The All-inclusive Dieffenbachia (Dumb Cane) Guide You Always Wanted

Keeping houseplants is a great way to reverse a bad hair day.

In fact, studies have confirmed that it increases productivity by up to 15% and improves your mood (NBCNews).

You can have fascinating, easy-care succulents such as longleaf snake plant, crassula, and panda plant.

Or the variegated and showy Dieffenbachia plant, also known as the Dumb Cane.

Well, this is the plant we’re going to talk about today.

Growth, care, varieties, problems – everything.

So let’s get started!

1. Why Should We Consider Growing Dieffenbachia?

Everything in order.

Why do we have a separate blog about plant growing this summer?

Because it has many advantages.

First, it is easy to maintain. Even if you are a new gardener, you can easily grow it by following simple thoughts.

Secondly, it is easily available in the market at affordable prices. It’s not as sparse as chicken teeth like the Resurrection Plant of Jericho, or it’s available in a number of fake plant replicas like Monstera Obliqua.

Third, it creates a cute tropical look in your room thanks to its lush leaves and thick, mature stems.

We have divided the blog into concrete points so that it is easily understood and scrolled by people of all understandings. You can only read the point you want.

2. Dieffenbachia Has Variegated Leaves

There are many varieties of this plant on the market. In general, they all have variegated leaves – light or dark green mixed with markings, spots, splashes or lime, yellow and light green hues.

Some may also have stripes. The leaves are elliptical-oblong in shape and may have anywhere from 8 to 20 lateral veins.

3. Dieffenbachia Is Toxic & Poisonous

Now, why is Dieffenbachia called the Stupid Walking Stick?

This is because it is poisonous.

There are copious amounts of microscopic calcium oxalate crystals all over the plant and these, when consumed, can irritate mucous membranes and cause swelling of the throat and tongue, resulting in slurred speech.

It’s temporary but it definitely happens. Almost all parts of the plant are harmful, especially the stem. Therefore, this plant should be kept away from curious dogs, cats and children.

Fun fact:
Dieffenbachia is the second most common plant exposure treated at American poison control centers.

If ingested, here are some quick tips for treating it:

• Rinse the mouth with plenty of water to wash off the plant residues that may still be in the mouth.
• Taking sedatives to relieve skin and membrane irritation.
• Emergency medical assistance in the form of analgesics and anthistamines.
• Drink milk if medical aid is far away. It helps to form a protective film in the stomach. Lactose can also react with acid molecules to form some preservative product.

4. Dieffenbachia Care Guide

Here are spot growing and care instructions.

1. It requires bright, diffused light

Now, Dumb Cane is a houseplant, but not a low-light succulent like Jade Plant, Aloe vera and Elephant Bush.

The ideal placement of this plant is on the windowsill, which receives around 4-6 hours of bright light a day. It needs filtered/scattered light, but can also do well outdoors in a shaded location.

A mistake people make is to keep only one side of the plant facing the sun, making the other side leggy and underdeveloped. The rotation of the pot is important.

2. The soil needs to be well-drained

It’s a given, right. At least on most houseplants.

Extremely compact soil does not allow roots to reach water and oxygen easily, so the soil needs to be well-drained and well-aerated.

A great combination is 60% peat moss, 20% compost, 20% perlite. They hate wet soil and develop root rot as a result. Prepare the soil mix on a clutter-free garden mat.

3. Watering is different for winters & summers

In summer, Dumb Cane does not like to be dried as it is a summer plant. If you don’t give enough water, you’re disturbing the growth cycle. Water two or three times a week.

During the winter, you want the top 2 inches of soil to dry out before watering. That’s pretty much the defining line!

Overwatering causes root rot which will eventually cause the leaves to turn yellow which will kill them.

4. It likes a warm & humid environment

They perform best in the temperature range of 65-75 degrees Fahrenheit. Anything below 60 degrees will cause a leggy appearance.

Tropical varieties can perform well even in temperatures above 75 degrees. They should also not be exposed as they are sensitive to cold droughts.

Another thing is humidity; They like moist environments and thrive best at 60% humidity. Mist them regularly in the summer or put a tray of gravel filled with water at the bottom of the pot. A small moisturizer will also suffice.

5. What about the fertilizing needs?

At a younger age, they need more fertilizing, as the root system is not sufficiently developed. Depending on the plant type, add diluted liquid fertilizer with each watering.

Once mature, follow a routine of adding 20-20-20 diluted fertilizer every 6 weeks for best results.

5. Dieffenbachia Varieties – How Many Are There?

Although there are more than 15 cultivars of this plant, there are 4 cultivars readily available here.

1. Dieffenbachia Camille

Characterized by wide green leaves with dark green margins and yellow-green middles, the leaves are wavy and almost identical. Root is open.

2. Dieffenbachia Seguine

The distinguishing feature of this species is the cane stem, which is highly symbolic for the Dieffenbachia plant. It is the most common species and has large, ovular leaves with a dark green margin and a light green variegation in the centre.

3. Dieffenbachia Compacta

The leaves are arrow-shaped and the central light coloration degree is greater than the previous two varieties. The variegation is also more mottled and spotty than the others. It has a cane-like handle, though not as prominent as the Seguine.

4. Dieffenbachia Mary

It has dark green leaves that are spotted with white, yellow, and green markings all over.

6. Propagating the Dieffenbachia

There are two commonly used ways to propagate dieffenbachia.

1. Water propagation

In this case, take a 2-3 leaf stem and place it in a beaker or water bowl. Repeat this step for 3-4 containers to increase the success rate.

You should keep the water outdoors in bright, indirect light or in a shaded area for 7-8 hours a day.

Wait until the roots start to grow. It usually takes 20-30 days and then you can store them in a separate container.

When and how can I store dieffenbachia?
When the stem is hidden from the leaves, it’s time to repot. Spring is the best time to repot so the plant can have enough time to acclimate to the new potting mix.

Hit the sides of the pot with a metallic object and transplant the plant with all the soil into a larger pot.

2. Soil propagation

Here we will discuss the root cutting method.

Make sure the pruner or blade you use is sterilized with alcohol before cutting the stem into pieces.

Cut the stem into equal 2-2.5-inch pieces. Make sure there are at least 2 loops on the cut body parts.

Add liquid rooting hormone with the garden mix and fill the container. Make sure the top of the handle is facing up and the bottom is facing down. Plant them 1 inch deep into the soil.

Water the soil on alternate days and keep them in bright, indirect light or outdoors in a shady spot.

Depending on the variety and weather conditions, new leaves will emerge from each stem in 2-3 months.

You can also bury the stems horizontally with the eyes facing up. New branches will emerge from your eyes.

7. Problems with the Dumb Cane

No plant is resistant to everything. Dieffenbachia also has issues but it’s not very specific.

1. Yellow Leaves

Cause: Overwatering. This plant does not like to be watered frequently.

Solution: As we discussed above, water two or three times a week in the Summer and in the Winter when the top 2 inches of soil is dry.

2. Brown leaves

Causes: The three main causes of brown leaves in diefenbachia are over-fertilization, irregular watering and poor water quality.

The solution: Organize your irrigation cycle, don’t use chemical water, and reduce the frequency of adding fertilizers. We have explained the fertilization process before.

Also remove brown leaves from the rest of the plant.

3. Curling leaves

Causes: Pest attack, extreme temperature change or excessive fertilization.

Solution: Depending on the type of pest, treat and remove the affected leaves. In case the temperature changes rapidly, try to repeat the previous environment as soon as possible.

4. Brown or black spots on leaves, meshy webbed or cotton  structures on the leaves

Causes: Pest or fungal attack

Solution: If spots have appeared on the leaves, it is because of the fungus, so you need to keep them in bright light and reduce the water intake.

Webbed structures are caused by spider mites. You can take the plant outside and spray it with a strong water source or wipe its leaves with insecticidal soap.

Mealybugs cause cotton lumps on the underside of leaves. There are three ways;

First, isolate the affected leaves.

Second, wipe the underside of the leaves with a cloth dipped in alcohol.

Third, apply diluted neem oil sprays to the leaves as it acts as a natural insecticide.

Bottom line

Look, it wasn’t that hard to grow this plant :p

If you still have any questions about this herb, let us know in the comment section.

Keep visiting our garden stories for useful information.

Also, don’t forget to pin/bookmark and visit our blog for more interesting but original information.