dracaena jade jewel plant
Dracaena jade jewel is a kind of houseplant which is widely use to decorate housegarden. It is a tree-like houseplant, and called it green and white variegated foliage. It is one of the most popular garden plants which also can cater for people who have a low level of green thumb. Someone may be pupose to have current trend coupled with elegant look and low maintainence, then they will choose a Dracaena jade jewel tree.
In this guide, I’ll tell you everything you need to know about the Dracaena Jade Jewel to ensure that you have a happy and healthy plant. I’ll start with its background and features, go into more depth about its care, common issues, and lastly a few tips that you may find useful in your plant parenting journey.
Understanding the Dracaena Jade Jewel Plant
Photo courtesy the authorThe Dracaena Jade Jewel (Dracaena fragrans ‘Jade Jewel’) is a cultivar of Dracaena fragrans, an endemic species of tropical Africa. Dracaena comes from the Greek for ‘female dragon’ (drakaina); some species in the genus exude red resins called ‘dragon’s blood’. Jade Jewel has neither the glare of the drakaina nor the noxious secretions of ‘dragon’s blood’, but retains the genus’s status as an obdurate, handsome houseplant.
Appearance and Characteristics
These beautiful dark green Dracaena Jade Jewel leaves were grown to pair well with the white stripes down the leaf margins or veins, creating a striking, bright, statement houseplant.
Generally, T zebrina grows 3 to 4 feet tall indoors, making it well-suited for tabletop and floor displays. Leaves of an indoor-grown T zebrina spirally arranged and erect. Photo by Lukas Gojda/Alamy Stock Photolastly, T zebrina leaves grow in a rosette – just like the leaves of a Tulipa grow from their bulbs but, when the stem elongates, it arches upward, making a tasty climber of a house plant.
Ideal Growing Conditions
Such are vital to the best healthy growth and development of your Dracaena Jade Jewel. They are:
- Light:
Dracaena Jade Jewel prefers bright indirect light, but will adapt to lower light levels, in which case you can expect it to grow more slowly and the white stripes will tend to fade away. Avoid direct sunlight here, too, if its scorches the leaves.
- Temperature:
However, it needs an ambient temp of around 65ºF to 80ºF (18ºC to 27ºC) and it doesn’t like drafts, or thermal swings. So, don’t trundle it off to the study next to a window. And certainly not next to a door where an unseasonal foray of temperate air might stream in from the outside.
- Humidity:
The Jade Jewel Dracaena tolerates indoor humidity well, but more is always better. If you are in a dry climate, it can survive on average indoor humidity or you can place the plant on top of a water tray, or use a humidifier.
Caring for the Dracaena Jade Jewel Plant
For your Dracaena Jade Jewel to prosper, you have to care for it. This plant, being suitable for the beginner (because it’s pretty much impossible to kill it), nevertheless has some points to attend to, if you don’t want your plant – not only surviving – but thriving.
Watering Requirements
The most important thing Dracaena Jade Jewel is water it. Dracaenas love the dry side, and overwatering is one of the easiest ways to cause root rot in these plants.
- Frequency:
Water only when the top inch of soil feels dry to the touch: perhaps every 1-2 weeks if it’s in indirect light, but more frequently if it is in bright, direct light. As usual, watch the plant’s needs shift through the seasons and react accordingly.
- Method:
Allow to water until water runs out the bottom of the pot so that the roots are able to take up water before it runs out into the water reservoir. Do not allow your plant to sit in a puddle of water so that its roots do not rot.
- Water Quality:
Fluoride and chlorine (both commonly found in tap water) can be dangerous for dracaenas, so always err on the side of caution and use only distilled water. Otherwise, if you really want to treat your plant, let the tap water sit out for 24 hours, which will give the chemicals enough time to evaporate.
Soil and Potting
The soil and pot you use, for instance, a Dracaena Jade Jewel, can make the difference between life and death.
- Soil Type:
A well-draining potting mixture is required for this plant. A potting mix ones finds in a garden centre for typical houseplants is fine, with one part perlite, or sand, added to help with drainage. The soil should be moist, but not stay wet for long periods of time.
- Pot Selection:
Choose a pot with holes in the base – you need this so that soil does not just sit in water (and consequentially root rot) at the bottom of the pot. Go for a pot no bigger than the plant (so it can grow into the pot), but make sure it isn’t too small as the soil won’t dry out as quickly.
- Repotting:
Repot your Dracaena Jade Jewel every 2-3 years or when you see the roots are starting to fill the pot, ideally in late winter or early spring, so you can time it with the plant’s growing season.
Fertilizing
You should give your Dracaena Jade Jewel fertiliser, although it is not a large nutrient uptaker and may be easily injured by fertiliser.
- Type of Fertilizer:
Use a full water‑soluble fertiliser containing 1 part nitrogen, 1 part phosphorus, 1 part potassium – that is, 10-10-10, or 20-20-20 – or use an organic fertiliser for a more natural alternative.
- Frequency:
Fertilise every month in growing season (spring and summer); every 6-8 weeks in fall and winter; or stop fertilising, as the plant isn’t growing.
Pruning and Maintenance
Occasionally pruning is inevitable to keep a Dracaena Jade Jewel in check so it doesn’t become too thick and just add some fresh growth to it.
- Pruning:
Trim yellow or brown leaves as you see them with clean sharp scissors or pruners. If it’s too tall and leggy in general, trim it back wherever you think it needs it, bringing stems all the way back to the rosette will make it grow bushier. Snip those pruned sections and you can use them to make babies!
- Cleaning the Leaves:
Whereas dust can reduce the leaves’ ability to photosynthesise, wipe clean with a damp cloth every few weeks or so.
Common Problems and Solutions
Every plant, including the Dracaena Jade Jewel, will run into trouble from time to time. Understanding when plants get sick, and what measures can be taken about them, guarantees the flawless well-being of your Dragon Tree.
Yellowing Leaves
Leaves that yellow can be a result of overwatering, underwatering, or lack of light.
Solution:
Adjust the watering schedule, giving the plant too much or too little If it’s the light, move the plant to a sunnier, indirect-light spot.
Brown Tips
Brown tips on leaves can be caused by lack of humidity or too many fluoride ions in the water, but overfertilisation can have similar effects.
Solution:
Increase atmospheric humidity around the plant through the use of a humidifier or by misting the surface of its leaves with water; use distilled water or allow tap water to sit out for a day or two before you water; reduce the amount of fertiliser you use, and–if you do decide to fertilise–stick to suggested doses.
Root Rot
Root rot is a serious issue caused by overwatering and poor drainage.
Solution:
If it is root rot, take the plant out of the pot and examine the root ball. Good, white roots should be firm to the touch, while damp brown mushy roots are a sign of root rot. Trim any rot away and replant in fresh, well-drained soil, and water a little less frequently.
Pests
From time to time, plants such as the Dracaena Jade Jewel are infested with either spider mites, mealybug, or scale insects.
Solution:
Keep checking for pests; sprays of insecticidal soap or neem oil will deal with any that are found, but more aggressive chemicals might be needed for serious infestations, in which case isolation will be helpful as well.