From the easygoing snake plant ( D. trifasciata ) to the hulk firedrake roue tree ( D. cinnabari ) , there are a diverse variety of species in theDracaenagenus that make mythological houseplant and/or garden specimen .
The pop houseplant option are generally crushed - maintenance , thrive in a wide range of environmental conditions with little help from the gardener .
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But for racy , healthy ontogenesis , specially when confined to a container , fertilization is a task to sum up to your to - do list .
Inour guide to growing dracaena , we cover how to cultivate popular species in your home . In this guide , we ’re going to discourse how and when to fertilise your plant to provide the nutrients they need to keep them thriving .
When to Fertilize Dracaena
Dracaenaspecies , at least those we grow indoors as houseplant , tend to grow slowly and as a answer they do n’t need a lot of food to flourish .
If you keep yours on a porch or terrace during the summer , or if it ’s in an east- , south- , or W - face bright window , it will need feeding a little more often than those preserve entirely indoors .
If you grow your dracaena out of doors , that ’s a dissimilar account . We ’ll talk about outdoor plants and their extra want in a minute .
For a houseplant situated in distinctive indirect or low light , you ’ll need to fertilize in the spring and fall .
In the case of a dracaena that is in a sunny sphere or exterior for part of the year , feed four times a class : once in early outpouring , recent bound , summertime , and early fall .
The exact time of year does n’t weigh so long as it ’s during the growing season , not when the plant is dormant .
Do n’t feed at all the first twelvemonth after potting or modify the grow medium if your potting soil includes a dull - release fertilizer . The recording label should tell you if that ’s the case .
If you repot your dracaena and switch out the growing medium every year , you likely wo n’t require to inseminate at all as the potting intermixture will have all the nutrient it needs to thrive .
But if you have n’t refreshed the growing mass medium in a while , or provided any fertilizer , the leaves run to deform white-livered , and maturation period .
If your plant is gruesome or stressed , do n’t feed it . I know it ’s tempting to fertilize with the hopes of boosting the works enough that it can battle off whatever is troubling it , but it does the opposite .
It further outgrowth at a fourth dimension when the plant should be focusing on conserve energy as it heal .
Type of Fertilizer to Use
Any generic balanced houseplant fertilizer will work just fine , leave it ’s mild . What does that think ?
When you look at the ratio of the three major macronutrients , nitrogen ( N ) , phosphorus ( P ) , and atomic number 19 ( K ) , you want the ratio to be roughly even , and the per centum of each nutrient to be at or below five , such as 5 - 5 - 5 .
Some gardeners believe that atomic number 7 is solely creditworthy for foliage maturation , that phosphorus alone handles fruit and flower growth , and potassium help with root , flower , and yield development to a lesser degree .
The truth is that all three help with the growth of all parts of the plant and most industrial plant need all three food , sometimes in unlike ratios . Excess nutrients that the plant life does n’t use will be leached out of the soil .
If you desire to habituate a intellectual nourishment that has a higher percentage of each nutrient , say 10 - 10 - 10 , that ’s fine , you ’ll just have to dilute it . A 10 - 10 - 10 food would postulate to be reduce by half to reach 5 - 5 - 5 , for example .
you could for certain apply a generic houseplant food for your dracaena , which might have slightly less K or phosphorus , since non - flowering and non - fruiting plants tend to employ less of these element .
I ’m a fan of Dr. Earth ’s heart and Grow because it ’s balanced and meek , with a NPK proportion of 1 - 1 - 1 , and develop from recycled waste food for thought scrap . Plus , the ticker makes it well-fixed to use .
Dr. Earth Pump and Grow
you could find Dr. Earth Pump and Growavailable at Arbico Organicsin 16 - ounce bottles .
put on it to the grime and water well .
If you choose to habituate granular slow - release fertilizer , this can be applied on the surface of the land and irrigate in well .
Feeding Outdoor Plants
Outdoor plants have different requirements than those growing in container indoors .
They ’re more exposed to the elements so they use more food , and unless youconduct a soil tryout , you may not be aware of the specific inadequacy in your garden .
Outdoor dracaena should be feed in every two months during the grow time of year , using the same mild fertilizer as you ’d use for indoor specimen .
If your plants are very prominent , check the manufacturer ’s statement for how much to apply , as they will obviously need more than a lowly indoor specimen .
or else , you’re able to use a tedious - discharge fertilizer with a alike NPK proportion and only tip once in mid - spring .
Ecomax employ neem to slowly feed the territory and plant . It has a NPK ratio of 6 - 2 - 1 which makes this ware nonpareil for foliage plants .
Ecomax Neem Kernel Fertilizer
It ’s also uncommitted atArbico Organics , in 12.5- and 25 - pound tubs .
Unleash the Dragon
We all need food . Dracaena are pretty easy to course , though . Unlike me , they do n’t take three delicious meals and some tasty snack every single sidereal day . A few days of banquet each yr , and they ’re proficient to go .
And formore information about originate dracaena , add these scout to your version list next :
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Kristine Lofgren
