This past summer, I received a dracaena 'lemon-lime.' It has always had a few brown spots, or the rare leaf split at the margin of the variegation, but nothing too serious. This morning on my way out the door, I noticed the ends of a couple of the leaves were turning a dark brown color. This is actually not the first time this has happened. I was repotting this plant at the end of October, and suddenly noticed a stripe across one of the leaves of much the same dark brown color, about an inch wide. Since I had sent the plant on top my water heater for about 20 mins that day, I just assumed that it was some funky discoloration from contact with the copper piping and cut that part of the leaf off. As you can see in the pictures, there is some similar spotting along the edge of the leaves in that same dark brown hue, as well as some lighter spotting. Pics included, of course. Now, the related medical history that may give some clues: I acquired this plant in, let's say, July. Knowing absolutely nothing about plants, I just assumed that it wanted as much sun as possible, and stuck it outside on my west porch. Hello to afternoon sun. Watered when dry. No real big problems, just the occasional brown spots. Brought it inside early September. Did some research finally, and properly placed it in a indirectly bright corner of my bedroom. Watered as necessary. Due to being profoundly rootbound, I repotted and then fertilized at the end of October. Used Miracle Gro indoor plant spikes, half the recommended amount (Don't look at me like that! I told you I am new at this. How was I supposed to know that indoor plants go dormant during the winter, too?) Well, what's done is done, and that plant has a nice big pot to grow in. Now this. What gives? Any ideas? Is the plant mortally ill? Don't try and spare my feelings if it is; it was given to me by a girl I no longer date, so there's no sentimental action going on there. And whenever I go to the store, I see the new, nice-looking lemon-limes make eyes at me with their non-spotting leaves, and vigorous shade of lime green, and I think of the Bryan Adams song "Run To You." Anyways, any input would be appreciated...
Now, if I get this right the brown tips and whatnot are only affecting lower leaves? If that's the case then what you're seeing is perfectly natural leaf-death. There's nothing you can do about that, but if the brown disturbs you, you can trim it off with scissors. If the whole plant is affected, I'd tend to think it was a water problem or a heat problem, except that you seem to be doing everything right in that regard. So I'd point at the fert spike. Don't do that again! Now, because you think of "Run to You" when you see this plant, are you naming it Bryan?
The severe browning is taking place in the the bottom two layers of leaves. There is only mild spotting on leaves newer than that. The weird thing about these spots is that they seem to be of really sudden onset. I mean, I don't spend all day gazing lovingly at this plant (the fire is gone, the puppy love over, that's why I want to run to another lemon-lime with more vivid leaves, i think), but when I notice these, I am surprised... you know, how did I not notice this massive blotch of brown? When I first brought it indoors, I wondered if it had some kind of disease, with the mild brown spotting. I never see those spots on lemon-limes at the stores. Even the newer leaves (the ones that have come out since I brought it indoors; you can tell because they have that nice shade of green, where the older leaves that spent all that time on my porch have an ugly sun-bleached yellow. Think back to a Crayola set of 64, "yellow green"). I would never name a plant Bryan. No offense to any Bryans out there or anything. Plus I would never run to anyone named Bryan. I always thought 7UP would be a good name for a dracaena. Maybe Spite or Slice. Possibly Moon Mist. Definitely not Sierra Mist. That stuff is felonious on your taste buds. Or at least a misdemeanor.
Hey I have a Cordyline (which I know isn't the same as a dracaena but they are quite similar) that had/has all the same problems as yours. Few questions... How much bigger was the pot that you repotted your dracaena in from the previous one? Even if the surface is dry, if there's a lot of soil in the pot below the root ball it could still be getting too wet Do you mist your plant regularly with warm water? If you don't you might want to think about trying that as brown tips can be a sign of too low humidity. I started spraying my Cordy and have had no more brown tips so it seems to have helped. The brown spots I can't help you with as my plant has just started getting them too and I have no idea why - I'm hoping it's just the bottom leaves starting to die off naturally. Hope that helps, most of the above is what I've learnt through my own research but a lot of it is confirmed by this http://www.flowershopnetwork.com/fl...-dracaena-plantdracaena-deremensis-warneckei/
JenRi is right on - I never think of humidity because where I live it never drops below 50% And I have plants named Brian, a whole group of lichens.
Oh and while I think of it, if you start misting make sure you reduce the amount of water you give to the roots!
The new pot was no more than an inch bigger in any one spot... from a 6 inch to 8 inch pot, I think. You could be right about the humidity aspect. My apartment is fairly dry. When I bought my alocasia polly and philodendron something or other, I picked up a spray bottle thinking I would mist them regularly. But I am a grad student, and lovingly misting my plants with dollops of warm water is not an activity that fits very well within the time I have available on the daily. My plant right now is to go the pebble tray route with the philodendron and the alocasia, when I finally have time to get to the pebble store, that is. Maybe that would be a good idea for 7UP too, hey? On a related note, since I fertilized every one of my houseplants at the end of october (rookie mistakes), should I hold off of fertilizing the plants until early summer, maybe, so they can get a little extra dormant time?
