---
title: "Hi, so I am still pretty new to house plants so I am looking for any…"
description: "Hi, so I am still pretty new to house plants so I am looking for any tips and tricks that can help me save this Dieffenbachia. She was a clearance rack find at…"
url: "https://getplanta.com/community/EtC_giEjQPOiUzh_TOv4BQ/sDPnImrD7UhjogRo2EsYpb"
community: "Plant Recovery Room"
author: "Kaitlin"
published: "2026-01-14T00:34:23.802767Z"
language: "en"
image: "https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/zWB6izoAFnD-LuMGxosu1Rq9JEwog1uTxUQncoSyfxw/jWP5Yq5jS1mGLj5MY4Q73Q.webp?size=large"
---

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# Hi, so I am still pretty new to house plants so I am looking for any…

_Posted by Kaitlin on 2026-01-14_

Hi, so I am still pretty new to house plants so I am looking for any tips and tricks that can help me save this Dieffenbachia. She was a clearance rack find at Lowe’s with a lot of dead leaves. I used to repot with just plain old miracle grow soil but have recently switched to fox farms(this is happy frog) with added perlite and orchid bark, I also added Bigfoot mycorrhiza around the roots. It’s a NC winter here now and I have all my plants inside with grow lights but I am not seeing any progress being made in root development or new leaves. What am I doing wrong? it’s been almost 2 months

![Attachment 1 of 1](https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/zWB6izoAFnD-LuMGxosu1Rq9JEwog1uTxUQncoSyfxw/jWP5Yq5jS1mGLj5MY4Q73Q.webp?size=large)

## 4 comments

### Adrian commented on 2026-01-14

Some plants just don’t develop too much during the winter, even in optimal conditions. It sounds like you’re at a great start with the dieffenbachia 😊 If you wanna try fertilizing it to speed any new growth up before spring, though, I highly recommend Osmocote’s Slow-Release Fertilizer Pellets for any beginner that doesn’t wanna stick to a strict fertilizing schedule. You can simply sprinkle a few on top of the soil or add a few to the soil mix when repotting, and they can last for months between repottings. I replace them when I repot my plants. They’ll release fertilizer every time you water your plant. Hope this helps!

### Morgan Picillo 🖤 🌿 commented on 2026-01-14

She looks great! Sounds like she just needs a little bit more time 💚

### Sl commented on 2026-01-17

She might want a bigger pot, but other than that she looks pretty good. 👍

### Grace commented on 2026-01-23

By the way make sure you wear gloves when handling this plant! Its very toxic

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