How to grow dieffenbachia at home?

Dieffenbachia is a perennial herb that belongs to the Aroid group. This flower was born in the tropical conditions of South America. The plant has longer leaves, which, taking into account the species, can have a different color. On the surface of the leaves, spots of a salad, green, yellow hue are visible, as well as various strokes, dots and stripes. The bush has a small straight trunk, which over time becomes flatter. Dieffenbachia blooms only in spring, continues to bloom for only a few days.

The flower grows pretty quickly. If the conditions of detention are correct, then one sheet appears every week. When you expand it, you can see the top of the next one. Large varieties can grow more than 2 meters, small species stretch up to one meter.

Popular varieties of indoor dieffenbachia: photo and description

Now there are many different hybrids and varieties (more than 50) of dieffenbachia with different leaf colors. Let's talk about the most popular ones.

Dieffenbachia Leopold

The stem of this plant grows up to 6 cm. The petioles are much smaller than the leaves, have a pale green color with purple spots. The leaf looks like an ellipse, deep green, with a white vein in the middle. A cauliflower leaf, about 15 cm in size, surrounds the flower. The ear grows up to 10 cm. This is one of the most popular types for decorative planting. Taking care of this plant is quite simple.

Dieffenbachia adorable

This plant, hardy to shady areas, grows well in warm rooms. The size of the leaves is up to 55 cm, the main trunk is more than 1.6 m. The leaves have a deep green tint and white stripes along the veins.

Dieffenbachia spotted

The bush grows up to one meter. The size of the petioles is equal to the plate, but may be slightly shorter. The leaf is up to 38 cm long and 11 cm wide. The leaf has an oblong shape with a point at the crown. The peduncle is short.

Dieffenbachia Camilla

A fairly common variety among gardeners. It grows in length up to 2.1 m. The trunk of this flower is tree-like and straight, the leaves are bright green, elongated, oval. The trunk is exposed from below, which makes the bush less attractive. In home cultivation, flowering dieffenbachia is a rather rare occurrence.

Dieffenbachia: home care, photo and description

Although Dieffenbachia is quite popular among gardeners, it still needs careful personal care. This flower reacts poorly to drafts and cold. Also requires regular watering and pruning.

Watering

The soil in the pot in which the dieffenbachia is grown must be constantly moist. The flower requires regular watering. In winter, watering should be done more moderately. Before watering, the water is defended for several days. If the water is very hard, then the tops of the leaves become brown and may crumble. To make the water softer, you can add oxalic acid... In summer you need to water every 2 days, in winter - once a week.

Lighting

The flower feels great on a lighted window, but direct sunlight is not desirable. In low light, the leaves turn out to be small, losing their attractiveness. You can rearrange the pot from the windowsill, but the flower must be artificially illuminated. The best place is a window with an east and west position.

Temperature

Dieffenbachia must be grown at a specific temperature:

• In summer and spring - 21-23 degrees.
• In winter - 16-17 degrees.

If the temperature is lower, the lower leaves of the plant will fall off. A sharp change in temperature has a detrimental effect on the condition of the flower.

Air humidity

The air in the premises in which dieffenbachia is grown must be moist and warm... A draft is stressful for the plant and the temperature is less than +16 degrees. In dry air, wet moss, gravel or sand can be placed in the bush pan. You can put a jar of water near the plant. The bush responds well to occasional spraying with water. But at temperatures less than +17, it is advisable not to do this, but instead of spraying, wipe the leaves with a damp cloth. Once a week, the flower can be rinsed under the shower, removing dust from it.

Land preparation

For this plant, it is advisable to buy a ready-made substance made specifically for the Aroniev group or for dieffenbachia itself. You can use soil with neutral acidity:

• 1 piece of leafy land;
• 4 parts of sod land;
• 1 part sand;
• 1 part peat.

Certainly need to do drainage... You can lay brick chips and charcoal. When planting a plant, you can add bone meal to the ground as fertilizer.

Plant feeding

Dieffenbachia does not have a specific rest time, because this plant needs bait for a whole year. In summer and spring it is necessary to fertilize once every 14 days, in winter every 2 months. The main condition is that the dressing should not have lime. Mineral dressing "Vito" proved to be excellent. You can use other liquid formulations for indoor deciduous flowers. Useful bait with nitrogen-containing organic fertilizers. But not very much nitrogen is needed, otherwise the flower with white leaves will turn green.

Transfer

It is necessary to transplant dieffenbachia every year. The best time for transplanting is early spring. In summer, in hot weather, it is advisable not to do this - the flower may not take root.

The roots of dieffenbachia are brittle, you have to be careful. You can transfer to new containers. The old drainage must be removed. It is advisable to choose a pot a few sentiments more than the previous one.

Care and reproduction

The most popular way of plant propagation is to plant apical cuttings, they are rooted in sand and water or a mixture of peat and sand (1 to 1). From above, the stalk must be closed with glass or foil. Install in a bright room without direct sunlight. When rooting in the ground, once every 7 days, a rooting agent (Kornevin or Zircon) must be added to the water for irrigation, this activates the germination of roots. The substrate must be warm (22-24 gr.).

If the germination of the root system takes place in water, then when the roots reach 5 cm, they must be transplanted into a pot. When grown in sand feeding is required, one fourth of the mineral fertilizer.When planting an earthen lump with a root, it is undesirable to break.

How does dieffenbachia propagate by parts of the stem? The stem must be cut into cuttings (11-16 cm), dried for 24 hours, covering the cut with charcoal. The cuttings must be pressed horizontally to the ground so that half is on the surface.

A plant planted in this way shoots and takes root rather slowly (up to one year). If there is no development, and the cuttings have not rotted, then it is necessary to continue watering, the plant has taken root underground. When the first leaf appears, it is necessary to add fresh earth to the base of the shoot. After rooting, the flower must be transplanted, but the old trunk must be preserved. From the hemp, when internodes are on it, new shoots will grow.

Diseases and pests

Dieffenbachia can be affected scale insect, spider mite, thrips, aphids... Therefore, it is important to periodically inspect the flower in order to identify pests. Insect larvae are removed with a swab soaked in beer, garlic infusion, and soapy water. If the infestations are very large, then it is necessary to treat with actellik or karbofos. The air must be very humid.

If you take care of dieffenbachia incorrectly, then this plant is often susceptible to fungal infection. This can happen from heavy watering. Check the roots for rot. Rotten roots must be cut off, and the cut sites must be covered with activated carbon or manganese. The flower must be transplanted into a new land treated with manganese.

Leaves can dry out from significant temperature changes or cold air. If the leaves begin to turn yellow, then in this case there may be a number of reasons:

• burns from bright sunlight;
• abundant watering;
• lack of space;
• hard water.

Note to the gardener

How to prune dieffenbachia? The old leaves of the flower must fall off. When the bush is bare, it is cut at a height of 11 cm from the ground. Then, after a short time, young shoots are formed on the bush.

Is Dieffenbachia juice poisonous?

The sap of this plant is poisonous. Therefore, if there are children in the house, then it is advisable not to start it. It is advisable to do all manipulations with the plant with gloves. If the juice of the flower gets on the skin, irritation may appear. Causes swelling of the mucous membranes when ingested. The person will not be able to speak. Dieffenbachia in some countries used as a poison for mice.

How does Dieffenbachia bloom?

Dieffenbach blooms in spring (early March - late April). The flower has a creamy veil that emerges from the leaf axil. But in home cultivation, Dieffenbachia blooms very rarely, and the flowering does not last long. Then the flower withers, it must be cut off so that it does not take useful elements from the plant.

Signs associated with dieffenbachia

According to the signs, the flower is considered "muzhegon", the plant expels all men from the house. Moreover, in the house where Dieffenbachia is located, the spouses cannot have children for a long time. Therefore, it is believed that to have dieffenbachia in the house is to doom yourself to loneliness. Whether it is necessary to keep dieffenbachia at home, everyone determines for himself.

Growing dieffenbachia at home is not very difficult as it might seem at first glance. Knowing the basic rules, you can grow an evergreen plant for a whole year. But you need to remember about safety measures, since the flower is poisonous.

Dieffenbachia flower

Dieffenbachia is a plant with beautiful and broad leaves that is often seen in offices, clinics and commercial premises. In care, this plant is completely unpretentious, and it is also very easy to propagate it. Let's take a closer look at the details of breeding.

Dieffenbachia - description

Dieffenbachia is an evergreen of the Aroid family. It grows in the tropical regions of America.

Dieffenbachia is grown because of the decorative effect of the leaves. Its leaves are large, mostly variegated green shades, but there are also white, yellowish or monochromatic green. The trunk is straight and thick.

Dieffenbachia looks great in the interior

There are about 40 varieties of this plant, in which the leaves differ in the variegation and color of the pattern. Most species grow up to two meters in height. Dwarf varieties do not exceed 40 cm.

There are many types and varieties of dieffenbachia

A young plant rarely blooms, but as it ages, it begins to bloom more often. The flowers are inconspicuous, in the form of cobs, with a faint odor. Under indoor conditions, the seeds do not ripen.

Dieffenbachia flowers are inconspicuous, but original

Most common in home cultivation is spotted dieffenbachia, which has different varieties.

Varieties and varieties of the flower in the photo

Is dieffenbachia poisonous

There are many rumors about the toxicity of this plant. In fact, it is not that poisonous. In one children's hospital, there was a case that refutes rumors about the deadly danger of this plant to children.

The children ate all the leaves of Dieffenbachia that they had there. But not a single child was hurt. No stomach pains, no cramping or anything else. All these horrifying stories about severe edema, blindness and dumbness, I have not yet met in reality, only on the Internet.

But the milky juice of dieffenbachia can still irritate the mucous membrane, so it is better not to put dubious experiments with it! Everyone's body is different, allergic reactions, burns on the skin are possible.

Safety regulations

• Do not touch the mucous membranes of the body (eyes, mouth) if the milky juice of dieffenbachia remains on your hands.
• Perform all operations with this plant with gloves to avoid allergies and burns.
• Animals and birds should not gnaw stems and chew leaves.
• Explain to children about the toxicity of the sap of this plant and keep it out of reach of small children and animals.

Subject to these rules, dieffenbachia is not only safe, but even useful plant. There is no need to eat its leaves, of course! They are a good air filter.

Dieffenbachia leaves contain phytoncides that disinfect the air. Wide leaves humidify the air and purify it from chemical compounds such as Formaldehyde, Xylene, Benzene.

Dieffenbachia is also a "rain indicator". Sticky droplets appear on the leaves before rainy weather.

Breeding methods of dieffenbachia at home

It will not be difficult to propagate dieffenbachia even for those who are first engaged in the propagation of any plant.

Dieffenbachia breeding methods:

• stem cuttings;
• top;
• basal shoots (daughter shoots);
• air layering.

Dieffenbachia cuttings are propagated when there is a long trunk without leaves. This is the easiest way to reproduce. The cuttings are rooted in water or in a substrate.

The top is generally not propagated, but the plant is rejuvenated if there is only one trunk. If there are several trunks, then one top can be left to grow, and the rest can be cut off for reproduction.

Dieffenbachia grows and develops very quickly, and at home, with insufficient light, it stretches upward. There are new varieties that are compact in size and short in stem. But most often they grow the usual spotted dieffenbachia, which requires frequent rejuvenation and transplantation.

If you want to update your Dieffenbachia, then feel free to cut off the top and chop the remaining parts of the trunk for breeding. If you want a new stem to start from the root, then you need to cut it so that a small stump with buds (3-5 cm) remains. Several new trunks will sprout from the buds.

Even small stumps will sprout

All parts of the cut dieffenbachia root easily in the water. As a result, instead of one plant, you get several!

It is best to propagate and transplant dieffenbachia in late winter or early spring, at the end of the dormant time. But you can do this in the summer.

Reproduction of dieffenbachia - video

Plant propagation by cuttings rooting in water

For propagation by cuttings, it is enough to have only one small cutting. Even a two-centimeter piece will give roots.

On the trunk of dieffenbachia there are small bumps - dormant buds, from which the trunk and leaves will then develop.

A sprout breaks out of the sleeping bud

Do not water the plant three days before grafting!

• For water conditioning, purchase Methylene Blue from your pet store. It is a safe dye that is even added to eye drops. It will prevent the cuttings from rotting. It is enough to tint the water a little with it.
• In order for the roots to germinate faster, add a root former to the water with cuttings: for each container at the tip of a knife. For example, Kornevin, Heteroauxin. When the roots appear, the root former does not need to be added.
• For better growth of the root system and sprouts, add ascorbic acid with glucose: 1 tablet must be diluted per container.

One pill is enough

What needs to be prepared for grafting:

1. disinfected sharp knife;
2. ground activated or charcoal - 1 tbsp. per liter of water;
3. Methylene blue;
4. boiled water;
5. gloves;
6. glass (or plastic) jars for cuttings and tops.

Cuttings can be placed in the water either upright or flat. If you are placing large cuttings and tops, use glass jars so that they do not tip over from the weight of the plants.

One way to root cuttings in water

Step-by-step process of grafting and rooting in water

1. Prepare the water: dilute the coal in it and tint it a little with methylene blue (to light blue). Disinfectant dye for water
2. We put on gloves and cut off the top of the dieffenbachia (evenly or obliquely, it does not matter). Cut off the top with a sharp knife
3. Cut off the remaining trunk, leaving a stump with buds from the root, and cut it in parts (depending on how many shoots you need). Cut the cuttings
4. Dry the top and cuttings for 3-5 hours and put them in water, which must be changed about 1-2 times a week, depending on how many cuttings you have in one container. As soon as the water becomes cloudy, you need to replace it with a new one (do not forget to add charcoal and Methylene Blue). We put the cuttings and the top in the water
5. When rootlets appear, plant the cuttings and the tip in the soil. Up to three plants can be planted in one pot. Planting cuttings with roots

For better root germination, water should be at least 18 degrees Celsius.

Pruning and rooting in water the tops of dieffenbachia - video

Planting cuttings and tops with roots in the soil

Dieffenbachia requires loose soil with good drainage. This plant is very fond of water. The soil should always be moist, but not waterlogged. Therefore, it is necessary to make good drainage at the bottom of the pot.

What can be used as drainage:

• expanded clay;
• large perlite;
• pieces of brick;
• pieces of ceramics;
• pebbles.

It is better not to use pieces of polystyrene, it dries out the soil too much.

If the pot has drainage holes, then the drainage can be poured in a layer of 1.5 cm.In the absence of drainage holes, the drainage layer must be increased to 2.5 cm.

It is useful to add pieces of charcoal and vermiculite to the soil. You can add small fractions of the bark. Sprinkle the soil on top with a mixture of sand and ground charcoal (1: 1), covering with sphagnum to retain moisture in the soil.

Landing scheme

• Soil composition N1: soil for dracaena or palm + 1/4 coconut fiber.
• Soil composition N2: universal soil or garden soil 2 parts + coniferous litter 1 part + clean sand 1 part.
• Soil composition N3: turf soil 4 parts + leaf soil 1 part + peat soil 1 part + sand 1 part.

What needs to be prepared for planting:

• pots for tops and cuttings;
• prepared soil;
• drainage;
• some sand and crushed charcoal;
• sphagnum;
• warm water with potassium permanganate for irrigation, light pink.

Step-by-step landing instructions

1. We pour drainage into the pot, fill it with soil on top.
2. We make a depression for each cutting and pour water tinted with potassium permanganate.
3. We plant cuttings in the holes, spreading the roots down, and cover them with earth.
4. Sprinkle on top with a mixture of sand and ground coal and cover with sphagnum.
5. We put the pots in a slightly darkened warm place.

A "dark place" does not mean that the cuttings need darkness. They should not be exposed to direct sunlight and at first you need to protect them from overheating in the sun, but they need light!

Water the plants as the topsoil dries. Until the cuttings develop a good root system, it is not necessary to shed much soil in order to avoid waterlogging.

The top is planted in the same way.

Planting cuttings and tops of dieffenbachia - video

Caring for planted cuttings

There is no need to feed the cuttings before the first shoots appear. You can only spray them a little once a month with nitrogen fertilizer for better growth.

On sale there is a ready-made aerosol "Zelenit for decorative deciduous plants".

Nitrogen fertilizer in the form of aerosol

Water a young dieffenbachia about 1-2 times a week. But it is necessary to monitor the condition of the soil: it should be moist, but not wet. If water accumulates in the pan, be sure to drain it.

When the sprouts grow up (about 2–3 months after rooting), start feeding the plants and place them in a lighter spot.

Dieffenbachia is fertilized from spring to winter once every two weeks with fertilizer for decorative deciduous plants. Reduce fertilizer concentration by 50%.

Dieffenbachia is not fertilized in winter.

Leaves must be wiped from dust and sprayed when the air is dry.

Plants need enough light for the stem to grow thick. On cloudy and winter days, supplement the Dieffenbachia with lamps.

The formed trunk will no longer be able to get thicker, so immediately provide the Dieffenbachia with enough light!

If dieffenbachia has solid leaves, then it can be grown in partial shade. Variegated leaves require bright light. But in any case, you do not need to put dieffenbachia in direct sunlight so that the leaves do not get burned.

Rooting cuttings in the substrate

The top and cuttings can be rooted in the substrate.

• The composition of the mixture: sand + ground charcoal + sphagnum 3: 2: 1.

Some of the moss can be left on top of the mixture.

For watering the cuttings, use water with the addition of a root former and phytosporin.

• Solution composition: Root former (e.g. Kornevin) + Fitosporin. At the tip of a teaspoon of each of these preparations per liter of warm water.

Rooting schemes

1. Cut the cuttings with a cut into the mixture. You can stick a cut into the soil
2. Lay the cuttings flat, slightly deepening. Lay the cuttings flat, pressing them a little into the soil
3. The top is deepened by 2–5 cm, attached to the support. Deepen the top and attach to the support

Step-by-step rooting of cuttings in the substrate

1. Dry the chopped cuttings or the top of the dieffenbachia for about an hour.
2. We treat the sections with an antiseptic (charcoal or brilliant green).
3. Pour a mixture of sand, coal and sphagnum into a low container.
4. We moisten the mixture with water and stick the cuttings into it. The top can be placed in a deeper container and tied to a support.
5. Put plastic bottles on the cuttings, or in some other way make it look like a greenhouse.
6. We put the cuttings in a shaded place and make sure that the substrate is always moist (you can put the sphagnum on top). You can put sphagnum under the cuttings

Prerequisites for cuttings:

• for better germination, a temperature of + 25-27 ° C is needed;
• greenhouses need to be aired for 2-3 minutes every day and check the condition of the cuttings and substrate;
• when roots and new shoots appear, plant the cuttings in the soil.

Rooting cuttings in a lying substrate - video

How to propagate with air layers

Another way of propagation of dieffenbachia: air layering.

1. An incision is made on the trunk with a sharp, sterile knife, fixed with a sliver and wrapped around with wet moss. The incision is fixed with a splinter

2. Cellophane is tied from above.

   From above the moss is tied with cellophane

3. It is necessary to check the moisture condition of the moss 1-2 times a week and, if necessary, moisten it with a spray bottle. Kornevin can be added to the water for spraying at the tip of a knife for half a liter of water. It is necessary to check the condition of the moss and the presence of root formation
4. When the roots appear, the trunk is cut off and planted in the soil in the usual way. The trunk that has given roots must be cut

Another method of propagation by air layers has a slightly different scheme. Instead of moss and cellophane, a kind of pot with a substrate from a light mixture is attached to the cut. For example, sphagnum + soil + perlite.

The pot is attached with sticks to the trunk.

You can use peat as a pot or cut from a plastic bottle.

Method of propagation by air layers with a substrate

Transplanting and dividing a bush: how to plant cuttings correctly

Dieffenbachia roots grow well and eventually fill the entire pot. If dieffenbachia has given several shoots from the root, they can be separated from the mother plant and planted separately.

You can easily separate the sprout from the mother bush and plant it separately

You need to get the plant and check if the daughter bushes can be separated. This is usually easy to do and the roots are barely damaged. If you cannot separate it with your hands, you can cut it off with a sharp disinfected knife. Try to do as little damage to the roots as possible!

This bush can be divided into two

The trunk of spotted dieffenbachia grows quickly and can tilt the plant. In this regard, it is better to plant it in a heavy pot slightly larger than the size of the roots, so that there is where to pour the soil. Excess roots can be trimmed.

When planting to the top of the pot, there should be a free space of 1.5-2 cm.

When a transplant is required:

• growth has stopped;
• new leaves grow small;
• the soil dries very quickly;
• the plant has grown too much and needs renewal.

Prepare for transplant:

• new soil;
• disinfected scissors;
• antiseptic (coal powder, turmeric or brilliant green);
• drainage to the bottom of the pot.

Dividing the dieffenbachia bush - video

Transplant instruction and division of the bush

1. Place drainage on the bottom of the pot.
2. Remove the plant from the pot.
3. Examine the roots and soil.
4. Separate the daughter shoots from the main bush.
5. If necessary, free the roots of the mother plant from old soil and remove any dark, dry and rotten roots. If the soil and roots are not diseased, then it is better not to release the soil from the roots.
6. Treat all sections with an antiseptic.
7. Try on the roots in a pot and add soil. Holding the dieffenbachia by the trunk, fill up the earth, tamping it down a little. The trunk can be buried.
8. Sprinkle a mixture of sand and charcoal on top and lay sphagnum on top of the mixture.
9. Water the plant lightly and spray the leaves with warm water.
10. Plant the separated Dieffenbachia shoots in the same way.

The first month you need to keep the plants in a shaded place, especially if you cut the roots. Next, place the dieffenbachia in a brighter place.

Dieffenbachia transplant - video

Dieffenbachia care

After all rooted and planted plants have taken root, they need proper care.

Dieffenbachia loves fresh air. In summer, you can take it out to the loggia, but protect it from cold drafts.

Plant Care Chart

Caring for room dieffenbachia - video

Reproduction and transplant problems - table

Reviews on the reproduction and cultivation of dieffenbachia

When breeding dieffenbachia, choose a method that is convenient for you. Its cuttings have almost 100% survival rate and rarely do not give roots at all. Even if this is your first time to plant and cut a plant, this will not be a problem with Dieffenbachia!