Song of India problems & how to fix them
Dracaena reflexa
Drooping, yellowing, brown tips, or a plant that just won’t thrive? Here are the most common Song of India problems, what usually causes them, and how to turn things around.
Common problems
Root rot
The slow-growing roots rot in soil that stays wet between waterings. A fungal or bacterial infection of the roots, almost always triggered by soil staying wet too long. Caught early, most plants recover within a few weeks after repotting; if most roots are already mushy, recovery is uncertain.
Phytophthora root rot on a dug-up root ball
Photo: Jerzy Opioła · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Crispy tips (low humidity)
Fluoride, salts, and dry air brown the narrow leaf tips. Brown, dry leaf tips caused by air that is too dry for the plant, common in heated or air-conditioned rooms. Existing crispy tips never turn green again, but with higher humidity new growth should come in clean within a few weeks.
Spider mites
Dense leaf whorls shelter mites in dry rooms. Tiny sap-sucking mites that thrive in warm, dry air and leave fine webbing and speckled leaves. Caught early they are very treatable; most plants recover fully within 3-4 weeks of consistent treatment.
a two-spotted spider mite among its silk threads
Photo: Gilles San Martin · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Cold damage
Chills below about 15 C cause sudden leaf drop. Tissue injury from a cold draft, a chilly windowsill, or a night outdoors below the plant's tolerance. Damaged leaves will not heal, but if the stems and roots survived, new growth typically appears within three to four weeks in a warm, stable spot.
fig leaves killed by a frost
Photo: Famartin · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
The mistakes that most often kill it
- Overwatering in low light, the standard slow death for dracaenas.
- Cold drafts or a chilly transport home in winter.
- Letting salts build up for years without ever flushing the soil.
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