The mass cane plant, also known as corn plant or Dracaena massangeana, is an evergreen houseplant that can grow up to 12 feet tall.
The shiny green leaves have golden yellow stripes running down the center and they fold out into long sword-shaped objects typically around 2 inches wide at their widest point with a stiff central blade covered by soft petioles (which help support your flowers).
How to Care For Mass Cane Plant
To ensure the best growth and health of your mass cane plant, place it in a pot with well-draining soil.
Water when necessary but avoid letting them sit around too much as this can cause rot or fungus.
It’s important that you keep an eye on humidity levels; they need high humidity to survive properly (70%+) so make sure there is plenty sitting near their roots at all times during summer months unless containerized away from direct sunlight if possible).
Fertilize once per month during peak growing season only – don’t go more than twice without applying nutrients again after the initial dose has worn off because your mass cane plant will be hungry.
Mass Cane Plant Information
Though not as tall or wide growing outdoors, a potted mass cane plant will still grow between 4 and 6 ft (1.2 – 1 .8 m) indoors with proper care in an appropriate container.
With glossy green leaves gracing thick stems up 3 feet long and4 “wide, these plants make for excellent decorative accents anywhere around your home.
How to Propagate Mass Cane Plants
To propagate mass cane plants, use tip cuttings for best results.
Remove sections of stem about 4 inches long and place in water until roots begin to form them transfer the rooted sections into soil mixture.
The best time to propagate a Dracaena plant is in the spring or summer when growth has been fastest.
Propagating by stem cutting requires little effort and can be done easily with just one cut of your blade below a horizontal line on the top-side of each section you want as new plants, then placing them immediately into fresh soil mixture inside pots for setup before potting up again so they stay healthy.
Mass Cane Light Requirements
Your mass cane plant loves plenty of indirect sunlight all year round, but it does not like direct sunlight, so avoid placing near an open window or anywhere else where it might sit in the sun on a regular basis.
The Dracaena massangeana needs bright light, but shouldn’t be exposed to direct sunlight. The indoor tree-like plant will grow better with plenty of artificial lighting and protection from intense sunbeams that might cause discoloration or drying out too quickly (which could lead to leaves crisp).
It’s best placed next an east facing window where there are fewer strong shadows for this reason; it helps promote even moisture distribution throughout its roots.
Mass Cane Best Soil
The mass cane plant needs well-draining soil, so make sure it has good drainage holes in the bottom of the pot.
Plant your mass cane in a loose, high quality potting mix with added compost or peat moss for better drainage.
To keep your corn plants happy and healthy, make sure there are plenty of drainage holes in their potting soil. If you notice that the mix is too thick for these cane-like plant lifeforms then add some perlite (lightweight aggregate) so excess water can drain quickly out from beneath its roots.
Pruning Mass Cane Plant Leaves
Dracaena is a leafy tropical plant with natural bushy growth.
Pruning doesn’t speed up its development and can be done only to remove dead or yellowing leaves to control height; new buds will form at the end of each stem after pruning away from older ones so you don’t lose any potential flowers.
How to Water Mass Cane Plants
You can water your mass cane when you notice that the top inch (2.5 cm) or so of soil feels dry to the touch – however, never allow them to sit around completely dry for any length of time because they will die quickly if allowed to become too dry at all.
You should only need to water them about every 2 weeks depending on how warm and sunny their environment is naturally yet still only during the summer months.
Watering your cane plant is a little more complicated than watering any other type of houseplant. The best way to know when enough water has been applied and what kind will work for the light it’s in, you’ll have an easier time with this if you follow these guidelines:
The general rule with most succulents (cane flowers) like aloe vera or sempervi grows well under bright indirect sunlight; however some may also do fine inside on shady days as long as they’re given plenty enough moisture during their growing period which usually lasts about two months after planting out those babies into individual pots before transferring them straight home from gardening store.
Temperature Requirements for Mass Cane Indoor Care
Keep your houseplant healthy by giving it the right conditions. The ideal temperature range for Dracaena plants is 60°F to 75 ° F (15 C – 24).
However, you need to keep an eye on your mass cane plant because too-cold temperatures can cause it to lose its leaves or go dormant yet too hot conditions can kill or seriously weaken it.
So, average room temperatures are perfect for growing a strong cane plant with heavy yields.
During night time you can tolerate 50 degree Fahrenheit drops down below 10 degrees Celsius on occasion—but make sure not too sudden changes in these ranges happen all at once because this could kill them off quicker than expected.
Mass Cane Plant Humidity Requirements
The humidity of the air affects how well your plants grow.
The ideal range is between 40 and 50%, but if you want to give them extra love then misting will be appreciated regularly in order for their leaves stay hydrated as well having corn nearby can also help create an environment where it’s more humid than usual.
Misting or wiping with damp cloths are two ways that could work wonders.
During winter months humidity levels should be around 50 percent and up for indoor air quality, though you want to maintain high humidity year round with frequent misting if possible.
Misting your mass cane plant is great as long as you avoid getting water on the leaves because wet leaves can cause plant diseases.
Mass Cane (Dracaena Massangeana) Flowers
Mass canes are flower-like plants that grow in clusters and have pinkish white petals.
The tightly closed flowers open at night time, looking like delicate spikes from afar but bloom freely when you get up close with them! These beautiful tropical blooms will appear late fall through springtime depending on your location.
Though they may flower indoors, mass cane flowers are typically small and insignificant-looking compared to those of their outdoor counterparts.
Flowers range from white to pink with a yellow throat.
They also grow on long spikes up to 3 feet long which will shortly be followed by bright red berries.
In the wild these bright red berries make for an important food source for local birdlife who know exactly where to go in order eat some seeds before and after feeding their young and plucking out scales from around the berry’s center to avoid poisoning themselves with nasty alkaloids found here just like all parts of this beautiful plant can be poisonous to humans if ingested, so keep it out of reach.
Mass Cane Growth Rate
Indoor growing is the perfect solution for those who don’t have enough space or light. Mass cane plants are slow growers, meaning it can take many years before they reach their maximum height of 6 ft (1 8 m).
However, this also makes them ideal as indoor decorations because you won’t need to worry about your plant overflowing its boundaries in this case!
Your mass cane plant will grow significantly faster than an outdoor version just like other houseplants typically does in most indoor conditions compared to their outdoor counterparts.
It’ll typically grow 1-2 feet (30 – 60 cm) per plant annually but don’t be surprised if yours grows much slower or not at all because there are too many factors that could hinder growth including improper care, over/under watering/drainage and pest infestations.
Repotting a Mass Cane Plant
Repotting your Dracaena cane plant is important for its health.
It’s a good idea to repot every two or three years at the most, transferring into an even larger pot with fresh soil from time to be sure you don’t have any dead roots on account of poor drainage in previous containers.
When you’re finished repotting your cane tree, make sure to shake off all dirt and rinse it thoroughly.
If there are any brown or mushy roots leftover from when the plant was originally in its pot then cut them away with sharp scissors so that future growth will be healthy.
Now fill up a new sterile pot halfway full of the soil before putting in place an absorbent amount around each root ball while also ensuring plenty more space between individual branches for good airflow throughout their environment as well as watering consistently daily.
Fertilizer Needs for Healthy Mass Cane Plant Growth
To keep your Dracaena healthy and vibrant, fertilize it once a month during the growing season with general household fertilizer. Feeding can lead to mineral burn which is when excess salts build up in soil causing damage for these plants that do not need much attention at all.
You should only apply plant fertilizer during the active growing season (spring through summer) when your mass cane plant is actively growing and blooming.
Do not fertilize your mass cane during fall or winter because this can cause damage to the roots if you do it at an inappropriate time of year .
The conditioner should be applied every 2-4 weeks only as a foliar spray for best results.
To promote healthy growth, it’s important to flush the soil every once in a while.
Fertilizer can be unnecessary if you grow mass cane plants with organically rich dirt – but just remember that over-fertility is never good for either plant! Flush your houseplants by running water through their potting mix for two or three minutes after watering them before putting them back into position.
Mass Cane Plant Problems / Diseases
Common pests that can affect mass cane plants are spider mites, mealybugs, and thrips.
If these pesky bugs attack your plant you will see signs of infestation under leaves or on stems like brown spots from their droppings which could be harmful if left unchecked.
Getting rid is easy- just apply neem oil solution with care so as not to damage any tissue while wiping away all moisture present in order avoid stressing out the roots too much – this may lead to further problems down the road such us root rot where they turn black due lack water reaching them at the bottom of the soil.
Prevention is key because once they hit, you’ll need to use a pesticide spray to get rid of these pests immediately before the damage spreads further into the inner parts of your plant.
Here are a few pests affecting indoor mass cane plants:
Spider mites. They are very small and can be seen on the undersides of plant leaves or green stems if there is an infestation.
Spider mites pierce individual leaf cells and suck out their contents, which causes white spots to form on leaves as they dry up and fall off.
You can control them by spraying your cane plants with neem oil solution every 2 weeks only for around 3 months or so until the problem no longer occurs unless you see that it’s not working at all – then just go with pesticide spray.
Mealybugs. They are flat-bodied insects that cause a cottony wax buildup but don’t worry because getting rid is true. Just apply neem oil solution to get rid of them especially if you see any signs of damage from their droppings.
Thrips. These tiny 1/16 inch pests feed on a variety of plant parts and flowers by rasping the surface and withdrawing the clear, body fluids that result in silvery patches on leaves or flower petals – usually seen when they are flying at a good speed during daytime hours.
Just use neem oil solution for this pest too because it’s easy to control with a natural pesticide used over all other harmful chemicals.
Insecticidal soap may also be applied once a week throughout the growing season only if the problem persists after using other methods mentioned above for at least 3 months.
Fungal diseases can also affect Dracaena corn plants.
The common signs of fungal disease are leaf spots and weak growth due to root rot, which is often caused by excessive watering or letting the roots sit in water for too long without drainage; this leads us back to our original point about not allowing soil to dry out at all since that will only make matters worse.
Allowing your plant’s potting mix (or even just loose-layering) might help prevent these problems–and if you notice any diseased cane pieces before they spread their spores around then remove them immediately so it doesn’t spread further.
Common mass cane plant problems include fungal diseases and root rot fungus.
You can prevent these following a few tips for proper care and growing to avoid root rot fungus.
First, do not over-water your mass cane plants because that could lead to fungal problems – just water when the top 1/2 inch of soil has dried out slightly which is about every 2 weeks depending on the humidity levels of your place or how much sunlight it gets daily.
Secondly, never let roots stand in water for hours at a time–be sure they drain very well. And lastly, since this is an indoor plant species you can use lime-free compost only so the right balance doesn’t turn into too much acidity later on with all the fertilizers you’ll be using on it.
FAQs About Mass Cane Plant Care
Why do mass cane plant leaves have brown tips?
This problem could be caused by too much direct sunlight or even if the plant isn’t getting enough fertilizer.
The best thing to do is simply look into your lighting setup and ensure that they are not being exposed to it because lack of light will cause brown tips just as well which you can fix by using grow lights if possible – but first you should always start with adjusting their exposure time to be lessened gradually until the leaves stop having brown tips.
On the other hand, too much fertilization can lead to iron or calcium deficiency thus turning the tips brown also so water only when the top 1/2 inch of soil has dried out slightly so you avoid any type of fungus problems later on.
Do mass cane plants like the full sun?
It depends on their exposure time and how much sunlight they get daily.
For one, mass canes will also need at least 6 hours of direct sunlight every day so the more the better depending on your lighting setup such as using grow lights if you want to increase sun exposure for your plant.
Aside from that, during summertime when days are longer it is best if your plant gets indirect light without harsh midday sun shining directly onto where it stands because too much heat and bright light (such as seen in full-sun conditions) can cause damage over time which leads us back to the original topic about protecting your mass cane plants from leaves curling up and scorching.