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[griggles]

Hello all, I have a recently repotted three stark plant from a florist. Two of the stalks are healthy but one has loose bark/‘paper’ around it and the plant is yellow and droopy regardless of how little or much I water it. Any thoughts on saving the stalk? It was very root bound with the other two when I replanted it.

[Gerrygolucky]

Hi if it was very recent that you bought it from the florist, you can try bringing it back to them to see what they say, maybe it was part of a bad batch or something.

Other than that, droopy + yellow = rot due to overwatering, it’s almost guaranteed. In the end, did you plant it together with the other two or did you try separating the three? It would need much less water than the healthier stems, letting it dry out a lot before watering again. That way the rot fungus can’t decay the plant as easily and it has a chance to fight back.

If it’s together with the other two plants still, then maybe it’s best to chop it off and try to make cuttings from the stem bits, that’s what I’d do.

[griggles]

Thank you so much for your reply. Honestly the plant has been through a little bit. I got it at a memorial, traveled with it back to my home, repotted it, and then was gone for a couple of weeks so it was a bit warmer in my apartment. Now that I’m back in my apartment and the air conditioner is going, that is when I noticed the drooping and the loose bark on the one stalk. But it was so root bound, there would’ve been no separating it from the other two stalks.  Do you think air temperature could have that much of an effect on it? It was probably about 77° while I was gone, but when I’m here I keep it on 70.

[Gerrygolucky]

Hi no for me the temperatures won’t change anything, especially not such a small difference. If it were freezing or sweltering it might but not such a small difference. What might have changed a lot though is the moisture in the air, aircons really tend to dry the air up when you see the continuous drip of water. I know dragon plants like having lots of moisture in the air. Maybe that stress was the tipping point for that stalk. I saw an article about air moisture for plants here: https://www.nature-and-garden.com/gardening/increase-air-moisture-plants.html

I think if the bark is already loose and falling off that stalk is a goner. Possibly it was choked by the roots of the other two stalks. Maybe it’s worth trying to separate them the next time you repot. If roots are already running around in circles it’s better to cut them short than to let them keep on spinning round and round since they’re going to constrict one another at some point.

[griggles]

Thanks so much!

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