can you identify this plant and give me advice about how to take care of it. my plant is dying. you can't really tell in this picture, but the baby leaves are turning brown and the tips of the leaves on turning brown. it's seems too big for the pot, but i don't know how to transfer and plant into a bigger pot properly. am i using too much or too little water? i water it once a week.
it's a dracaena - not sure which variety. the soil should be something that drains well (like a cactus mix) and should be allowed to dry out a bit (a couple inches down from the top) before watering again. and it should be in a container with drain holes. unglazed clay is best - you can put it inside a larger/more decorative planter so that it looks nicer. never use water straight from the tap as it can be too cold in winter and let it sit overnight so the chlorine can dissipate. i always keep gallon jugs filled and ready to use. when was the last time it was repotted?? if it's been more than three years, at the least the soil should be replenished. just remove from the pot, carefully remove most of the soil and then put back into the pot with fresh soil. if it's rootbound, then it should be placed in a container an inch or two larger in diameter than what it's already in.
i didn't think the leaves were quite right for a drac... i've never seen a diff that large and didn't know they develop the same type of trunk!! consider me corrected! :) soil, water and container requirements are the same for both species.
It's an overgrown Dieffenbachia. Have you moved it recently? It hates relocation, especially if this involves a change in light level, or increased draft. The other possibility is that it had been in the same pot for too long. It is not necessarily outgrown the pot. But there is likely to be an increasing accummulation of salts in the growing media. Best bet is to repot. Knock off as much of the old soil as possible.
Yep, they can very tall and even start to lean because they get heavy. They can be cut back and new growth will sprout near the cut, just like a Schefflera (umbrella tree) You can also root the top in soil or water and start over in a smaller pot. If you think the pot's too small for the plant, it could be drying out too fast causing new growth to dry out. I'd also maybe check for spidermites.