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The Dracaena Marginata, Madagascar Dragon Tree, or Red-Edged Dracaena, is native to Madagascar. This robust plant has adapted to survive in semi-drought environments. However, it thrives in humid tropical conditions.
Misting your Dracaena Marginata is essential to its wellbeing, as it provides your plant with the required amount of humidity. There are many benefits to misting your plant, including preventing insects and spider mites, removing dust, cleansing, and enabling the metabolic processes of your plant.
The Dracaena Marginata is an incredible and self-sufficient plant that cleanses the air of harmful elements like formaldehyde, benzene, trichloroethylene, and carbon dioxide.
Misting your Dragon Tree facilitates the overall metabolic and biochemical reactions that make it a worthwhile companion to your living space.
Does Dracaena Marginata Need Misting?
The Dracaena Marginata is a drought-tolerant plant and characteristically survives on less water than other indoor plants. Therefore, misting is an excellent option as it’s too easy to drown your plant.
When watering your Dracaena Marginata, be cautious not to saturate the small surface of the pot.
Sometimes it takes three weeks for the top half of the soil to use the water. Too often, Dragon trees are harmed and even die from too much water. Excess water causes root rot, among other infirmities. Therefore, allow 50% – 75% of the topsoil to dry before watering it again.
Water excess is revealed in the brown or yellow edges on the leaves – this could also indicate an absence of water. Limp leaves are a consequence of excessive moisture.
However, it’s in the Dracaena nature to periodically lose leaves. Wilting leaves could also indicate that it’s time for new leaves to grow.
Another important note with the Dracaena is that it is very susceptible to fluoride toxicity. Fluoride, chlorine, and excessive salts are predominant toxic elements in tap water.
A sign of fluoride toxicity is evident in dark brown, yellow, and deadening leaves. So be sure to water or mist your Dragon Tree with purified, distilled, or rainwater at room temperature.
If you don’t have a filtration system for your water, you can leave tap water in an open container overnight. The time given to the exposed water will assist in clearing and removing a few of the corrosive elements.
When misting your Dracaena Marginata, make sure that the soil is lightly misted and never sodden, soggy, or soaked. The pot or plant container must have drainage holes at the bottom to rid the earth of excess water.
Drainage is a primary concern of the Dracaena Marginata. The Dracaena is prone to soluble salts and fluoride build-up, so it doesn’t sustain leaching very well. The Dracaena Marginata favors thoroughly drained soil.
Empty the drainage saucer a half-hour after watering, and never abandon the Dragon tree to stand in the saucer.
The Benefits of Misting Dracaena Marginata?
Some gardeners argue that misting isn’t effective as the water evaporates, and there are no substantial long-term benefits. While other horticulturists posit that misting increases the level of humidity surrounding the plant. Misting is a simple answer to overwatering your plant.
After acquiring a new Dragon Tree, it’s worthful to mist it, as this allows the plant to better acclimatize to an imitation of its native ecosystem. As a caregiver, the time spent misting your Dracaena Marginata will enable you to better tune into the pulse or spirit of your plant.
A light misting is beneficial to your Dracaena Marginata, especially during the dry seasons. One of the reasons missing is so helpful is that it is a way to treat the plant without directly spraying the foliage. It’s a gentle approach to sustaining the metabolic processors of the plants.
When dust gathers, it obstructs the ability of the plant to photosynthesize. Therefore, misting clears dust and enables the natural operations needed for the plant to survive.
Evaporation, transpiration, and photosynthesis are all facilitated through misting. Misting also assists in oxygenating the soil.
Another advantage of misting your Red-Edged Dracaena is that it rids the plant of insect manifestation.
Spider Mites damage the plants by feasting on the plant- this gives the plant a bleached / bronzed appearance. Spider Mites prefer a dry environment, and therefore a humidifier or regular misting prevents infestation.
If I Mist My Dracaena, Do I Still Need to Water It?
Misting your Dracaena Marginata hydrates your plant, but it is not enough moisture to act as a substitute for watering it.
Watering once a week is suitable. Remember to use water at a tepid temperature and allow the top 75% of the water to work through the earth. Misting facilitates your plant over and above regular watering.
How Often Should I Mist Dracaena Marginata?
The frequency of misting your plant is dependent on the climate and location of your plant. Ideally, mist your Dracaena two-to-three times a week or lightly around the area of the plant when the air is dry.
Curling, dry leaves are an indication that it’s time to water the plant. Be mindful of your Dracaena, as it’ll always let you know when it’s time to water, mist, or fertilize (feed). Use a Water, Light, and pH Meter to gauge the requirements of your Dracaena.
When To Mist Your Dracaena Marginata
There is an expression among gardeners and horticulturists alike that plants don’t go to bed with wet feet.
This saying illustrates why misting should be done during the morning or the earlier hours of the day.
A primary reason for misting during the day is that bacteria and fungi flourish within the dark blanket of the night. This unwanted microbe community colonizes and can infect the integrity of your Dracaena Marginata.
If your plant is already suffering an ailment, the pathogens will cement their presence in the area, which could be fatal to your plant. It’s another reason why people mustn’t water their plants at night.
As with humans, plants have respiration and metabolic processes. Their interaction with their surrounding environment involves an exchange of gases and water vapor, called transpiration. Transpiration takes place through tiny holes of the plant’s surface called stomata.
Transpiration is most effective during the day when your Dracaena Marginata is active and awake. The sun enables the plant’s functions—processes like the mechanism of the stomata reacting to the sun’s rays by opening and closing- are fundamental to transpiration.
At night the stomata don’t emit moisture. Therefore, water on the surface of your Dracaena Marginata will result in pathogen infiltration and rapid colonization of fungi and bacteria at night. Rot and injury are the consequence of nighttime misting and watering.
Misting your Dracaena in optimal light and air conditions will facilitate your plant’s health. Stomata regulate their apertures according to evaporation levels; misting when the heat is intense, and evaporation high could be a lifeline to your plant.
The functioning of stomata is highly complex, and their capacity to regulate their openings is essential to the wellbeing of your plant. Both misting and light influence the behavior of stomata. Essentially, know that misting in the day, preferably in the morning, is the best time.
Why Would You Mist Your Dracaena Marginata?
A crucial aspect of misting your Dracaena is drought-tolerant and prone to overwatering. Routine misting addresses your Dracaena Marginata’s needs without overwatering.
Your Dracaena Marginata functions better when it receives a regular dose of mist or artificially created humidity.
Decide if you want your plant to survive or thrive under your care. Misting has many benefits. However, possibly the most crucial aspect of misting your Dracaena Marginata is the time spent with your plant. As your plant’s caregiver, tuning into the rhythm of your plant will go far to understand it.
Pros and Cons for Misting your Dracaena Marginata
There are a group of plants that must never be misted. Particularly furry leaved plants like the African Violet as misting will result in their rot. Succulents are another species of this group that could die due to misting as they are drought resistant.
Your Dracaena Marginate is a drought-tolerant plant that appreciates misting twice (maybe three) times a week.
So long as it’s down correctly at the right time of day and under the right conditions, this is only advantageous to your plant.
Some gardeners believe that misting inhibits stomata’s functioning; the tiny droplets of the misting water block the apertures and promote rotting. However, if there is enough light, air, and the right temperature misting will enhance your plant’s transpiration and metabolic processes.
Do Dracaena Marginata Like Humidity?
Your Dracaena Marginata thrives with a regular moisture increase in its surrounding atmosphere.
This robust little survivor has adapted to withstand sustained periods of no water. As a result, misting allows the plant to intake enough water from its environment.
Remember, it’s prone to overwatering. When misting new shoots of a Dracaena Marginata, the tiny leaves respond positively to the extra humidity kick of the mister.
The Dragon Tree’s innate rhythm responds to the increased moisture in the atmosphere.
How Much Humidity Does Dracaena Marginata Need?
The Dracaena Marginata needs a reasonable amount of humidity. A standard home environment provides the proper level of moisture. If the room’s atmosphere is arid, delicately mist the air surrounding your Dracaena Marginata.
The Madagascar Dragon Tree originally comes from areas with tropical climates. Madagascar’s climate varies according to topography, cyclones, and a fusion of temperate and tropical conditions.
Therefore, the Dracaena Marginata enjoys humidity, can thrive in temperate climates, and survive drought spells. As mentioned above, it’s a robust plant.
Even though the Dragon Tree prefers a tropical ecosystem, the plant does thrive in moderate home environments.
Households with temperatures regulated by artificial heating, fireplaces, and air conditioning. However, it’s up to the caregiver to provide a climate preferred by your Dracaena Marginata.
Heating, fireplaces, and air-conditioning will dry the air surrounding the Dracaena Marginata.
Typically, the Dragon plant thrives in about 30% – 40% humidity levels, and most homes don’t offer this environment. The required humidity level in an atmosphere is supported with weekly misting.
Signs your Dracaena Marginata Need More Humidity
You can assess the amount of humidity in a room using a hygrometer; this instrument gauges the volume of moisture in the air. You can acquire a hygrometer online, in nurseries, or a hardware store.
Some of the signs that your Dracaena Marginata isn’t receiving the correct moisture level include leaf endings colored brown-yellow, parched patches, or curling.
However, brown marks could indicate that your Dragon Tree is underwatered. Humidity stress is apparent on your Dracaena. You won’t have to search for it.
How to Increase Humidity for your Dracaena Marginata?
A meaningful way to increase relative humidity for your Dracaena Marginata is to place the plants close together when misting them, creating a pocket of moisture. In addition, it’s better to group plants of similar needs and species.
Plants have a curious way of communicating and enabling their community addresses their needs.
Increase the humidity within your plant’s immediate environment by placing a shallow container or tray filled with pebbles, then add water to the point that it almost covers the rocks.
Place your Dracaena Marginata plants on top of the stones. The pebbles ensure that the roots of the Dracaena aren’t soaking. Evaporation creates humidity around your Dragon Tree.
Bath your Dracaena Marginata, as this general care routine, will increase the health and happiness of your plant. It’s also good to position your Dracaena Marginata in rooms that generate humidity, like your bathrooms, laundry rooms, and kitchens.
Employ a terrarium if all else fails, even if you use a terrarium as a temporary measure to allow your plant space to accumulate humidity through transpiration. The terrarium space is concealed amongst other plants.
The respiration as the plants exhale creates humidity—water forms on the terrarium wall and then feedbacks to the plant. The terrarium facilitates a self-sustaining water cycle.
How to Maintain Ideal Humidity Level for Dracaena Marginata?
An ideal way to maintain humidity for your Dracaena Marginata is to purchase a humidifier. A humidifier is advantageous to both you and your plant. You can acquire small humidifiers and place them around your Dragon Tree.
Conclusion
The innate rhythm of your Dracaena Marginata relies on a humid atmosphere that can be facilitated through regular misting. It’s best to mist your Dragon Tree two, three times a week during the morning.
There are numerous benefits to misting your Dracaena, like eradicating insect spider mites and facilitating transpiration.
Indications that your Dracaena Marginata needs moisture include brown-yellow, dried and curling ends. You can measure the humidity of your room through a hygrometer.
There are numerous ways to increase the humidity of your plant- of these acquiring a humidifier is the surest. Your Dracaena Marginata is an elegant, robust survivor that will be your companion for years.