Janet Craig Dracaena Brown Tips: 5 Fixes for a 30-Year-Old Plant

Your 30-year-old, 6-foot Janet Craig (Dracaena deremensis 'Janet Craig') has chronic yellow/brown tips despite careful watering and saucer emptying. Common causes for this species:

1. Occasional Dry-Down

Even one "too dry" event causes tip burn. Fix: Water when top inch dry—never let it go dust-dry.

2. Hard Water

Minerals accumulate. Fix: Switch to filtered/distilled/rainwater.

3. Over-Fertilizing

Use half-strength, monthly in growing season only. Flush soil quarterly.

4. Roots Escaping Drainage Holes

Unpot, trim large bottom roots, add 1 inch fresh soil to pot bottom, reset. Do annually.

5. Soil pH Too Low (Acidic)

Peat mixes acidify over time. Fix: Add horticultural lime or gypsum to raise pH.

Cosmetic Fix

Trim discolored tips at an angle with clean scissors. If many leaves look bad, prune stems back to force fresh growth.

Email photos for specific diagnosis. This plant is a survivor—fine-tune the culture and it'll last decades more.