Dieffenbachia originated from Central and Latin America, where it thrives and reproduces in the wild. In the Eastern Hemisphere, the plant has been cultivated as an ornamental plant for a century and a half. It has a picturesque and colorful appearance, and its care at home requires no special techniques and is accessible to even the most inexperienced gardeners.
Despite strong recommendations not to include Dieffenbachia in home flower gardens due to its inherent toxicity, many gardeners still study the diseases, transplanting, and propagation of this exotic plant, post successful photos of grown specimens online, and keep them in home collections.
Types and varieties
Gardening websites often list 40 species of this plant, but competent reference sources increase this number by another two dozen. Caring for it at home is not particularly difficult, and knowledge of some cultivation nuances comes with practical experience as a gardener. You can also always search for information on specialized websites or ask for care advice on forums.
Science knows more than 3 thousand species belonging to the luxurious family of Araceae (arum family, according to another terminology), distributed across 117 genera.
Species and names are sure to be found in every gardening reference book, and variegated green photos are in photo galleries. Because the plant leaves a pleasant and bright impression, blends softly with any interior, and, when growing at a considerable height, simply amazes the imagination.
The TOP 5 in popularity certainly includes the following:
- Dieffenbachia maculataIt is known as the painted lily, and its Latin name is Dieffenbachia Maculata. This magnificent plant has a strong stem, with lower leaves that can reach 40 cm as it grows. From top to bottom, it is literally covered with dense tiers of flat, oblong leaves, giving the impression that they were deliberately packed tightly together on the stem. Its main advantage in indoor gardening is its rapid growth, allowing it to reach almost half its maximum growth rate in a year. Having reached a meter, it is stopped forcing and remains in the collection unchanged. The popularity of the original variety was partly due to the large number of varietal gems that were created from it—Camille, Tropical Tiki, Tropic Marianne, Tropic Sun, and Rudolph Roehrs.
- Dieffenbachia amabilisDieffenbachia amoena, or Dieffenbachia amoena, grows up to five feet tall on a sturdy, woody stem that requires no support. It's easy to care for indoors, easily tolerating both dry air during heating season and pruning, which can be used to shape a beautiful tree. Hobbyists manage to transform this beautiful plant into both a tightly packed bush and a small tree with a luxurious, leafy crown. Photos of a well-groomed Dieffenbachia amoena, both in its natural state and in its natural state, will leave few indifferent.
- Variegated DieffenbachiaDieffenbachia picta, also known as the painted variety, is considered an ideal choice for a home windowsill garden, as it doesn't grow taller than one meter with proper care. Despite its impressive leaves, reaching almost half a meter in length, its strong stem easily supports its enormous foliage without any support. However, if you give the plant freedom and minimize care, at home before watering and feeding, it can spread in width and height, reaching two meters or more.
- Dieffenbachia Leopoldii, known among botanists as Dieffenbachia Leopoldii. A Costa Rican wonder, it's sure to captivate lovers of exotic plants with unusual appearance and coloring. The flower's piquant charm is given by the purple spots on its dark green glossy leaves, crossed with a contrasting white vein. Even the most meticulous care won't make it grow taller than a few centimeters indoors. However, its long leaves (sometimes up to 35 cm) on short, light green petioles can easily occupy half a windowsill.
- Dieffenbachia Oerstedii A magnificent plant, the leaf shape of which somewhat resembles that of the ficus. However, unlike this other common greenhouse plant, its leaves are sharply delineated by a light line of symmetry. When viewed from above, the symmetrical arrangement of the leaves relative to each other and the sturdy stem is particularly noticeable. Indoors, for a more attractive appearance, the Dieffenbachia Ørstedii, like the ficus, is regularly dusted to ensure the leaves remain shiny and clean.
Hybrids like Camilla, Mars, and Tropic Snow, also known as White Flame, are particularly beautiful. Compact, low-growing, and beautiful due to the large, clear, light-colored leaf pattern, Camilla, with its festive, light-colored leaves framed by a distinct green border, will leave no one indifferent.
Home care
Any description of this tropical alien will mention its undemanding nature and low maintenance, making it easy to care for even for the most naive amateur. For those experienced with difficult-to-grow plants requiring specific temperature, humidity, and light levels, this exotic, vibrant plant may indeed seem easygoing.
A novice who brought home a coveted purchase from a flower shop and placed it on the first windowsill they came across will soon be wondering why its leaves are turning yellow, its trunk is leaning or bare at the bottom, or its dominant color has become dull and unattractive.
Any of these conditions is enough to discover that the flower's leaves are drying out, or, conversely, the roots are rotting and the main decoration has acquired an unpresentable appearance.
Watering
Tropical flower lovers are convinced that only soft water should be used for watering the plant. If you don't have a water filter, simply letting the watering solution settle is sufficient. Those who don't know how to obtain soft water for watering can boil it, but if the kettle has a lot of limescale buildup, you'll need to rinse the potting soil once a month.
In winter, this isn't necessary; you can simply water generously. However, even here, it's important not to overdo it, as the key to proper watering at home is not overdoing it with moisture.
Lighting
Careful care of exotic plants involves choosing the right location seasonally, as tropical plants require both winter and summer care. This means that dieffenbachia, in the still-foreign temperate climate, can't be confined to a single, permanent location. It requires varying lighting conditions, and to achieve this, it is moved seasonally to a windowsill with higher or lower levels of light. All care nuances must be carefully considered.
Experts recommend carefully monitoring the plant's light levels not just monthly, but daily. It's also important to consider the type of dieffenbachia; varieties with dark green leaves with less light patterning can survive in lower light levels. However, adequate light doesn't necessarily mean the plant needs direct sunlight.
This can cause burns and a loss of their natural decorative qualities; the leaves will become dull and lose some of their intricate patterns. The well-being of a home collection specimen often depends on the level of illumination; it should be moved seasonally to a room with the most sunlight in winter and fall.
You may be interested in:Temperature conditions
The optimal temperature for growing this exotic guest is +20°C. This doesn't mean the flower needs to be kept at the same temperature all the time. It tolerates temperatures of 23°C and 25°C (but preferably no higher).
But at low temperatures, it inevitably begins to freeze and eventually dies. +16°C is already extremely low for any type of dieffenbachia. The recommended seasonal range is 18-22°C; with this range, you can maintain both the health and beauty of your favorite plant.
Top dressing
Fertilizers and nutrient solutions are essential for the well-being and beautiful appearance of dieffenbachia. Fertilizers are supplied to the soil every ten days of the month. It's best to buy fertilizers when needed, not in bulk, and apply them to the soil at a lower concentration than recommended by the specialists writing the instructions.
Fertilizers for exotic plants should never contain lime. Preference should be given to mineral fertilizers, especially if you have a dieffenbachia with variegated leaves. Adding organic matter can sometimes help the spots disappear; in this case, simply reducing the frequency of fertilizing is recommended.
Trimming
The need for pruning is determined by the shedding of the lower leaves—a sure sign of aging and the need for rejuvenation treatments. However, this term often also refers to cutting off the top of the plant, which is done to reduce growth, otherwise the plant will grow tall and fill the space allotted to it.
The cut made below the stem's nodal joint is treated with charcoal to prevent the plant from losing sap. If the dieffenbachia tends to produce additional shoots and the leaves become excessive, these can also be partially trimmed off and later used as planting material.
You may be interested in:Reproduction
A happy feature of dieffenbachia is its multiplicity and polyvariance of reproduction methods.
Choosing soil and pot
Houseplant Avoid planting in a pot that's too large for future growth. This will result in a strong root system and weak foliage, and the main beauty of a dieffenbachia lies in its large, succulent leaves. Use slightly acidic soil, such as sphagnum moss and peat mixed with sand and leaf mold. Adding some crushed charcoal is a good idea.
Types of rooting
Dieffenbachia can be propagated by cuttings, layering, and stems. Seed propagation is also possible, but it's difficult and only successful for professional breeders. Bush dieffenbachias can produce additional specimens by simply dividing the overgrown bush, while tree varieties require cutting off the top for replanting if they become too overgrown.
Transfer
Proper repotting, pruning, and transition to winter and summer are essential for exotic plants arriving from hemispheres where winter is summer and summer is also a different season. Genetic memory forces the plant to follow a familiar, natural schedule, seeking similar conditions for development, and finding ways to meet or minimize its needs for survival. Caring for a flower at home involves more than just watering and repotting it from a smaller container to a larger one as it grows.
Diseases and pests
A good gardener who carefully selects soil and monitors other plants usually avoids such problems. No one is immune to the spread of fungal mycelium or the transfer of fungal infections from outdoor plants. Anthracnose spores can be introduced with irrigation water, and fusarium wilt can be introduced with untreated potting soil used during repotting. A plant infected with the virus is destroyed because it has no chance of survival, and it can easily infect other plants.
Pests may include the usual aphids, scale insects, mealybugs, or spider mites; they can be controlled using traditional methods.
Problems of growing dieffenbachia
Any gardener can encounter unpleasant situations. With experience, you'll gradually learn to cope with the situation and discard plants that don't have a chance of recovery.
You may be interested in:Why do leaves turn yellow?
Overwatered plants stop growing and reproducing their main decorative asset—the leaves. If a dieffenbachia is constantly sitting in a wet puddle, this is the main reason why its leaves turn brown, rot, yellow, and simply fall off. Once a tropical native, this decorative indoor plant is naturally sensitive to humidity levels.
In a greenhouse, this can be easily adjusted—there are special devices for this purpose. At home, you'll need a humidifier, although this can be avoided if you have an aquarium or vaporizer in the same room. Sometimes, a tray with constantly moist moss is used for this purpose, which also serves as an additional decorative element.
The leaves are drying up
Dry spots may be caused by anthracnose. The disease is also likely caused by excess moisture in the pot or dry indoor air.
The tips of the leaves are drying out
This problem arises for reasons that aren't obvious to a novice gardener. They may overlook obvious factors, such as a plant being overheated by the heating system or, conversely, reacting negatively to temperature fluctuations caused by a lack of heat in the radiators. The soil may become acidic from excess moisture, causing dry tips. Another, less obvious, cause is misting the plant in the dark.
The leaves are withering
There may be several reasons for this – insufficient lighting, lack of necessary nutrients in the soil, damage to the root system, or even exposure to direct sunlight.
Why is my dieffenbachia crying?
This is a characteristic of the plant, likely related to its tropical genes. The ability to evaporate excess moisture during tropical downpours helps dieffenbachia survive difficult seasonal periods. There's nothing alarming about this phenomenon; it's completely physiological.
Why do leaves curl?
This phenomenon is not uncommon when there's a lack of heat. The plant simply freezes, so the lower leaves curl to reduce evaporation and, therefore, natural cooling. If more than just the lower leaves are affected, you need to find the pests and eliminate them.
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