A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The House Plant Forum Houseplants/plant pots smelling

Hey guys,

I recently re-potted my two dragon trees and have put both into their own terracotta planter. I've noticed that when I water them, a little water will seep out of the bottom of the pot, into the planter and thus the terracotta will get damp. There is now what I think may be mold on the outside of the planters and the room in which they're in smells really bad... I've tried everything else to get rid of the smell- am I going to have to buy new planters :-(

Thanks muchly in advance,


Rachy
x

could be from over watering?? I would let the plants dry out , since its winter they don't require a lot of water now. I would wipe off the outside of the pots with either rubbing alcohol, or water vinegar mix(1/2 and 1/2). try this first,, replanting plants is more recommended in the spring.
Were the terracotta pots clean and sterile when you repotted?

Well the terracotta pots are only planters to disguise the plastic pots actually holding the soil together. They were clean but I couldn't vouch for sterile when I bought them...I didn't think they would have to be with them just being planters...

It could certainly be down to overwatering... I give my plants a little water once a week if the top soil is dry but they're going to get a little neglected over the Christmas period, I fear... I think they'll love it! Lol!

I hate to be the bearer of bad news,but marginatas (I'm making the assumption that when you say dragon tree you mean dracaena marginata)are famous for getting a really bad smell when they have contracted stem rot, and they get rot really easily if they're overwatered, and once they've got rot they're pretty much goners. Does the stem have a sort of wrinkly appearance, and kind of soft? Are the leaves dropping off a few at a time? With marginatas, you have to test the soil for moisture all the way to the bottom of the pot, not just on the surface of the soil. Use a narrow wooden dowel, or a bamboo kebob skewer if its long enough to reach, and use it like testing a cake. When you pull it up, there should be only the faintest trace of moisture when you feel it. You can try cutting back the moisture to let the plants dry out - sometimes they pull through. If not, don't be afraid to try again.