Dracaena is a great plant to adopt for your home or office. It helps add life to your ambience. All in all, it is good to note that poor watering habits of any plant, including the draceana will cause pest and disease problems. In this post, we will be looking at some of the top things you should consider doing in order to boost the health of your houseplant with proper watering habits.
When to water
As you may already know, plants have varying watering needs. Some need more water than others. Knowing when to water the plant is very important. The first thing you should do is to speak with your plantscaper suppliers on matters watering. How much water should you give your plant and how often should you water it? Your supplier will be able to answer this question based on the plant species that you pick.
Once you have the plant at home or office, one method you can use to determine if you should water is by rubbing your thumb on the surface of the compost. Water the plant if the compost feels dry and has no sponginess. You can also tap the clap pot using a cotton reel that has been attached to a pencil. A dull note tells you that the compost is moist. If it rings, you need to water. There are also moisture-indicator strips that you can use. The growers will be happy to sell these to you. The same goes for the moisture meters.
Basic ways of watering
The best way of watering your dracaena or any other houseplant is to allow water dribble out of a small watering can onto the compost. This method is known as the ‘over the rim’. The objective here is to fill the space above the compost to the rim.
The second method is where you set the pot in a bowl of water and allow the plant to take in the water. After removing the potted plant from the bowl, the excess water will drain away. Some plants such as the Tillandsias need misting. This is where you soak the leaves of the plant with water. With other plants, you need to fill their little flower or the leaf cups with water. Needless to say, the experts at the wholesale nurseries will give you all the information you need about watering.
Watering on vacation
If you are not always at home, you should consider buying a plant from interiorscaper suppliers that requires minimal care needs. You should also invest in an automatic watering system. In the weeks before your vacation, you need to water your plant more frequently.
Handling plants that haven’t been watered
Under watered plants will wilt and die over time. If you want to save a dying plant, start by setting the pot in a bowl then prune the plant by removing all the faded flowers. You should also mist the leaves. Allow the plant to take in water from the bowl until moisture is seen at the top. Remove the plant from the bowl and place it in a light shade for two days.