Why is my Dieffenbachia turning yellow?
My Dieffenbachia has been turning very yellow :( , there is a lot of new leaf growth but the leaves have been yellowing. Any suggestions? #HappyPlants #PlantsMakePeopleHappy
0ft to light, direct
Last watered 3 years ago
4
@Captjo Hello 👋 Anna. I agree it’s due to overwatering since your pot doesn’t have drainage.
Overwatering is the biggest cause of killing your plants. Some plants love a lot of water and others need to be in dry soil to thrive. Dieffenbachia is right in between. It has thin roots, so it can't tolerate wet soil for too long, but it also doesn't store a lot of moisture in its stems and leaves. This is why you should water your Dieffenbachia regularly, but not too often. On average, once per week or once every two weeks is the right frequency to water your plant.
Before you water your Dieffenbachia, make sure the top 2-5 cm (1-2 inches) is dry. This way you make sure you're not watering your plant when it doesn't need it yet. Overwatering is often quite harmful to plants, so remember to do this when you're first taking care of the Dieffenbachia. Once you know what your plant needs to be happy, you don't necessarily need to do this anymore.
What kind of light does a dieffenbachia need?
Dieffenbachia has very thin leaves, which is a great indication that it doesn't do very well in very bright places. So the perfect light exposure for your Dieffenbachia is indirect light or even lowlight situations. It won't do well if it doesn't get any sunlight though, so make sure it still gets enough.
You know your plant is getting the perfect amount of sunlight when the leaves stay bright with wild patterns. As with the watering issues, your plant will also let you know if it's not getting the light it needs to thrive. If the leaves turn green, it's not getting enough sunlight and if they're turning yellow, it's getting too much sunlight. If you know you've watered your Dieffenbachia perfectly, but its leaves are still turning yellow, you'll know it's getting too much light.
Luckily, you can still put it near a window, but you'll have to make sure your plant doesn't get any direct sunlight during the afternoon through this window. Direct sunlight in the morning or evening is no problem. So a north- or east-facing window is just fine for a Dieffenbachia, as this light is much less strong.
Overwatering is the biggest cause of killing your plants. Some plants love a lot of water and others need to be in dry soil to thrive. Dieffenbachia is right in between. It has thin roots, so it can't tolerate wet soil for too long, but it also doesn't store a lot of moisture in its stems and leaves. This is why you should water your Dieffenbachia regularly, but not too often. On average, once per week or once every two weeks is the right frequency to water your plant.
Before you water your Dieffenbachia, make sure the top 2-5 cm (1-2 inches) is dry. This way you make sure you're not watering your plant when it doesn't need it yet. Overwatering is often quite harmful to plants, so remember to do this when you're first taking care of the Dieffenbachia. Once you know what your plant needs to be happy, you don't necessarily need to do this anymore.
What kind of light does a dieffenbachia need?
Dieffenbachia has very thin leaves, which is a great indication that it doesn't do very well in very bright places. So the perfect light exposure for your Dieffenbachia is indirect light or even lowlight situations. It won't do well if it doesn't get any sunlight though, so make sure it still gets enough.
You know your plant is getting the perfect amount of sunlight when the leaves stay bright with wild patterns. As with the watering issues, your plant will also let you know if it's not getting the light it needs to thrive. If the leaves turn green, it's not getting enough sunlight and if they're turning yellow, it's getting too much sunlight. If you know you've watered your Dieffenbachia perfectly, but its leaves are still turning yellow, you'll know it's getting too much light.
Luckily, you can still put it near a window, but you'll have to make sure your plant doesn't get any direct sunlight during the afternoon through this window. Direct sunlight in the morning or evening is no problem. So a north- or east-facing window is just fine for a Dieffenbachia, as this light is much less strong.
