Monday, May 11, 2009

Dracaena fragrans massangeana?

my corn plant in my office stinks like moist soil. there' s no moisture or condensation on the plant or in my office. i have sufficent space. why does it stink so bad? i thought these corn plants doesn't have a scent?

Dracaena fragrans massangeana?
If the plant itself stinks, it may be because the canes are rotting... other than that, I can't think of a reason why the plant would smell. Press on the cane (like you're going to pinch it) at several points, it should be hard to the touch.





Now, if it isn't rotting, the smell has to be coming from the soil. Is their decorative moss on the soil surface? had there been, and now it's removed? maybe pushed down around the sides of the pot? Moss can smell as it decomposes.





Has the plant ever been transplanted? Most potting soil is what we call "soilless mix", that is, it's mostly sphagnum peat. Some mixes might smell. Sphagnum peat holds quite a bit of water. Be sure to allow the soil to dry completely between watering's for a month or two. That might help reduce the smell. Use a butter knife or spoon to dig into the soil an inch down to see that it's dry.





Don't spray the soil or plant with any commercial air scents. You can use them in the proximity of the plant, just not directly on it. An air freshener might be the only solution.





Good luck


I hope that this helps
Reply:You will probably find that the plant maintenance guy is using a liquid fertilizer - the fish based ones really stink for a few days after application.


No comments:

Post a Comment