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Respected Contributor
Posts: 4,062
Registered: ‎03-14-2010

Dumb Cane (Diffenbachia) question...

My Dumb Cane keeps getting brown tips on the leaves, then they yellow, and dry up.  So I cut it off.  I looked all over online, and now confused.  Some say, it;s normal,  some too much water,  some not enough, or under fertilized.  Soooo...I water well, about once a week, or when dry to touch.  I mist the leaves 2-3 x a week.  I fertilized when I repotted it a few months ago, and  twice since then.  It is getting new leaves on the bottom, but they are small.  also it does make a new leaf in the center.  The plant is in a east facing room, out of direct sunlight.   It says, Low light.    Just worried about the pretty larger leaves dying off.   Please send your advice.

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 7,809
Registered: ‎12-24-2010

Re: Dumb Cane (Diffenbachia) question...

LOL   Thought you were talking about your 'walking cane"!   Not familar with plant name and I read these postings fast.  No help from here for your problem - sorry.

Respected Contributor
Posts: 4,287
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: Dumb Cane (Diffenbachia) question...

I'm thinking it needs a brighter location.  Not direct sunlight, just brighter light.  That's what my experience has been.  Good luck.  

Honored Contributor
Posts: 14,658
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Dumb Cane (Diffenbachia) question...

my mother has one and she had been away and was so afraid she would lose it. The large leaves were brown at the ends. I pulled off the dying ones and cut the edges off the ones with brown tips that I thought could be saved. 

We watered it well, maybe once a week like you.

Of course she talked to it lol and pet the leaves!Smiley Happy and new shoots came out from the center and the others started to look healthy.

I think you are doing everything you should. The only thing is I'm wondering if the repotting put it a little bit in shock. 

I've always found luck though in getting rid of the dead or obviously dying ones and cutting off the brown tips of ones that can be saved. That way the healthy ones will get the things they need and the dead ones won't take away from that.

She is very attached to this deef as we call it and tease her that we are jealous of it, the way she lovingly pets the leaves!

I hope yours does okaySmiley Happy 

"If you walk the footsteps of a stranger, you'll learn things you never knew. Can you sing with all the voices of the mountains? can you paint with all the colors of the wind?"
Respected Contributor
Posts: 2,905
Registered: ‎06-23-2014

Re: Dumb Cane (Diffenbachia) question...

Those darn things can be so finicky yet if you get it in the right location and don't overwater they grow like crazy. Do not overwater. That's usually what happens. 

 

I pot all my plants in a Miracle Gro potting soil and I never fertilize anything, lol. My best advise is to not baby them too much. My diffenbachia is going crazy. It's in the foyer, gets indirect, but pretty bright, light from the afternoon sun, and gets watered once a week. 

 

Good luck!

Honored Contributor
Posts: 69,382
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: Dumb Cane (Diffenbachia) question...

Ive never been able to grow those things.   It's on my "no buy"  list. 

New Mexico☀️Land Of Enchantment
Honored Contributor
Posts: 24,102
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Dumb Cane (Diffenbachia) question...

I find my house plants do best with small daily waterings. Emphasis on "small." Most modern potting mixes are pretty good at water distribution through the mix, so you don't have to soak the plant, just give them a daily drink of water that'll hold them until the next day and they're pretty happy. It takes about a gallon of water to get hot water to my kitchen faucet first thing in the morning, so I put my gallon watering can with a pinch of Miracle Gro under the faucet to catch and use that water, then give each houseplant a taste of water each day. I can skip a day without dire consequences, but I'm finding I get better results with small daily watering rather than a weekly soaking.

Fly!!! Eagles!!! Fly!!!
Respected Contributor
Posts: 4,062
Registered: ‎03-14-2010

Re: Dumb Cane (Diffenbachia) question...


@Reba055 wrote:

Those darn things can be so finicky yet if you get it in the right location and don't overwater they grow like crazy. Do not overwater. That's usually what happens. 

 

I pot all my plants in a Miracle Gro potting soil and I never fertilize anything, lol. My best advise is to not baby them too much. My diffenbachia is going crazy. It's in the foyer, gets indirect, but pretty bright, light from the afternoon sun, and gets watered once a week. 

 

Good luck!


Thanks everyone for the help.  Reba, can you tell me where your foyer faces...is it west?  you say bright afternoon light.   I may move mine.  Its in a south facing room, and gets light in morning.  Maybe it could use more light, even though the little tag on it says, "I like low lite".   I read on some sites it actually DOES like more light.