Dieffenbachia Leaves Turning Yellow - Causes and Treatment

Leaves turning yellow on any plant or tree is one of the most common problems that I have seen so far. As beautiful as a Dieffenbachia plant looks, it's just as bad when the leaves turn yellow or brown tips appear on the leaves.

You will find out why Dieffenbachia leaves are turning yellow and the solution to cure them in this article.

Have you repotted the plant recently? If yes, the leaves may turn yellow temporarily because it is a changing phase of the plant. And after a few days, the plant will return to normal.

Dieffenbachia Leaves Turning Yellow - Causes

There are several major possible reasons why Dieffenbachia leaves turn yellow, which are:

• Overwatering or Underwatering (most common)
• Lack of nitrogen or Essential minerals
• Temperature and Light
• Pests

1. Overwatering or Underwatering: Most people make the mistake of watering plants. Keep in mind that overwatering can cause bacterial growth in soil and cause the plant's roots to rot. This prevents the plant from absorbing essential nutrients, causing the leaves to turn yellow.
   
   Similarly, underwatering prevents the plant from absorbing the necessary water and nutrients, which causes the plant's leaves to turn yellow.

Solution: When watering the plant, make sure the soil is dry to the touch, about 1 to 2 inches deep. There is no need to water too much.

Even if the plant is overwatered, if the drainage system is good, the extra water will drain out, causing no harm to the plant. Do not use soil that retains too much water.

The pot in which the plant will be planted has a hole for water drainage, which often gets blocked when direct soil falls on it. My personal recommendation for this is to first make a small layer of crushed stones and sand at the bottom, then plant the plant with soil.

Note: Do not let your pets or children roam around this plant as the plant's fluid is toxic (even for adults).

2. Lack of nitrogen or Essential minerals: Some soils are deficient in minerals and nutrients, which means that the plant cannot fully meet its needs. Mainly, Nitrogen(N) and Iron(Fe) are essential for plant growth, and when they are not available in sufficient quantities, the leaves of the plant turn yellow.

If the leaves turn yellow due to a lack of minerals and nutrients, you may notice random spots of the leaves turning yellow. But the rest of the leaves will be fine.

Here are the symptoms that various nutrient deficiencies cause in plants:

Solution: The Solution is simple, feed a balanced fertilizer every 3–4 weeks during the plant's growing season.

Do not over-fertilize the plant. This can lead to other problems such as brown tips.

3. Temperature and Light: Dieffenbachia is native to tropical environments (tropical rainforests of Central and South America). So this plant needs an average temperature of 60°F - 85°F (15°C - 30°C). The leaves will turn yellow as the temperature drops below 60°F (15°C).
   
   Also, this plant prefers indirect or filtered light. Direct can be a cause of turning yellow leaves.

Solution: Always try to keep the plant indoors or in shaded areas and maintain the average temperature for this plant.

Be sure to keep this plant away from heaters during the winter and cooling devices during the summer, as this is also a reason why the leaves of the plant turn yellow.

4. Pests: Some pests also cause yellowing of the leaves of the plant and other diseases. In this case, you will see some brown spots among the yellow leaves. Take a look.

Solution: In this case, you need to use proper pesticides and fungicides. You can get some help from the table below.