I have a brown thumb...not a green one!! Plz help!?

Question

I have a "Janet Craig Dracena" plant that I received from my uncle's funeral. It helps me remember him and I don't want it to die, but I kill plants SO bad!! I killed a cactus ppl!!! I have had it for about 9 months. It was doing just fine until I thought it needed more sun, so I set it out on the porch for a few hours. Now, a few days later, the leaves are turning brown and dying. It just started when I put it in direct light. Will it get better or is there something I need to do?

Also, I researched the plant and I saw various pics where these kinds of plants get very tall. My plant hasn't grown or even sprouted new leaves since I received it! Do I need to trim it or something...how do I do that?!

I am SO lost...any help would be great!! TY everyone!!

Answer 1

First of all I am sorry for your loss.



The leaves are turning brown  because of possibly 2 reasons. First is the shock factor of taking an indoor plant out with out letting it get used to the climate change. The heat and humidity will both affect your plant.

Second is the lighting. Your plant will not tolerate direct sunlight. It needs very little light. Fluoride can cause the tips to turn brown also.

Now to hopefully fix your plant. Take it to a room without direct sunlight, and leave it for a couple of weeks. Do not over water, they need to dry out slightly between waterings, and do not fertilize. Try to water with bottled water if you can. If you can, go ahead and trim the brown leaves. You should also put a humidifier in the room with the plant, because low humidity will also cause the plant to turn brown.

Your plant does best at 60 to 75 degrees F so don't take it outside again unless it is between these temps, and do not put it into direct sunlight.