Dieffenbachia is a very beautiful and popular plant. Dieffenbachia is a good air purifier! This plant absorbs air pollution and provides you with cleaner air. Continue reading this article in TooPlant in order to learn more about how to grow and care for Dieffenbachia.
What you will read in this article:
Introduction of Dieffenbachia (Dumb Cane)
Before addressing how to care for Dieffenbachia, please allow us to give you a brief introduction about this houseplant.
| Name | Dieffenbachia |
| Family | Arecaceae |
| Botanical Name | Dieffenbachia Seguine |
| Native | Caribbean, South America |
| Common Name(s) | Dieffenbachia, Dumb Cane |
This plant belongs to the central and southern parts of America. Its green leaves with a mixture of white color make it a stunning plant. Another name for this plant is Dumb canes! Because if it is eaten, due to the toxic juice inside it, the person may lose the ability to speak.
Dieffenbachia is a member of the large family Arecaceae. Together plants such as Aglaonema, Spathiphyllum and Philodendron form this family. So it is not unexpected to say that Dieffenbachia loves moisture!
In this article, we want to provide you with information about how to care for Dieffenbachia, so stay tuned with Tooplant.
Care for Dieffenbachia
In this part, we will focus on the most important aspects which you need to take into consideration while treating this houseplant. The best methods of how to care for Dieffenbachia include as follows:
Light
Light is among the first important issues to care for Dieffenbachia. Dieffenbachia grows well in an almost bright environment with little shade. So when placing it in different parts of the house, keep in mind that it does not need much light. Of course, Dieffenbachia will grow relatively well if it receives full sunlight. Some varieties even grow under artificial light. Full sunlight darkens the leaves of Dieffenbachia.
In general, it needs an environment with filtered and indirect light, but it can also tolerate direct light. Excessive and intense light can burn the leaves of Dieffenbachia, which turns them yellow. Very low light also causes the leaves of the plant to discolor and die. In both cases, the plant is damaged and the leaves may begin to fall off.
But the story is different for Dieffenbachia, who is kept outside the house. In this case, Dieffenbachia receives full and bright sunlight but should be protected from strong winds and strong sunny summer afternoons. Otherwise, it looks sickly.
In general, too much light burns the leaves of Dieffenbachia. Conversely, if the color of your plant’s leaves is too yellow/white, too much shade may cause the plant to turn pale.
So, as shown above, light plays a significant role to care for Dieffenbachia.
Water
In the rest, concerning the tips of caring for a Dieffenbachia houseplant, it is better to know that watering of Dieffenbachia apartment plant is really an art. There is no exact time to determine the day of watering. You need to consider the weather conditions, the time of year you are in, the type of soil, the amount of light received, the amount of moisture and the location of the plant, and create a proper watering pattern for Dumb Cane according to the outcome of all these factors. Of course, this also applies to other plants, you can never say exactly how much water a plant needs. Therefore, watering is another important aspect in order to care for Dieffenbachia.
Regarding watering this plant, we recommend watering it well first. Then let the plant feel completely dry between each watering.
Dieffenbachia indoor plant needs watering more during the summer months than in the winter. The growth cycle of this plant begins in late March and ends in mid-November.
Overwatering can cause the roots to become fleshy, growth to be weakened, and eventually the stem to become fungal. So make sure the pot has several drainage holes. As always, proper soil drainage is important.
In general, the best time to water Dieffenbachia is when the top few inches of soil have dried. When watering, water should be given until the excess comes out from under the pot, but this water should not come in contact with the pot because it will cause the plant soil to dry later and as a result, the roots of the plant will be damaged.
Also, try to use water that is low in salts. So if you use tap water, let it rest for a few hours until the solutes have settled.
In this way, to care for Dieffenbachia, watering is considered to be of great significance.
Soil
Intending to care for Dieffenbachia, the other crucial matter is soil. Potting soil for violets is suitable for Dieffenbachia houseplants. You have probably heard this combination many times:
• One third of multipurpose clay
• One third of peat moss
• One third of pebble or perlite
If you plant Dieffenbachia in your garden, you are free to choose the final soil composition. The combination mentioned above can be very useful for it.
But if you have an apartment Dieffenbachia, be sure to use the soil for houseplants or make the ideal combination yourself: two parts of peat moss and one part of perlite. Simply!
Spring is the best time to change the soil or move the plant to a new pot. Do not overdo it and choose a pot with multiple drainage holes.
Thus, it can be said that, soil is another basic and important issue so as to care for Dieffenbachia.
Temperature
In the remaining, concerning the tips of caring for a Dieffenbachia houseplant, it is better to know thatNow, we come to temperature which is assumed to be principal to care for Dieffenbachia in addition to light, watering and soil that are mentioned above. Dieffenbachia prefers temperatures in the range of 15 to 24 °C all year round. In fact, it grows best in this temperature range.
All aspects of the growth of this plant take place at a temperature below 15 degrees slower. Some types of Dieffenbachia show signs of cold damage at temperatures below 10 °C. Therefore, try to place it in an environment with the mentioned temperature and avoid placing it in a cold environment.
Humidity
Moisture is another thing which we need to inevitably pay attention to when talking about how to care for Dieffenbachia. Dieffenbachia house plant is interested in a warm and humid environment. Providing a warm environment for this plant is important because the cold weather can damage Dieffenbachia and shed its leaves.
It is also better to keep the storage environment moist for the plant to grow better. You can do this with a water spray, fumigator or place it in an environment such as the kitchen or bathroom. Never place this plant near heating appliances as drying of the ambient air will damage the plant.
Therefore, please do not forget to take humidity into consideration in order to care for Dieffenbachia in the best way.
Fertilizer
When you want to care for Dieffenbachia, one of the important questions that may come to your mind is “what is the best fertilizer?” In what follows, we will address how to fertilize this plant:
The easiest way to fertilize Dieffenbachia is to add a little liquid fertilizer every once in a while after watering the plant. Never fertilize the plant in winter, in this season watering alone is enough for the plant.
Choose a balanced solvent fertilizer in water and add it to the plant at half the recommended strength while watering.
Use solid fertilizer with long-term release when moving the plant to a new pot or changing the soil. Always follow the original recipe written on the fertilizer and follow it accordingly. So if you want your Dumb Cane to grow well, don’t forget to fertilize it.
As a result, we could say that fertilizer is regarded as one of the fundamental issues when someone wants to care for Dieffenbachia.
Toxicity
In order to care for Dieffenbachia, toxicity is considered to be a major issue because it directly relates to your health especially children. The deadly and highly toxic nature of Dieffenbachia is more of a myth than a fact.
The fact that Dieffenbachia is toxic is that Dumb Cane cells contain needle-shaped crystals called calcium oxalate.
If the leaves of this plant are chewed or eaten, these crystals cause burning, erythema and in some cases swelling. Calcium oxalate can cause pain, sore throat, heartburn, or numbness in humans or animals.
These symptoms are usually mild to moderate and are not life threatening. But if the plant is consumed too much or left in the mouth, it can cause swelling in the throat that blocks the airway.
Prune
Another thing to keep in mind when caring for a Dieffenbachia is pruning it. One of the most important things you need to know about taking care of Diphenbachia is that you do not need to ask when it is suitable for pruning Dieffenbachia, because it does not need it at all! Old leaves turn yellow on their own and you have to remove them. Otherwise it will not require significant pruning.
How to Repot Dieffenbachia houseplants? (Essential tips for repotting Dumb Cane)
Usually this plant needs to be replaced every two to three years because its roots are growing and it will not have enough space to continue growing. It is better to do this in the spring so that the plant is not shocked or damaged. It is also a good idea to choose a new pot that is only one size larger than the previous one because a pot that is too large requires a lot of water and dries later, something that Dieffenbachia does not like.
How to Propagate Dumb Cane?
One of the easiest ways to propagate Dieffenbachia houseplant is to cut the stem. To do this, just cut a 10 to 15 cm branch from the plant and prune the leaves on it.
Then place this branch in a bowl of clean water. Change the water in the container every few days. To prevent the formation of algae or bacteria in it. Place this container of water in a warm, bright place until the cuttings begin to take root.
Once the young roots of the cuttings have formed, transfer the cuttings to a pot with light, well-drained soil and take care of them.
Caring for Dieffenbachia houseplants: Common Diseases
After a description of taking care of a Dieffenbachia, we will explain the problems and their solutions:
Why Are Dieffenbachia Leaves Turning Yellow?
As “leaves turning yellow” is one of the common problems that you may face when you want to care for Dieffenbachia, we tried to describe the reasons and the ways to solve it in details. There are several reasons that may cause the leaves or stems of Dieffenbachia house plant to turn yellow. Reasons such as high watering, low temperature and too much light are some of the reasons why this plant turns yellow.
To prevent this problem, you should re-water the relatives whenever the top few inches of the plant soil dries. Store the plant in a temperature of 15 to 23 degrees and be careful never to expose Dieffenbachia to strong sunlight as it may cause sunburn in the plant.
You should know that if the leaves of Dieffenbachia turn yellow, it can no longer regenerate them and return them to their original color. Therefore, it is better to prune the yellow leaves of Dieffenbachia from the plant so as not to cause disease or spread it to other leaves and plants.
Why are Dumb Cane Leaves Dropping?
“Leaves dropping” is another common problem that you may face when you want to care for Dieffenbachia, so we tried to describe the reasons and the ways to solve it in details.
One of the most important reasons for the fall of Dieffenbachia leaves is low watering. The best time to watering this plant is when the soil surface of the plant is dry. If the soil of the plant becomes too dry and the amount of water received by the plant is low, it will cause the plant to sacrifice a number of its leaves in order to be able to manage its limited resources.
Overwatering can also cause the leaves of Dumb Cane to fall off. Overwatering can cause the roots of the plant to rot, resulting in the plant not being able to absorb enough water and experiencing a lack of energy. In this case, too, the plant begins to sacrifice its leaves to manage its limited energy. Inadequate light or very cold weather can also cause the plant’s leaves to fall off.
How to Make Dieffenbachia Fuller?
In order to fill your Dieffenbachia plant, you need to prune tall branches and branches that have gone out of their way to sprout and grow again. This should be done with a pair of clean scissors or a knife. Cut 45 degrees diagonally so that at least 15 cm of the branch remains and do not forget to make this cut on top of the leaf node so that the stem can grow again, thicker and fill your plant.
Infographic Of How To Care For Dieffenbachia
In this article, we tried to explain to you in an infographic the essential tips in the care of Dieffenbachia, so that you can briefly and usefully learn the methods of caring for this plant.
In The End
In this article, we tried to provide you with the necessary information about the methods of caring for a Dieffenbachia.
However, if you have any questions regarding this indoor plant or you need to get advice from our houseplant experts, please share your questions with us through the comments section below.
