Dracaena Janet Craig

D. deremensis janet craig

Janet Craig

Dracaena janet craig plants, native to tropical Africa, are one of the most popular plants used in homes and offices. Dracaenas thrive on neglect, grow well in low lightWhen you select “Low Light” a list of the most adaptive plants in our database appears. These plants can live in lighting conditions too low to support any other plants in our database, but will grow faster in medium and high light. Variegation (color) in the leaves is often lost in low light. A plant in low light needs less water and fertilizer than the same plant in better light. Place a low-light plant within 2-3 ft. of a window with a northern exposure, 3-5 ft. of a window with an eastern exposure, 4-10 ft. of a window with a western exposure, and 10-18ft. of a window with a southern exposure. A low light area has between 50-150 ft. candles of light. The best low light house plants are: Chinese Evergreen, Dracaena Janet Craig, Peace Lily, Heart leaf Philodendron., and need very little water. These attractive plants have sword- shaped, leathery, dark green, shiny leaves that are about 3” wide and 2ft. in length. When purchased, dracaena plants should have at least 3-5 stalks in the pot; this ensures that the plant will be full as it matures. A dracaena janet craig can be used as a table plant, a floor plant, or a tall, stately tree. The dracaena janet craig “Lisa”, a relatively new plant variety, is a little pricey but virtually indestructible. NASA lists the dracaena janet craig as an excellent clean air plantCertain houseplants clean the air of harmful chemicals. that helps eliminate harmful toxins from the environment.

Dracaena janet craig plants are considered by some to be slightly poisonous, especially to dogs and cats. Read more about common houseplants that are poisonous in Don’t Feed Me To Your Cat! A Guide to Poisonous Houseplants

Dracaena Janet Craig

Light

Dracaena janet craig plants grow slowly in low lightWhen you select “Low Light” a list of the most adaptive plants in our database appears. These plants can live in lighting conditions too low to support any other plants in our database, but will grow faster in medium and high light. Variegation (color) in the leaves is often lost in low light. A plant in low light needs less water and fertilizer than the same plant in better light. Place a low-light plant within 2-3 ft. of a window with a northern exposure, 3-5 ft. of a window with an eastern exposure, 4-10 ft. of a window with a western exposure, and 10-18ft. of a window with a southern exposure. A low light area has between 50-150 ft. candles of light. The best low light house plants are: Chinese Evergreen, Dracaena Janet Craig, Peace Lily, Heart leaf Philodendron., but grow much faster in medium light. When the light is extremely low, new leaves are smaller and narrower. Placing a dracaena janet craig in the sun outside for even a few minutes, burns the leaves.

Water

When in doubt, do not water! Allow the top 50% of the soil to dry out before watering. The lower the light, the less often a dracaena needs water. Fluoride, chlorine, or salt in the water causes brown leaf tips and yellow spots on the leaves.

Fertilizer

Dracaenas need very little plant food. Feed once or twice a year in the spring and summer with a balanced houseplant food diluted to 1/2 the recommended strength. Too much fertilizerPlants need fertilizer only when they are actively growing. Slow growing plants in low light require very little plant food. Too much fertilizer is worse than not enough. Most plants prefer a water soluble plant food at 1/2 the recommended strength. Plants that are in bloom or dormant should not be fertilized. Houseplant food contains nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). A fertilizer containing these elements in equal proportion is considered a balanced plant food. Nitrogen helps in photosynthesis and encourages the growth of leaves and stems. Potassium and phosphorus also help in photosynthesis and aid in root and flower development. Most fertilizers have trace elements of other minerals that are lacking in the soil but are necessary for good plant growth. Fertilizers have a high salt content. If a plant is not producing new leaves and doesn’t absorb the fertilizer, salts build up in the soil. These salts can burn the roots, discolor the leaves, and cause new growth to be small. causes leaf tip burn.

Temperature

Dracaena janet craig plants do not do well in temperatures below 55°F (12.8°C) Cold winter drafts and blowing heaters damage the leaves.

Humidity

Basic household humidity is sufficient for dracaenas to grow well and look good.

Flowering

If the growing conditions are right, a dracaena janet craig may produce a 10"-12" stalk with large fragrant white flowers. Although this is fun to see, the flowers often slows down leaf production, alter the shape of the plant, and may secrete a messy sticky sap that gets all over the plant and the floor. I recommend cutting the flower off as soon as it appears.

Pests

Mealy BugsLearn how to identify and treat Mealy Bugs, a houseplant pest that leaves sticky, white, cottony residue on houseplants. and scaleSoft Brown Scale is the most common scale that attacks indoor houseplants especially ficus, ivy, spider plants, ferns, aralia, and schefflera. It appears as small bumpy brown spots that appear to move. As the scale sucks on the sap of the plant it secretes a sticky substance called honeydew. The honeydew attracts black mildew. Because of the shell-like exterior, sprays are only partially effective against scale. Wipe off the lines of brown oval bumps with your finger, a cloth, or a child’s toothbrush then spray the plant with Neem Oil. Use the Green Solution to clean off the black mildew. can be a problem. Spray with the green solutionIf you don't want to use a commercial chemical product to treat plant pest problems try the “Green Solution.” This is a mixture of water, alcohol, biodegradable liquid soap, and mineral oil. Always test any spray on one or two leaves to be sure it won’t damage the plant. Depending upon how severe the infestation is, you can use these ingredients in varying proportions. If there are only a few pests, dip a Q-tip in alcohol and gently swab them off. For a more widespread problem, start by using a spray of warm water mixed with a few tablespoons of biodegradable soap. If that doesn’t cure the problem, make a solution using 8oz. water & 8oz. alcohol, add two tablespoons of biodegradable soap and two tablespoons of mineral oil. Spray all areas of the plant. Use this solution on leathery leafed plants (except palms), never on fuzzy leafed plants like African Violets or Begonias. For palms, omit the alcohol from the Green Solution. Never spray a plant that’s sitting in the sun or one with very dry soil. (recipe in the Glossary) and then carefully wipe the leaves. This removes dust buildup as well as the plant pests.

Diseases

Leaf Spot is the main plant disease problem.

Soil

Use a loose soil that drains quickly. In Hawaii, dracaenas are often grown in lava rock. If you purchase a dracaena in lava rock, remove at least 1/3 of the rock and replace it with potting soil.

Pot Size

These plants grow better when root-bound in small pots.

Pruning

Thin or bare stemmed dracaenas should be pruned in the spring and early summer. Cut off the top part of a cane anywhere along the stalk; the plants produces new leaves directly below the cut. The pruned section can be used to start a new plant.

Propagation

Dracaena cuttings root in water, but the preferred method is to root them in a potting soil.

Clean Air Plant

NASA lists a dracaena janet craig as a clean air plantCertain houseplants clean the air of harmful chemicals..

Poisonous Plant Info

A dracaena janet craig is usually listed as a non- poisonousPlants are a great addition to homes and offices, but it’s important to know whether your plants are dangerous to children, pets, or even adults. Some plants contain chemicals such as oxalates, solanine, glycosides, or alkaloid lycorine that may cause vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, swelling and redness of the mouth, throat, and lips, and trouble breathing. Touching parts of certain plants, especially the sap, may cause various skin irritations. The weight and age of the human or pet involved, and the part and amount of plant eaten determine how severe the reaction to the toxins will be. Although plants may be listed as non-toxic, they can still cause individual allergic reactions. If there is any question after a houseplant has been ingested or touched immediately call the Poison Control Center 1-800-222-1222 The Handbook of Poisonous and Injurious Plants [Paperback]is an excellent reference to keep around if you have young children and pets. houseplant. However, some pets, especially cats and dogs, have experienced problems after eating the leaves. My advice, keep dracaenas away from your pets.

How quickly do Dracaena plants grow? I want to buy one a Dracaena Janet Craig Plan for a room with tall ceilings. Should I buy a tall plant immediately or a short plant that will have space to grow?

That’s a hard question to answer since it depends on the light in the room. Dracaena Janet Craig plants grow very slowly in low lightWhen you select “Low Light” a list of the most adaptive plants in our database appears. These plants can live in lighting conditions too low to support any other plants in our database, but will grow faster in medium and high light. Variegation (color) in the leaves is often lost in low light. A plant in low light needs less water and fertilizer than the same plant in better light. Place a low-light plant within 2-3 ft. of a window with a northern exposure, 3-5 ft. of a window with an eastern exposure, 4-10 ft. of a window with a western exposure, and 10-18ft. of a window with a southern exposure. A low light area has between 50-150 ft. candles of light. The best low light house plants are: Chinese Evergreen, Dracaena Janet Craig, Peace Lily, Heart leaf Philodendron., but grow much faster in bright indirect lightVery few houseplants should be placed in direct sun. High light refers only to bright indirect light since direct sun often burns the leaves of indoor houseplants. An area that is too hot and dry encourages Spider Mites and causes blooms to quickly fade. A northern exposure really doesn't provide enough light for high light plants. These plants need to be placed directly in front of an east-facing window, within 1-3 feet of a west-facing window, and within 5 ft. of a south facing window. A high light area has over 300 ft. candles of light.. Always allow some space between the ceiling and the plant for growth.

Why are the tips of the leaves on my Dracaena Janet Craig turning brown? Can I trim the leaves or do I have to cut off the damaged leaves?

You can trim the leaves of your Dracaena Janet Craig using very sharp, wet, scissors. Using wet scissors helps prevent the cut edges of the plant leaves from turning yellow. Brown tips on Dracaenas usually indicate too much salt build-up in the soil due to over-fertilizing or too much fluoride or chlorine in your water. Dracaenas need very little plant food, feed only in the spring and summer not in the fall or winter. Never use water that has passed through a softener, it’s too salty.

How do I prune a Dracaena janet craig that is touching the ceiling?

If your Dracaena janet craig is too tall, cut the stalks back to whatever height you want. Think about the shape of the tree before you do any pruning because the plant will branch out, developing two or three new “heads” below each cut. You can dip the ends of the cane pieces you remove in a small amount of Rooting HormoneRooting Hormone helps plant cuttings produce new roots and is very important to use if you want your propagation attempts to be successful. Always dip the cut end of a stem or leaf into water and then dip it into the rooting hormone before planting it. Tap off any excess powder since too much hormone is worse than too little.. Plant three or four of these stem pieces in potting soil to propagate a new plant.

I am getting a flower on my Dracaena janet craig. It is huge and smells wonderful. Should I leave the flower or cut it off?

Although the flowers on a Dracaena janet craig have a lovely fragrance, they present a couple of problems. The flower and its stalk often ruin the shape of the plant. As the Dracaena flower matures, it secretes a sticky, messy sap that gets on the plant leaves, floor, and anything else that's nearby. I recommend removing Dracaena flowers sooner rather than later.