How to Care for a Dracaena Marginata Plant aka Madagascar Dragon Tree

Dracaena marginata plants are commonly known as Madagascar dragon trees. The plants are known for their ribbon-like leaves that are deep green with narrow magenta stripes along the edges. You can keep your dragon tree alive for decades if you care for it properly.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

1. Dracaena marginata plants prefer bright, indirect light. This makes them suitable for patios, covered porches, or as indoor plants. Too much sunlight will cause the ribbon leaves to get sunburned. Low light will cause the plant to grow at a slower rate.

2. Dragon trees flourish in a wide range of temperature zones. As long as you don't have several hard freezes during the winter, you could grow yours outdoors. Very high temps are tolerable, but do require that you give your plant more frequent waterings.

3. Fertilize your dracaena marginata once or twice a month during spring and summer months with a balanced, water-soluable fertilizer. (I use Miracle Grow.) No fertilizer is needed during autumn and winter months, as the dracaena will enter a resting stage during these months.

4. During the growing season (spring and summer), water your plant frequently enough to keep the soil slightly moist. The plant is very tolerable and will continue to grow even if you neglect to water it for a couple of weeks, but that can put stress on the plant and cause it to drop some leaves. It's best to keep it moist (not wet). During the autumn and winter, allow the soil to dry out.

5. If you want to repot it, do so during the begining of its growing season (spring). Don't use too large of a pot. Dracaena marginatas are more comfortable being root-bound, so if you want to increase the size of your pot, increase the diameter by 1" at the most, to allow the plant to keep tight quarters.

6. Dracaenas are very healthy plants for the most part, but they can get spider mites, mealy bugs, and scale. To treat these, spray the entire plant with neem oil. Neem oil is available in most garden centers, and is considered safe for humans and pets.

Resources

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