The dracaena or dracaena marginata is one of the most talked about plants when recommending some that can be kept in low light rooms, or given as a gift to someone who does not have much experience in pot maintenance. And this has its reason: It is very adaptable and very easy to maintain.. That’s why when the leaves start to fall, we can miss each other.
And this is where we wonder why dracaena marginata has droopy leaves. What happened to him? Did we do something wrong? Are we forgetting something important? Let’s talk about it.
There are several reasons why dracaena leaves may start falling off, and these are the following:
Contents
Low light
Image – Flickr/CroDigTap
Although it is one of the plants that lives best in low light conditions, we must differentiate between the terms “unclear” and “dark”. While we can assume we know what each means, it wouldn’t be strange to think that a dracaena marginata can live in a dark room when many blogs and books tell you that it doesn’t need much. of light to go well.
At Jardinería On we say this too, because from our own experience we know that it resists better than others in low light conditions. But beware: you need a minimum of light, a minimum of clarityOtherwise the leaves will fall. What is this minimum?
well It is the one in which in the place where we are going to put it, everything is seen well without the need to turn on a lamp. There doesn’t have to be a window through which light from outside enters, but you should be able to walk around and see things with the natural light that is there. If it is darker, your plant’s leaves will fall off as it will lack the strength to support and nourish them.
What to do? This is a problem that has a very simple solution: you just have to move the plant to another place where there is more light. But be careful: do not place it where the light hits it directly, otherwise it will burn.
Lack of water
Lack of water is one of the most serious reasons why dracaena leaves fall or begin to fall. As you probably know, water is life, and when it’s scarce, problems quickly arise. For this reason, although our protagonist is not one of those who needs daily watering, not even frequent, do not let the soil stay dry for long.
But how do you know for sure that what’s happening to him is that he’s thirsty and nothing else? well the clearest symptom, apart from falling leaves, is that the earth will be very dry. It may even be so dry that it is compacted and does not absorb water. Also, if we have the plant in a pot, if we take it we will notice that it weighs little or very little. And in addition, pests may appear, such as scale insects.
What do we have to do? Water, of course. But if it is in a pot, we will immerse it in a basin or a container with water., and we will leave it like this for about half an hour. In the case when it is planted in the garden, we will make a tree hole, the height of which is about 4 or 5 centimeters, and water it, pouring plenty of water. And if there are pests, you can apply diatomaceous earth (on sale here) as we explain in this video:
Excess water
Excess water is a very serious problem. I would dare to say that it is the main cause of death of cultivated plants, especially if they are indoors. Because? Good because To avoid dirtying the furniture, we put a plate under the pot, and of course, when we water, the water stays in it. And if instead of putting them on a plate they are planted directly in pots that have no holes, the problem is even more complicated.
And that’s why, no matter how heavy I am, you gon’ let me say that, please stay away from pots that do not have drainage holes. They are beautiful, yes, but they represent a danger for any terrestrial plant (only aquatic plants could be there). And not only that: If you are going to put a plate under them, remember that you must always drain itafter each watering.
Now, how can we know that the dracaena marginata has too much water/moisture? Good, Well, right away we will see that the leaves have fallen, the earth is very humid and if we have it in a pot and take it, we notice that it weighs a lot. In severe cases, fungus may have appeared.
What to do to recover it? Of course, stop watering for a while. You have to wait for the soil to dry. But, so that it does not take too long, if we have the plant in a pot, we will take it out and wrap the soil bread with kitchen paper. If we see that it soaks up quickly, we’ll take it out and put in another dry one. Then, we will leave it in a place protected from the sun, the rain, the wind, etc., and the next day we will plant it in a new pot -or an old one but which we will have cleaned before doing anything- with new soil.
Since, Before watering, it will be strongly recommended to check the humidity with a stick as we explain here:
And just in case, whether you already have mushrooms or not, It is strongly recommended – I would even say it is very important – to apply a systemic fungicide, or a triple actionlike this one they sell here.
Cold and/or drafts
Image – Wikimedia/David J. Stang
Low temperatures and drafts can cause dracaena marginata leaves to drop. First of all, we will talk about the cold. It is a tropical plant, so when exposed to a temperature below 10°C, its cells begin to die because they are not able to resist it.
And if we have it indoors, near the air conditioning, the radiator, the fan or a window that we usually open and through which a lot of wind enters, the leaves will also suffer damage and fall.
What to do? In all cases, the solution is to change it. If we live in an area where the winter is cold, we will bring it into the house; and if he’s already inside but near a drafty device, we’ll take him to another room.
I hope your dracaena marginata is producing healthy leaves again.