Dieffenbachia 'Green Magic'

Upon receipt of your Dieffenbachia sequine you have several options:

• Stand it in an attractive planter with holes in the base. Cover the holes with a layer of gravel or potsherds and stand the plant, complete with nursery pot on top. The planter will need to be stood on a saucer to collect drained off water.
• Pot it up into an attractive planter with holes in the base. Cover the holes with a layer of gravel or potsherds and add potting compost. Stand the root ball at the correct depth and fill the pot with compost around the roots. Press firmly down - leave a space of about 3 cm from the top edge of the pot. Stand the planter on a saucer to collect drained off water.
• Stand it in an attractive planter without holes but do layer the bottom of the pot with gravel so the plant's pot is off the bottom. A wide planter is best as then you can see whether or not the bottom of the pot is standing in water or not.
• Or just stand the plant, nursery pot and all, on a saucer - on a layer of gravel.

  The best spot for your Dieffenbachia The most perfect spot for your Dieffenbachia sequine is:

1. One with lots of light but that is sheltered from the hottest midday sunlight - early mornings or evenings are not a problem (in fact it will appreciate it!). Usually somewhere around 3 metres from a window is ideal.
2. Somewhere warm, (18-23 degrees centigrade) wonderful if you happen to have under floor heating. Immediately next to or above a radiator will not be appreciated (it will dry the potting compost out too quickly, giving more chance of leaf drop).
3. Somewhere with high humidity (60-70%). Spraying the plant regularly will help - 2 or 3 times a day even!

 

It is best to water your Dieffenbachia weekly to keep it growing well and feed it with fertiliser for leafy plants fortnightly. In fact, over the summer, it’s best to water twice a week but do wait with the next watering, until the potting compost is dry.

In homes where humidity is <50%, it can be handy to spray the plant once or twice a day. If you are in a hard water area, this may leave spots of lime on the foliage. We’d then recommend that you use rain water, or cooled boiled water.
It’s a plant that tends to grow towards the light but that’s easily sorted. Just give the whole pot a quarter turn every month. To make this easier it would be handy to stand your plant in whatever pot it’s growing, on one of those little wheeled plant pot stands. Extra tips Dieffenbachia sequine will appreciate being stood outdoors on a warm but rainy day. It will really perk up after a shower.
As in its natural habitat, it will regularly lose its lower leaves - do not worry if they turn yellow and drop off, as long as it continues to make new ones.

With these tips, you can keep your dieffenbachia healthy and looking fresh for a long time.

Dieffenbachia sequine is a robust and easy to grow houseplant.

Dieffenbachia is originally from the tropical rain forests South and Central America such as Brazil, Ecuador and Costa Rica. It is used as a decorative outdoor plant in (sub-) tropical regions of the world and can reach a height of 2 metres in those areas.

In temperate climes, the Dieffenbachia sequine makes a wonderful and popular houseplant. It is possible that this plant could flower in the home, but this is more to be expected in tropical regions.
Dieffenbachia belongs to the Araceae family and as all members of this family the Dieffenbachia contains a toxic milky sap. There is however, under normal circumstances nothing to worry about. If you do come into contact with it, it is advisable to rinse your skin with water.