I'm a bachelor that knows nothing about plants. When the dracaena I received as a gift started drooping, I figured, "Hey, I'll just water it every day and set it out on the balcony." This was a HUGE mistake.
I discovered I was overwatering and overexposing after some research. Now 75% of the leaves have fallen off and the rest look sickly. I'm not sure what to do.
So far I've just been keeping it in indirect sunlight and watering it with filtered water only when the soil feels dry. Other than that, what can I do? Repot? Fertilize? Mist? Just wait?
I could use some help--the person who gave me the plant will be furious when they see what I have done! Help!
[url=https://img241.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc01664vx9.jpg][img]https://img241.imageshack.us/img241/5071/dsc01664vx9.th.jpg[/img][/url] [url=https://img88.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc01665au9.jpg][img]https://img88.imageshack.us/img88/6513/dsc01665au9.th.jpg[/img][/url] [url=https://img256.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc01666hl5.jpg][img]https://img256.imageshack.us/img256/4304/dsc01666hl5.th.jpg[/img][/url]
Hi
Firstly calm down. Your plant is a bit straggly but it is fine. They take a lot of abuse.
Pull all the dead stuff off of the branches. They shed continuously as they grow so you need to do this regularly. Just peel them down the stems.
As far as looking after it I would carry on as you are doing now. Sounds like you have started doing the right thing. Once you have decent sprouts at the top again it will be fully recovered. Thats when you need to start chopping the tops off! Not all of them, pick the tallest most spindley looking branches and cut them to the height you would like them to be. Within a month a nice new sprout or two will show up.
If you feel like it you can even plant the bits you have chopped off.....
Firstly calm down. Your plant is a bit straggly but it is fine. They take a lot of abuse.
Pull all the dead stuff off of the branches. They shed continuously as they grow so you need to do this regularly. Just peel them down the stems.
As far as looking after it I would carry on as you are doing now. Sounds like you have started doing the right thing. Once you have decent sprouts at the top again it will be fully recovered. Thats when you need to start chopping the tops off! Not all of them, pick the tallest most spindley looking branches and cut them to the height you would like them to be. Within a month a nice new sprout or two will show up.
If you feel like it you can even plant the bits you have chopped off.....