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Drooping leaves on Dracania plant


Question
My corn plant has good color and is not losing leaves; yet, the leaves are drooping.  The plant is quite large. Do I need to worry?

Answer
I assume that the plant has been watered and that is not the cause of the wilting.  You will also want to confirm that if your plant is large, that the pot is large enough.  It is possible that the plant is rootbound and there is not much room in the pot?  

Does the potting mix seem especially wet?  Dracaenas are prone to root diseases especially if they are overwatered or allowed to sit in water.  Most plants use less water during the winter months, so if you have not reduced your watering schedule, this may be contributing to the problem.

Examine the base of the plant.  Determine if appears "different" in color such as darker or watersoaked.  When you push on the stem, it should feel firm.  If bacteria are involved in the decline, you may also smell a bad odor near the base of the stem or roots.  If the color is different, the stem is soft or it smells bad, this suggests a crown or root rot.  Once it has reached this stage, you will probably not be able to save the plant.

If the potting mix seems wet, you will want to reduce watering.  It is best water the plant by allowing the water to completely drain through.  Drip trays are nice, but water should not be allowed to stand in them.  You may need to aerate the soil to promote drying and getting water deep into the root system.  This is basically done by poking holes deep into the pot with a pencil, screwdriver, etc and then watering.  If the holes close up, you will need to repeat the process.

This will basically be a watch and see process.  The problem is likely to disappear or worsen.  If it does get worse and you lose the plant, be sure to disinfest the pot before reusing it.  This can be done by soaking in a bleach solution (1 part household bleach + 9 parts water) for about 30 minutes and then completely soaking/rinsing in water to remove the bleach.  

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