Dieffenbachia is a houseplant that is popular with flower growers. It belongs to the aroid family. Dieffenbachia does not have any special requirements for home care, which makes it affordable for beginners to grow.
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Varieties
More than 40 varieties of dieffenbachia are known. It is a shrub with large patterned leaves. They differ mainly in color.
Consider the popular varieties:
Leopold
- This is a low growing variety.
- She has beautiful leaves, in shape they look like an ellipse. In the middle they have a white vein.
- The cuttings are short, their color is green with purple splashes. It grows wild in Costa Rica.
- The variety loves sunlight and clean air. But drafts and direct sunlight can harm him.
- Of the pests, Leopold can be attacked by a spider mite.
spotted
- Dieffenbachia spotted has a powerful stem. Its base stiffens over time.
- It is decorated with a hat made of leaves. It is heterogeneous in color and size.
- The shape of the leaf is oval with a pointed outer edge. It is green in color with white dots arranged randomly.
- The more light the plant receives, the more of them.
- This species grows rapidly, under favorable conditions a new leaf grows within 7 days.
- Each of them is the basis for a new leaf. She hails from America.
Camilla
- It grows in the wild up to two meters. She has a powerful trunk covered with elongated leaves.
- Their middle is white with a green border.
- The white spot decreases as the leaf plate grows.
- Its homeland is the tropics of South America.
- At home, it must be kept in partial shade.
- The air temperature should be warm.
- The variety does not tolerate drafts.
Seguin
- Variety hike to spotted variety. Its difference is the shape of the leaves, they are shaped like an egg.
- They can grow up to 50 cm in length. They are decorated with light spots, but in a smaller amount than that of the spotted one.
- Petioles are flat, have the shape of a knife. They are covered with stripes and white spots.
- Seguina is born in Brazil. It grows in tropical rainforests.
white flame
- Dieffenbachia variety "White Flame" grows up to 50 cm.
- The Dutch took him out.
- It got its name due to the light middle of the leaf plate, resembling a flame.
- The leaves reach a length of 30 cm, a width of 20 cm.
Barquena
- Similar to the spotted variety.
- It differs in snow-white cuttings and the same vein passing in the middle of the leaf.
- She has a lot of spots on the leaf plates, which is why they seem almost white.
lovely
- Charming and closely related to the Seguina variety.
- Its difference is in a rarer leafy cap.
- The leaves are large with white stripes.
- This species is very hardy.
- Continues growth and development even in dark rooms.
- Her main enemy is the spider mite.
Bause
- Dieffenbachia Bause is a bred hybrid variety.
- It has very wide and oblong leaves.
- They have a frequent pattern of white blotches.
- She doesn't like darkness. From the lack of light, the pattern leaves the foliage.
- At temperatures below 10 degrees, it dies.
- Protect from mealybugs and spider mites.
Oersted
- Dieffenbachia Oersted has a strong trunk.
- Spotted leaves are symmetrically arranged on it.
- They are large in size, up to 35 cm in length.
- Their shape resembles an elongated heart.
- The variety is photophilous, he loves clean air.
- But like many representatives of the family, she is afraid of a draft.
- Her homeland is America.
Gorgeous or Royal
- The magnificent dieffenbachia grows in Venezuela.
- Lettuce-colored leaves are pierced with white veins and dots.
- They are small in size.
- The variety is quite picky. Likes regular watering.
- It is undesirable to put it under the sun's rays, they can leave a burn on the plant.
- When growing this species, you need to monitor the temperature regime.
- Sudden fluctuations can ruin it.
broad-leaved
- Dieffenbachia broadleaf grows in the rainforests of Colombia.
- Thanks to his homeland, he loves warmth and moisture.
- For its stable growth, this condition must be observed.
- It has a strong stem and wide leaves.
- They are decorated with a white pattern of veins and spots.
- The petiole is half the length of the leaf.
large-leaved
- Dieffenbachia large-leaved native to the forests of Peru.
- This fact explains her love for the shadow.
- The trunk is powerful up to 1 meter in height.
- This species has large ovate leaves.
- They are green in color.
- They are separated in the center by a light streak.
- Their size reaches 60 cm in length and 40 cm in width.
- The juice of this variety has a sharp and unpleasant odor.
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Home Care
Dieffenbachia is a native of the tropics, in order for her to please with her beauty at home, she needs to create a favorable microclimate.
Dieffenbachia home
Particular attention should be paid to:
- Choice of location
- Room illumination
- Irrigation mode
- temperature
- plant fertilizer
- Features of summer and winter care
- The composition of the substrate
- Choosing a pot
We will analyze each care parameter in more detail so that the spotted beauty grows healthy.
Watering
A guest from the tropics needs regular watering and spraying. It is recommended to remove dust from Dieffenbachia leaves with a damp cloth. To increase the humidity of the air, you can put an aquarium next to the flower.
You can water with tap water. But first you need to let it stand for 24 hours.
The root system should not float. This will cause it to rot. To avoid such a nuisance, it is necessary to provide a drainage layer of stones before planting.
In winter, the plant goes into a dormant period. Reduce watering. Produce it as the earth dries out in a pot. But drying must not be allowed, otherwise the growth of dieffenbachia will stop.
In the summer, you need to rinse the substrate from salts
The procedure is carried out every 30 days. To do this, the pot with the plant is lowered into a container of water for 15 minutes. Then excess water is poured through the hole.
Due to the fact that the plant loves frequent watering, during the holidays you need to think over the irrigation system. Otherwise, it will die. Returning home from a trip, you will not be able to reanimate it.
Lighting
Dieffenbachia belongs to the shade-tolerant plants. For good growth and beautiful spotted leaves, she still needs bright lighting. In this case, direct sunlight can burn the leaves. This will lead to illness.
The brighter the light, the more beautiful the Dieffenbachia leaves.The spots on them will be snow-white, which will create a beautiful contrast on the green leaf.
If you have a variety with solid foliage or with a minimum amount of specks, then it can be kept in the shade. However, additional lighting is needed in winter. It will not allow the flower to wither.
- The trunk is strongly extended
- Leaf growth slows down
- White spots disappear from leaves
- The lower foliage dries up
- Young leaves grow smaller
- Leaves turn yellow or are provided
- Foliage wrinkled, falls
- There may be burns on the leaves - gray spots
Temperature regime
Dieffenbachia does not like temperature changes. It is comfortable for her to grow at 22 - 25 degrees in summer and 18 - 16 degrees in winter.
If the temperature drops below 10 degrees Celsius, the plant will freeze and die.
She loves clean air, but is afraid of drafts. It is recommended to take it out to the balcony or terrace summer. Such ventilation will be useful to her, if not exposed to the scorching sun.
top dressing
Complex fertilizers, both organic and mineral, will be optimal for it.
From September to mid-spring, the plant does not need fertilizers. Nitrogen-organic mixtures are favorite plants. Special additives for variegated plants are sold in stores. You can use them.
pruning
Dieffenbachia is cut in two cases:
The procedure is carried out with a sharp knife or garden pruner
It is washed and treated with alcohol before and after pruning. This is done so as not to infect the plant with microorganisms, and then to wash off the poison. The cut must be made horizontally.
It must have smooth edges. Young plants should not be pruned. The optimal age of dieffenbachia is when the trunk reaches a diameter of 2 cm.
Trimming procedure:
- The plant can not be watered 4 days before the procedure. This will reduce the release of poisonous liquid from it.
- On the stump, you need to leave 3 buds for new shoots. They look like half circles. It should be approximately 10 cm in height.
- Droplets must be removed from the cut. To do this, use a regular napkin. After it is sprinkled with wood or activated charcoal.
- For hemp, you need to create a microclimate. To do this, it is closed with a glass jar. Periodically, it must be removed for ventilation. Remove completely only after the appearance of new shoots.
If you need to remove damaged leaves, then they are cut off. And also the protruding drops are soaked and treated with charcoal.
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reproduction
After the pruning has been carried out, the leaves, trunk and top remain. They don't need to be thrown away. They must be used to propagate the plant.
Choice of soil and pot
The substrate must be loose, it must pass air well
In the store you can buy a special mixture for dieffenbachia. If it is dense, you can mix it with sand or peat.
In addition to purchased soil, you can make the mixture yourself:
The second version of the substrate is denser. It is suitable for large varieties of plants.
Drainage must be placed at the bottom
And the bottom of it should be with a hole. In terms of size, you need to choose not very large.It should exceed the size of the root coma of the earth by 2 times. When choosing a container, you need to take into account that the plant is large, it must stand steadily.
Types of rooting
- Top rooting. It must be placed in a glass of water. The glass should be dark, if it is transparent, it must be wrapped in a dark cloth. The water needs to be changed every 2 days. After the roots appear, Dieffenbachia is planted in a pot.
- Stem rooting. The long trunk is cut into pieces. You have to share like this. To have kidneys on each. The cut pieces need to be dried in the air for two days. Then put them in a pot on a moistened substrate. The kidneys should be on top. Close the pot with foil. The optimum temperature is 25 degrees. There will be exactly as many sprouts as there are buds. When 3 leaves grow, it can be cut and rooted separately.
- Propagation by air layering. With this method, an incision must be made on the Dieffenbachia trunk and overlaid with moss. Wrap tightly with cling film on top. When the roots appear, the film is removed, and the layers, along with the moss, are planted in the prepared pot.
There is another way to grow seeds
. It is used by professional flower growers. Bush varieties can be propagated by dividing the bush.
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When the roots fill the pot, dieffenbachia is transplanted. The signal will be roots peeking out of the drainage hole at the bottom of the pot. It should be done once every 3-4 years. Once every 2 years, the top layer of the earth is removed and a new substrate is added.
The pot is selected more than a few centimeters
It is filled in the same way as when planting a young plant. Dieffenbachia is transplanted with an old clod of earth. Drainage must be new. A new soil mixture is added on the sides.
The best time to transplant is the cold season. In winter, the plant is dormant. It is easier to bear the stress of changing the potty.
After transplanting dieffenbachia, top dressing is not necessary.. Especially if purchased land was used. The first fertilizer should be given to the plant no earlier than a month later.
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Bloom
Dieffenbachia rarely blooms at home. It is valued not for flowers, but for beautiful leaves. The flower develops in spring in April-May. It develops for about 2 weeks, and blooms for 3 days. It has the shape of a cob.
It smells like plastic with sweet notes. If you leave it, it is better to take it out of the living quarters
If you want to see your dieffenbachia bloom, you need to create a stressful environment for it. To do this, put in a well-lit place, but deprive it of fertilizer and watering. You need to torment the plant until the leaves sag.
Then it must be revived. Place in a container of water until the leaves come to their senses and a bud appears. After such a procedure, she should start.
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Dieffenbachia is a poisonous plant. A wild plant needs protection from pests, poisonous juice meets this need.
At home, it will not do harm if handled correctly.
The pot must be kept out of the reach of children and animals. So that they do not accidentally try its leaves, which attract with their brightness.
It is better to refuse the plant when a cat lives at home. It is very difficult to remove anything from them. Since they can climb into any hard-to-reach place. Its juice, once in the esophagus and stomach of a pet, can be fatal.
The plant is dangerous for allergy sufferers. With individual intolerance, it can cause heart failure
Another interesting fact about the plant. In Africa, he was nicknamed "silent rod." In a slave society, its leaves were forced to be chewed by slaves as a punishment. Milky juice affected the larynx and oral cavity. The man could not speak. So punished for arguing with the owner.
Despite the beliefs and poisonous properties, it is common in homes. She is grown and cherished. The main thing is to observe all precautions in this process.
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The second indisputable advantage is the release of oxygen
One bush can provide them with a small room. A few plants will replace the whole greenhouse.
This plant absorbs chemicals. One of them is formaldehyde, which is found in furniture. Air purification is a vital factor, especially for residents of megacities.
Experienced flower growers recommend growing dieffenbachia in offices. It will increase efficiency and make the work process more comfortable. With the help of phytoncides, it absorbs pathogenic bacteria, thereby preventing them from spreading and protecting human health.
The pluses include decorative. The flower with its large spotted leaves will decorate the interior. With it, the house will become more comfortable.
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Despite the simple care, dieffenbachia requires careful adherence to the rules. Their violation can cause bush disease. The disease can also be caused by various pests.
To save the plant, it must be regularly inspected.in order to identify the problem in time and begin to deal with it.
Sign of a diseased plant
The first danger comes from fungi. Dieffenbachia can affect three fungal infections:
- Viral
- Fusarium
- Anthracosis
- fall leaves
- root system rot
- Dieffenbachia lethargy
- Gray spots appear on the leaves
- The edge of the sheet dries
- White coating on the substrate in a pot
The first step should be to replace the soil. In order to kill the fungus, it is recommended to pour it with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Then you need to process the flower itself.
Remove damaged leaves. Treat all cuts and wounds with activated charcoal.
Dieffenbachia can be attacked by a mealybug, spider mite, aphid, scale insect. If there are few pests, then you can remove them with a sponge. Before the procedure, it must be soaked in soapy water.
When a flower is severely affected by insects, special means must be used. These include karbofos and actellik. They are diluted with water. Ratio: 15 drops of the product per 1 liter of water.
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When it is decided to grow dieffenbachia at home, you need to choose it correctly when buying.
The bush should be strong and healthy, and the leaves should be juicy and bright.
They should not have yellowness and drying areas.
Be sure to pay attention to the bottom surface of the sheet. That's where the pests hide. By bringing them home, you risk infecting all plants.
If the substrate is wet and the plant is drooping, then the root system is damaged by rot. It will be very difficult to revive.
Dieffenbachia bought in spring adapts to new conditions faster
The adjustment period will take up to three weeks. To help her, you need to spray the foliage often. Watering, on the contrary, to reduce.
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Good afternoon. You write about dieffenbachia, but you post a photo of a completely different flower - aglaonema!
Good day! Please specify which photo you are talking about?
Hello.
And I noticed - in the photo with the name “Charming” it’s not dieffenbachia, but aglaonema.
And further. In the photo with the title “Complex fertilizers, both organic and mineral, will be optimal for her,” the fertilizer is poured into the pot directly from the bottle. It is absolutely impossible to do so! Fertilizer must first be diluted in water according to the instructions.