Overview

Dracaena marginata also referred to asMadagascar Dragon , red - border dracaena or rainbow plantis a penis of the Dracaena class , Asparagaceaenative to Madagascar and one of the most pop houseplant in North America and Europe . This plant is great for beginners because it is drought patient of and not at all crabbed about their unclouded conditions .   It is tall with an clear braiding weave consist of 4 cane or stem turn . Dracaena marginata becomes interesting over time . The plant drops its slight , sharply tapering leave as it grows , until what remains are greyish - green stems crowned with topknots of the ruby-red - margined , cryptic - green foliage . As it grows , it conserve its upright appearance making it perfect for blank walls , spots behind piece of furniture or narrow-minded corner .

Plant Profile/Facts

How To Effectively Grow And Care For Dracaena Marginata

Soil

Dracaena Marginata thrives in rich grease with plenty of organic fabric such as a well - draining or peaty commercial-grade potting soil . in the main , plant life dracaena marginata in any soil that does n’t become soggy and is n’t prostrate to pool water supply . Slightly sandy soil that run out quickly bring home the bacon the honest produce condition for the plant life .

Light

Dracaena Marginata need restrained to bright indirect sunlight . Brown spots on the leaves may be a telltale sign that the works is getting too much direct light . Also , if the flora does n’t get enough light , i.e growing in low weak condition its leaves generally turn pale or icteric .

Also Read : Begonia Maculata Care

Watering

Just like any other houseplant , dracaena marginata should be consistently watered when the top layer of grease dries to a profoundness of approximately two inches . Insert a finger’s breadth into the land near the industrial plant ’s base to determine the dirt ’s level of moisture . Water the plant when the top 2 inches of the soil feel dry but before the ground dries all at a 6 - inch profoundness . Check the grunge moisture weekly , peculiarly during extended dry conditions .

Water the plant ’s grunge when the stain begins to dry out out during spring and summer while the flora turn actively . give the water near the plant ’s base , save its stem turn ironic . leave about 1 - inch of urine or enough weewee to moisten the top 6 inches of territory thinly . Allow the soil to dry out again before the next watering session . Water dracaena lightly during the wintertime if the farewell begin to look shriveled . Provide only enough piddle to moisten the soil as the flora degenerate quickly in nerveless , damp soil .

Like other houseplants , dracaena marginata is very much sore to fluoride , which can have discoloration . To ward off effects of fluoride on your dracaena plant , irrigate it with rain water , distilled or non - fluoridated water .

Fertilizer

Like all indoor plants , dracaena Marginata expand with only one or two feedings with a fertiliser design specifically for houseplant . Apply the fertilizer at the charge per unit recommended on the label for your Mary Jane size . eat the plant with a liquid houseplant plant food every two workweek in fountain and summertime and monthly in fall and wintertime . After fertilizer software , watch for signs of extra salt or nutrient in the grunge such as burn or crisping along the edges of the leave . lay off flow if this occurs .

Temperature

Dracaena Marginata opt elbow room temperatures of between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit . temperature above 75 degrees Fahrenheit may induce the plant to wilt .

Humidity

Dracaena marginata prefers mediocre humidity for it to grow vibrantly . Regular household humidity is perfect for turn this plant . If your house is in particular dry , consider a brightness misting from a spray bottle . The most effective means to assert an average humidness to a dracaena plant is to place it on a sparse layer of rocks on a discus and balance the container on top and ensure that the dish aerial is fulfill with water system . In this fount , evaporation of water will cater the necessary humidity to your flora .

Pruning

Dracaena Marginata plants respond well to pruning . When the leaf maturation becomes unreasonable , it is always a good practice to trim away some leaves to serve promote vigorous , healthy growth of the remaining leaves .

As the plant life ages , leaves will by nature sprain brown or slicing .   Any damaged leave-taking require removal as they go on , as leave rugged or debile farewell on the plant opens it up to potential pests and disease . Trimming browned areas improves the overall look of the plant and stop further damage to the leaves .   While you may safely prune this plant anytime throughout the year , trim back during saltation or summertime to raise effective ontogeny . Use unobjectionable , knifelike shears or pruner to crop the dracaena marginata .

Propagation Of Dracaena marginata

Root Cane Cutting

Air Layering

Stubs

Tip Cuttings

Also Read : Different Types of Monstera

Repotting Dracaena marginata

Just like most houseplants , Dracaena marginata now and again outgrows its current grow container and therefore , moving the plant to a larger container becomes inevitable . Moving the flora to a big container is n’t a difficult task if done properly . Here is how you should proceed :

Common Problems

Fluoride

Dracaena Marginata are super sensitive to fluoride from water or superphosphate fertilizers . Dead , scorch - looking orbit on the leaves and yellow or brown leaf border and may indicate that a Draco tree has been exposed to eminent level of fluoride . To avoid this type of job , keep a territory PH between 6.0 and 6.5 , avoid fertilizing the dracaena marginata plant with products that contain fluoride ( superphosphate fertilizers ) and do not irrigate the plant using water that has high fluoride levels . Also , on a regular basis leaching conglomerate salt and fluoride out of the soil in potted plants by slowly running an amount of distilled water adequate to about twice the volume of the corn whiskey flora ’s container through the dirt .

Potential Pests

Mealy hemipteron

Commonly detect in warm climates mealy bugs are flabby - incarnate , wingless worm that often appear as white cottony bulk on leaves and stems of plants . Not only do they have scrawny growth and premature leafage drop , but their mass groupings are unsightly . Spraying the septic leave of absence and stanch with a fast - moving stream of water can dispatch a small population of mealy glitch from an septic dracaena marginata . For larger infestations , apply insecticidal Georgia home boy or neem oil to get free of these pestilence .

Scale Insects

Scale insects are small , with rounded waxy torso . They rate in color from clean and light tan to dark brown . These insects thrust the tissues of the plants with their thermionic tube - like mouth and suck out sap from the works ’s tissue . Once they begin feed , scales remain in the same spot .   Plants infested with scale become weak and emergence slows or stops all together . When your plant is infest with scale , apply a horticultural oil or systemic insecticide on large scale populations when in their crawler stage .

Spider Mites

wanderer mites are not true insects , but are class as a type of arachnid , relatives of spiders , ticks and Scorpio the Scorpion . Adults reddish brown or pale in colouring , oval - shaped and are very small and common in red-hot , dry weather condition . They attack dracaena during the warm summertime months sucking sap and juices from health leave . The first sign of spider mite damage appears as small light colored dots long the leafage . After a while , vivacious folio of dracaena may blow over in color and appear to have a bronze sheen .

The rubbing alcohol you have around the menage can successfully kill the wanderer mite . Just souse a few cotton balls in rubbing alcohol and rub across the foliage of infested dracaena . If plague is gamey , expend a toxic , dead - lived pesticide to get rid of these insects .

Thrips

Thrips also referred to as thunderflies , are dirt ball with diminished , thin body and fun fringed wing . Thrips cause severe damage by sucking plant electric cell fluid . A heavy infestation causes premature wilt , delay in leafage development and optical aberration of leaves and young shoot . operate infestation by washing the pestis with weewee , removing intemperately attacked leaves and avoiding excessive lotion of high - atomic number 7 fertilizers .

Potential Diseases

Dracaena marginata plant is generally leisurely to grow indoors and disease is rarely an issue . However , leaf spot and root rot can easy attack your dracaena marginata should you not follow the required tearing regime .

Fungal Leaf spot

Fungal leafage spot can also be found on your dracaena marginata . fungous leaf spot occur when fungal spores in the air regain a strong , plastered , plant open to cling to . Spots are often oval in form and may have beige or tan center with dark brown boundary line . Also , angular or ragged - shaped spots do not inevitably rule out the disease as the round spot may commute anatomy as the disease progresses .

The best way to grapple with this disease , is pruning out heavy infected areas improves the appearance of the affected dracaena marginata as well as eliminates many infectious spore . compile all fall leaf and other plant detritus around the dracaena flora and dispose out from the garden to annul propagate spores . In addition to keeping works debris clean up around the dracaena , fungicides applied before symptom appear or at the first sign of infection may help foreclose or lessen the impact of contagion .

Root Rot

Root rot is a disease that lash out the roots of plants growing in wet or dampen dirt . If you comment that your Dracaena marginata plant is slowly wilting and the leaves are turning yellowish or deadening for no known reason , then the plant may be affected by etymon and prow decomposition . The wilting and dulling of color may happen promptly or over the course of several months .

To check whether your dracaena marginata has been touch on by root and stem turn rot , exterminate the plant and gibe the roots by feeling them with your hands . If the base find soupy and look dark alternatively of a creamy white or tan , you in all likelihood have solution issues . hefty roots have smaller confluent source or rootlet , which can be easily spotted when checking the root organisation .

Treating mild or moderate root rot is very simple and not that affect . lave the roots of the uprooted industrial plant under running water supply . wash away off as much land as potential and do n’t worry about any affected roots that will fall off in the process . cut off away all of the remaining roots that are affected using a sharp dyad of shears .   Re - grow the works into refreshed potting mix . The root system will now have a good chance to re - rise and get back to good wellness .