How to grow Dieffenbachia

How to grow Dieffenbachia

In this small guide we will see how to grow the Dieffenbachia (Dieffenbachia Schott, 1829) which is one of the most cultivated apartment plants. Dieffenbachia is native to the tropical countries of Central America and Asia in its many varieties. It is a plant that resists well in the apartment but often, due to errors in cultivation, is reduced, even aesthetically, in poor conditions (with yellowing, drying, falling leaves, etc.). Given their tropical origin, it is good to reproduce the conditions of solar luminosity, never direct, and humidity inside our apartments as much as possible. They must be kept inside the house during the spring and can be placed outside, but in a shady place during the hottest period. Watering should be reduced in winter (inside the house) and then gradually increased during the hot period.

We now see other useful information on how to grow Dieffenbachia. As for humidity, both inside and outside, this is almost never suitable for the needs of the plant, so it is necessary periodically, through a small nebulizer to provide water (demineralized) to the leaves. Useful is also a humidifier to keep close to the plants and remove them from heat sources. Dieffenbachia cultivation would be excellent in a small warm-humid greenhouse, with a bright exposure with diffused light. This type of plant requires constant temperature, never less than 13 ° C and around possibly at 25-30 ° C. For the choice of the vase we can opt for one of terracotta (transpirate better) even not large, or if you want to make a nice composition of more dieffenbachie in planters at least 40 cm deep. The soil must be slightly acidic, and very well drained. You can mix the universal soil with soil for acidophilic plants (but we can also add a part of well mature manure) and to this we can add silica sand or pumice stone that increase drainage. This will avoid stagnation and possible rottenness.
Fertilizers must be done two or three times a month in the summer with liquid fertilizer dissolved in the water of watering. As regards repotting, this is carried out in the spring every two years and, in the case of older specimens, it is covered by using well drained universal soil, enriched with the same soil used previously.
The multiplication of Dieffenbachia occurs by cuttings or between April and June, using the upper part of the stem, the part of the remaining stem can be divided into cuttings, cutting it into many 8 cm long segments, forming a stump with a tuft of secondary stems. For the quickest rooting you can use honey or willow-based hormones.
The plant can be pruned to avoid at some point an excessive growth in length and an excessive depletion of leaves at the base.
It is possible that the plant also blooms in the apartment but the bloom (a thin spatice and a spathe) is not flashy and therefore not very pleasant.
Also pay attention to wearing gloves during pruning, cutting and replanting because the dieffenbachia sap is highly irritating and toxic.