Dieffenbachia - Tropical House Plants

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Written by National Tropical Plant Nursery | 09 February 2011

Dieffenbachia's are beautiful tropical plants which are amongst the best for indoor use. They are very tolerant of shade and dark places, making them excellent house plants or indoor plants. Dieffenbachia will also grow very well as a potted plant, out on the verandah, or planted in your tropical garden as long as it is a sheltered, warm and shady place.

Dieffenbachia's have stunning foliage, often patterend or variegated such as 'Dieffenbachia Etna'. Dieffenbachia plants are mostly used for their colourful and patterned foliage. They can be grown outside in subtropical or tropical gardens with temperatures above 5 degrees. It's best not to plant them in full sun as they will burn - filtered light is best. Moist soil is best for your Dieffenbachia plants, but don't waterlog the soil. Fertilise regularly with an all purpose slow release fertiliser, a liquid fertiliser or an organic suitable fertiliser.

If you are growing your Dieffenbachia as a house plant, make sure you take it outside at least once every fortnight and hose it off. Also, at the same time, give it some liquid fertiliser to kick it on. Dieffenbachia’s love high humidity, so mist it regularly, especially if it is indoors. Keep your plant in a sheltered area, away from draughts.

It is an easy plant to care for, both as houseplant and in the tropical garden, and will reward you with beautiful foliage!

Dieffenbachia Etna

$7.00 $5.25

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Some additional general garden plants grow notes:

ON ARRIVAL:

Soaking:

When you receive your Dieffenbachia plants, unwrap them carefully, and give their roots a good soak in seaweed solution or water for a couple of hours. You can pour left-over seaweed solution on the plant after you have potted it up.

Pot size:

When you buy Dieffenbachia plants online, we recommend you pot them in a 20-30cm pot.

Potting mix:

Pot your Dieffenbachia's in a well draining potting mix which is of good quality. You can mix your own, or purchase a pre-mix from garden centres.

Fertilising:

Dieffenbachia's appreciate good, nutrient-rich soil, and will grow well with a regular application of the right fertiliser. It is best to find a fertiliser specifically designed for tropical plants or foliage plants. We generally use a slow release fertiliser (such as Osmocote) for most plants, and also add lots of organic matter to the soil. Dieffenbachia plants, and pretty well all other plants, thrive with regular application of blood & bone, Dynamic Lifter or other organic fertiliser, which adds to your soil. You can also add slow release regularly to really kick them on. Dieffenbachia plants will love a regular feed with liquid fertiliser, as it is both absorbed through the foliage, and the soil.

Watering:

Make sure you water in your Dieffenbachia plants really, really well! You need to get air bubbles out of the soil, as roots die when they come into contact with air bubbles. This might cause them to die back, prohibits them from thriving and might even cause death. It is one of the most important things to do when re-potting plants! Once watered in, water your Dieffenbachia plants regularly. The rate would depend on the pot size. Dieffenbachia's will give you an indication of when they need watering, but it’s best to not let it get that far. You can stick your finger in the soil to check, the soil should feel moist to your second knuckle. If it feels dry, water. It is best to water when the plant needs it, and water well, rather than watering small amounts. This will stop the roots from developing properly. Make sure you don’t overwater to avoid root rot and cloggy soil. Dieffenbachia's in pots will need more watering than plants in the ground.

Position:

It’s best to keep your Dieffenbachia  plants in a protected position away from heat, sun, draughts etc. They are best grown in a shady spot, or spot with filtered light. Adjust your Dieffenbachia's slowly to their new climate and environment to avoid shock. Growing Dieffenbachia plants up in pots until they’re nice and strong will ensure a good start in the garden, so we recommend growing them in pots for a while first. If you are planting them out, ‘tree guard’ are a good thing, and so are structures around the plant with shade cloth. Make sure you mulch well when you plant them in the garden – mulch conditions your soil, protects roots and saves water!