What Kind of Soil is used for Dracaena?: With an Easy DIY Soil Hack

Dracaena plant care is simple and can withstand some neglect with the best air purifying quality. Most people want the answer to what kind of soil is used for Dracaena so that they last a healthy and lush life. Well, here in Soil Minerals we have the answer doe you in this post.

Colorful strap-like plants have various houseplant varieties. You may already be growing this beauty with your houseplant collection. Then you know the plant needs little attention and care while growing. One way to keep the plant happy is by choosing the right soil. With a little knowledge about the soil for the plant, you can buy or better make your soil for the plant. 

Keep reading this article to know about the soils, and care for the plant with the best soil recipes to make at your home.

What are the Types of Dracaena? 

Dracaena is a popular houseplant from the genus of evergreen tropical shrubs and trees. The tree can grow from 2 to 10 feet tall. They need an acidic soil with moist and well-draining soil. It can also be grown outdoors which sometimes produces flowers.

Some types of Dracaena are:

• Dracaena Surculosa is called gold dust or Florida beauty. They are smaller and shrubs like to grow up to 2 feet tall. The leaves are broad with yellow spots similar to gold dust in them. 
• Dracaena Deremensis is called Lemon Lime because of the leaves. This is the widely cultivated species of dracaena. In the outdoors, it can grow over 20 feet tall.
• Dracaena Marginata is called a dragon tree. They can be grown as many step shrubs or single trees. The leaves are deep green stripes with narrow brown lining in maroon.

What is the Soil pH for Dracaena?

The Best soil pH for Dracaena ranges from 6.0 to 6.5. Dracaena likes to grow best in slightly acidic soil. If the soil is too alkaline, it may affect the plant. To make your soil acidic, add peat moss to it. Dracaena is very sensitive to fluoride, so avoiding potting soil with high perlite and maintaining this soil pH will be good. pH is tested to find the potential of hydrogen and uses a chemical scale to identify the nature of the soil.

Testing for soil pH is the first step in getting to know the soil. Ph can range from 0 to 14. Any soil with a pH higher than 7 is alkaline and less than 7 is acidic. Do a pH test to find the soil pH level. It is also very important to test your soil before potting. Click here to know all about soil test services.

What Kind of Soil is used for Dracaena?

The best soil for Dracaena is Loamy soil. Loamy soil has a mix of sand, silt, and clay content in it. It will give the right amount of drainage, retention, and texture as well as nutrients in the soil for Dracaena. 

In the case of indoor plants, Select a soil that does have all the below-mentioned components for Dracaena soil. Buying potting soil or potting mix and making amendments with compost could do the work.

In the case of outdoor plants, buying organic garden soil does do the work. But with the required amendments it will be made for the Dracaena.

Components of the Best Soil for Dracaena

These are some of the components for the perfect dracaena soil:

• Well Drainage- A well-draining soil is essential for Dracaena. If grown in a pot, it needs a drainage hole for proper drainage. Water sitting in the pot may lead to fungal disease and destroy the root. Adding pebbles to the pot with soil will help solve the problem. Adding coco coir will improve drainage in the mix of the Dracaena.
• Good Aeration- Dracaena is like light soil that should have good aeration. As they love dry and porous soil to get the proper aeration, giving that will help them grow. Providing extra aeration to the soil will boost the growth of the plant.
• Texture- The texture of the soil for Dracaena should be from coarse to light. The Dracaena soil prefers a very light and loose soil that also holds enough moisture which helps in root growth. The texture of indoor and outdoor soil can vary as one will be in a pot and the other inland.

Did you Know? 

• Dracaena is toxic to dogs and cats.
• The name is derived from the ancient Greek- Drakaina meaning Female dragon.

What Kind of Potting Soil is Good for Dracaena?

Dracaena needs a well-draining potting mix that is coarse and provides aeration to the plant root. An orchid mix with sand mix is perfect for the Dracaena soil. Dracaena grows best in indoor potting mix. To make the soil more porous add coconut husk, pumice, and perlite. Keep a check on the acidity level of the soil and don’t miss out on any change in soil that may affect the plant.

How to Prepare Potting soil for Dracaena?

To prepare the potting soil for Dracaena, add one part of the Perlite, one part of the Peat to one part of the Loam. Depending on the texture of the mix, add one or two parts of coco coir or vermiculite to it to improve the aeration. You can add gravel or marbles to increase the drainage of the soil.

The preparation of a potting mix for Dracaena is quite easy and cost-efficient. Succulent, cactus soil is quite opposite to garden or potting soil. Succulent soil loves to have very good porous drainage but having that for Dracaena might kill the plant. Adding potting mix directly for Dracaena is also good. But adding the minerals and mending the soil to improve drainage and aeration will make the potting mix more suitable for dracaena. 

DIY Tips to make soil for Dracaena At Home (Complete guide)

Soil for most plants can be made by mixing potting soil or some minerals and organic matter. But for Dracaena, it needs a good potting mix. Because they are mostly grown indoors. So, making a Do-it-yourself soil for your indoor dracaena is your best choice. To make your DIY soil for your Dracaena plant:

Preparation

• Collecting all the ingredients before making the soil.
• Take time to mix the ingredients.
• Learn other items like reading a pH tester, types of nutrients, and their uses.

Now you can start making the DIY with the below-given ingredients and follow up:

Tools

• Gear up with gloves to avoid dirt from the soil.
• Measuring cup or instrument to measure the ingredients.
• Bucket or vessel to make space to mix the soil.
• A small shovel/ Trowel to mix the soil.
• Dust mask.

Ingredients

• Perlite– Perlite is formed from volcanic emission. They make the best aeration for the succulent soil.
• Peat moss– This soil amendment is made from peat bogs. This active decomposing peat moss is used to hold water in the soil.
• Vermiculite– Vermiculite is added to the soil to aerate it and also to retain moisture and nutrient in it.
• Coconut coir– The coconut fiber is made from coconut husk and used for many purposes. They are used in soil to improve soil texture, drainage, and aeration.
• Pine Bark
• Pumice– Formed from volcanoes when they erupted explosively. The liquid explosion is formed to pumice rock making the aeration for the soil.
• Loam – Loam is a mix of sand, clay, and slit filled with organic matter needed for a plant. Loam is mostly used as organic soil for plants and vegetables.

Recipe

Here is our recipe for Dracaena:

• 1 Part Peat moss or Coco coir
• 1 Part Loam or pine bark
• 1 Part Perlite or vermiculite or pumice

Follow-up

After collecting all the required ingredients and tools add the measured ingredients to the vessel with the help of a trowel. Add 1 Part Peat moss or Coco coir, 1 Part Loam or pine bark, and 1 Part Perlite or vermin or pumice and blend it well so both are mixed. Now you will get the potting soil for your dracaena which can also be used with some amendment as soil for the plant.

Where to Buy Soil for Dracaena?

Soil for Snake Dracaena can be bought in a nearby commercial store or online. In stores, you can get expert people in the field to explain and give soil according to the plant. Whereas online, you can make your choice based on the review, rating, and the right mix mentioned in the label. With whatever way of buying the soil, adding some soil conditioner will help for the betterment of the plant as well the soil.

To know what is a soil conditioner, click here.

Best Commercial Brands to buy Soil for Dracaena

• Miracle-gro

The miracle-gro indoor potting mix is best for indoor plants such as cacti and succulents. This light and drain fast mix contains coconut coir, fertilizers, and other products. The product is certified by the mulch and soil council for the standard. Adding perlite and decoratives to the pot with this mix is required to grow the succulents. Miracle-gro gives value-for-money products at a reasonable rate with premium quality. They also provide various other types of potting mixes, all-purpose soil, and fertilizers at affordable prices for the garden. It cost around $ 24 for a 4-quart bag of mix.

Can I use Garden soil for Dracaena?

No, you can’t use garden soil for Dracaena. Garden soil will have lots of clay content in it which is not suitable for Dracaena. Garden soil will be heavy, damp, and moist pretended which is quite the opposite of Dracaena soil. Garden soil should be avoided at any cost because most of the plant is grown in a pot.

Can Dracaena Grow in Cactus and Orchid soil?

No, Dracaena can’t grow in cactus soil. Dracaena need soil that can hold some water but cactus soil is a total of drainage ingredients which won’t be good for them. Often the term cactus and succulent are used indifferently. You may find labels in soil bags stating cactus and succulent soil. As the characteristics and needs of both cacti and succulents are common, they can be used for one another. Even when some dracaena need a soil type similar to cactus soil. Cactus soil can be used but others, they need loam-based soil.

Yes, Dracaena can be grown in Orchid soil. Orchid soil tends to have the right acidity which is suitable for the plant. Orchid soil has good drainage and is porous which makes it the best substitute for dracaena. 

Selecting the Right Place and Pot for Dracaena

The right place to grow a fern depends on the variety of the Dracaena. Some types can grow into a tree that can’t be grown indoors. Some dwarf varieties with limited growth and weight can be grown in the pot. Dracaena prefer a shady place but some species can tolerate hot sun. Dracaena is temperature tolerant as long they have slightly moist soil.

Picking the right pot is essential for every houseplant. The right pot for a Dracaena plant is categorized with the size and material of the pot. 

The pot for the plant can be plastic, ceramic, or wood. But the best one for Dracaena is Terracotta because of the water-storing nature. This will help to keep the plant moist even at high temperatures.

The Size of the pot for Dracaena can not be fixed. There is no perfect size pot for plants. Giving the plant a pot that is two sizes bigger than the plant will be good. 

Potting and Repotting for Dracaena

Potting should be done, when the store-bought plant is in a small pot disregarding its size. 

Repotting a dracaena every two years once depending on growth during summer will enrich the plant with nutrients in the new soil. Repotting can be done at certain times:

• When the plant has outgrown the pot or container in which it grows.
• When its plant is externally damaged due to any cause like animal accidents and many such.
• Fungal or bacterial infection can damage the soil during such times there is a need to report the Dracaena.
• Root rot is not a major problem and the plant can recover on its own. But at times, when it gets severe repotting should be done to save the plant and root.

Repotting should not be done in yellow leaves, dropping leaves, dryness, sunburn, and insect-invaded soil.

How to Repot Dracaena?

This is how to report the dracaena:

• To report a plant, selecting a container or pot regarding the size of the plant is the first step. The two factors which determine the pot size are Water requirement and growth space.
• Loosen the plant from the pot with a shovel or butter knife and lift it out.
• Remove the soil rock from the root to add it to the new soil.
• Place the plant in a new pot with new soil and fill in the sides to make the plant straight.
• Adding water and potting mix to make up for the lost nutrients.

Common Problems in Growing Dracaena

Some other common problems could be pests. The plant is not much prone to pests but there should be a check on it. There are chances they are affected by spider mites, scales, and bacterial or fungal disease. Treating the problem with fungicides and insecticides will help discord the problem. Insects-affected plants show signs with leaves. Keeping a check on moisture as well as plants in the soil will mostly prevent pests. 

Signs You are Using the Wrong Soil Mix for your Dracaena

Plants will show certain signs when the soil mix is wrong. Some of these are:

• Yellow leaf– The cause of yellow leaf is too much drainage in the soil. It also indicates the bacterial problem in soil.
• Brown Spot in leaves– This could be a sign of overwatering that too much water is not available in the soil.
• Dry leaves– This sign is for the dehydration of plants. Providing enough water will solve this issue.
•  Dropping leaf– This could be the reason the root is getting too much or little water. Keeping a check on soil texture will help prevent the problem.

Wrapping up

Soil plays an important role in agriculture’s success. It may be complicated at first to make your soil for your Dracaena but with the right guidance, you can make it possible. After reading this article, you will be able to do your DIY with clarity about both Dracaena and soil for it. Keep a constant check on the soil and plant with practice you can master everything about the plant and soil.

Happy Gardening!

FAQs

How often should I water Dracaena?

Water the dracaena for ten days once or when the soil is dried to get more water.

How deep do you plant Dracaena?

Plant the dracaena two or more inches deep in the soil for better results.

Does indoor dracaena clean the air?

Yes, according to NASA’s study, the plant clears the formaldehyde in sealed space.