Draecena problems

These two Draecenas have the chronic problem of getting brown spots on the leaves, and I am wondering if anyone knows why and what, if anything, I can do to prevent it. Thanks.

Susan in Minneapolis

#2

Susan: I have had people tell me they need more humidity .... I live in Florida where it's nothing but humidity .... very high humidity and mine still get like that.

I can grow the Dracaena Marginata's : http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/732/ without a problem.

The other's like the Janet Craig: http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/56851/ I seem to have the same problems as you do with the leaves getting crispy and brown on the edges. Maybe these types just need even more humidity than the marginata's .... guess I should try misting them often and see if that helps.

They will get brown around the edges from lack of humidity, but for some reason your brown edges don't look quite like the lack of humidity brown edges. I think that Dracaenas can also be sensitive to things like fluoride in water, so that would be another possibility. A little extra misting is definitely an easier thing to fix though, so I'd try that first and see if it helps (the current brown won't go away, but watch what happens to the leaves that aren't brown now)

We don't have city water, so no flouride in our water and mine get brown and crispy leaf edges. It may be a lack of some other nutrient cause I use purified water on the plants inside my house.

Susan, I hope you will keep us posted on how they do.

They can definitely get brown crispy edges from low humidity too which is common inside the house, especially if your running the heat in the winter or the AC in the summer. Fluoride is just one other possibility, but isn't applicable for everyone.

My problem may be the dryness due to air conditioning then. I probably should mist more often!

Thanks ecrane3 ... you always have great advice!

Plantladylin,
It is possible that you have naturally occurring fluoride even in well water.

In my picture above, the striped plant has had this problem for years, but the gold one has not. The browning of that one just started this summer. Both plants were/are on my front porch for the summer, and we seldom have summer humidity below 40%, and generally higher at night, so lack of humidity doesn't seem likely, especially since in winter indoors the humidity is certainly much lower, and the gold one didn't show these symptoms until this summer. Fluoride is a possible issue with mine, and I can make an effort to use aged water to see if that helps. Otherwise, it is into the compost heap with both of them!

Thanks ecrane3 and Plantladylin for your thoughts on the subject.

Susan in Minneapolis, where the temps have dipped into the forties at night already

I don't think that aging the water will get rid of the fluoride, once it's there it's there, it's not like chlorine that'll dissipate if you let the water sit around. You might try using purified water, or capturing rainwater and see if that helps. I wouldn't throw them on the compost heap though, they honestly don't look that bad, when my houseplants get brown edges I just clip off the parts of the leaves that look really bad.

ecrane3,

You are so right about the fluoride; I was thinking about chlorine, which, I believe, does dissipate.

I am trying to be more tough-minded about plants that are not doing well for me, particularly ones in my living room and dining room that are seen by guests. I have something like 500 plants (although many are small succulents), and unless they are really special to me, I am trying to do some editing to make room and more time for the ones that are worth the effort. But. on the other hand, I am planning to retire in January, and then I might have more time to baby them with special water. So, no compost heap for them yet! What a waffler I am.

Thanks again.

Susan

You sound just like me, Susan...I'm realizing that I just don't have the time to baby a lot of plants, and then there's the 'space/room' issue.
I've decided that I like most of my tropicals more than a lot of my smaller succulents, and I'm considering downsizing for the reason that many of the tropicals *need* the light that the succulents are receiving.
Choosing which ones is the hard part!

I was going to say that I'd read in several references that Dracaenas dislike fluoride, and noticed that ecrane had already stated it above:)

They don't seem to like my water, either. I have to buy them distilled water. *grumble* *grumble* Dang plants...they just sit around...they oughtta get a job.... *grumble* lol



edited to say... Except the marginata...she'll take the tap after I've left it sitting out. She's one tough little bird. ; )



This message was edited Sep 15, 2007 2:47 AM

I have to water mine with distilled water only or they get the brown edges. But, you will be amazed how beautiful they look when all they get is the good stuff! LOL

I tried the aged water and it didn't help, it had to be the distilled water.

have dracenenas in Boston townhouse with steam heat - humidity is very very low - have minmal problems with brown spots - will upgrade to purified water - will this apply to anthuriums and spths as well

Here's a site. Check the first 2 paragraphs under production.

http://mrec.ifas.ufl.edu/Foliage/folnotes/dracaena.htm

Jamlover,

Thanks for the link. It is interesting that the proper Ph may offset fluoride problems.

Susan

I've been told its a fungus/ virus from watering too much. It was suggested that I use a Copper soap fungicide. If only the leaf tips turn brown its underwatering. If the leaf gets burnt circles its too muh watering. I eventually gave up on my six foot high Janet Craigs and cut them down. Now I'm getting new growth from the bottom.

Dean_W

Leaf tips can also turn brown from not having enough humidity--so don't rush to water it more, make sure you check the soil first to make sure it needs it.