Sad, drooping Dieffenbachias, help!

Discussion in 'Araceae' started by frauleinlayla, Nov 3, 2008.

  1. frauleinlayla

    frauleinlayla Active Member

    Messages:
    78
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Morgantown, WV
    I have these two little plants which have been ID'd as Dieffenbachias here on this site (thanks!!). I've had them for a year, and they've been very unhappy. Here is a picture of what they looked like when I bought them a year ago and how they looked about 10 days ago when I repotted them.


    http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3174/...9ed80f.jpg?v=0
    http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3214/...9055d5.jpg?v=0

    After getting rid of all bad leaves and repotting, I was really hopeful. I put them in a spot with moe light (still not ideal though), and watered less (since apparently I've been over-watering). But they're still doing what they've been doing for a year now. Here's what always happens:

    - the stems start drooping
    - some of the leaves turn yellow, then die
    - the plant keeps producing new leaves, which never live long enough to become very large.

    One of the plants has one strong, biggish leaf, which is on the only strong stem; all other stems are pretty much thin and weak and can hardly suppost the plant. So now I've tried to support the plants a little with sticks and string. The picture looks deceptive, the string is VERY loose and doesn't tie into the plant at all.

    Please help me figue out how to help this plant! Do I need to trim it back to produce stronger stems? Do I need to put it under a grow light? Do I water less? More? I don't know! Argh! =(

    PS: I just read that these are "stalking" plants, meaning they lose lower leaves to make stalks... could it be that my plants are just trying to make stronger stalks fast? That doesn't explain the drooping, though...
     

    Attached Files:

  2. Chungii V

    Chungii V Active Member

    Messages:
    572
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Hervey Bay Australia zone 10/11
    When you repotted did the roots seem white and healthy or browned and rotten? Dieffenbachia like a good amount of water but also need free draining soils. I have found they will go backwards reasonably quick without regular watering, but if your soil is average then it will often cause the roots to rot off. I've become more fond of Aglaonema which are much hardier and give the same effect.
     
  3. frauleinlayla

    frauleinlayla Active Member

    Messages:
    78
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Morgantown, WV
    Thanks for replying! I had a problem with rotting roots a while back, but when I repotted, the roots seemed okay. The stems all look healthy at their base, it's just the leaves turning yellow very fast, when they're about an inch long or shorter.
     
  4. Chungii V

    Chungii V Active Member

    Messages:
    572
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Hervey Bay Australia zone 10/11
    Could be lack of light but they generally don't mind this too much (often just stretched growth). The plant on the right does look like this may be so. Try find a nice warm, very well lit spot for it. Do you get very cold winters? I have noticed that even with our milder winters that they will go a bit shabby through winter.
    I hope that they are being fertilised pretty regularly.
    Can't be much more help sorry... :{
     
  5. frauleinlayla

    frauleinlayla Active Member

    Messages:
    78
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Morgantown, WV
    I'm sad to say that I've been neglectful with fetilizing for a long time, but lately I've been better... how often do you recommend?

    I'm in WV, so it gets pretty cold, but my apartment is always warm, with pretty dry air... which makes the soil dry really fast. I have to hold back to not water all the time, because the soil starts looking dry so fast.

    And don't appologize, thank you so much for your help!!!! I wouldn't be surprised if it's just a water/light problem. =)
     
  6. Chungii V

    Chungii V Active Member

    Messages:
    572
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Hervey Bay Australia zone 10/11
    Generally every 6-8 weeks with a good indoor fertiliser, something not too strong. With pot plants it's better doing this a little more regularly but at a reduced strength to keep up with the nutrients that gets flushed out with watering. As with watering adjust to when the plant is growing and using the extra rather than through cooler months where it may slow down a little. Use an occasional foliar feed with the likes of seaweed or fish emulsion type fertilsers.
     
  7. frauleinlayla

    frauleinlayla Active Member

    Messages:
    78
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Morgantown, WV
    So I cut back some of the really thin, weak stalks that couldn't support themselves (I put hem in wate to see if they will root, they each have about three small leaves on them), and I put the plants in near a west and a north facing window... the room has pretty bright indirect light for most of the day. But everything is still as it was. Individual leaves are still yellowing and dying. I know I'm not overwatering. I really hope I get some new growth from the stalks I've pruned; how long do you think it would take until I saw some new growth emerge?

    Thank you so much for your help!
     
  8. Chungii V

    Chungii V Active Member

    Messages:
    572
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Hervey Bay Australia zone 10/11
    It may take a couple weeks seeing as you are heading into winter now. Keep an eye on and compare the pieces you have in water. If they seem to pick up quicker perhaps your potted ones need a little more water. It generally takes a plant longer to recover than it does to go backwards so give it a little time. So long as it's just the older leaves yellowing and dying off I don't think it's a major problem. I have one in pot which I neglected for too long through winter. It's taken about 3-4 weeks of warming spring season and a bit of extra care to bring this plant back.
    I have found these always did well in Nurseries when in a fresh well drained soil, regular fertilising (Alternating foliar/soil) and good watering (2-3 times a week). We've always grown them in shade houses in well lit positions but our winter minimum is about 50 Fahrenheit (10C) for about 4 weeks and average daily temp in cooler months is about 80 (27C).
     
  9. frauleinlayla

    frauleinlayla Active Member

    Messages:
    78
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Morgantown, WV
    That's the thing... it's always a random leaf dying... sometimes the oldest on a stalk, but sometimes the newest. At this point I only really have one decent sized leaf left, the rest are little baby leafs. I'm worried they're not going to make it through winter. =(
     
  10. frauleinlayla

    frauleinlayla Active Member

    Messages:
    78
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Morgantown, WV
    Wow.... six days since my original post, and I WISH my Dieffenbachias looked like those sad, drooping pictures. =(
     
  11. frauleinlayla

    frauleinlayla Active Member

    Messages:
    78
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Morgantown, WV
    So I tried an experiment... I didn't know whether the plants were infested with something, and if yes, with what. But just to be on the safe side, I started spraying them with a water that has a little bit of dish soap in it. I've sprayed them three times in the past 2 days... and they seem to have perked up a bit, one more noticeably than the other.

    What does that mean? Do you think it's an infestation? Or are they just enjoying a bit of a shower? I wasn'd aware Dieffenbachias took well to misting?
     
  12. Chungii V

    Chungii V Active Member

    Messages:
    572
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Hervey Bay Australia zone 10/11
    I've taken your original picture and increased the size somewhat and could see no signs of any pest or damage from any pests.
    I definitely have found that these plants do like very regular watering hence they always looked superb in the nurseries I worked but never that happy for me. Once a week is my average watering at home whereas they would get watered every 2 to 3 days in the nurseries, and daily through the hottest parts of summer. Have the pieces you put into water picked up at all?
     
  13. frauleinlayla

    frauleinlayla Active Member

    Messages:
    78
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Morgantown, WV
    I have three cuttings in water, each of them with three baby leaves, I think. Two are looking good, and one has a yellowing leaf. Pretty much like on the plant. But yeah, it seems they really liked the misting. The one that looks skinnier in the original picture now isn't droopy now and doesn't need the stick anymore.

    I'm sure I used to overwater these before, but maybe I just had bad drainage. I might just try watering a bit more regularly, but maybe not a lot of water... and I'll try misting with regular water every day. See how they like that.

    Thanks for your help and concern, chungii! I'll keep you updated!
     
  14. frauleinlayla

    frauleinlayla Active Member

    Messages:
    78
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Morgantown, WV
    Alright, so it's a week later, and the Dieffenbachias ae not doing great. As I said before, I thought the problem was overwatering, but when I cut back on water a little bit, the leaves started wilting in a "not enough water" way. So now I'm at a loss whether I'm over- or underwatering. Out of frustration and desperation to save these guys I planted them together in a self-watering container I made from a soda bottle a few days ago. he watering seems to be going my better... the very top of the soil is the only dry part, the rest is fluffy and dark with moisture, but never wet, as you can see from the pictures. Let's see what they think.

    Over this past week the plants have lost more leaves, and now they are slowly starting to turn yellow (but not mushy) from the base up. When I replanted, the roots looked okay, but not very well-developed (I had to get rid of a bunch of dead roots when I replanted a few weeks ago). I really don't know what else to do.

    The three cuttings that I took seem to be doing alight. I lost two leaves (out of nine), and the pemaining leaves are all small. All in all, the cuttings are perkier than the potted plant. However, the remaining cut stalks in the pot ate ying... they are yellowing and shrivelling up, so I don't think there's gonna be any new growth.

    So. Opinions. What could cause the bottom-up yellowing if it's not overwatering? Cause it be some sort of disease, and if so, what can I do? And help would be greatly appreciated!!!
     

    Attached Files:

  15. Chungii V

    Chungii V Active Member

    Messages:
    572
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Hervey Bay Australia zone 10/11
    Hello again,
    From what I can see from this picture there's a yellowing at the base of a couple of the stems (especially in the biggest piece) if like you said that you had previously removed rotten and dead roots while re-potting then it's fairly likely you have some form of stem/root rot (there's a few types). The best thing is to soak your plant in a systemic fungicide, even as far as bare rooting and soaking the rootball. Use fresh mix to repot. It's caused by either over watering or poor drainage. A regular spray with systemic fungicides will help somewhat prevent these problems recurring.
     
  16. frauleinlayla

    frauleinlayla Active Member

    Messages:
    78
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Morgantown, WV
    Gah. I think you are correct. The roots I removed weren't exact;y rotting, they were just dead roots from parts of the plant that had doed a long time ago... but these past few days, looking at the stems, it does look like root rot. Gonna go buy antifungal stuff tomorrow. Do you think I'll find that at Lowe's?
    Also, you mean I should petty much clean off the roots from all soil and soak them? What's the best way to do that without stressing the plant too much? Thanks again for your help!
     
  17. Chungii V

    Chungii V Active Member

    Messages:
    572
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Hervey Bay Australia zone 10/11
    Just remove most of the soil and sit the plant in a bucket of mixed fungicide overnight and then repot. Try not to damage any healthy roots. See how it goes, keep yor cuttings going you may have to prune out a few more pieces yet...
     

Share This Page