How to care for a Dieffenbachia plant

The Dieffenbachia is a unique tropical plant with a unique name. Named after the gardener of Princess Sisi, Mr. Dieffenbach! Can't make this stuff up!

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  • Very frequent
  • Every two years
  • Bright, no direct sunlight
  • Toxic
  • Once every two weeks in Summer

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  • De Dieffenbachia is, net als veel andere planten, een kind van het Amazonegebied. Door zijn enorme en unieke bladeren is deze plant ook niet onopgemerkt gebleven door de lokale bevolking. Zo geloven bepaalde groepen in Brazilië dat de Dieffenbachia beschermt tegen negatieve energieën en het boze oog. Hij zou zo bij de Ghostbusters kunnen.
  • A great plant to have nearby, Dieffenbachia's are excellent air purifiers.
  • Beware! The sap or juice of a Dieffenbachia is really toxic. If you do end up touching the sap, notify your docter right away. Keep this plant far away from kids and pets.
  • The Dieffenbachia plant has large leaves. This means lots of water. Also make sure the soil is moist at all times but, as always, don't let water accumulate below the pot as it tends to cause root rot. Water once a week in summer and every other week in winter. The Dieffenbachia was originally from the Amazon where the air is very humid. This means that you can certainly take a shower with your Dieffenbachia every now and then. It will love that. #weirdnotweird
  • Got your notebook out? Better start doing it because you'll need to pay attention for this one. The most important part of maintaining a Dieffenbachia is where you put it. You see, this plant is very sensitive to light but does need plenty of it. Put yours somewhere with plenty of bright light but no direct sunlight. A south facing window is a big no-no. Find an area close to an East- or West-facing window and your Dieffenbachia will thank you. Also make sure that there are no drafts where you place your Dieffenbachia. This will lead to nasty bugs or diseases pretty quickly. Ugh!
  • Give some additional plant food every other week in Summer. Leave the food altogether in winter. Your Dieffenbachia is in hibernation mode! ZzzZZzzz
  • Just like most other plants, repot your Dieffenbachia once every two years to give it more room to grow. Typically search for a pot that is about 20% bigger than its current home for the best results.
  • The leaves of the Dieffenbachia have a unique print. No other Dieffenbachia will have the same print which makes looking for the newest leaf all the more exciting. If you see its prints fading this is commonly the cause of not enough light. Brown leaves can be removed without any problems.
  • Mealy bugs and aphids are common with this plant. Spraying the leaves with water will help but if you think your Dieffenbachia is troubled by critters have a look at our disease tip page for more help. Yellow or brown leaves are usually caused by too much water or light

Gosh this was great info. Want to keep it within arms reach?
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