Hi guys, I'm new to the forums because I am seeking [desperate] help to save my dying(?) Dragon Tree I bought a month ago from Ikea. I potted it in new soil and watered it when the soil was complete dry. I checked the roots and it does not appear to have standing water but only the top soil is a little wet. Also the point of the branch before it meets the greeny part is a little mushy... It does not receive heavy light. In a day or two it turned into this. I know quite bad... What should I do?
Be sure that the pot provides good drainage, and water thoroughly. Your plant looks very dry. Use tepid water, apply slowly until all the soil is moistened. Welcome to the Forum!
Okay, I watered the plant with three cups of tepid water slowly! Also, it is known for the water in my area to be more chlorinated than 'normal' water so I added dechlorinator to remove the chlorine. Any other advice? Should I leave outside or keep inside?
If the stem is mushy at any point, it's probably game over for this particular plant. D. marginatas are prone to a bacterial infection called Erwinia, which turns the stems mushy. (It also smells like Satan himself is taking a s***, if the stem splits open.) There's also a fungus (Fusarium oxysporum) that hollows out canes from the inside, which will also lead to mushy spots in the stem and is likewise best dealt with by trying to salvage anything that's not mushy yet. (More about both problems at the link -- scroll down to PESTS.) If the cane is still firm at the soil line, you may want to try cutting off the top (below the mushy part) and let the plant resprout. It's not guaranteed to resprout, but at this point you probably don't have anything to lose by trying. None of this is your fault, probably. If Ikea offers refunds on plants, I'd take it to them and try to get a refund. Fusarium could be something you did (maybe by overwatering or overpotting -- that looks like a pretty big pot for the size of the plant), but a month is a short enough time that it's probably the plant, not you. If Ikea doesn't do refunds for plants, well, you'll get the chance to buy another one soon enough -- they're sold pretty much everywhere, and they're ordinarily healthier than this.
