Dracaena Collection Care Guide
What is the Dracaena Collection?
The Dracaena family is a vast collection of houseplants that are both durable and ornamental. Popular all throughout the world as an elegant addition to the home, Dracaena plants share many similarities in both appearance and care requirements. Their leaves are often thick and glossy, reaching one foot long and a couple inches wide in some instances. Their stems are long and thick, sometimes giving them the appearance of a small tree.
Appearance aside, Dracaena are fortunate to also share care guidelines that even the most novice houseplant owner can follow with ease. These plants will often grow themselves, expecting the bare minimum from you in return. Native to Africa, Southern Asia and Central America, they’re familiar with a wide range of environments, which adds to their vast tolerances.
Light Care
Dracaena plants enjoy bright, indirect light. By filtering the plant’s light source through a sheer curtain or similar material, it gets to enjoy all the sunlight it wants and avoids the dangers associated with being left in direct light for too long. Such dangers include burnt or discolored leaves, as well as stunted plant growth.
Low light conditions can also be detrimental to Dracaena plants, although they are much better adjusted for this type of environment than for direct light. Minor shade is a preferred condition for Dracaenas, allowing them to still enjoy a source of light and offering an even greater shield against direct sunlight.
Water Care
Dracaena plants are drought-resistant for the most part, requiring less water than many other houseplants. You can keep them hydrated by misting their leaves and soil occasionally, allowing the top soil to completely dry out before watering again. Always keep an eye on the appearance of your plant’s leaves as this will indicate if you are providing it with too little, or too much, water.
Determining the moisture levels of your Dracaena plant’s soil is extremely easy and can be performed swiftly on a daily basis. Simply place a water meter one inch into the soil and it will provide you with a reading. If you do not own a water meter, you can use your finger to gauge the moisture levels instead.
Food Guide
Dracaena plants do not require anything special care when it comes to soil. You can use any normal houseplant fertilizer with most Dracaenas, so long as they drain well and eliminate any excess water that could threaten the health of their roots. For an extra drainage boost, add some peat moss, perlite and other organic materials that are proven to increase the draining capabilities of potting soil!
Fertilize your Dracaena plant once or twice per month during the growing season of the spring and summer. Ideally, use water-soluble houseplant fertilizer containing nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Dilute your fertilizer to half-strength if you find that this fertilizing schedule is causing your plant’s foliage to appear discolored.
Staff Holy Grail Tip:
While Dracaena plants are generally tolerant of a massive temperature range, they do best when placed in 65° - 78° F (18° - 28° C) conditions during the day. At this range you’ll be able to best mimic the conditions that the plants would naturally encounter in their respective regions. Of course, this isn’t entirely necessary, and you’ll find that your Dracaena can grow perfectly fine without being directly in this range. Still, try to stay close to this range, within 10 degrees one way or the other, and don’t leave your plant anywhere that might experience shifts in temperature, like near drafty doors or AC units.
