Dracaena lowers the leaves cause. Causes of drooping leaves in dracaena. How to choose a flower pot

Due to its tropical appearance, dracaena decorates the home interior and is widely used in the design of office premises. The plant is considered unpretentious and resistant to disease. But if you notice problems when growing this "palm", you need to respond urgently. First you need to accurately diagnose the disease, and then immediately proceed to the treatment of the disease.

Optimal home environment for growing dracaena

Dracaena is a beautiful tropical plant native to Africa, Asia and South America. Externally, the plant looks like a palm tree, but in fact it is not, but belongs to the asparagus family.

In nature, you can find multi-meter specimens with lignified trunks, long wide leaves of green color or with stripes of different shades.

In total, there are about 150 species of plants. The most popular are Dragon, Fragrant, Massangeana, Marginata (bordered), Deremskaya, Bent, Sandera (lucky bamboo), etc.

Varieties of dracaena - photo gallery

Dracaena Dracaena has variegated leaf color Dracaena Dragon has as sharp as teeth of a legendary animal, leaves Dracaena Unbent leaf tips are bent up It is believed that Dracaena Sandera, or lucky bamboo, attracts luck Dracaena Massangeana has a solid tree trunk
Dracaena Marginata more than other species resembles a palm tree

Knowing the features of the growing conditions, it is easy to avoid the disease dracaena:

Dracaena diseases can be fungal, bacterial or viral.

We diagnose infectious diseases - table

Symptom	Care Error	Disease
Round stains of brown hues appear on the stem and leaves, later fungal spores form in their place and the lesion site turns black.	Fungal spores got into the soil, excess moisture	Alternariosis
The tips of the leaves dry out, spots with black dots appear inside.	Excessive watering, cold room, heavy soil	Phyllosticosis
Oblong spots are beige, yellow with a red or brown edging, a green coating is possible, the leaves quickly turn yellow and dry.	Improper irrigation regimen, infection in the ground	Heterosporosis
Spots of various shapes, brown stripes, deformation of young shoots.	Weakened immunity due to improper conditions	Spotted wilt
Yellow stripes on the leaves and moist brown plaque (rot) at the tips, ulcers on the petioles and stems.	Heavy soil, waterlogged soil, high alkali content in the substrate	Bacteriosis

Most dracenes are susceptible to fungal diseases. The most common of these are alternariosis and phylosticosis. As a rule, the disease occurs with high air humidity and excess moisture in the soil. Also, the cause of the disease is spores of fungi that could be in the soil or were introduced from the outside. For example, unsterilized garden equipment that has previously come into contact with an infected plant can become a carrier of an infectious disease.

If dracaena is transplanted into heavy garden soil, it is often and plentifully watered with running unsteady water, with a high degree of probability this will lead to a bacterial disease. Of all species of dracaena, Dracaena is most susceptible to bacteriosis.. This beauty is especially popular with amateur gardeners for the colorful leaves and the difference in their colors. However, these leaves are also often chosen by bacteria and fungus.

Professional gardeners note that dracaena is quite resistant to viral diseases. But still, rarely does a flower strike a spotted wilt. This virus can infect a plant in which immunity is already weakened. For example, immunity is reduced if the flower suffers for a long time from improper care or is damaged by insect pests. With a viral infection, dracaena stops growing and begins to fade.

Dracaena diseases - photo gallery

With phyllosticosis, the tips of the leaves dry. With alternariosis, the leaves can become brown stained. Spotted wilting leads to the fact that the plant can rot.

Dracaena insects - table

Symptoms	Pest	Treatment
On the inner side of the leaves there are dark (red) spots entangled in cobwebs; when the tick multiplies, white sticky plaque and white larvae appear on the leaves, trunk (similar to white sticks).	Wash sheets with hot soapy water (50 ° C), treat with acaricide. Repeat the procedure after 7 days
The sheet is covered with a silver film, black dots, similar to scratches, form inside the sheet; a sticky coating appears, the sheet bends and dries out.	Thrips	Spray three times with an insecticide (Decis) with an interval of 1-2 weeks
Withered dry foliage, the inside is covered with sticky mucus, beige and brown swollen spots inside the leaf plate.	Shield	Wash leaves with soapy water and spray with an insecticide (Fitoverm or Intavir)
White plaque, similar to the accumulation of cotton shreds or white sticks, is located in large groups on the leaves and sinuses, the leaves dry and deform, covered with sticky colorless drops.	Mealybug	Remove insects with soapy water, treat twice with an insecticide with an interval of 2 weeks
Leaves turn yellow, curl, dry out, sticky coating, there are many white dots on the underside of the leaf and stems (aphid larvae can also be yellow, green or black, depending on the species).	Aphid	Spray with insecticides up to 3 times with an interval of 2 weeks

Pests of indoor plants - photo gallery

The leaf is covered with a silver film with black dots inside. The mealybug looks like an accumulation of cotton swabs. Aphids look like white specks. The scabbard forms beige, brown swollen spots. The spider mite weaves a web

We solve problems

The health problems of dracaena can be completely different. Let's try to figure out what needs to be done in each case. Let's start with the leaves.

If dark spots appear on the leaves, perhaps the plant suffers from excessive watering and stagnation of water in the pan. It is necessary to check the condition of the roots of the plant.

If the roots of the plant are completely rotted, the trunk of the dracaena becomes soft. This phenomenon can occur as a result of frequent and abundant watering of the soil. The plant is unlikely to be able to cure. The recommended temperature for healthy plant growth is from 16 to 25 ° C.

Rotting trunk of dracaena may be the result of frequent watering

If the trunk froze and became soft

Staying for a long time in drafts, outdoors or indoors, where the air temperature is below 18 degrees, dracaena freezes.

If the top is frozen, you need to cut it to a healthy trunk

At the same time, the stem of the plant may still remain alive (firm and firm to the touch), and the leaves become limp and lowered. They can’t be saved. If the top of the dracaena dropped, you need to rejuvenate the trunk:

Cut off the crown with a clean knife until the beginning of the living (dense) tissue. Discard the top, and sprinkle the place of the cut on the trunk with crushed coal.
Place the pot with the plant in a sunny place in a warm room (temperature 22–25 ° C). Eliminate the possibility of drafts.
Pour the flower with a complex fertilizer diluted half as much as indicated in the instructions.
Every week, spray the trunk and soil with a growth stimulator for plants.
Observe the correct watering regime and wait for the dracaena to recover and give side kidneys.

If the tip is broken

What to do if the top of the dracaena is broken and a healthy long trunk remains:

If the trunk is too long or crooked

There are times when the dracaena is rapidly growing: the trunk grows in height quickly, but in itself is thin and not strong enough. This can happen if the dracaena is completely satisfied with the conditions of her detention, but she is standing in a poorly lit place. For example, the trunk quickly becomes thin and long at the dracaena of the Bordered and Deremsky.

There is no need to rush to say goodbye to your favorite plant, because one can be done from one in such situations. Dracaena can be performed anti-aging pruning and divide the trunk into several parts:

How to treat Dracaena from lesions - details

To combat fungal diseases, the flower must be carefully treated with a fungicide. It is also advisable to transplant the plant and replace the infected soil with sterilized soil.

The use of fungicides in fungal diseases

For treatment, it is recommended to use a solution of Fundazole in the proportions of 10 grams per 500 ml of water. Spray the infected tree once every 2 weeks, repeat the procedure three times. An alternative to Fundazole can be the treatment of a sick plant with Topaz or another drug that contains copper. All procedures are carried out strictly according to the instructions and in a well-ventilated area.

Fundazole is used for any fungal infections of plants.

For the prevention of fungal diseases of dracaena, it is necessary to avoid waterlogging of the soil, cool and dark rooms, contact with untreated garden tools.

Viral infections and bacterial diseases of dracaena are currently considered incurable. Unfortunately, a diseased plant must be destroyed so as not to infect other indoor flowers.

Transplantation into sterile soil

With fungal diseases or with the development of root rot from waterlogging or freezing of an earthen coma, the roots begin to rot in the plant, fungal spores multiply in the soil. To get rid of them, dracaena needs to be transplanted into sterile soil.

Procedure:

Pull the flower out of the pot, completely free the root system from contaminated soil under running water.
With a clean knife, cut off rotten roots (they will be soft to the touch) to healthy parts and treat with Fitosporin solution (dilute the paste according to the instructions).
Place the finished substrate for dracaena in a heated oven for 10 minutes; for sterilization, the temperature regime should be set to 200 degrees. Cool.
To restore and build up the root system, choose a smaller pot for the flower (3 cm in diameter and less than the previous height). Add a layer of expanded clay, sterilized soil and plant dracaena in the usual way.

How to use insecticides

Leaves of dracaena are attacked by a scab, a spider mite and other pests, especially if the flower is in a cool room with dry air.

Actellik - one of the most popular insecticides. The drug Aktara has a hazard class 3 (moderately dangerous for humans). Fitoverm is considered the least dangerous drug from pests.

As a rule, treatment with folk remedies helps in the fight against spider mites, mealybugs and aphids, and scabies and thrips are destroyed after treatment with insecticides.

Green soap helps in the care of dracaena

Resuscitation of Dying Dracaena

If the dracaena has been ignored for a long time and already has a dying appearance, it is still worth trying to save it.

If the bottom of the plant has rotted

With frequent and abundant watering, the roots rot in the dracaena, and later the trunk and the top rot. This situation can be called hopeless, the plant can only be thrown away. In rare cases, the leaves and part of the trunk may not have time to suffer, then you need to try to save the crown and root it like an apical stem:

With a sharp sharp knife, cut off the apical shoot with part of the trunk (healthy and strong). The top should have a healthy appearance: the leaves are dense, and the trunk is solid. Make a cut perpendicular to the trunk, sprinkle the place of cut with crushed coal.
Leave the resulting stalk in the air for two hours, so that the cut point is slightly dry.
Place the handle in a transparent glass with settled water at room temperature and add a root stimulant, for example, Kornevin. Dilute half as much as indicated in the instructions.
Put a glass with a handle on a sunny windowsill.
As necessary (if it blooms), change the water in a glass, add.
When the roots more than 5 cm appear, plant the dracaena in a small pot, deepening the cuttings with roots 2 cm into the sterilized soil.

If the top is dry

If the dracaena has not been watered for a long time, for example, during a long vacation, the plant can lose all the leaves from a lack of moisture, and the growth point itself can dry out.

Drying of the growth point is irreversible and requires trimming of dracaena

In this case, there is still a chance to save the plant. For this:

First of all, the dracaena needs to arrange “bath procedures”. In order to wet the earthen lump well and uniformly and revitalize the root system, the flower pot should be placed in a basin for half an hour with standing warm water (water should be at room temperature).
The dried-up top should be cut with a sharp knife and discarded, treat the cut site with activated powdered charcoal and wait for the side (sleeping) kidneys to wake up.
Think about the height at which to trim the trunk so that the plant is aesthetically pleasing.
Spray the flower once a week with a plant growth stimulator, for example, Epin.
Watering should be carried out moderate once a week, while twice a month to introduce complex fertilizers for dracaena.
Put the pot with the plant 2 meters from the solar window so that the scattered rays of the sun fall on the plant.
A month later, dracaena should appear new leaves from the side buds.

When caring for and rehabilitation of a plant, observe the following rules:

Many owners of dracaena face various problems in caring for such a plant. The most common - in dracaena, leaves fall. Let's find out what are the causes of this phenomenon, and what to do to save the flower.

Typically, this problem occurs due to errors made by the owners in the care process. Leaves may fall off when there is insufficient or excessive watering. There are also natural causes due to which dracaena leaves fall.

These primarily include the age of the plant. Another factor is the inappropriate microclimate. Despite the fact that this flower is considered hardy and resistant to various environmental conditions, there are certain conditions for its maintenance.

How to save a plant

In a healthy plant, the bark is quite dense. But as practice shows, dracaena may cause deterioration of the bark and leaves. If the reason is age, then nothing will be done with it. Each leaf lives a certain time. Subsequently, it turns yellow and falls off. This is a natural process, and you will not be able to resist it in any way.

However, there are cases when, at a young age, a flower loses all its leaves. The bark also deteriorates. The trunk becomes weak. Why does dracaena do this? Because you take care of her incorrectly. You are probably watering it wrong. It is not difficult to solve this problem: it is enough to ensure timely watering, and you will be able to maintain an attractive appearance of such a plant culture.

Often the owners of such plants are afraid of under-supplying water and carry out watering in a larger amount than the flower requires. Even given the fact that dracaena loves humidity, this cannot be done. As a rule, with an excess of liquid, dracaena drops its leaves in a rather short time. In this case, the bark begins to rot, as do the roots. What to do in this situation? It is enough to simply reduce the amount of water for irrigation and to make it not so often.

It is important to complete a series of immediate actions. Remove the flower from the pot without damaging the roots and bark (i.e. with soil). Remove some of the land to inspect the condition of the root system.

Remove those roots that have rotted. Allow the rest to dry, removing any remaining soil. Subsequently do not abuse the watering. The plant will stop dropping leaves as soon as the soil moisture level is normalized and the roots dry out.

If the dracaena has a soft trunk and leaves fall, this is a likely sign of improper watering.

To do this, dry the roots and plant the flower again in less moistened ground. The stem will wither away from excess fluid. As a result, leaves that can no longer be held on a weakened "skeleton" begin to fall. It is important to ensure that in the axils of the leaves after transplantation and watering, too, no water remains. Otherwise, they will rot and fall off again.

It is imperative to maintain the right microclimate. So you will be able to save even the "bald" flower. For these purposes, set the room temperature above +15 ° C. If the flower will be in a cold room for a long time, this will lead not only to falling leaves, but also to the death of the whole plant. In addition to optimal temperature conditions, it is required to regularly feed such a culture. This flower needs nutrients such as potassium nitrous, ammonium sulphide, potassium phosphate.

In some cases, unpretentious dracaena leaves fall. The problem does not arise on its own, so the grower needs to understand its causes.

About why the plant takes off leaves and how to reanimate it, read on.

Why Dracaena drops leaves: the main reasons

Dracaena drops leaves due to errors in care or illness. Below are the main reasons for falling leaves.

Did you know? Word« dracaena» translates as« dragon female» . The birthplace of palm trees is Africa and southeast Asia.

Violation of growing conditions

The first thing you need to look at when falling dracaena leaves is growing conditions. The reasons most often are:

wrong soil composition;
low temperature;
frequent drafts;
bright direct light;
strong shadow.

If the situation is not corrected, the plant withers and dies.

Lack or excess of fertilizer

Fertilizers are needed for plants to grow. Many flower growers admit two extremes: lack or excess of fertilizing. Falling leaves is possible in both cases.

With meager replenishment, dracene has nowhere to take nutrients from. This situation occurs in several cases:

rare top dressing;
small doses of drugs;
the concentration of solutions is lower than specified in the instructions;
complete lack of fertilizers.

Excess fertilizer is no less harmful. Its negative effect is manifested in the following errors:

too frequent top dressing;
the use of more funds;
intense concentration of the drug;
feeding during dormancy.

Revise your palm fertilizer approach. This may be the main reason for dropping leaves.

Did you know? The Aztecs called the dracaena "the tree of happiness" and believed that if you cut a small part of the plant trunk at midnight, it would bring happiness in love.

Wrong watering

A common cause of falling dracaena foliage is improper watering. Scanty and too abundant hydration damages the plant:

insufficient watering: the leaves dry out;
excessive watering: the plant becomes a soft trunk, the foliage first withers, and then falls off.

Spraying can also cause leaves to fall.Be sure to remove water from the leaf sinuses. Stagnant fluids can cause decay. Because of this, dracaena will lose some of its leaves.

Important! TO s speech-resistant species include palm trees under the names Dragon and Godsef. They should not be excessively moistened.

Transplant root damage

When the roots of the dracaena grow, it is transplanted into a new pot. During the transplant, the grower contacts the rhizome. Careless movements can damage the root system. Such injuries affect the condition of the palm. Transplanting to a new place is already stress, and damage to the root enhances it. In response to trauma, the plant discards leaves.

Pests and diseases

Incorrect care attracts diseases and pests. They often cause foliage to drop.

Of the diseases, the plant most often affects the fungus:

stem rot;
root rot;
fusarium
alternariosis;
phylostictosis;
heterosporosis.

Leaves in diseases rarely fall off the trunk. Most often, they dry out, rot or become stained. However, if the disease is not treated, dry or rotten foliage will soon fall off the trunk.

Pests are no less dangerous for dracaenas. Often it is they who become the cause of dropping leaves. The palm may be attacked by:

spider mite;
thrips;
scale shield;
mealybug;

In most cases, the plant can be cured if the cause is discovered in time.

What to do and how to save the plant

Dracaena, whose leaves have fallen, can be saved in some cases. The reasons are more associated with errors in care, so the first actions of the grower are to adjust the growing conditions. If diseases or pests are found, the plant is additionally treated.

The rules for growing palm trees are as follows:

Temperature.Optimum indicators - +20 ... + 25 ° С. The plant will survive if the temperature drops to + 15 ° C. In colder conditions, the palm tree stops development.
Humidity. Most species need at least 60% humidity. To maintain moisture, the plants are sprayed from the spray gun. Twice spraying a day is enough for normal growth. Do not forget to remove excess water from the axils of the leaves.
Lighting. Dracaens love diffused light. The bright rays of the sun or shadow destroy the palm tree. If the leaves fall, change the location of the pot. If it is not possible to provide the plant with natural light, buy a phytolamp.
Watering. Water for irrigation should be soft. Before use, it must be defended. Cold water is not suitable for irrigation. The frequency depends on the drying of the soil. If the top 2 cm of the substrate has dried out, it can be moistened. Drying speed depends on the season. In summer, the plant is watered 1 time in 2 days. In winter, it is optimal to moisten the soil once every 3 days.
Fertilizer. Palm tree needs to be fed only during the period of active growth. Its usual time frame is from March to early September. Dracaena should be fed 1 time in 2 weeks. Manufacturers offer a wide selection of fertilizers for dracaena. Means “Rainbow”, “Dracaena”, “Ideal” are popular.
Transfer. Florists transplant a healthy palm once every 2-3 years. Best plant tolerates transplant in March and April. In case of growing problems, an emergency transplant is possible. Falling foliage due to inappropriate soil or diseases is exactly the case. For a successful procedure, prepare a pot, drainage mixture, substrate for dracaena, water for irrigation. Fill the new pot with drainage, pour some of the soil on it. Pour the dracaena and remove it from the old pot. Carefully clean the root system of an earthen coma. Check the roots for rot; remove the rot, if any. Put the palm in a new container, fill in the rest of the soil. Water the palm and place in a suitable place.
Fight against diseases and pests. Florists use such drugs for treatment: pests are killed by insecticides, for example, Fitoverm, Aktellik, or Intavir, and fungicides, such as Oksikhom or Topaz, are used against the fungus. If the plant is completely damaged, it rots and the treatment does not help, try replanting the cuttings in a new soil in order to save at least part of it. If it is a viral disease, it is impossible to cure it. The plant must be disposed of.

Dracaena is considered a very unpretentious indoor plant. She does not need special care. But in order for the flower to please the eye as long as possible with its splendor and beauty, respond in time to any changes in its appearance. What do the dropped leaves of dracaena mean?

We will analyze what causes this problem and what needs to be done to solve it.

There may be several reasons:

improper watering;
not suitable in size pot;
nutrient deficiency;
lack of moisture;
drafts and broken temperature;
the plant was frozen.

Watering

The soil should be moist, not moist. The plant is watered with settled water at room temperature, when the earthen lump dries by about 2 cm. The irrigation regimen is 1-2 times a week in spring and summer, autumn and winter once a week is enough. So that excess moisture does not collect, does not stagnate in the flowerpot, pour claydite or coarse-grained sand with a layer of 3-4 cm on its bottom, you can put shards. This material will play the role of drainage, which will save the root system of the flower from decay. Overfilling is much worse than underfilling.

In the hot summer period, the flower needs to be sprayed. To wash off the dust and refresh it, we recommend once a month to put the plant in the shower, covering the ground with cellophane. After bathing the leaf growth point, blot with a napkin.

Close pot

The second reason that the leaves are constantly lowered down may be an improperly sized flower pot. If it is small, then plant nutrition is difficult. Roots need space. Check the tightness of their fit to the walls of the pot. If necessary, transplant a flower.

The diameter of the pot should be about half the height of the dracaena.

Each year, its diameter can be increased by 1-2 cm.

Nutrient deficiency

Lower leaflets may fall down due to insufficient nutrients. In a tight pot with a very developed root system, the earth quickly becomes poorer, the upper crown grows due to the lower foliage. During the period of active growth from April to September 1-2 times a month, feed the roots with pre-selected fertilizers. When watering, you can use liquid fertilizers according to the instructions.

In order for oxygen to enter the root system, do not forget to loosen the soil surface to a depth of 1-2 cm.

Temperature and humidity

Dracaena feels comfortable at a temperature of 18-28 degrees. A drop below 15 degrees is already critical for her. Leaflets may look droopy if you freeze a flower. First aid - a warm shower.

A flower loves moist air and does not tolerate drafts, so find him a quiet place away from the radiator.

In a particularly hot period, you can put the pot on a pallet with water so that the bottom of the pot does not touch the surface of the water. Evaporating, water moisturizes the air.

Avoid direct sunlight, but do not hide in the shade when the sun is leaning toward the horizon. Light should be evenly scattered. In winter, additional artificial lighting is needed.

As you can see, creating conditions for the growth of dracaena is not so difficult. Evergreen palm up to 35 years old is considered to be young and blooms from 1 to 7 times a year. Let your tree of happiness please the eye for many years.

Dracaena - although this is not a very whimsical houseplant, nevertheless, it requires compliance with individual care rules: the appropriate temperature, humidity level and so on. A critical violation of these rules can provoke various plant ailments that are reflected not only in the appearance and which can lead to the death of dracaena. One of the common problems, the causes and solutions of which will be discussed below, is the omission of the leaves of the plant, which usually grow up.

The main reasons why dracaena leaves fall

The most likely include:

Excessively cold temperature in the room (in particular, exacerbated by drafts). The optimum temperature for the growth and development of the plant is from 18 to 24 ° C above zero. Lower temperatures can cause the leaves to drop. In order to avoid this or to cope with the problem that has already arisen, it is necessary to remove the plant from the place where it can be purged with drafts, and also to create the optimal temperature regime mentioned above in the room.
Excessive soil moisture. It can be triggered by frequent watering or an excessively wide pot, contributing to stagnation of moisture. This requires two basic rules. The first is to avoid frequent watering and allow the soil to dry between watering, the second - you need to choose a pot that is deep enough, but with a small diameter (for a plant up to 15 centimeters tall, the optimal diameter of the pot is 10 to 15 centimeters; the height of the pot is 12-15 centimeters) .
Lack of moisture for the outer surface of the leaves. Dracaena receives part of the nutrition and hydration through the surface of the leaves. In this regard, once every two to three days it is required to spray the leaves from the spray with water at room temperature.
Lack of oxygen saturation. First of all, it is important to maintain oxygen saturation of the soil. For this, drainage is created when planting / replanting dracaena. And it is also necessary to carry out periodic loosening of the soil.
Excessive use of fertilizers. For the growth and development of dracaena, it is advisable to use organic fertilizers in small quantities - peat, manure, humus and so on. Mineral fertilizers can be completely abandoned and used only if there are symptoms of a particular disease of dracaena, due to a lack of certain nutrients.
Exposure to direct sunlight can also cause yellowing and dropping of dracaena leaves. The plant loves light, but does not tolerate direct sunlight, which can contribute to the degradation and death of the plant. Dracaena should be in a lit room, but not on the sunny side of the room.