How to Stop Your Dieffenbachia Leaves from Drooping?


A Dieffenbachia plant on the article How To Fix Your Dieffenbachia Leaves Curling

The Dieffenbachia is a beautiful and showy plant found most commonly in tropical areas like West Indies and Mexico.

The large oval leaves look stunning and the pattern on them looks similar to the leaves of the snake plant.

The foliage shows a beautiful mixture of green white and yellow which makes this plant best for indoor decoration.

It can easily attain height up to 8 feet but rarely so in indoor conditions.

It is commonly known as Dumb Cane due to its toxic sap which causes irritation of the mouth when ingested but it’s not toxic enough to cause death.

For this reason, it is better to keep them out of the reach of curious pets and small children.

There are many varieties of Dieffenbachia available. The most common include golden sunset, camilla, and amoena plant.

Get Your Dieffenbachia Plant Here!

 

Why are Your Dieffenbachia Leaves Drooping?

The drooping of the leaves of your Dieffenbachia plant can make you frustrated especially when you are unaware of the cause.

There are many reasons why your dieffenbachia leaves may be drooping but the most common reasons include over and under-watering.

If this is not the issue, it may be due to nutritional deficiencies, improper temperatures, pest attacks and improper sunlight. 

You can see the following list of problems and their solutions which you can adopt to keep your Dieffenbachia looking fresh all the time.

1) Underwatering

Your plant will definitely show your lack of love when you don’t pay attention to it for extended periods.

Long periods of under-watering can cause your Dieffenbachia to display a remorseful picture.

The thick and fleshy dieffenbachia leaves will lose most of their turgor and will start drooping in no time.

Solution to Underwatering:

Dieffenbachia plants are naturally quite tolerant to drought. Still, poor water scheduling can cause significant damage to them.

Luckily once you get to know about the situation, all effects can easily be restored with a little bit of effort.

You should water it closely taking care not to overwater it. A balanced watering routine can help your Dieffenbachia to regain its vigor in no time.

Only water when the topsoil appears slightly dry. Watering twice a week will suffice. Other than that no extra precaution is needed.

2) Overwatering

A Dieffenbachia plantDieffenbachias are one of those plants that don’t let you sleep when you overwater them. Excessive watering chokes the plant by restricting the breathing space in between the roots.

This waterlogging can completely destroy the roots, and along with it the whole plant, if not taken care of.

Without adequate water uptake, the leaves start to droop and even become yellow which gives a very unsightly appearance.

This whole situation makes the plant vulnerable to attacks of fungal and bacterial infection.

Solution to Overwatering:

You should keep a strict check on watering your Dieffenbachia. If the soil is looking moist then you should hold off the water.

It’s better to water the plant when the topsoil becomes completely dry. With time you can easily assess the waterlogging by simply checking the moisture with the tip of your finger.

Otherwise, you can also judge just by feeling the weight of the pot by lifting it.

Also, make sure that the pot has a drainage hole underneath to let it breathe whenever you over water by mistake. This can help compensate for your occasional mistakes.

3) Nutritional Deficiencies

Drooping and yellowed Dieffenbachia leaves can also be due to the inadequate supply of nutrients to the plant.

The most common that become deficient include nitrogen and phosphorous.

Lack of these 2 essential macro-nutrients causes “chlorosis” of the leaves. These mostly occur due to acidic soil or poor application of fertilizers.

Solution to Nutritional Deficiencies:

Solving this problem is not a big deal at all. You just need to provide the deficient nutrients to make up for the loss.

To do that, you need to apply well-balanced houseplant fertilizer once every three to four weeks.

This will ensure active growth and rejuvenate your plant once again. The leaves will be back to green in a matter of days. If not, then there must be a problem somewhere else.

4) Exposure to Hot or Cold Drafts:

Temperature extremes can also hurt your Dieffenbachia’s outlook. These plants prefer an average home temperature ranging from 62-80 °F (17–27 °C).

If you frequently change the position of the plant, then the leaves will definitely droop. The temperature should not be allowed to fall below 55 degrees.

Solution Exposure to Hot or Cold Drafts:

To tackle this problem, you should have a general idea of the temperature of the different parts of your home.

Then afterward, you can choose the site with the best temperature to place your Dieffenbachia. Care should be taken not to place the plant where drafts can affect it.

Keep the plant away from heating vents and air conditioners to prevent the hot or cold air from causing damage.

Mostly, placing the plant near a window with ample indirect sunlight can fix most of your headaches.

5) Pest Attacks

The most common pests that attack Dieffenbachia include aphids and mites. These insects are fond of feeding on the sap of the plant.

They drain the plant of all the rich goodness and leave it to rot. The leaves become yellow and flaccid within a short period after the attack.

Solution to Pest Attacks:

You should closely monitor your plant to see if it is attacked by pests or not. Failure to detect the disease early on can ultimately result in the death of your plant.

It is better to use organic remedies for warding off the pests first. A weekly spray of a neem-oil mixture can do wonders for your plant.

Using soap water spray is also a great way to naturally reduce pests. Only resort to chemical pesticides when the infestation is beyond the control of these homemade solutions.

You may need to spray them on your other plants as well if the infestation is generalized. Strict measures should be adopted in such cases.

Otherwise, you will have to dispose of the plant due to its unrecoverable condition.

6) Improper Sunlight

Dieffenbachia plants grow well in bright indirect sunlight. Naturally, they are found beneath the dense tropical canopies which filter most of the light reaching them.

If they are placed in direct sunlight, it can scorch the leaves and cause irreparable damage to the plant.

The leaves lose their pigmentation and present a sad picture after this ill-treatment.

Solution to Improper Sunlight:

To prevent this problem, place your plant in a room where ample sunlight enters during the day time.

Just don’t place it directly in the path of the sun. Placing it in sun-deprived areas can also stunt its growth.

To settle this, you need to find a fine balance. You need to alter the position of your Dieffenbachia in different seasons to ensure no such problem takes place.

If you are enjoying this article, check out our article on the common dieffenbachia problems and how to fix them.

How to Care for Your Dieffenbachia?

Caring for the Dieffenbachia plant is not too difficult. As already mentioned these plants are very low maintenance and can survive even with a little bit of attention.

The glossy leaves can brighten up any corner of your home.

Soil Requirements:

This plant prefers to grow in well-drained soil, so it’s is best that you have the right mix. They flourish well in standard-sized pots as they can easily reach heights of up to 5 feet.

Dieffenbachia performs best when the mixture consists of peat moss, potting soil, and perlite.

The right proportion of these media can help boost the growth of your plant as well. Other than that, there aren’t any special needs.

Fertilizer Requirements:

You can fertilize it every other week in the growing seasons i.e. early spring and summer.

Pruning:

Pruning should also be done to keep your plant in tip-top shape. For that, you can use sterile shears and remove the old yellow leaves from the bottom of the plant every year.

Humidity:

As these plants are tropical, they naturally require a moderate to a high level of humidity to grow properly.

Regular misting is a must for Dieffenbachias. If misting can’t be done regularly, you can get the job done using a humidifier or a humidity tray beneath the pot.

Get Your Dieffenbachia Plant Here!

 

Final Thoughts: How to Stop Your Dieffenbachia Leaves from Drooping?

A green leaved plantI am certain that all this information will help you tackle any problem you face with your dieffenbachia plant.

You just need to know the main problem causing the leaves of your dieffenbachia to droop.

After identifying it, you are ready to rejuvenate your plant in no time.

Before you go, here are some more related articles I encourage you to read below to help solve more of your gardening issues:

How To Fix Your Dieffenbachia Leaves From Curling

10 Most Common Fatsia Japonica Problems

Top 15 Houseplants with Red and Green Leaves

About the Author:

Saad Ansar

Saad is an avid gardener himself and is a great lover of plants, animals, photography, & people. Currently, he is focused on photographing indoor plants & captioning beautiful outdoor sceneries. He writes and rewrites in-depth articles on nature and science.

Bean Growing

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