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Dracaenas are architectural houseplants with bold and dramatic leaves, so they are best situated in the center or rear of container arrangements so that they don’t cover up the shorter houseplants.
Light, temperature, and humidity
Dracaenas are among the most tolerant houseplants that can tolerate even low levels of light and are not sensitive to air conditioning, droughts, and hot air. However, they prefer bright, indirect sunlight to partial shade.
Indoor temperature is ideal for them, between 16 and 23 degrees C and winter temperature above 10 degrees C.
A humidity of 50% is preferable but even if it is lower, it will do the plant no harm. To increase it, you can mist leaves or place dracaena pots on a tray of moist pebbles.
In a nutshell, provide good warmth and humidity and you will have nothing to worry about.
Water and fertilizer
Dracaenas should be watered consistently or they tend to become stressed. What should be emphasized is that dracaenas are sensitive to salts and other minerals found in tap water, so avoid it by all means.
Keep the plants thoroughly moist from spring to fall and apply water only to prevent the soil from drying out in the winter. If not given enough water, the leaves will turn brown at the tips and die. Water the soil, not the leaves and be wary of overwatering that can lead to rot.
Dracaenas are moderate feeders. Provide standard liquid fertilizer every two weeks from spring to fall. Dracaenas are also sensitive to mineral salts from chemical fertilizers, so avoid using chemical fertilizers.
Soil
These plants should be grown in fertile, organic, and well-drained soil and add some coarse sand and perlite.
As you have seen, some succulent varieties can grow well in a standard succulent mix, but in any case, make sure it is well-aerated, porous, and rich enough to support the growth of your plants.
Pruning and cleaning
Dracaena plants will need cutting back sooner or later because they tend to grow upright and can get too tall.
They are not self-branching and when they start getting lefty, a pair of pruning shears will come in handy to head back. Root the top in moist soil and leave about 15 cm of the lower stub to send out new branches.
Keep the leaves clean and feather-dust them regularly. You can also put your dracaenas in a tepid shower for a fresh, healthy sheen. Remove brown leaves, too.
Propagation
Propagate dracaenas from stem cuttings, offsets, or via air-layering. Another way is from stem cuttings partially buried horizontally, or by root cuttings of the fleshy roots – put in sandy peat in spring, all in considerable warmth.
Air layering is ideal for larger woody houseplants. Select a stem and make a notch with a sharp knife about a foot down from the growing tip. Remove any leaves. Peel a small patch of the surface and apply rooting hormone. Wrap moist sphagnum moss around the patch with a plastic bag and seal with a rubber band.
Repotting
Overwatering is the usual reason why you need to repot your plants. Remove the plant from the soil and repot in fresh, well-drained soil.
Display Ideas
If you want to make a container combo for the chic and stylish garden, you can pair:
Dracaena deremensis “Lemon Lime“ and “Limelight“ will provide a lush of lime green leaves with Hoya carnosa to contrast beautifully. This combo will require bright light, and average moisture and humidity.
Dracaena deremensis “Lemon lime“ with Chamaedorea elegans and Scindapsus pictus to create a dish garden of different hues of green contrasted with yellow of Dracaena.
