Dieffenbachia

Dieffenbachia amoena Diffenbachia adorable

Aroid family. Homeland of Dieffenbachia South America (Colombia, Peru, Panama, Venezuela, Guyana, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica). There are more than 50 species in nature.

Diffenbachia is a straight-barreled tree-like plant with variegated large elongated oval leaves. Plant sap is poisonous. Diffenbachia in nature can grow up to 3 m, but gradually the lower part of the trunk is exposed and the plant loses its decorative attractiveness. At home, diffenbachia grows on average about 1.5-1.8 m, rarely blooms. In fact, the systematics of diffenbachia is too confusing, and will cause difficulty even for a professional, due to the variability of species, to obtain interspecies hybrids and various varieties. It should also be noted that many types of diffenbachia require quite frequent renewal - on average, after three years, if they are grown in an apartment. Since after this time they usually grow to the ceiling. Then the top of the plant is cut and rooted, and what is left or thrown away or left for reproduction.

Diffenbachia is widespread in the southern states of the United States, widespread on tropical Pacific islands (Cook Islands, Micronesia, Hawaii, Fiji, Tahiti, Palau, Samoa, etc.), and in some regions the plant behaves invasively like a weed.

Types of diffenbachia

• Dieffenbachia seguina Dieffenbachia seguine is a plant with a thick, fleshy, succulent stem and broad, lobed leaves. On average, the leaf length of an adult specimen is 40-50 cm and about 15 cm wide, somewhat narrowed at the end. Leaf plates have pronounced venation, about 9-15 lateral veins. In the original species, the leaves are pure green or with a small mottled pattern. On the basis of it, many hybrids and varieties have been bred, which differ in the size and shape of the leaf - more elongated lanceolate or wide, as well as the pattern on the leaves (large or small stripes, spots, marbling). Synonyms: Diffenbachia spotted (painted) Dieffenbachia maculata, Diffenbachia painted Dieffenbachia picta.
• Dieffenbachia Bauze Dieffenbachia x bausei - with oval yellowish-green leaves about 30-35 cm long. The drawing of the sheet is marble, with white dots. The name has no official status, some naturalists believe that it is a form of Diffenbachia Seguin.
• Dieffenbachia oerstedii Dieffenbachia oerstedii - with oval-pointed or elongated-heart-shaped leaves about 30-35 cm long. The leaf is pure green, the central vein stands out, contrasting in color - light green. Sometimes there are bright spots. This species is native to Costa Rica and Guatemala.

Dieffenbachia oerstedii

Dieffenbachia seguine

Diffenbachia variety 'Exotica' Exotica

Diffenbachia cultivar 'Rudolph Roers' Rudolph Roers

Diffenbachia cultivar 'Camille' Camilla

Diffenbachia variety 'Vesuvius' Vesuvius (very similar to aglaonema)

Diffenbachia variety 'Star Bright' Light Star

Diffenbachia cultivar 'Triumph' Triumph

Care for Dieffenbachia

You may be surprised, but sometimes diffenbachia grow beautifully at home without any care other than watering. There are cases when strong trees of diffenbachia with good leaves, without spots or chlorosis, grow for many years without transplantation or feeding. For such unpretentiousness, diffenbachia like to use in landscaping the foyer of hotels, recreation of kindergartens and hospitals. But not all varieties of seguin diffenbachia (painted) are distinguished by unpretentiousness in care - some are rather capricious, require very good lighting and high-quality water for irrigation.

Temperature

Diffenbachia is thermophilic, the optimal temperature is 22-24 ° C. In winter, slightly lower - about 18 ° C, at least 16 ° C. At temperatures below 10 ° C, plants rot and die. Does not tolerate drafts. But they grow well in the fresh air - on the balcony or in the garden, if you place the pots in light partial shade and in a place protected from the wind. Of all species, Dieffenbachia maculata is the most unpretentious to temperature fluctuations.

Questions about growing Dieffenbachia - in the FAQs about plants.

Lighting

In summer, diffenbachiyam requires shading, in winter good lighting. In a place too dark, the leaves grind and the plant loses its decorative appeal. It will grow well under the protection of a tulle curtain near the east or west window. Varieties of diffenbachia with light leaves, white large specks, for example, the variety 'Star Bright' like very good illumination, with some direct light in the morning or evening. Small plants grow perfectly on the east windowsill or the northwest. But when the bushes outgrow, do not fit on the windowsill, they have to be placed in the room. And here you need to focus on the behavior of the plant - if the stem (trunk) of diffenbachia grows strictly vertically, everything is in order, there is enough light. The only thing that is necessary is to turn the pot 180 degrees about once a month so that the crown has an even shape.

Watering

Medium plentiful from spring to late summer. What this means is diffenbachia, especially large large leaf mass and huge evaporation of water. I.e. she needs a lot of moisture. But at the same time, the root system of diffenbachia is not too powerful when compared with other plants, for example, ficuses. With excessive watering, the roots easily rot. Therefore, you need to water a lot, but the soil should dry out no longer than 3 days. If the soil in the pot dries longer, then too moisture-intensive soil, it is necessary to add baking powder (more on that below). In winter, at home, it is usually warm and watering all winter can be no different from summer. If diffenbachia is not at home, but, for example, on a heated balcony or conservatory, where it is cooler, watering is significantly reduced. The general rule of watering in spring and summer is that the ground should dry out in the upper third of the pot for the next watering. In winter, dry almost completely.

For irrigation of diffenbachia, it is desirable to use soft water, like many aroid water, it does not tolerate chlorine and fluoride in water. Watering with hard water, when soil salinization occurs, the appearance of a salt crust on the surface of the soil often leads to tissue necrosis - browning of the tips and edges of the leaves.

Fertilizer

In the period from May to August, feeding with complex fertilizer, every two weeks. From September to February, Dieffenbachia is not fed. With a lack of nutrients, the trunk from below is exposed much faster, but this fact is not an indicator of nutritional deficiency - for diffenbachia, a gradual loss of lower leaves is characteristic.

Air humidity

Dieffenbachia loves very humid air, but at home it adapts to air humidity of about 35-45%. From May to October, you can not spray, except for the hottest days. But you need to wipe or wash the leaves for hygienic purposes - wash off the dust. But with the beginning of the heating season, additional care is required: it is necessary to isolate the diffenbachia from the dry hot air of the batteries in any way - rearrange it from the window, or cover the battery with a wet towel, turn on the humidifier. If the pot is on the windowsill, make sure that the diffenbachia leaves do not hang over its edge and that they do not get a direct stream of hot dry air.

How to transplant diffenbachia

Diffenbachia is transplanted annually in the spring - better time for transplantation - at the end of April. Previously, it was believed that nutrient soil from a mixture of sod (4 part), leaf (1 part), peat land (1 part) and sand (1 part), a slightly acidic reaction is suitable for growing diffenbachia. But with growing experience came the understanding that it is better to grow diffenbachia in soil, in composition close to the one on which they grow in nature:

• light turf and peat (1:1),
• light turf, peat and vermiculite (1:1:1).

That is, the soil for diffenbachia should have a good water-retaining ability and at the same time pass well and quickly evaporate water. You can plant in universal soil from the store (for example, Terra Vita). The problem is that all these soils quickly give all the nutrients to a powerful plant and an annual transplant is a necessity. Many diffenbachia, especially varietal, grow slowly. All growth mainly occurs in spring and early summer. Some quite quickly, adding 50 cm in height per year. Therefore, they can be experienced twice, the first time at the end of February, the second in July.

Due to the fact that these aroid grow quite large, transplantation is difficult, it is difficult to pull almost an entire "tree" out of a pot or tub. In this case, you can advise to replace the top layer of the earth - remove as much soil as freely removed, without damaging the roots. It would be good to add some charcoal to the soil. At the bottom of the pot, be sure to put a drainage of expanded clay or pieces of foam.

Diffenbachia reproduction

Diffenbachia reproduction - in the Popular houseplants section

You can multiply the collection of tropical beauties with trimmings of the trunk of 5-7 cm, which are rooted with soil heating at 30 ° C. It is more convenient to do this in February and March, when the plate with light peat soil (it must be sterilized in the microwave), put on the battery. And so that it is not dark for rooting, send a light bulb (fluorescent with an ordinary base) for wiring. Rooting occurs within 1.5 months. Pieces of the trunk must be cut off from healthy shoots that do not rot, sprinkle the cuts with crushed coal, maintain the soil in a constantly wet, but not damp state, there is no need to cover the bag.

Some species of diffenbachia produce daughter shoots that are cut and rooted. There are varieties that have a bush shape, such as Diffenbachia variety Vesuvius, they can be propagated by dividing the bush. But the most common method of reproduction is with apical cuttings, it is also used when the trunk is very exposed from below, and it is necessary to rejuvenate the plant.

The cut shoot tip can be rooted in water (with the addition of activated charcoal) or in vermiculite. It is important for the stalk to cut off the largest lower leaves to reduce the evaporating surface of the stalk. Cuttings are better rooted in spring - early summer. Put it in a warm place, at least 22 ° C, cover from direct sunlight. Change the water as it becomes contaminated (every two days). After the root grows at least 5 cm, they can be planted. It is desirable that the rooted landing does not occur on hot days (not higher than 26 ° C). For the first two weeks, the pot should be placed in a transparent bag, which should not be tied, but simply straightened up. The plant must be watered. Top dressing should be started no earlier than in 1.5 months.