long edge. Fungicides are used for control. It’s worse with bactericidal diseases - it’s almost impossible to cure them; it’s easier to save the unaffected part of the top by cutting it off and rooting it in new soil.

When the root system rots, the plant quickly withers, the leaves lose turgor and the trunk becomes soft. Sufficient quantity potassium-phosphorus fertilizers can protect the root, make the plant stronger.

The green parts dry out when attacked by pests that suck the juice out of them.

How to save leaves

If you have found the reason why dracaena leaves dry out or turn yellow, you need to urgently correct the situation in order to save the plant.

The optimal temperature is +20–25 °C. The flower must stand on or near the windowsill to receive a large number of scattered sunlight. It is in such a place without drafts that you need to move the pot.

Frequent spraying with settled water and a warm shower, after which you need to dry the leaf axils with a napkin, will help to save you from lack of moisture. Urgent replanting will save you from waterlogging and rotting of the roots; the roots need to be cut to healthy parts and dusted with activated carbon.

Among indoor plants, dracaena, which is sometimes called the “false palm,” is very popular among gardeners.

The deep, rich color of its leaves and the splendor of the crown attracts attention.

However, if the plant begins to “fall of leaves”, then everything is for real, without “false modesty” - all that is left of its former beauty in a matter of days may be just one bare stem.

To prevent this from happening (although the reasons can sometimes be objective and cannot be avoided), you need to carefully monitor the condition of your green pet and, if you feel something is wrong, take action.

Problems with dracaena

The main problems of dracaena, like most crops whose homeland is the tropics, are related to acclimatization. In an ordinary city apartment the plant often lacks heat and humidity. Both the dracaena and the other need to be given additionally, and this must be done competently, without going to extremes.

If you find that the dracaena has a soft trunk and the leaves are falling off, the bark has become wrinkled, then you have gone too far with watering.

If the leaves begin to curl or turn into a tube (this may mean that the plant has died), it means that you were unable to provide your green pet with a comfortable temperature and did not protect it from sudden transitions from one microclimate to another.

Diseases and pests also create problems for the flower, which you need to learn to recognize in a timely manner.

The leaves are falling

Of all the varieties, the threat of “baldness” most often occurs in Marginata; in other varieties this problem is less noticeable. The main reasons why dracaena leaves fall may be the following:

  • natural aging (the leaves of this crop live from 2 to 3 years);
  • water scarcity;
  • cold air, drafts.

To help the plant, it is important to figure out which reason is destroying your flower.

If the issue is aging, then this is an objective and unregulated process. Fortunately, nature has provided that all the leaves of the dracaena will not leave at the same time - those of them whose time has come will begin to turn yellow, then curl, turn black and fall off. After some time, new, healthy leaves will appear in the vacated places.

In case of water shortage, mass leaf fall also does not occur.

The difference is that aged leaves dry out completely, while those that have fallen due to scarcity of watering still partially retain their vitality.

If the grower overdoes it with watering, the plant begins to lose green leaves- this happens because the roots rot in waterlogged soil and the plant dies.

Temperature discomfort (especially cold, draft) is expressed in the loss of green foliage by the plant.

The leaves are turning yellow

If yellowness on the leaves appears, like gray hair in a person, for natural reasons, it may not affect the whole leaf, but its tips. In this case, specialists it is recommended to prune, removing only the yellowed part and leaving the healthy part. This will preserve the decorative nature of the culture.

Often the problem arises because the plant does not have enough sun. For most varieties, soft, diffused light is sufficient, and even a short winter day does not affect them. negative impact. However, in some cases, dracaena cannot do without lighting and communicates this to the owner by the yellowness of its leaves.

A similar reaction occurs due to excessive watering. And if the dracaena leaves droop and turn yellow, this may be caused by a lack of nutrients in the soil. It is especially dangerous to keep a flower on a starvation diet during its active growth– from April to the end of August.

CAREFULLY: If water regularly remains in the leaf axils after watering and spraying, this may cause the color to change from green to yellow.

The ends are drying out

This trouble can occur even with young foliage if the flower grows in the same pot, without replacing the soil, for 3-4 years.

Salts accumulate in it, due to which the plant is not able to fully absorb nutrients, even if the owner regularly feeds his pet.

The suction roots, the main conductor of nutrients into the flower’s body, die from salinity.

Due to poor nutrition, the tips of old leaves also dry out. In addition, the problem may lie in the structure of the soil - if it is clayey, heavy, and poorly permeable to water.

ATTENTION: The tips of the leaves sometimes begin to dry out due to the oversaturation of the soil with fluoride. This element is included in fertilizers for tropical crops, which should be used exactly according to the instructions so as not to harm the flower.

Yellow, brown, black spots on dracaena

Never reassure yourself with the phrase that “even the sun has spots”: spots on dracaena leaves pose a threat to the health of the flower and most often appear due to insufficient care for the plant, and their color helps determine the essence of the problem. Here's what they're talking about:


Correcting errors in care

If the trunk of the dracaena has shriveled and the leaves have begun to fall, there is a high probability of mistakes that the owner made, most likely due to inexperience. The main thing is to have time to correct them in time.

Among the most common mistakes:

  • incorrect, too generous watering (in fact, the soil in the pot should dry out between waterings, control its condition by sticking a thin wooden stick into the ground);
  • high dry air (move the flower away from heating devices);
  • insufficient lighting (the plant needs to be provided with additional lighting);
  • exposure to cold air (washing frozen leaves will help warm water);
  • lack of nutrients (buy fertilizer in the form of a stick at a flower shop and stick it into the soil - your pet will regularly receive feeding in the amount it needs).

ATTENTION: if the leaves turn yellow after an unsuccessful transplant, help the flower recover by spraying the soil with Epin.

Dracaena diseases, symptoms, treatment

Experts (in order to prevent various diseases) recommend add potassium and phosphorus to fertilizers. Unfortunately, this is not enough to avoid illness completely.

Pests that attack dracaena can be in the soil or get onto it from neighboring, already infected plants. Signs of ill health include cobwebs, spots, and sticky residue. Among the pests:


Dracaena is distinguished by its originality and beauty among indoor plants. The plant's unpretentiousness in care adds additional popularity to the culture. It is generally accepted that behind this indoor plant easy to care for. However, even with this unpretentious plant problems may arise. Drying and yellowing of foliage is considered a fairly common occurrence. The reasons for such situations and ways to eliminate the problem are described in the article: dracaena leaves dry.

This exotic plant has settled in the apartments of Russian flower growers for quite a long time. The flower will decorate any home. Dracaena is often called the false palm and belongs to the genus Dracaenaceae. It is an evergreen shrub. Motherland natural growth tropics and subtropics of Africa, sometimes islands of southeast Asia.

The family has over 100 varieties, but only 40 of them can be grown in greenhouses and 10 types of dracaena at home. Thanks to its beautiful greenery, the plant becomes the highlight of any room. Almost all varieties are adapted to growing indoors and are not very demanding in care. Proper content will help avoid problems.

To grow a beautiful and healthy indoor flower, it is recommended to take special interest in temperature conditions and quality of irrigation. The palm tree develops well in the absence of sudden changes in temperature. Normal values ​​should be 18-25 degrees. A sudden change in temperature has a detrimental effect on the foliage, the greenery freezes and dries out.

Informative! The necessary conditions will allow the palm tree to live 10-15 years. Some varieties, for example, downy dracaena, can bloom.

Why leaves dry: reasons

Almost every gardener who owns a palm tree has encountered the problem of drying out foliage. And everyone is interested in the question - why this happens. The most common reason why foliage dries out is insufficient moisture in the soil, poor and irregular watering. The palm tree needs to be watered as the soil dries out. Even in winter, the plant is watered at least once a week.

The next reason is draft. Palm trees do not tolerate cold air currents well. It should not be left on the window in winter, and kept away from the air conditioner in summer. Drafts cause the soil to release moisture faster, and the foliage begins to dry out and fall off.
Soil plays an important role in the development and beauty of the plant, so you need to choose it correctly. As the palm tree grows, the composition of the soil changes. Frequent watering and poor water quality compact the substrate, which interferes with the proper development of roots. To eliminate the problem, it is recommended to periodically replant the crop into new nutrient soil.

Lighting is very important for the health of dracaena. The flower prefers a large amount of light, with the exception of being in direct sunlight. A well-lit room with diffused lighting will be optimal. Under the influence of bright sunlight, the leaf becomes burned, marks appear on the surface and the greenery begins to wither.

Indoor palm tree - tropical plant, therefore, air humidity indicators directly affect the appearance of the bush. The required humidity level should be between 65-70%. It is very difficult to achieve such indicators in apartments naturally. Therefore, it is recommended to use a humidifier in winter, and to spray greens with a spray bottle in summer.

Remember! Various diseases often cause foliage to dry out. The plant can become infected through the soil or from an affected neighbor.

What to do when the tips of the leaves dry out

A dried tip can appear even on young leaves, provided the palm tree has been growing in the same substrate for more than three years. Over a given period of time, the substrate accumulates salts, which prevent the roots from fully absorbing nutritional components, even with regular fertilizing.

An excess of salts leads to the death of roots - the main suppliers nutritional components flower. Poor nutrition leads to drying out of both young and old leaves. Leaves may also begin to dry out due to the structure of the soil. For example, heavy clay soil does not allow water to pass through well. The tips of the leaves can dry out if there is an excess of phosphorus in the soil. This component is found in fertilizer complexes for tropical varieties, which are used strictly following the instructions so as not to harm the plant. Problems with the soil are the main reason for the tips of young leaves drying out. To eliminate the problem you need:

  1. Replant the plant, especially if the plant has not been replanted in the last 2-3 years.
  2. Pay attention to the fertilizer; perhaps the selected preparation is not intended for feeding a specific type of palm tree and contains an excessive amount of fluorine and other minerals.
  3. Change the soil, increase the amount of humus and peat (the soil may be too light or clayey and heavy).

What to do when the leaves dry out in the middle

Often the sheet dries out in the middle. The greenery becomes covered with spots, which are a threat to the health of the flower. Basically, such spots indicate insufficient attention to the plant, and their color will help you understand what exactly the disease is:

  1. Stains yellow color indicate a burn, and the flower should be placed away from sunlight.
  2. Brown - occur after exposure to cold air or with a sudden temperature change, perhaps the pot is standing on the window and when ventilating the flower, cold air blows on it.
  3. Marks of brown color with a yellow center indicate the addition of such a disease. like Alternaria.
  4. Brown spots elongated shape This is a consequence of the disease heterosporiosis.

Keep in mind! Single drying and falling of leaves is a natural process of plant growth. If the problem is one-time in nature, then there is no reason to worry.

How to save a dracaena flower when the leaves dry out and fall off

What to do if the foliage of the palm tree turns yellow, falls off, and the trunk begins to rot? Surgery should begin. The top of the flower is cut off and placed in soil for rooting. Or put it in a glass of water until full roots appear. This process generally takes two months.

If cuttings stand in a container of water for a long time, their stems may turn yellow. Water promotes the growth of bacteria, and a change in the color of the trunk indicates the probable death of the plant. To save a young bush, the cutting urgently needs to be transplanted into a container with nutrient soil.

If the disease is associated with dry air, then irrigation with warm water will help save the plant. You can water the palm tree from the shower, after wrapping the pot in polyethylene to prevent excess liquid from getting into the soil. If the plant does not recover after the procedure, it is recommended to replant it in a new container with fresh soil.

A flower damaged by a flow of cold air can be brought back to life by spraying with warm water and moving the pot to a warm place protected from drafts. If the room temperature was below 15 degrees, there may be damage to the roots. The condition of the root system should be checked. If injured roots are detected, all damaged areas are removed, and the flower is transplanted into a fresh, moistened substrate. If more roots are damaged, then the top of the palm tree should be rooted.

A palm tree that has not been watered for a long time may lose all its foliage, and the growing point of the flower will dry out. But even in this case, you can save the plant. Initially, the crop should be well moistened to soak the soil and awaken the root system.

The dried top is cut off with a sharp scalpel, the cut site is treated with crushed coal, and the flower is left alone until the side buds wake up. Before shoots appear, the palm tree is sprayed with Epin once a week. Watering is moderate, as the soil dries out. Pay twice a month complex fertilizers. The container with the flower should be kept away from the sun; diffused natural light is recommended. In about 1-1.5 months, the dormant buds should hatch.

Advice! When cutting the trunk, you need to think about the height of the cut so that in the future the palm tree will look aesthetically attractive.

Errors in care leading to drying of leaves

Any modification of the flower indicates that mistakes have been made in the care and maintenance of the plant. In this case, it is important to detect and eliminate the cause in time. The most common mistakes:

  1. Incorrect excessive watering - the soil in the pot must have time to dry out. To control, stick a wooden toothpick into the soil.
  2. Excessively dry air in the room - the pot should be moved away from radiators and other heating devices.
  3. Insufficient amount of light - you should take care of additional lighting of the palm tree in winter.
  4. Drafts - we save frozen leaves with a warm shower.
  5. Insufficient amount of nutrients in the substrate - flower shops sell fertilizers in the form of sticks that help feed the crop with useful substances regularly and in the right quantities.

Know! If after transplantation the foliage begins to turn yellow and dry out, it is recommended to spill the soil with Epin’s solution.

Diseases of dracaena leaves and their treatment

The drying out of greenery is not always associated with improper conditions. The cause of the problem may be an associated disease. Among the most common diseases of dracaena are bacteriosis, heterospora, alternaria, and phyllostictosis. These diseases are infectious.

Heterosporosis is the most common disease of dracaena. Characteristic feature diseases are elongated spots beige colour with dark burgundy trim.

For phyllostictosis Light brown spots with black specks and green edging appear on the leaves. These diseases are treated with fungicidal drugs. Typically, the disease affects palm trees growing in a room with dry air and suffering from a lack of moisture.

Alternaria blight appears on greenery brown spots with a yellow center. Over time, the spots darken due to the proliferation of fungal spores. Fungicides are used for treatment. The most effective remedy– Fundazol. You can purchase the drug in a specialized store and prepare a solution for irrigation (1 g of the drug per 0.5 liter of water). You can use other preparations containing copper, but dilute them according to the instructions. Treatment is carried out once every 10 days, 2-3 treatments are required.

Excess moisture and elevated air temperatures contribute to the development of bacteriosis. The tips of the foliage are covered with droplets of liquid, which, after drying, forms an oil film. A yellow stripe separates the healthy and affected areas of the leaf. Sometimes the stem of the affected plant is covered with sores. If a plant affected by bacteriosis is sprayed, the disease will spread to neighboring crops. To date, there is no drug that can save you from this disease. A sick indoor flower should be thrown away as soon as possible.

Video about the reasons for drying of dracaena leaves and eliminating the problem

Conclusion

The cause of such a problem as drying out of the leaves of dracaena can be caused by improper care or an associated disease. The article: dracaena leaves drying provides information about the most common reasons illness. If you carefully study the condition of the flower, it will tell you what happened to it. Periodic inspection of the surface of the leaves will help to detect the problem in time and eliminate it.

Dracaena is not the most capricious and demanding indoor flower. If you follow our recommendations and proper care, the dracaena flower will delight its owners with its original beauty and lush greenery. A healthy, properly formed indoor palm tree will decorate the interior of the room.

The decorative flower dracaena is great option for a gift. A small copy looks beautiful on a desktop in an office or on a windowsill in an apartment. A large tree is bought to decorate an office or public interior. Over time, the tree may lose its original attractive exotic appearance due to yellowing or drying of the leaves. Therefore, it is important to select immediately after purchase appropriate place for the flower and provide it with suitable conditions.

Proper care

For good growth and the development of a dracaena flower that appears in your home will require approximately the same conditions as in its historical homeland. Do not forget that it came to us from hot countries, where the air is hot and humid, and precipitation is infrequent. Based on these conditions, botanists determine how to care for the dracaena flower.

Required containment conditions:

Moderate lighting. Indoor flower Dracaena loves diffused light; direct rays of the sun are destructive for it. Instances with bright leaves need more good lighting than species with a monochromatic green crown. For a flower, a lighted place in the eastern or western part of the apartment is best suited. In winter, the plant can be placed on a windowsill; in summer, it is better to remove it away from hot sunlight.

Average temperatures. The opinion that the dracaena flower can easily tolerate arid climates is erroneous. The plant is best suited for temperatures in the range of 20 – 25°C. If the summer is too dry and hot, increase the air humidity. To do this, use humidifiers or simply spray the leaves frequently.

How to care for a dracaena flower

Infrequent watering. The tree is watered once or twice a week (depending on the time of year). Watering should be moderate. The soil in the pot should dry out a little between waterings. If the plant is kept in constantly wet soil, it will die from rotting of the root system.

Tip: for watering and spraying it is better to use warm, settled water without chlorine.

High air humidity is one of the main conditions proper care. Many species do not tolerate dry air well. For example, the Dracaena marginalata flower begins to dry out, despite abundant watering. In winter, humidity should be about 60%, in summer 65-75%. On especially hot days, you need to spray the leaves every 5-6 hours.

Fertilizer application. You need to constantly care for the dracaena flower, especially during the period of active growth. At this time, it is necessary to regularly add fertilizer to the soil. From April to September, liquid fertilizers are added to the water according to the recommendations on the package, and the soil is watered. In the autumn-winter period, a period of dormancy begins, the tree stops growing, and it does not require fertilizers.

When should you replant?

The tree is replanted for the first time immediately after purchase. This is due to the fact that for transportation, young seedlings are planted in nutritious peat. It tightly envelops the roots, easily absorbs moisture, but quickly evaporates it. Growing in a transport pot and peat is not recommended. In this case, poor development and death from drying out of the soil are possible.

After purchasing a new pet, do not water it for several days. Then take it out of the pot, carefully shake off the peat, and inspect the roots. If among them there are dry or rotten ones, they are cut off. Afterwards they are transplanted into a new pot. Expanded clay is placed on the bottom, a layer is poured suitable soil, place the plant and sprinkle it with soil, squeezing it with your hands. Then water it.



Advice: the transplanted specimen should not be placed in a brightly lit place for some time.

The next time the dracaena flower will need to be replanted in a year. The older the plant becomes, the less often it will need to be replanted. For large specimens, the top layer of soil in the pot is replaced so as not to injure the roots.

What to do if the leaves start to fall?

If you try to constantly care for a dracaena flower at home, but it grows poorly, its leaves turn yellow, dry out or fall off, there may be several reasons for this. You can determine why dracaena leaves fall by looking at its appearance, soil and air humidity. If you water too much, the soil does not constantly dry out, and the roots begin to hurt. As a result, they cannot feed a large number of leaves. In this case, the soil needs to be dried, loosened and not flooded in the future. In a critical situation, the flower is transplanted into new soil, having previously cleaned the roots and dried them in air.

Leaves may also fall due to natural reasons.. They gradually dry out, exposing the trunk from below. However, this does not happen often. This phenomenon cannot be eliminated. You just need to remove dead wood in time. A dracaena flower can lose its foliage if it is in a draft. In this case, it must be moved to another location.

Why do dracaena leaves turn yellow?

Many people fail to care for the dracaena flower so that its leaves do not turn yellow. The reason is that the plant is characterized by aging leaves and their gradual death. The leaf lives up to two years, after which it turns yellow and dies. This is a natural process. It is impossible to fight him. To prevent the tree from losing its decorative appearance, it is better to trim the tips of the leaves in a timely manner.

Why do dracaena leaves turn yellow?

If the leaves turn yellow young plant from tip to base is a sign improper care or illness. Check the condition of the soil; if it is too wet and does not have time to dry out, you need to reduce watering. If you water moderately and the soil has time to dry out, check the air humidity and temperature. Fever and dry air contribute to the rapid death of the leaf.

The reason why part of the crown may immediately turn yellow may be a high concentration of fertilizers. Use only special fertilizers, maintain the dosage, and do not apply them too often. Otherwise, the tree will suffer a chemical burn and may become completely bare.

Dracaena is beautiful decorative tree, which can not only decorate the interior, but also improve the air in the room, saturating it with oxygen. The plant responds gratefully to care, delighting with its beauty.