How to care for Dieffenbachia mosaic

Dieffenbachia mosaic is also called zebra leaf Dieffenbachia, Dawangdai pink leaf, and dumb cane. 07 It is bright and green, with irregular white or goose yellow spots and stripes, like the stripes on a zebra, so it is also called zebra leaf Dieffenbachia.

It likes warmth and moisture, avoids dryness and accumulation of water, and avoids exposure to the sun and cold winds in winter. The suitable temperature for growth is 25-30 degrees. In winter, the indoor temperature should be above 15 degrees and not below 10 degrees. The basin soil requires slightly acidic sandy loam rich in humus. The basin should be changed once a year, which can be done in spring. When changing pots, old leaves with aging roots and lingering roots should be removed, and a layer of coarse sand should be placed on the bottom of the pot to facilitate drainage. You can use 7 parts of leaf mold soil, 3 parts of loam soil and 1 part of sand, or use a mixture of 3 parts of garden soil, 1 part of sand, and 2 parts of sawdust. Some cake fertilizer and hoof slices can be added to the bottom of the pot as base fertilizer.

Dieffenbachia Dieffenbachia's maintenance and frostbite treatment

Zebra Dieffenbachia prefers a semi-shady environment and avoids direct sunlight, otherwise the leaves will become scorched and yellow, so it can be cultivated throughout the year. It is resistant to water and moisture. To keep the soil moist in summer, you can place a water tray at the bottom of the pot and put water in the tray so that the water can continuously infiltrate the soil from the small holes in the bottom of the pot. In winter, watering should be controlled. The lower the temperature, the less watering should be done. Spray water on the leaves and surrounding ground every day to keep the leaves clean. When the room temperature is low in winter, some leaves will turn yellow and fall off, but as long as they are not damaged by freezing, the leaves can grow again the following spring. When overwintering indoors, the growth is weak and easy to leggy. It is best to cultivate it outdoors in a semi-shady place for a period of time during the growing season, and then move it back inside after the vitality is restored. Apply decomposed cake fertilizer, water or compound fertilizer once every half month during the growing season. It is not advisable to use too much nitrogen fertilizer. Too much nitrogen fertilizer will cause the patterns on the leaves to turn green.

What should I do if Dieffenbachia is frostbitten?

Dieffenbachia is not cold-tolerant and is susceptible to frost damage when temperatures fall below 5°C. After being frozen, the leaves lose their luster and droop as if they have lost water. They should be moved to a place with higher temperatures to gradually return to normal. However, the temperature should not rise suddenly to prevent the leaves from wilting; if the leaves droop and have spots like boiling water burns, you can cut off the cold spots on the leaves and move them to a warm and sunny place. When the light is insufficient, artificial light can be added. If the leaves When cold spots appear on most of the petioles and water-soaked patches appear on the petioles and they become chlorotic, the leaves and stems should be cut off, and the wound should be smeared with plant ash, coal ash or cigarette ash, and placed in a warm place. Watering should be controlled appropriately and slowly. Slowly return to normal; if the young branches and new leaves lose green and show water ulcer-like patches, it means that the root system has also been damaged by cold and has rotted. The plant should be knocked out in time, the underground part should be cut off, and the damaged branches and stems should be cut off and smeared with plant ash. After wounding, store in moist plain sand and cut again after spring.