Problem with Corn Plant

My plant has browning on the outter leaf. Zcan someone tell me what might be causing this.

Too much water.

How often is it good to water them. I have had it about a year and it just started happening. Thanks for replying.

I saw your other post re this, GreenHornet. You didn't mention the leaf tips browning.

It's possible that it could be too much water, as sugarweed suggested. However, it's also highly possible that your house may be too dry, which is quite common in the winter months when we are all running the heaters or woodstoves. The plant's leaves will brown/close down in an effort to save moisture within the plant. Often-times though you will see the plant wilting first. Does that happen with yours?

At this point, I'd suggest putting your plant container in a large saucer and keeping water in the saucer. (I assume your container has drainage holes?) By keeping water in the saucer then it will automatically wick up into the soil thereby keeping the soil consistently moist, not overly wet nor overly dry.


This message was edited Dec 13, 2004 6:56 PM

The tips are fine Just the side of the leaves are browning. The plant is almost 8 feet tall,can i mist it?

Misting is good. If you could get it in the shower that would even be better!!! They grow where it rains often and has good humidity.

Are you feeding your corn plant. I had one that was doing the same thing, then I checked out some web sites on corn plants and they say never feed the plant just water. I set mind in a north window mist it almost every day and just give it water. Know it is going crazy. I wish I could remember where I found it on the web site if it comes to me I will let you know.

Hmmm, the farms here that raise the Dracenas by the acres fertilize all the time.

Another thought came to mind: many of the tropicals like Cordyline, are very sensitive to chemicals in the water, like chlorine and flouride...if you are not allowing your city water to flash off, or if you are not using rain water, that could be a problem.

Just a thought.

You know the one at my office looks horrible. I repotted it about 2 mths ago in a much larger pot a added some english ivy to fill in. But then the leaves started yellowing and dying. it has 3 stalks and so for only the tallest has been affected. I repotted with miracle gro potting soil and it has fertilizer in it. I wonder....

Tina

Thanks for the feedback. I am letting my watering cans sit overnite to disipate the chemicals,so don't think it is that. I have now tried some fertilizer half strength. I willl just keep trying different things til I hit the right thing.

OK! JUst my 2 cents worth!

Remember--I have worked in retail with plants for 15 years!!! They come--and they go! Sometimes----they just STAY!...and stay...and stay! The more they "stay", the less people want to buy them!

Corn plants have almost NO root systems, unless they are several years old! Those "trunks" they grow from have no more roots at the bottom than the fingers on your hand! You could pull one of the 22 or 3 (usually in the pot) up and see for yourself! Just WHAT they do to these "trunks" to make then leaf out at the tops---I do not know! I don't even know WHAT these trunks are from!!!! Geez!!! What do these trunks grow like in their native habitat????

Corn Plants can survive very well in an "almost" dry state....DO water them well when you do, but sparingly! Also, since they are Dracenas, they hate Chlorine and Flourine!...."salts" in general--like ALL Dracenas! This may cause the leaves to turn brown and whither. Too much water will do it!

To me, some of this is unavoidable! Just tear off the whole leaf it it does this. In time, your Corn Plant will grow new leaves and form a "stem" from the trunk. Keep the broad leaves clean and mist the plant when you can.

In general, I do not think that any Corn Plant can look the way it looks when you bought it at the nursery for too long! They DO come from Florida--where everything is PERFECT for plants! In your home---it is another story!

Gitagal

Edited-- to comment on the fact that your Corn Plant is almost 8' tall. That means it is, probably, quite old! Also, probably, by now--quite rootbound!!!!

All this being the case--I would consider repotting it in a larger pot. This will be a challange--for sure-- as the wight of the stems will be disturbed and want to fall over. How you would stake them up is a difficult question?

Ask yourself if you REALLY want to deal with a plant this old????? Everything has a "lifetime"! Maybe it is time for you to get a new one and start all over again.

I, for one, NEVER bother with old, sickly houseplants!!! You can buy new ones for $10 and start over! Just MY reality!.....

Gitagaal

If your plant is 8ft. tall, it will make a couple of plants...probably 3. Take cuts.

When they grow Dracenas for export...they grow them in fields like corn. Then they come along and top them, stick them in a pot in a controlled environment in a greenhouse, grow them out for about 3 months and ship them off. We are not talking high quality plants here...talking plant farms.

Even in the landscape the Dracenas start to look raggy after 2 or 3 years....we cut them down to whatever desired height we want, new growth comes up and looks great for another 2 or 3 years....When the single stalked plant is cut off at the top, it usually throws out two or three "heads"...sometimes more...

Good luck!

Carol

Thanks to all for the replies. I will try to do some of the suggestions.

I've gotten lots of information from reading this thread. Thank you, greenhornet for starting it. I, too, have a cornplant, that was given to me by friends after I lost my mother. It's one of my favorite plants. I had it outside, decorating my front porch (tons of shade), but had to bring it in for the winter. Mine, like yours, started getting brown around the edges and tips of the leaves. Now, it seems the bottom few layers of leaves are turning yellow and dying. I wasn't aware that I could just take them off. Thank you gitagal, for that information. Will new leaves grow in thier place? I may be wrong, but it looks like leaves only sprout from the top. Is that incorrect? As you can see, I'm new to the plant world.

Here is a picture of my plant when I was still proud of it...