Treating Scale Insects and Pruning an Overgrown Dieffenbachia

A 6-foot Dieffenbachia has small brown bumps (scale insects) and browning leaf tips. Expert Will Creed: if bumps scrape off and there's stickiness, it's scale. Treat with spray of 5 parts water, 1 part rubbing alcohol, squirt of dish soap; drench all surfaces, wipe off scales. Prune stems back to 1–3 feet to rejuvenate; new growth emerges below cuts. Root top cuttings in soil or water. Brown tips may indicate hard tap water—switch to filtered/distilled. Water when top quarter of soil feels dry.