If the colors on the leaves begin to fade, your plant isn’t getting quite enough light. If this happens, move it in front of the east- or west-facing window and keep an eye on the leaves. Burnt leaves will appear brown and dry on the tips. [6] X Research source
You may have bought your plant in a container from the nursery. You can leave it in there until it’s ready to be repotted!
Luckily, the leaves will tell you if you’re over or underwatering! If the leaves are falling off and turning yellow, you probably need more water. If they’re only yellowing at the tips, it’s more likely that you’re overwatering. When the leaves towards the bottom of the shoots brown or fall off, this is natural. It’s just the old leaves making way for new ones!
Talk to your local nursery or go online to purchase a pesticide appropriate for the outbreak. You may also be able to use natural pesticides, although these options may not be as effective with advanced infestations.
Follow the instructions on your fertilizer’s packaging for the precise amount you should use on the plant. Expect to create a 1-part water and 1-part fertilizer solution.
Don’t prune in the late summer, fall, or winter. You want to give the plant some time to develop new growth before it begins to rest. Keep these cuttings to plant new trees!
Your new pot should also have drainage holes, and you should fill it about halfway with well-draining potting soil before placing the transplanted tree inside. Then, fill the pot with more soil and moisten with distilled water. If the tree doesn’t want to come out, straighten the coiled roots with your fingers. You can also tap the bottom and sides of the pot gently, then reposition it on its side. Wait at least a month to fertilize your repotted tree.
While this map is most useful for growers living in the U. S. , other countries (such as Australia) have produced similar maps using the same temperature guidelines. [21] X Research source Go online to find information about your growing zone.
You may also be able to keep this plant outdoors in the warm summer months in northern USDA zones. Keep a close eye on the weather, though! If your evening temperatures drop below 60 to 65 °F (16 to 18 °C), your plant could stop growing or die. [22] X Research source
Keep an eye out for leaves with dry, brown tips. This means you’re giving your plant too much sun. Yellowing leaves means it needs a bit more sunlight. [23] X Research source
If the drainage doesn’t need to be adjusted too much, you may just be able to add some compost and well-rotted manure to improve it. For severe drainage issues, you might need to invest in underground piping to remove the excess water. [24] X Research source
You can also keep the plant in an outdoor garden pot. [26] X Trustworthy Source Royal Horticultural Society Leading gardening charity in the U. K. providing resources for identifying, growing and caring for flowers and other plants Go to source
If you’re experiencing extremely dry conditions, you may need to increase your watering. Look for leaves that are yellow at the tips to see if you’re overwatering. If the leaves are falling off, water the tree a bit more. If the leaves are only browning or yellowing and falling off at the bottom of the stems, this is just natural growth. New, healthy leaves should appear above these older ones.
If you’re going to keep the cutting indoors, this can be done at any time of year. If you want to replicate the tree’s natural growing conditions, however, propagate in summer. [29] X Trustworthy Source Royal Horticultural Society Leading gardening charity in the U. K. providing resources for identifying, growing and caring for flowers and other plants Go to source
Follow all of the directions for using your rooting hormone.
You can buy Madagascar dragon tree seeds online, although they may actually be more expensive than a mature plant.
The seeds don’t need more than about 1⁄4 inch (0. 64 cm) of covering over them. Seed-growing compost is better than multipurpose, but both should work. There should be at least a finger-width of space between the 2 seeds.
