I recenty purchased 2 trees around 3~4'tall(with the basket) but I don't know the name of them and their care instruction. I've attached a few pictures so will you please look at them and tell me what they are? And for the care instructions can you tell me their: watering, housing, temperature, light, etc. The 2nd tree in the 3rd picture has 3 trees growing out of the pot but the body of 2 of the trees are stripes and the other one has squares.(You can probably see in the picture) The 4' tree(body) http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g317/JEAE/Botani007.jpg The 4' tree(leaves) http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g317/JEAE/Botani008.jpg The Mystery Palm Tree? (a little over 3') http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g317/JEAE/Botani009.jpg Mystery Palm Tree (taken with flash) http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g317/JEAE/Botani010.jpg Kent Kanazawa
The first plant appears to be a Dracaena species. The second (not a palm) is Yucca elephantipes. Cheers, LPN.
Thankyou! But can you also tell me the temperature I should keep them in and watering conditions also?
I can't be absolute certain about the Dracaena without knowing the species but temps above 40f (5 celcius) should fine. Regular but not heavy watering as well. Yucca elephantipes should be kept above 40f also, but I've had some manage light frosts. Routine watering during the growing season is advisable (not manditory) but minimized during cooler winter weather. Cheers & best of luck, LPN.
Can you tell me when the growing season for the yucca is? And I also heard that the draceana needs to be watered after the soil drys up; is that true? Or do I just water it like everyday?
Never water anything to a schedule, and unless a plant's in almost total grit (inorganic components), or is very rootbound and/or in a very small pot, every day watering could end up rotting roots. You have to learn when water's needed, and it can take some time for each plant as conditions (type of soil, sun, season) make a lot of difference. Your trees generally prefer to be allowed to get relatively dry between times (more so in winter), but that doesn't necessarily mean letting the entire rootball go dry routinely, just possibly more so than keeping it sodden all the time. It's better to respond to 'tired' looking leaves (not yet actually 'wilted') with some water a day late, than to just water a peppy looking tree (how it might look the evening after a morning watering) because it's Thursday, or because 'plants need water' and/or you're not sure when to do it, so more must be better. Get to know your plants. Keep an unvarnished chopstick in the soil halfway between the trunk and pot and use it like a dipstick every day til you get a feel for what's enough and too much. The fewer leaves a plant has at any time, the less water it should need (again, usually applies more to winter, but not always). Anything in mostly peat (most potting soils) isn't going to drain well at all, and a lot of grit (perlite, small aquarium gravel, etc.) should be mixed right into the soil. And never, ever, let pots sit in saucers full of drain water or risk rotting roots, unless the pot's up on stones in the tray, which helps with humidity.
Rima, Your post should be "required reading" for all plant growers! I use the dipstik method and have for years. Many say to stick your finger 2" into the soil but with various types of soil and many roots most people just can't get a finger that far in. Chopsticks are a great idea. Thanks for saying it so well. Bill
For the Newbies, can you explain the Chopstick method better. I have several plants in an office and I think they are overwatered regularly. For me I found this handy water meter at ACE Hardware $5.50 and it has 1-4 graduations, and a list on the back that tells you the range for the Families.
If you push a chopstic (or bamboo skewer as I do) all the way into the soil you can pull it to see how damp the ground is before you water. They just stay unobtrusively in the pot until you want to check them. Your meter is a high-tech way to do the same thing :-). Bill
