Corn Plant (Dracaena) Decline: Light and Watering Errors

Corn plant stems browning and dying at attachment points in an office 12 feet from east windows: classic insufficient light and overwatering.

Diagnosis

12 feet from a window—especially behind a door—is functionally no light. Weekly watering with fertilizer in low light guarantees root rot.

Recovery Steps

• Stop all fertilizer—it's not medicine
• Move to brightest possible location
• Water only when top ⅓–½ of soil is dry
• Check cane firmness: papery bark = dead cane
• Recovery unlikely after 2 months in darkness

Photo Needed for Prognosis

Include pot in photos for root zone assessment.