How to Care for Corn Plants
The corn plant (Dracaena fragrans ‘Massangeana’) is a low-maintenance houseplant that grows in a tree-like form. Corn plants have thick, woody, cane-like stems and large, dark-green leaves. The leaves have a wide yellowish-cream colored stripe down the center and can grow up to 24 inches long and 4 inches wide. Native to tropical East Africa, the corn plant is extremely easy to grow and care for, thriving in normal indoor temperatures and conditions. Due to its preference for low light and only limited water and fertilization needs, the corn plant makes for an ideal houseplant.
Pot your corn plant in a heavy container with drainage holes in the bottom that is only 2 or 3 inches larger than the diameter of the roots. The corn plant likes to be slightly root-bound in its pot.
- The corn plant (Dracaena fragrans ‘Massangeana’) is a low-maintenance houseplant that grows in a tree-like form.
- Native to tropical East Africa, the corn plant is extremely easy to grow and care for, thriving in normal indoor temperatures and conditions.
Grow your corn plant in a well-draining, all-purpose potting mix. Position the corn plant in low light or bright, indirect sunlight.
Maintain normal indoor air temperatures around the corn plants, about 60 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit but no cooler than 55 degrees. Keep the plant away from drafts, heating or air-conditioning vents and direct sunlight.
Water your corn plants two or three times each week from spring until fall to keep the soil evenly moist. If you have several canes growing in a single pot, check the soil around each cane because they’ll each have different rates of water usage.
Feed your corn plants once each month from spring until fall with a liquid 10-10-10 NPK (Nitrogen-Phosphorus-Potassium) fertilizer at half the regular dosage rate. Apply the fertilizer when watering the corn plants.
- Grow your corn plant in a well-draining, all-purpose potting mix.
- Water your corn plants two or three times each week from spring until fall to keep the soil evenly moist.
Repot the corn plant once every three years in the springtime. Repot the plant only when the roots have filled the container.
Prune out the new growth in the center of the corn plants to maintain their height and shape. You can also cut back the cane in spring or early summer to maintain any desired height.
Tip
Cut back on watering your corn plants during the winter. Allow the top 2 inches of potting soil to dry out before watering.
Warning
Don’t overwater your corn plants, because this will cause the tips of the leaves to turn yellow, the new growth to develop spots and the roots to rot.
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Tips
- Cut back on watering your corn plants during the winter. Allow the top 2 inches of potting soil to dry out before watering.
Warnings
- Don't overwater your corn plants, because this will cause the tips of the leaves to turn yellow, the new growth to develop spots and the roots to rot.
Writer Bio
Sarah Terry brings over 10 years of experience writing novels, business-to-business newsletters and a plethora of how-to articles. Terry has written articles and publications for a wide range of markets and subject matters, including Medicine & Health, Eli Financial, Dartnell Publications and Eli Journals.
