Beginner Gardening: Rooting Dracaeana marginata, 1 by SavvyDaze

SavvyDaze wrote:
Purple,

My 22 year old son and I just LOVE your cactus garden! But we were wondering where you put it during winter, type of lighting, and temperature. It's beautiful and he wants to try creating something on a smaller scale than what you have. Also, what type of soil are they in?

Weedsfree, regarding the Dracaena Marginata, I bought one in the summer of 2012. It was only about a foot tall. That summer I kept it outside in an area with morning sun only and dappled shade the rest of the day. In October, I brought it inside and put it in a sunny window. Then in the spring of 2013, I put it back outside, and shortly realized, it no longer liked any direct sunlight, or it would wilt like it was dying even if its soil was moist. So, I ended up setting it under an oak tree where it got bright filtered sunlight. It grew almost 3 feet high since I bought it. I think what happened with your mom's plant is that the pot it was in had no drainage and therefore its roots were in extremely wet soil, and eventually got root rot. During the summer, I water my Dracaena daily, but when I bring it inside for winter, I only water it about once every 2 weeks. I always test the soil with a finger to see if it needs water. If the top inch or two feel dry, then I stick a finger in the drain hole and see if the soil at the bottom is still wet or not. If it is, then I wait a little longer before I water.

I just collect rain water that runs off the roof into a kid's sand pail, and then I pour it into an old milk jug, and use it to water my Dracaena and Spider Plants since they both dislike Fluoride. As for potting mix, I use Fafard or Baccto potting soil and actually mix in some Black Gold Cactus & Succulent potting mix which helps with drainage. In summer, I fertilize once a month with Jack's Classic All Purpose water soluble plant food. In winter, I fertilize twice (December and February) with Fish Emulsion.

They really aren't tough plants.

Here are some pics of my Dracaena Marginata. The first pic is what it looked like at the end of the summer in 2012 after I bought it in July. The 2nd picture is what it looks like now after this summer.