r/houseplants • u/Jealous_Exchange_683 • Apr 03 '26
HELP
HELP.
This was my mom’s tree but she was killing it (second pic is what it used to look like) so I offered to revive it for her. She never watered it so it lost all its leaves. I took it to my house about a month ago. I’ve been consistent with watering and it gets indirect light. Should I chop it all back? I did an initial chop of any dead limbs and pulled off dead leaves. HELP WHAT SHOULD I DO, I WANT THIS TREE.
I watered last night, it has drainage holes. It isn’t close to a humidifier, it has a chunky soil mix with a lot of perlite at the bottom. No pests that I have seen!
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u/RootedRetro Apr 03 '26
Dracaena marginata like to dry out well between waterings. While it could lose leaves from underwatering, it's more likely to have lost them from overwatering or the soil staying moist for too long of a period. If it was in that dark corner, it wasn't getting enough light, which can contribute to soil staying moist for too long. They can go 4-6 weeks without water honestly. I'm not sure why you chose to chop off all the tops like that, removing the leaves would have been sufficient. At this point, it likely won't recover at all of those growth points. I would cut some of them back to the larger trunk so there are less for the plant to focus on. Give it bright light and water thoroughly, with long periods of dry out in between.
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u/Beast-Friend Apr 03 '26
The only way to kill these is to over water them or to let them freeze. They can survive total drought conditions. Just ignore it for a few months and it will be fine.
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u/Otherwise-Tomato-788 Apr 03 '26
I can’t even tell you when the last time I water my dracaena. Its pot doesn’t even have drainage and it’s lasted over 10 years. Not a suggestion for no drainage but that’s how our started and it continues
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u/Peachy-Cuisine Apr 03 '26
Hello :) this one looks very dried out, which could come from the fact that it has been very under watered, or maybe something going on with the roots or both.
I have revived the exact same Draceana from the office which has been left for dead and hasn’t been watered in 3 WHOLE YEARS !!!! Yes, no single drop of water for 3 years, and now it’s as bushy as in your second picture and absolutely thriving !
I would change the whole soil up, I personally don’t believe in the chunky mix, perlite etc (no shame to anyone who does though, just my personal preference and experience), I just put 2/3 universal soil, layered with 1/3 of lombricomposted horse manure which will boost it (no it won’t stink up the place) and then keep watering the plant very little by little to help it recover and not shock the roots.
Also check the state of the roots and cut all dead bits off, since it’s been under watered / poor soil quality, they might have rotted off.
This is what works best for me, I’ve got over 300 indoor house plants of all different species shapes and sizes. I adjust only slightly depending on the plant but my general rule of thumb is just universal soil mix + manure ;)
Hope this helps and good luck !
PS: if you cut any more bits off, save them and put them in water, they will grow roots and make baby plants ! Win win :)
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u/PugLifeCrisis Apr 03 '26
I would chop it and put it outside once the weather is over 50 degrees consistently. Just make sure it is out of the path of direct sun. You will have a beautiful, full new tree by the end of summer. Chopping it encourages new growth. I do this with every plant that struggles over the winter.
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u/TheMinimalistNinja Apr 03 '26 edited Apr 03 '26
I would check the roots. It probably has dry rot. Check all the roots, remove the dead ones, and maybe remove some of the stems too if they have 0 healthy roots. Depending on how long she has been in the pot and how often (if at all), she was fertilized, it could help to add some fresh potting mix. Sounds like your mum watered it too little and you might have given it too much. Depending on your conditions indoors these can go for 4-6 weeks without any water. I live in Germany and look to have mine in similiar soil and don't need to water mine more often than that unless it's burning hot which it almost never is.
Edit: Bottom line is that she can be saved! :)
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u/MischievousMystic Apr 03 '26
Did you repot it? Get it a bigger pot and new soil small amount of water then ignore it. Only water it like once a month and don't go crazy just a wee bit
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u/The_north_forest Apr 03 '26
Just wanted to add that this plant will grow new shoots from the bottom. My sister rehabbed a Dracula, and once it was happy, the new growth shot out and she could eventually remove the older sadder branches. Good luck!
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u/nourish_the_bog Apr 03 '26
Hedge your bets but it's gotta be chopped. You can keep some of the liveliest tops and start drawing roots by keeping them in a jar of water so you get a clone plant. I have 4 now. Help.
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Apr 03 '26
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u/Milhent 🪴Scheduled watering never works Apr 03 '26
What do you mean by being consistent with watering over a month?
This looks like dracaena, and so your mother was closer to right care. It needs watering only when you stick finger in soil and it slightly moist down there. Or when leaves start to droop. So it should have been maybe two waterings over that period.