On Fri, 10 Aug 2007 19:02:48 -0700, JayDee wrote:

Since my indoor dracaena recently took a turn for the worst, I thought
I'd ask some basic questions before I replace it. It was healthy for
two years, except for brown at the edge of the leaves so I guess my
first question is, is that normal for a dracaena? It didn't seem to
hurt anything. I never trimmed the small bits of brown off the leaves
since virtually all of them had it (only the tips were brown, not the
sides or heart of the leaves)

Second, in order to not overwater, I would water it once every week to
week and a half. I would pretty much fill it up with water, then let
it almost dry out before watering again (this was suggested by a local
nursery)

Finally, when I watered it I'd use tap water (LA tapwater - yipes!)
Should I be doing this or using the filter on my sink?

Finally, feeding. I can't recall the brand, but it's the little
pellets. I was spreading the food out over the top and then I worked
it into the soil, probably an inch down. I followed that up with a
good watering.

Any advice on what I might change going forward to improve my care
would be appreciated.

-jd


LA tap water is pretty good quality, but there might be a build up of
salts anyway. You could take the plant outdoors, flood it two or
three times to wash out whatever might have accumulated.

I'd also try cutting back on the fertilizer.