How Can I Tell if My Potted Dieffenbachia Plant Needs Less Sunlight?

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How Can I Tell if My Potted Dieffenbachia Plant Needs Less Sunlight?

If you are tired of investing in different indoor plant species that you struggle to keep alive, it is perhaps time to invest in an indoor plant with a high tolerance, resistance, strength, and a long lifespan.

One such indoor planter that is popular and highly demanded across the USA and other countries of the world for its commendable tolerance is the dieffenbachia plant.

The dieffenbachia plant has a long average lifespan, but its super easy and low-maintenance care routine makes it an excellent house or office addition for people who do not have the time to constantly care for their house plants’ needs.

Apart from being able to survive and thrive on very little water, an indoor dieffenbachia plant also does need a lot of direct or indirect sunlight.

Hence, the dieffenbachia plant is the perfect purchase if you are struggling with keeping your house plants alive due to the persistent regional cloud cover.

However, although the indoor potted dieffenbachia plant is no less than a fighter, it too has its limits. Once these natural limits are frequently ignored, premature plant death becomes almost impossible to avoid.

Hence, knowing exactly how much sun the dieffenbachia plant needs is important if you wish to enjoy having it around for many years.

Continue reading to learn more about basic care tips every dieffenbachia plant owner needs to know about.

We will also delve into an explanation of just how much sun is ideal for an indoor potted dieffenbachia plant and where you can place your plant to ensure it gets the right amount of sunlight.

Moreover, the article also elaborates on what happens when the indoor potted dieffenbachia plant is either exposed to too much sunlight or not enough sunlight.

Let’s get started!

The Top Care Tips that Every Dieffenbachia Plant Owner Needs to Know About

Usually, most people begin their plant parent journey by buying a couple of easily available succulents, money plants, or small cactuses.

Since all these indoor planters have challenging care routines, their premature deaths can be quite discouraging for first-time plant owners.

Hence, if you are wondering which indoor plant will be able to keep up with your lack of plant-based knowledge or expertise, the dieffenbachia plant is just the perfect fit for you.

Caring for a dieffenbachia plant is far less complicated than other indoor plant species. You do not have to water it every other day, and you do not have to keep changing the pot’s position to get sufficient sunlight.

Instead, you can leave your indoor potted dieffenbachia plant home alone for a week or even more and still come home to a bright green, healthy, and tall plant. Hence, there is not much to note down when you learn how to care for a dieffenbachia plant.

However, it is better to be well-informed about the dieffenbachia plant’s unique and simple needs so that you can guarantee its health and longevity.

Hence, some of the top care tips for the dieffenbachia plant are as follows:

  • Since the indoor potted dieffenbachia plant is best adapted to thrive on deprivation, be mindful of never overwatering it.
  • The best advice is to only water your dieffenbachia plant once every two weeks.
  • However, if the external atmosphere is too dry and the plant keeps on transpiring out too much water, it is safer to water the dieffenbachia plant once in a seven-day period.
  • Moreover, keep your indoor potted dieffenbachia plant away from direct or indirect sunlight.
  • Ensure that the potting soil of your dieffenbachia plant is well-drained; however, it is also important that the soil remains slightly moist at all times.
  • Cut and trim off all the dry, damaged, and yellow leaves of your dieffenbachia plant to encourage fresh growth.
  • Repot your dieffenbachia plant into a fresh pot of high-quality potting mix at least once after every two to three months.
  • Ensure that the water used to hydrate the dieffenbachia plant is free of any hard metal contamination, excessive salts, impurities, fungal spores, or pests.

Also read: Do Dieffenbachia Like Humidity? [Signs And Process]

How Much Sunlight Exposure is Ideal for an Indoor Potted Dieffenbachia Plant

Although a majority of indoor plant species are adapted to grow and thrive without any direct sunlight, many still require some hours of indirect sunlight exposure.

This is why plant parents who own money plants, snake plants, bamboo shoots, English Ivy, or other common succulents are advised to place their indoor planters on window sills, on their semi-covered balconies, or in other well-lit areas of their homes to allow their plants some necessary indirect sunlight.

However, if you are responsible for caring for an indoor potted dieffenbachia plant, you need not worry about either of these concerns.

This is because the dieffenbachia plant is naturally adapted to growing in well-shaded areas with little or no direct or indirect sunlight.

Hence, you have the complete freedom to place a potted dieffenbachia plant in any corner, or on any shelf or counter of your house, without worrying about the window’s location or the direction of the sunlight.

However, suppose you live in a region where the sun is quite intense, the skies are very clear, or the daylight hours are quite long.

In that case, it is best to keep your curtains closed so no excessive sunlight can enter your living space and affect your dieffenbachia plant’s well-being.

Moreover, although the dieffenbachia plant does not need direct or indirect sun, some daylight entering your home is necessary for the plant to carry out photosynthesis.

Hence, even if you have placed a dieffenbachia plant in a shady area of your house, simply place it in a well-lit room at least once in four to five days so it can capture some sunlight.

This will ensure that your plant gets the right amount of sunlight but also the right intensity. If you keep your plant in direct sunlight for too long, you’ll end up burning the leaves.

Similarly, too little sunlight means less food for the plant, which will lead to it wilting and dying. Both instances mean that you’ll lose your investment and your plant buddy.

However, even these days, it is important to ensure that the dieffenbachia plant is well-shielded from direct or indirect sunlight. Hence, lift the curtains and place the dieffenbachia plant away from the window.

Furthermore, if you live in a region where the persistent cloud cover prevents sufficient sunlight from entering your home, investing in a solar lamp is the best tip.

Simply place your dieffenbachia plant near the solar lamp for a few hours after a few days, and ensure that its heat and light intensity are kept on low.

Read Low-Light Plants Similar to Dieffenbachia

What Happens When the Indoor Potted Dieffenbachia Plant is Exposed to Too Much Sunlight?

Any time the indoor potted dieffenbachia plant is exposed to too much sunlight, the following happens:

  • When too much sunlight reaches your dieffenbachia plant, the sun’s heat causes the plant’s internal body temperature to go up.
  • As the plant gets overheated, the leaves begin to transpire out water from their tiny holes in an attempt to cool down the plant.
  • However, if the sunlight continues to heat up the plant, this will lead to the transpiration of excess water.
  • As a result, the entire dieffenbachia plant will get dehydrated, and the natural rate of photosynthesis will be negatively affected.
  • When this happens, the plant will no longer be able to create its necessary plant food.
  • As a result, your dieffenbachia plant may lose its ability to remain upright, and its leaves may lose their green color, dry up, and fall off.
  • Eventually, if this damaging routine is frequently repeated, the dieffenbachia plant’s premature death becomes imminent.
  • Moreover, the excessive sunlight will also cause most moisture to evaporate out of the soil.
  • If the soil gets too dry, the roots of the dieffenbachia plant will be unable to absorb any water.
  • As a result, the water shortage will negatively affect the rate of photosynthesis, and the dieffenbachia plant will be unable to create any plant food.
  • If nothing is done to hydrate the plant on time, the dieffenbachia plant’s leaves may get dried, curl up, turn yellow, and fall off.
  • Furthermore, without sufficient water pressure in the cells, the dieffenbachia plant’s stem will also lose its ability and strength to remain upright and eventually droop down.
  • Eventually, the dehydration will be enough to cause the dieffenbachia plant’s untimely death.

Final Thoughts

People who have indoor potted dieffenbachia plants at home usually enjoy their plant’s company and presence for a long time.

Not only is the dieffenbachia plant able to outlive most other indoor plant species, but it is also able to retain its lush green color, tall height, and refreshing aura throughout its lifetime.

All you need to do to keep your dieffenbachia plant evergreen and healthy is place the indoor planter in a well-shaded area that does not get any indirect or direct sunlight. Remember, both instances are really bad for your plant, and if you expose it to either scenario, you’ll end up with a dead plant and your money wasted.

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