Dieffenbachia Care – How to Treat Disease With Dieffenbachia?

I have grown Dieffenbachia, and I know how prone they are to infection by bacteria and fungi. To deal with this issue, I tried every possible way to treat it. And you know what? I succeeded in treating Dieffenbachia. If you’re struggling with the same issue, just read the guide till the end.

Here, I’ve explained all the steps I implemented that will help you grow, care for Dieffenbachia, and treat diseases that affect it, ensuring your Dieffenbachia stays healthy for longer.

If you encounter any problems in the future, feel free to comment in the section below, and I’ll solve your problem as soon as possible.

Key takeaways:

• Dieffenbachia is the best known indoor plant, due to its high resistivity power, and indoor conditions facing capabilities and also called dumb cane.
• Some people also named dieffenbachia as leopard lily and mother-in-law’s tongue.
• These plants are easy to grow and available in small to tall sizes.
• Dieffenbachia belongs to the family Araceae and is native to Mexico and Argentina.

What is Dieffenbachia?

All you need to know to protect Dieffenbachia is to know about Dieffenbachia Care tips. Dieffenbachia plants need to be protected from diseases, though they look healthy while purchasing them from the plant store, it is advised to take a look properly if they have any of the following diseases that can cause trouble in case of your money, time, or family. Don’t worry! we will let you know about all the diseases that Dieffenbachia gets and how to care for these diseases. 

Dumb cane plants can bear medium to very high light. They can survive well in the dry soil too, so they don’t need much care. These plants can grow well in moist soil too like Calico Kitten Plant. Dieffenbachia is a hardy plant, shade-tolerant making it a perfect plan to stay indoors and you need to protect the plants during winters.

All you need to know to protect Dieffenbachia is to know about Dieffenbachia Care tips. Dieffenbachia plants need to be protected from diseases, though they look healthy while purchasing them from the plant store, it is advised to take a look properly if they have any of the following diseases that can cause trouble in case of your money, time, or family. Don’t worry! we will let you know about all the diseases that Dieffenbachia gets and how to care for these diseases. 

The reason behind the name dumb cane?

Dumb cane as the name dumb is related to the temporary speechlessness it causes after swallowing it. The sap of the plant has a chemical called calcium oxalate that leads to this condition. Also, it is believed to be given to prisoners as a punishment in ancient times. 

Diseases and problems of Dumb Cane

The dumb cane plants are prone to get infected by many bacteria and fungi. They need moisture but humidity can get infected. So it’s important to keep an eye on them, and diseases so that you can prevent the damage.

Problems of dieffenbachia:

The problems related to Dieffenbachia are 

Spider mites and mealybugs are seen to attack dumb cane plants. The plant is toxic to cats and dogs as well. It is important to make sure your kids don’t taste or eat them. Many skin irritants are also caused by dumb cable plants.

Dieffenbachia care tips:

You can apply soap spray, neem oil is also seen as effective in controlling mites’ attack on the dumb cane. Wearing gloves while working with a dumb cane is beneficial. Keep your pets and children away from this plant.

Diseases of Dumb Cane

Anthracnose

Caused by: Colletotrichum gloeosporioides

Symptoms: The shape of the leaves looks oval or distorted, and has leaf spots with a yellow halo.

How to care

Don’t give them water while standing, apply fungicide but avoid too much chemical treatment. 

Bacterial leaf spot

Caused by: Erwinia carotovora or Erwinia chrysanthemi

Symptoms: spots on the leaf that are gray, and the shape of the leaves gets distorted.

How to care: cutting off the leaves that are infected, avoiding overwatering, using clean equipment, and avoiding overhead watering.

Myrothecium leaf spot

Caused by: Myrothecium roridum 

Symptoms: leaf color changes to brownish-gray, leaf spots are formed near the margins, and fungal infection is indicated by the concentric rings on the leaf.

How to care: 

Applying fungicides will protect the plant. Make sure the fertilizer you are using has no excess nitrogen which is more than the normal requirement. 

Wilt

Caused by: too much drying or soil(drought-like conditions)

Symptoms: yellowing of the lower leaves, wilting or bending of leaves appear leading to their death.

How to care: maintain a good level of moisture in the soil. 

Brown margins (marginal leaf burn)

Caused by: over-fertilization

Symptoms: The margin of leaves turns brown and later they die.

How to care: 

Do not use too much fertilizer.

Nitrogen deficiency

Caused by: not giving proper fertilizer to the pants (improper fertilization) 

Symptoms: The size of leaves reduces to nearly half, and they turn yellow. The short internodes appear.

How to care: proper fertilization with a balanced fertilizer is required.

Viral diseases: 

Caused by: Dasheen mosaic virus

Symptoms: mosaic color changes to light green. Plants show slow growth and leaves shape to get deformed. The viral infection causes early death of these plants.

How to care: remove the infected species to avoid harm to others. Look after aphids and control them. Sterilize the tools before using them 

For more such plant related-articles, you may also read, Groovy Plants Ranch: Location, Staff, Owners, Jobs, Products, Reviews, and Everything In Between

How to care for Dieffenbachia plants

Though dieffenbachia plants are easy to grow like leucadendrons are grown and maintained, they still need little care for sustainability. While showing care to the dumb cane, make sure you wear gloves as I told you before about the sin reactions it may cause. 

Sunlight 

The plant can do well in shady spots, but they are bothered by bright light as well. The sunlight should be indirect.

Temperature

The temperature influences this plant with degrees below 50 degrees Fahrenheit like humidity, which causes damage to a dumb cane-like shedding of lower leaves. 

Water

Dumb cane needs water but overwatering needs to be avoided to keep them healthy. During winter, it is advised to lightly spray the leaves to hydrate them.

Soil

Soil is needed to be aerated, well-drained, and fertile enough, with the composition of peat in it.

Fertilizer

You should apply fertilizer to the soil only twice a month or every 5-6 weeks.

Potting

Repotting is important as they have grown well, choose a pit that is large with holes.

Pruning and grooming

The lower weak leaves should be removed, and trim is required to maintain growth.

Propagation

Though dumb cane grows at any time at any season of the year, you can also propagate them in the following ways:

• Cut the shoot and wrap the cut with wet moss, trying it with a string. Wait for a few days until the roots are formed. Detach the new plant by cutting it and placing it in the soil.
• The stem of a dumb cane can propagate, you can cut the stem and place it in a pot in a horizontal position to grow a new plant. A Lot of moisture is needed for this.

Wrapping up the context:

So, in this article, you came to know about the diseases related to dumb cane, and how to care for and treatment for the diseases to make your dumb cane healthy. The soil needs to be aerated, mist. The common species that are grown are D. seguine, D. amoena, and D. masculata. The diseases are usually caused by improper fertilization, overwatering, and not using the cleaned equipment for trimming the plants. I hope you have learned a lot and like our effort to help you. 

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