I have a few varieties of Dracaena Marginata, some of which have lost all ther leaves while other stems in the same pot are ok. Can I prune back the stem and get them to grow leaves again?
I think it depends on what caused the leaf drop (ie, if its environmentaly related, or disease related). I have 2 of these that I have had for a long time. One is the tricolor variegated form, the other is the plain green form. They are in similar lighting conditions, humidity, air movement etc and get the same water and food. The variegated one has never defoliated, not even a little bit, other than the normal frond loss it has as it grows larger. But the all green one started life several years ago with 5 stalks in the same pot, and how has only 3. The 3 it has are seemingly healthy, the other 2 may be deceased. Dracaena are usually propogated through stem cuttings, and usually, when you cut the stem to root a new section, one or two new growing shoots will emerge from the mother stem are releaf. But mine have not done this, instead they die back further and get hollow like a paper sheath, and eventually I have to cut the stem again lower down. I suspect that a root fungus may be the cause of this damage, but I am not going to treat the plant. If it dies, it dies. These are extremely common here, they can sell for as little as a few dollars at the big box stores, so I would rather forego using a toxic fungicide on it and just replace it with either the same or another houseplant later on. But, if I WAS going to treat it, I would use Captan as a slurry and drench the soil.
Gina is right, it depends on what is causing it. When mine do this, it is usually from lack of water, so I trim mine and they come back no problems, I also do this with my Cordylines and Crotons. Most of mine are in full sun, and here are a few pics Ed
