Mother-in-law’s Tongue plant lacks water, light

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What is wrong with my plant?

Christina Lim

Your Mother-in-law’s Tongue (Dracaena trifasciata) looks shrivelled and has floppy leaves. Although it is a drought-tolerant plant, it should not be left without water for too long. When the soil below the surface feels dry, water it until excess water drains out from the drainage holes at the base of the pot.

If your pot does not have such holes, your plant may be over-watered. Excess water could have accumulated inside the pot, causing the roots to rot and preventing the plant from taking up water. If this is the case, check the plant’s roots and prune any rotten parts before replanting it in well-draining potting mix inside a pot with drainage holes.

This species requires some sunlight to thrive and cannot be grown in deep shade indoors. Give it at least four hours of filtered sunlight a day to maintain a more compact growth habit with upright, firm leaves. As your plant may have been grown in the shade, move it gradually to a brighter spot to avoid burning it.

My bonsai is shedding leaves. I have been spraying 60 per cent cold-pressed neem oil thrice a week in the evening, but the problem persists. What should I do?