do i ned a growlight for my dumb cane diffenbochia?

Heirloom gard · December 16, 2013

Yesterday I was at cub foods (I know bad place to get houseplants) and i picked up a varigated dwarf difenbochia, its got lots of new growth, isnt outgrowing its pot is free of pests and diseases. I set it as close as i could to the grow light I have now, a tropi sun 60 watt bulb. but only 1/4th of the plant gets light from it. I had a bulb light clump I just need the bulb- trouble is stores bachmens is sold out until after the holidays. Do you think it will be fine in what it has now.

KarenO · December 17, 2013

Hello there, Welcome to TV.
dieffenbachias are very easy to grow houseplants and are also quite tolerant of low light conditions indoors. Strong sunlight can damage them in fact. The type of light you would get near a north or east window is quite sufficient for successful growth so it's unlikely you need any sort of grow light for your plant.
Enjoy, it's a hard-to-kill houseplant, my favorite kinds

KarenO

Heirloom gard · December 17, 2013

Thanks, its a varigated one so i guess I'll just leave it be and see how it does i have the light fixtures just not the bulbs so it it starts having problems i'll know what to do.

Cole_Robbie · December 17, 2013

I don't know anything about that particular plant, but you can use any fluorescent bulb if you want to. "Cool white" spiral flourescents work just fine for vegetative growth.

Heirloom gard · December 19, 2013

another question, when i got it , it was kinda on the damp side, i read in my plant book that it likes to dry out between watering's. Now the soil is getting dry and one of the lower leaves is starting to turn yellow. however its been less then a week sense i got it.

December 16, 2013	#1
Heirloom gard Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: St paul MN Posts: 73	do i ned a growlight for my dumb cane diffenbochia? Yesterday I was at cub foods (I know bad place to get houseplants) and i picked up a varigated dwarf difenbochia, its got lots of new growth, isnt outgrowing its pot is free of pests and diseases. I set it as close as i could to the grow light I have now, a tropi sun 60 watt bulb. but only 1/4th of the plant gets light from it. I had a bulb light clump I just need the bulb- trouble is stores bachmens is sold out until after the holidays. Do you think it will be fine in what it has now.

December 17, 2013	#2
KarenO Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Vancouver Island Posts: 5,932	Hello there, Welcome to TV. dieffenbachias are very easy to grow houseplants and are also quite tolerant of low light conditions indoors. Strong sunlight can damage them in fact. The type of light you would get near a north or east window is quite sufficient for successful growth so it's unlikely you need any sort of grow light for your plant. Enjoy, it's a hard-to-kill houseplant, my favorite kinds KarenO

December 17, 2013	#4
Cole_Robbie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Illinois, zone 6 Posts: 8,407	I don't know anything about that particular plant, but you can use any fluorescent bulb if you want to. "Cool white" spiral flourescents work just fine for vegetative growth.

December 19, 2013	#5
Heirloom gard Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: St paul MN Posts: 73	another question, when i got it , it was kinda on the damp side, i read in my plant book that it likes to dry out between watering's. Now the soil is getting dry and one of the lower leaves is starting to turn yellow. however its been less then a week sense i got it.