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Ask a Gardening QuestionGardening Questions & Answers: Plant ProblemsDracaena Deremensis with dry trun …

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Dracaena Deremensis with dry trunk

#1 · 4th November 2023, 5:05 pm

Hi all! I know this is desperate. I had this Dracaena Deremensis for 2 years. Actually it was 2 plants sold in the same pot, so I decided to repot them in a pot that for sure was too big.

Only one of them started to dry, but it didn't start with the leaves, only the trunk became dryer and dryer and it curved.

I separed the 2 plants in 2 smaller pots and I found that both of them had very very few roots and very short. Almost all of the "capillar" roots are gone, I found pieces in the terrain of the big pot. Also the terrain was dry on top but very moist deep down.

I don't know if I can hope that the dry plant will recover, or if I should chop the branches to make new plants.

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#2 · 5th November 2023, 11:49 am

Hi @fabiella

Thanks for your house plant question. It looks very much like the plant doesn’t have enough root stock to satisfy its needs. I.E. it’s drying out as it can’t take enough water up. It’s losing more water than it can ‘drink’ through the roots

It may recover slowly but it maybe that separating it has damaged the roots especially if you said the root ball was small. You could hard prune it but I’m not sure it will survive. I’d keep it watered and if it’s still like this in 3 months think about replacing it.

Sorry I can’t bring better news!

Lee Garden Ninja