How to Grow a Dieffenbachia

Place your dieffenbachia in indirect, bright light. This plant tolerates a wide range of light, but if you see the leaves yellowing you know you should remove it from direct sunlight and restrict it to no more than two hours a day. Plants in low light may not grow as quickly as those ideally placed.

Water when the soil is dry down to 1 inch. Increase your regular watering if your leaves are turning brown around the edges, your plant is not getting enough water. The leaves also begin to droop. The best way to know you have watered it enough is to immerse your plant in a pail half filled with water. When the water stops bubbling, the plant has enough to drink. Allow the rest of the water to drain into the pail before placing it back in the window.

Use a standard houseplant fertilizer, fertilizing once in the early spring and again during the summer.

Examine the plants for a sticky substance called honeydew. Honeydew on the upper surfaces of leaves is an indicator of infestation by mealybugs and aphids. Wash leaves in a solution of water and liquid dishwashing soap. Use an indoor-rated insecticide with bifenthrin or permethrin to treat these infestations if they don't respond to the soap.