Dracaena Marginata Care

Light
Dracaena Marginata does best with southern/western windows, but unobstructed north/east windows can work. Ideally, it would like 4-6 hours a day of bright light. This is considered a medium-bright light plant. If you notice new growth falling off, or looking pale, the plant is likely not receiving enough light. 

Place the plant within six feet of a window, and make sure to rotate every two weeks -  or the leaves/stems will lean toward the windows.

Water
Realistically, every 10-16 days, depending on the pot size (refer to chart below). However, frequency will depend on how warm the space is, how much sunlight the plant receives, how much humidity there is, and whether or not it's by a heat vent. The most effective method is checking the soil at the BOTTOM of the pot, by the drainage holes. If the soil is moist, leave the plant alone. Once the soil is bone dry, wait 3-4 days, then water again. In general, you should thoroughly saturate the soil, and let it fully dry before adding more.

Keep in mind that:
10" Pot = 3 gallons of volume. Plant needs 1gal of water, every 10-12 days.
12" Pot = 5 gallons of volume. Plant needs 1.5gal of water, every 11-14 days.
14" Pot = 7 gallons of volume. Plant needs 2gal of water, every 12-16 days.

Underwatering: manifests as extreme leaf drop. Some leaf drop is to be expected as the plant goes through "transport shock," but if the plant is underwatered, it will take nutrients/water from the lowest leaves and send it to the new growth at a MUCH faster rate. 

Overwatering: manifests as yellow/brown spots inside of the leaves, due to the cells in the leaves exploding. Imagine filling a water balloon beyond its capacity - it eventually pops. Same thing happens to the plant cells. You will likely also notice an increase in fungus gnats, as they thrive in overly damp conditions. In winter, be mindful of cold/drafty windows. Combining cold and wet will encourage root rot and shock.

You will need a catch try to hold water that will eventually seep through the bottom. "Deep" saucers are preferable to shorter ones, as they hold more water.

Humidity
Prefers 30 - 40%  humidity. If you don’t have a humidifier, I'd suggest getting one. Although it is a succulent, Dracaena's natural environment has medium humidity.
Heat vents will dry the air out, so you need to counteract that.
If you notice brown, crispy edges on the leaves -  then it's not receiving enough humidity.

General notes
All plants experience what is called "transport shock" over the first two-three weeks.
This will manifest as the lower leaves dropping. Dracaena naturally shed their leaves even in perfect growing conditions. Don't stress, just leave the plant alone and trust the process. These juvenile leaves will never turn mature, so the plant sheds them to make room for new growth. In nature, they decompose and turn into fertilizer. It's a nuisance / eye sore for us, so just sweep and toss them. 

It’s beneficial to wipe the top/bottom of the leaves every few weeks to help prevent pests and remove dust.

Repotting
All plants should be repotted within the first two months.

1) The soil in the pot was chosen to offset the heat/sunlight in Florida. This soil is too dense for a Chicago home/apartment. If you don't adjust/decrease your watering amount/frequency, you run the risk of overwatering.

2) The soil in the pot has realistically been there for 1-1.5 years. While there are some nutrients present, the plant has likely used up most of what was originally present.

3) If you can see the roots at the bottom of the pot, then you absolutely need to repot it right away. The feeder roots that seek out nutrients / water must have something to grow into. If those roots dry out or die, it confuses the plant. So, when you repot, make sure to add 2-3" of soil at the bottom. You need to create a buffer zone of soil for the roots to grow into.

Here's a video showing how to repot the plants

Soil
Black Gold Cactus and Succulent Mix + perlite at a 60:40 soil:perlite ratio.
Fox Farm Ocean Forest + perlite at a ratio of 50:50 soil:perlite.
Fox Farm Happy Frog is also a good option. Use the same soil:perlite ratio.