Got this Mass Cane from Lows for $5. The tip were crispy. I got it home cut the tips of the leafs that were brown and wiped a paper towel with Neem oil on each leaf the first day I got it. Ive only had it for 2months and watered it twice. I water it by filling the dish as the bottom with water and dump any remaining water after a few hours. These brown/yellow spots showed up almost over night and about a week after watering it. It sits about a foot from our 3 panel west facing window. No direct light. Ive cut the leafs that were over 50% yellow. Idk what to really do now. Should I cut all the leafs that are brown and repot with new soil? TIAđ
by Ecstatic_Brother2614
4 Comments
Was the neem oil diluted? That’s strong stuff. I’ve always diluted it a lot & sprayed it on or drenched the soil.
Otherwise, my head goes to root stress. Usually its overwatering, but your description sounds right.
Do you see roots escaping through the drainage holes? Maybe its pot bound. Go up only 2″ bigger.
Soil needs roots to take up the water, so too much soil means the plant is overwatered, and that guy likes things on the dry side.
Maybe the pot was too big when you bought it? In which case an anti-fungal would be helpful. And repotting to a smaller pot might be worth considering. If you can lift it from the pot, you’ll be able to see if there’s extra soil or if its filled with roots.
I am no expert. But had the same issue when I brought mine home. Didnât worry much and treated it as a regular plant. I think it took its time to adjust to the space. Itâs been a few months now and the plant is thriving somehow.
I think this could be an under-watering issue. Mass canes are (I believe) rainforest plants and need plenty of water and humidity. Itâs recommended that you thoroughly top water (I think bottom watering is insufficient for this plant) when the top inch of soil is dry. Misting is also beneficial. Youâre on target with the indirect light, just make sure itâs getting plenty of it. You can/should also cut off the brown edges with clean scissors.
Are you using tap water? Dracaena do NOT like fluoride. Fluoride will not boil off or dissipate like chorine will, so you have to use non-tap water- spring, rain, RO, distilled, etc.
Also, the way to a dracaenaâs heart is through moist air. It is almost more important than watering. They can tolerate periods of drought and generally prefer to dry out between waterings, instead of maintaining consistent moist soil.
Bottom watering is fine, but you may want to douse the pot in running water (in a sink or outside) and let it drain through once in a while. The running water will contain more oxygen than sitting water. Also, this is a good way to rinse salts and build up (from fertilizers, decay, etc.) in the soil.
Donât remove any leaves unless the leaf is a âlost causeâ. The leaves are the way the plant is getting light. Removing them will slow the plantâs growth and repair. A lost cause leaf is when the leaf is not recoverable or so badly damaged that it is no longer contributing to the plant. In these cases, the leaf is using energy from the plant to repair, but not contributing to photosynthesis. Remove these leaves are they are costing the plant more energy than they are providing.