Growing the Dracaena ‘Lemon Lime’ | A Complete Guide

The dracaena, also known as the lemon lime, is one of the easiest plants that people can grow inside their homes. One of the best things about this plant is that it does not require a lot of care and maintenance, which means that you can easily keep this plant indoors without worrying a lot. Additionally, the Dracaena lemon lime can also be planted outdoors, so if you have a little patio or backyard, you can use the instructions given here to grow this plant without issues. 

• Where to grow:  

Put it indoors, ideally near a window where it can get 2 to 4 hours of bright indirect light, not blasting direct sun. In summer, you can move it outdoors too, as long as the spot stays bright but indirect, you know, not in deep dark shade.

• Temperature:  

The sweet spot in the daytime is about 65-78 degrees F. At night, try to keep temps roughly 10 degrees cooler. Keep it away from heating vents, and also away from any cold drafts. If it drops under 50-55 degrees F, the plant may start to suffer.

• Watering:  

Aim for soil that stays evenly moist. Don’t let the mix fully dry out between waterings. At the same time, soggy conditions can lead to root rot. Also, Dracaenas don’t love tap water, especially if it has fluoride, so use distilled water or rainwater instead.

• Fertilizing:  

Honestly, these plants do fine with not much feeding. Use a water-soluble houseplant fertilizer. Feed once per month during spring and summer, and then pause it in fall and winter, since growth tends to slow down.

• Pruning:  

Dracaenas can handle pruning pretty well. Do it while the plant is actively growing, mostly in spring and summer. Remove damaged leaves and any weak growth. You can also cut back the plant to shape it and keep the size you want.

• Repotting:  

Every spring, replace the top 2 to 3 inches of soil with a fresh mix. This helps replenish nutrients without messing around with the roots too much. Repot every 2 to 3 years in spring. Pick a container that’s about 1 to 2 inches wider than the prior pot. When you take it out, gently brush away old soil, then tease the roots a little, not aggressively. Add fresh soil, set the top of the root ball at the same level as before, then water thoroughly.

• Pests:  

If the plant looks a bit stressed or weakened, it can become more inviting to pests. Common ones include spider mites, scale, or mealybugs. Wipe the affected leaves with a cloth dipped in 70% rubbing alcohol.