Dracaena trunk rot... help!

Discussion in 'Indoor and Greenhouse Plants' started by zaridu, Sep 20, 2009.

  1. zaridu

    zaridu Member

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    I recently purchased a beautiful Dracaena marginata that must be at least a few years old (it has a solid woody trunk with a ~2" diameter), but I'm afraid that the hardware supply store nursery I bought it from may have overwatered it. I repotted it into a slightly larger pot after I got it home with a fresh sand/soil mixture for better drainage (I didn't disturb the original root system, though) and let it dry out for about 2 weeks before watering it again. But this morning I was looking the plant over and I found a bunch of fungus gnats busying themselves about the soil and upon closer inspection I found a soft spot at the base of the trunk where it interfaces with the soil.

    I removed the top layer of loose soil and replaced it with sand to get rid of the gnats, but I'm worried that the trunk rot may spread and eventually kill the plant. The Dracaena seems perfectly healthy at this point except for a few brown leaf tips. I've read that the only cure for trunk rot is to cut the top off and reroot it, but I'm afraid of doing this because the plant is so well established.

    What should I do?
     
  2. JenRi

    JenRi Active Member

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    Ultimately you may have to top it - but I'm wondering if for now, if the rot isn't very advanced if you might be able to just cut out the soft bit and dress the cut with some sort of fungicide....cinnamon maybe. How far has the rot progressed into the trunk?
     
  3. zaridu

    zaridu Member

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    Thanks for your reply. Actually after examining the plant a bit more I'm starting to second-guess my diagnosis - the part of the trunk that felt "spongy" to me was right in-between two of the major roots level with the soil, but it turns out it was just a flap of bark concealing some loose soil underneath it. There are still some areas of the trunk I'm not sure about, but perhaps it would be best if I simply kept a close eye on it for a few weeks to see if the plant's condition worsens before doing anything drastic.

    Thanks for the tip, I'll try the cinnamon if it does get worse. If I do end up having to cut off the top, should I use any rooting hormones to get it started again?
     
  4. James D.

    James D. Active Member

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    When ever you repot a plant it is always wise to loosen the rootball, this will help them spread their roots faster.
     
  5. JenRi

    JenRi Active Member

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    A lot of people would say you don't need rooting hormones, and I have never used them myself but most of the things I take cuttings of are cacti/succulents, which are quite easy if you have some patience! The way I see it, it can't really hurt and you seem to be quite attached to the plant so anything that will help it is good right? Lets hope you won't need it in the end.....
     
  6. zaridu

    zaridu Member

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    Alright, thanks for all of your help!
     

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