Hello! I’ve had this plant for about 6 months and it recently has started to look like this? It was a propagation from a dieffenbachia that i have had for a couple years, but i have never seen it do this. Anyone know what is going on and how to save it? The leaves aren’t drying out but instead feel slightly mushy and are turning a brownish grey.
What you’re describing sounds like it sound most likely be related to overwatering, but it can be hard to tell from just one photo. It happens to everyone sometimes, especially in the winter because the plant uses less water during these months! If the soil feels damp or wet at all within the first few inches that’s probably a confirmation of it being some overwatering. If the soil is bone dry, it probably needs to be watered more frequently. Is it near any kind of vents, fireplaces, or heaters by chance? based on the picture, it doesn’t look like it would be that but it’s worth checking to be sure. What’s the lighting situation currently for the plant? Whenever I have leaf problems, I also always check for pests to be safe. If there are pests of any kind, isolate the plant from your other others and spray it with insecticidal soap once a week for about four weeks.
1 like If so, I would take the plant out of its soil and get as much of the soil off as possible to check for any roots that are dead, mushy, or dark brown. Trim any of those roots off with clean scissors and spray the roots in 3% hydrogen peroxide (make sure it’s definitely diluted to 3%). Then repot into new, fresh, well draining soil (I like to do cactus mix with equal parts perlite and orchid bark) and adjust the watering schedule. Planta is helpful for keeping track of roughly when to water plants, but I still recommend checking that the soil is dry enough with a toothpick or moisture meter. I believe Dieffenbachias want to be about 50% dry in the winter months before watering. You can also trim off the unhealthy leaves with some clean scissors to promote new growth.
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