How to Grow & Care for Dracaena Fragrans ‘Janet Craig’ (2024)

by Becky Decker · July 17, 2023

Hey, I am here to share my experience of planting Dracaena fragrans in the house. The physical appearance of the plants is like sword-shaped leathery, shiny dark green leaves. There are many people who do want to grow the dracaena fragrans but they don’t know how to grow and care so here I will share some tips for planting plants.

Quick takeaway:

The leaves of the plant are 7.6 CM wide and 25 cm – 50.8cm long.

You can keep the plant on the table when they look small and after it grows use the plant as a stately floor plant.

If you are going to buy the plant from the market you should look for the plant having at least 3 to 5 stems at different heights.

The below-given image shows some important points you need to look for and further, I have explained in detail above it:

Table of Contents

How to Grow & Care for Dracaena Fragrans ‘Janet Craig’:

The Dracaena fragrans do not require too much care or no need to turn the home into an equatorial jungle as the plant is a topical plant. The following are some points you need to consider for growing the dracaena fragrans in your home:

Light:

The requirements of light by the dracaena fragrans are extremely flexible and range between 10,000 and 20,000 lux. In short, they need bright, indirect light as the plant is able to tolerate any light level of full sun. In order to place them you can place the plant in a shady corner 250 to 500 lux. You need to make sure that the plant is able to get at least 8 hours of light whether it is natural or artificial in a day. You can also place the pot in the East or North facing window as there they will be able to get a lot of indirect light.

Watering:

The dracaena fragrans are not able to tolerate growing in wet soil so we can say that the watering is not necessary for them rather than that you need a schedule for checking the soil moisture. Aftering checking if you find that the top half of the soul is dried out then you need to water the plant. The best watering conditions for dracaena fragrans is the rainwater or distilled water because in tap water there is the presence of fluoride and chlorine that will damage the plant.

Temperatures:

The temperature that suits the plant for faster growth is hot, ranging from 65 to 90 degrees Frahanit. Remember not to place the plant above the tolerance range of the plant which can result in a discolored and Damage shape. Keeping the plant at normal room temperature makes them healthy, but you need to make sure not to expose them to drafts or close to the window during winter. As if the temperature is lower than 55 degrees Fahrenheit they will kill the plant.

Humidity:

The preferred humidity for growing the plant is as high as 80%. But they do have a Flexible humidity level as low as 40%.if you find that the leaves of the dracaena fragrans develop brown tips or margins then you have provided the plant with a more humid microclimate. You can also place the plant over the pebble tray to maintain the humidity and fill the tray with water or you can also spend money to buy a small humidifier.

Soil:

For planting the dracaena fragrans the soil must be loose and well draining because if the soil is not loose the plant will not tolerate root sitting in soggy soil. The pH level of the soil should be from 6.1 to 6.5 which comes in the range of mildly acidic.

Note:

Remember not to add perlite to the soil mix as well. Give the addition of fluoride to the soil which is harmful for the plant. Rather than that you can add an equal amount of potting soil, peat moss, and sand.

Fertilizer:

For adding the fertilizer you should make a schedule of adding twice a year that is once in the beginning of spring and second in the beginning of summer. The ratio of fertilizer should be 10-10-10. If you find that the plant leaves are turning brown then it’s a sign to add too much fertilizer and mix it with salts. And then with the stream of water put the soil on the plant for about 10 minutes and leave the plant to drain it thoroughly.

Potting & Repotting:

There is a need to repot the Dracaena Fragrans plant every 2 or 3 years. The best time to repot the plant is when you see the root of the plant growing out of the drainage holes or it starts curling the pot’s side. In order to pot the size you should not move more than 1 or 2 at most. If you keep a large amount of spil empty then it will result in moisten up and will lead to root rot. According to me, unglazed terra pots are suitable for dracaena fragrans as they help in regulating the soil moisture levels and have enough amount of drainage holes.

Pruning:

You can do the cutting part at the start of spring season but if you are not able to bare the need to wait, you can cut it off. After cutting the plant will sprout new leaves shortly. you need to cut the dead or damaged part of the stem or leaves of the plants any time you find them during the year. You can also just trim off the leaves that are a little brown but need to be a little careful while trimming. Use sharp sterilized scissors for trimming the plant.

Propagation:

The propagating of dracaena Fragrans is easily done by rooting stem cuttings. Spring is considered the best time for propagating the dracaena Fragrans. To propagate the plant you need to cut the stem into 5-inch lengths. You should cut the bottom and top on a plant with a straight cut so that you remember which is the top and bottom after that you need to keep the leave stems all overnight to dry them.

Conclusion:

The Dracaena fragrans are able to grow in low light and also there is no big issue if you miss watering the plant. but this doesn’t mean that you will kill the plant so you need to follow all the above-mentioned tips if you want the Dracaena Fragrans to grow faster. Also, you need to be careful as they are poisonous to some animals like dogs and cats.