The corn plant (Dracaena Massangeana) is one of the most effective air-cleaning plants you can have in the home.

Due to the height and size, it grows to, it’s also an attention grabber and one of the first things people will notice when they enter your home.

But how tall do corn plants get, how do you encourage them to grow and how do you manage them when they start getting a bit too tall for their space?

This article is all about corn plant size, how to encourage them to grow and how to manage them when they start outgrowing your home.

Will My Corn Plant Get Taller?

A potted corn plant

Yes, your corn plant will get taller. In nature, these plants can reach 50 feet in height, and corn plants grown in the home can reach over 7 feet tall.

As these plants get bigger, their leaves get really long and wide and their stems grow very thick.

Given lots of light, heat, and humidity, your corn plant will get taller by using its large leaves to photosynthesize and produce more energy, and its thick stems to transport water and nutrients to boost the growth of new buds.

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How Do I Make My Corn Plant Grow Taller?

To make your corn plant grow taller, you’ll need to give it fertilizer in the spring and summer, keep it somewhere warm that gets loads of bright but indirect sunlight, lots of humidity, and no cold drafts.

These plants are native to tropical regions of Africa and they thrive on bright, indirect sunlight, warmth, and humidity.

If you can offer all three of these growing conditions to your plant and only water it when the top two or three inches of soil completely dries out, it will grow like crazy.

But there are a few other things you can do to encourage growth that we will get into below.

Give More Bright, Indirect Sunlight

For your corn plant to grow taller, you’ll want to give it as much bright, indirect sunlight as possible, without exposing it to strong, direct sunlight.

If you have a window that gets too much full afternoon sun, you could set up a sheer curtain to filter the intense, direct rays but still offer your plant loads of bright, indirect sunlight.

Raise Humidity And Temperature

Corn plants will grow taller and faster if you raise humidity levels for them.

When humidity is high transpiration is lower and there is less need for your plant to conserve water.

This leads to your corn plant unfolding its leaves and opening its stomatal openings, allowing more photosynthesis and accelerated growth.

Remove From Cold Drafty Areas

Corn plants do not like cold drafts and if exposed to them on a regular basis, their growth can become stunted.

Position it away from windows and doors that may be opened regularly and leaving in cold blasts of air.

Water With Rain Water

Corn plants are really sensitive to fluoride toxicity and it will brown their leaves and affect how much they grow.

Have your tap water tested and if it’s high in fluoride, you definitely want to avoid watering your corn plant with it.

Try to collect and use rainwater or purchase reverse osmosis water.

Wipe Dust From Your Plant’s Leaves

Your corn plant has massive beautiful leaves with large surface areas to carry out photosynthesis.

But if too much dust is allowed to build up on their surface, your plant will not be able to photosynthesize and produce the energy it needs to grow effectively.

Take a damp microfiber cloth and about once every four weeks wipe down the leaves of your corn plant to encourage growth.

Fertilize In Spring And Summer

A little fertilizing in the growing season will encourage your corn plant to grow taller.

Apply a 3:1:2 ratio of liquid fertilizer as you are watering the plant in spring and summer.

Be sure to follow the instructions on the package carefully so that you don’t over-fertilize.

These plants are very sensitive to salts from excess fertilizer in the soil so it’s a good idea to flush the soil with rainwater every once in a while if you are fertilizing.

Pour plenty of water through your pot’s soil so that it flows out the drainage holes and washes away any excess salt.

How Fast Does A Corn Plant Grow?

Corn plants grow quickly when they are given warmth, humidity, and lots of bright, indirect sunlight.

A corn plant will grow roughly ten inches taller each year if properly looked after.

So it could take about five years for your plant to grow four feet in height.

These plants have large root structures and very thick stems that promote growth by delivering lots of nutrients and water to new growth around the plant.

Corn plants can also grow much larger leaves than other types of Dracaena and this means they can produce more energy for growth through photosynthesis.

Another indication that corn plants are fast growers is their price tag.

These plants are cheap.

You can buy a large corn plant that’s already several feet tall for only around $50.

This is much cheaper than other plants of a similar size.

That’s because the corn plant is cheaper to produce because it grows faster and consumes fewer resources from the grow house.

How Tall Do Indoor Corn Plants Get?

Indoor corn plants grown in containers can grow to be over 7 feet tall.

However, these plants can be pruned from the top and kept to a height that you like.

What Do I Do If My Corn Plant Is Too Tall?

If your corn plant is too tall you can prune it to reduce its height.

These plants are quite tough when it comes to pruning and you can prune them at any time of year (although pruning in spring and summer is better).

You can cut the softer green stems at any height you like at the top of your corn plant.

But don’t cut the thick brown stems on the lower part of the plant, unless you have to.

When cut, the brown stems take a lot of the plant’s energy and a very long time before they will produce new buds.

If you need to cut two or more large brown stems on your corn plant – do so one at a time.

Cut one large brown stem and then wait until you see new growth emerge before you cut another one.

Then, wait for growth to emerge from that one before you cut the next.

This will allow your plant to regrow without having to divert too much energy into it all at once.

If possible only prune the top and your plant will have a much easier time producing new buds when only the softer green stems at the top are cut.

Final Thoughts

Corn plants are very easy to care for houseplants, especially if you forget to give water every now and then.

If you want them to grow tall and lush, the most important things are that you give them lots of bright, indirect sunlight, a warm temperature, higher humidity, and only water them when the soil completely dries out.