DRACAENA DRACO

[P180]

I purchased this Dracaena draco in San Diego about five years ago. It was much smaller at that time, perhaps half it's current size. It is still in the same nursery pot that it was in when purchased. 

I'd like to plant it outside in the ground but I'm not certain that it will receive adequate drainage given that, where I live, the "soil" is called "sugar sand" which very fine and packs tightly.

I'm sure transplanting it into a large pot would remedy this problem, but considering the price of large pots in my area ($500), that isn't my first choice.

Does anyone have experience with planting Dracaena draco in Florida or how/if sugar sand can be amended for a tree that requires the drainage of this tree?

[Merlyn]

@P180 I have tried Draco a couple of times, and they have all died after one of my "normal" frosts in the upper 20s.  I tried them in pots and in the ground, it seemed to be frost burn and then root or trunk rot that killed them.  I'm in NW Orlando area so quite a bit colder than Micco near the coast.  To successfully grow one here I think I'd need to bring it inside on nights where I expected temps in the 30s or frosts. 

One thing to check is how deep the sand is at your place, and whether it actually stays wet 6-12 inches below the surface.  Because the water table here is 4-6 feet below the surface, even in winter it's damp once you get down to 6-12 inches deep.  That's great for many plants, as I don't really need to water things once they are established.  But it's been a hassle for many species of agave, aloe, and some desert-type palms.

If you decide to not plant it, you could probably get a 15g to 30g nursery pot from any local nursery.  Some wouldn't want to sell off an old pot, but there's at least a couple near me that have piles and piles and piles of old pots sitting around.  If you like the rustic look you could get one of those 30+ gallon whisky barrel halves from HD or Lowes for about $45.

[Silas_Sancona]

Would take a look at this classic thread ..