Saving a Mass Cane (Dracaena) with Soft Top and Yellowing Leaves

My indoor Mass Cane has a soft, mushy top on one cane with yellowing, browning leaves dying back. This is my second plant with this problem. They start fine, then decline. How can I save it?

Diagnosis: Environmental Stress, Not Disease

Dracaena (corn plant, mass cane) problems are almost always cultural. The soft, mushy top indicates stem rot from:

• Overwatering (most common)—roots suffocate, rot moves up stem
• Low humidity—causes leaf tip burn, stress
• Poor drainage—no drain holes, saucer water, dense soil
• Cold drafts—tropical plants hate <60°F

Rescue Steps

1. Cut off the affected cane below the mushy area (into firm, white tissue)
2. Remove all yellow/brown leaves
3. Repot if needed: Well-draining mix (peat/perlite/bark), pot with drain holes
4. Increase humidity: Pebble tray, humidifier, daily misting, or group with other plants
5. Water correctly: When top 2″ soil is dry; never let sit in water
6. Bright, indirect light—no direct sun, no dark corners

Can You Save the Cane?

If the rot hasn't reached the base, the remaining canes often recover. You can also root the healthy top section as a cutting (let cut end callus 24 hrs, then root in water or moist perlite).

Why It Keeps Happening

Mass-market Dracaenas are often overpotted in moisture-retentive soil with no drainage. Repotting immediately after purchase prevents this cycle.