How to revive a Brazilian stick

The trunk of Brazil, also called dracena, Brazilian stick, happiness stick, water stick or by its scientific name, Dracaena fragransIt is a plant of tropical origin that is tremendously popular as an indoor plant, since its appearance is as characteristic as it is beautiful and its care is not too demanding, in addition to being shown that it is a plant that helps purify the air. This plant, which has its origin in the country that its common name indicates, is a shrub that can reach heights of more than 6 meters in its natural environment, but whose growth is much more limited in a pot. In fact, the water sticks that we can usually buy in nurseries or specialized stores are often segments cut from a larger plant, which roots without problems.

This plant can be very resistant, and even when it seems that we have lost it, it is possible to recover a trunk from Brazil.

How to revive a rotten Brazilian log

Despite being a tropical plant that requires relative humidity, it is possible to overdo it with watering the trunk of Brazil. In fact, despite its name, it is not possible to have a Brazilian wood in water and that is well healthy, and a Brazilian wood that is drowned or whose soil is always too wet will end up getting sick and rotting.

If you notice your Brazilian trunk with a soft stem or a trunk in poor condition, you will have to intervene urgently to save the plant. Follow these guidelines on how to retrieve a rotten happiness stick :

  1. Carefully feel the stems for those that are not dry and tough, and prune those that are not well.
  2. Remember that it is very important that pruning tools are as sharp as possible and properly disinfected. This is always vital, but it is even more so when we carry out a pruning to recover a plant whose health is in danger. Use pruning shears or a non-serrated knife and make a clean cut at a slight incline to prevent debris from building up in the wound.
  3. Apply healing paste on it. If you don’t have it, you can make it yourself with melted candle wax and fungicidal powder , which you should apply while it is still liquid and let it dry on the wound to seal it.
  4. Remove any rotten or spoiled leaves from the plant and carefully remove them from the pot. Lightly shake the wetter soil from the roots and wrap the root ball in absorbent paper. Wear multiple layers so that you can remove all excess moisture from the plant. Leave it like this for at least 24 hours, somewhere dry and out of direct sun.
  5. If the soil is still damp the next day, renew the paper and repeat. If it already seems dry, transplant the Brazilwood into a container with holes and a light, well-draining mix. A mixture of peat with earthworm humus, coconut fiber and perlite is a very good option.
  6. Apply fungicide to the plant to protect it from Brazilwood diseases while it is still weak.

How to revive a Brazilian stick - How to revive a rotten Brazilian log

How to revive a dried Brazil stick

Another possibility of a diseased Brazil trunk is that it has dried for too long without watering or due to insufficient humidity. To revive a dry Brazilian log, follow these steps:

  1. Remove the plant from areas where there are drafts, which cause the plant to lose moisture.
  2. After this, and once you have verified that the substrate is dry but absorbs water properly, put the pot in a container with water and leave it there, submerged, for a maximum of half an hour.
  3. Take it out and let the drainage holes remove excess water, still keeping the plant out of drafts.
  4. During the following days, increase the frequency of watering and, if the weather is very dry in your area, spray water on the leaves of the Brazilwood about two or three times a week. A transplant into a new container with fresh substrate will also help. 

How to revive a Brazilian trunk with yellow leaves

There are different reasons why the leaves of the Brazil wood turn yellow . If they are yellow but drooping, excessively soft, it is due to excessive watering or humidity in the soil. In this case, simply reduce the risks or change the substrate for one with better drainage. Remember that this plant needs a pot with drainage holes. If what happens is that the tips of the leaves are dry and brown, and the edges are yellow, the plant needs the opposite: more watering and humidity or less exposure to the sun.

In either case, if your plant is weak, nothing better than helping it with a supply of natural organic fertilizer such as worm castings or compost , which you can add to the soil in spring and summer. In fact, doing it even if you don’t have a problem is always a good idea.

How to revive a Brazilian stick

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