dry!

I don't know why it is so hard to resist watering plants when they don't need it. I've had this dracanea almost two years now, and just finally started giving it the treatment it needed.

No longer is it terribly droopy, leaves dropping off, burnt ends.

I finally figured it out: the plant likes to be dry. As in, the soil looks like a desert. You stick your finger in and it feels like sand. It took me forever to realize I simply have to leave it alone. I only water it once a week, or once every two weeks, even. And it doesn't like tapwater- only melted snow, rainwater or water that's been standing at least twenty-four hours.

Why is this so hard to do? I guess I always want to be doing something for my plants, and when the others need water I think of giving this one a drink, too. I'm trying to get myself into the habit now of walking around with a mister instead, or just wiping the foliage clean of dust, when I feel like the dragon tree needs some attention. And not only is it healthy now, it's growing quickly! Soon I'm going to have to lower it to the floor (its on a stand right now) as its leaves are about to hit the young spider plant it's sitting under.

So. Dry, dry dry equals happy dragon tree. You can finally see the beautiful red edges here too.