Janet Craig Dracaena Help

Skokie, IL

Hello, I’d very much like some guidance for a troubled Janet Craig Dracaena. I bought this beautiful plant in 2019 and it’s been growing healthily up until about 3 months ago when I noticed a large number of brown leaves, yellow/brown leaves, and yellow-tipped/spotted leaves. Since then, many leaves have completely died and the die-off has continued.

It has always been potted in some kind of well-draining mixture (not sure) topped with lava rock. I water it when the top 2 inches of the soil mixture (not including lava rock) is dry. This usually amounts to once a week or a little longer depending on the season. I use a wooden skewer to measure the soil saturation level. I used to use tap water until the die-off began and then switched to filtered water from the fridge dispenser. When watering, I place the plant in a deep saucer atop a container lid so it doesn’t sit in water and when it’s done draining, I place it back into its normal saucer. It never sits in water. I use about 750 ml of water and pour it slowly around for even distribution.

The plant sits in the corner of a well-lit west-facing living room so it does receive a fair amount of light but never direct sunlight.

It has never been repotted and I noticed just today that the root system (large root system?) is clearly visible through the drainage holes. So I wonder if the die-off is a sign that it needs to be repotted. If this is the case, do I wait until spring to repot?

Last thing to note is that the die-off is taking place more in the larger stalks than the smaller ones.

Please help if you can. I have attached pictures.

Thumbnail by ChiPlanter28 Thumbnail by ChiPlanter28 Thumbnail by ChiPlanter28 Thumbnail by ChiPlanter28 Thumbnail by ChiPlanter28
Cleveland,GA/Atlanta, GA(Zone 7b)

These plants are very sensitive to mineral salt build up which is evident from the white ring in the pot. They should ideally be repotted annually or at the very least flushed out several times a year and reported every two years with fresh soil. If you reuse the same pot, scrub off the white mineral deposits inside and out. Ditto the drain tray. Get rid of the lava rock which retains mineral salts. Trim all brown spots or remove leaves. Your problem will be worse if you have hard water.

Post a Reply to this Thread

Please or sign up to post.
BACK TO TOP