Propagation of dieffenbachia: seeds, air layering, apical and stem cuttings

Dieffenbachia is a member of the Aroid family (Aroceae), most commonly found in the tropics of Central and South America. The flower got its name in honor of the German botanist JF Dieffenbach. In the genus Dieffenbachia, there are about 40 species of herbaceous plants.

Dieffenbachia - these are herbaceous plants with a thick massive stem and beautiful leaves, which, depending on the species, may have a different color.

Dieffenbachia - a popular plant that is well suited for home and office, so many growers are engaged in the reproduction of the flower at home. How to propagate a flower correctly and in what ways it can be done, we will tell in this article.

How to propagate dieffenbachia seeds

In the question of how to propagate dieffenbachia, vegetative methods of propagation often emerge, while the seed method is mentioned less frequently. This is due to the fact that the seed method is more laborious and involves not just sowing seeds into the ground, but also care after sowing and before the formation of a complete root system.

Terms of planting dieffenbachia

Start preparing for planting Dieffenbachia should be from the end of February, then for better rooting it is necessary to hold seed stratificationwhich is pretty simple to do. To do this, you must put the seeds between two cotton pads soaked in water and send them for 2-3 weeks in the refrigerator.

After this period (the first half of March), the seeds can be sown.

Where and how to plant dieffenbachia seeds

It is better to sow seeds in shallow (up to 15 cm) containers or in cassettes for seedlings. This is very easy to do: they just need to spill on top of the wet peat without deepening.

Do I need to care for the seeds sown

After sowing, watering or spraying the sown seeds is not necessary, because the excess moisture can “pull” the seeds deep into the ground, and they will germinate worse. In order for the seeds to feel good, the container must be placed in a well-lit place, at a temperature of 22-25 ° C.

After 2-3 leaves, the plants can be transplanted into pots.

Propagation Dieffenbachia cuttings

Dieffenbachia is a popular plant among domestic flower growers, and they often reproduce the flower by cuttings in order to increase this beauty in their home and share it with others. For breeding, you can use stem or apical cuttings. In more detail about each of these methods we will talk further.

How to propagate dieffenbachia top cuttings

Reproduction of the apical cuttings more often carried out not only in order to obtain a new plant, but also in order to rejuvenate the parent plant. After a few years, at the dieffenbachia, the lower part of the stem becomes bare, and the upper part still retains its decorative effect.

During this period, the upper part is cut and rooted, and the lower part is restored.

Cut the plant should be using a sharp tool moistened with alcohol to disinfect the place cut. Cut the stalk should be in such a way that the cut was 1.5-2 cm above the node.

Rooting in water - a process that does not require any special devices or special efforts. It is enough just to put the cutting in a container with water at room temperature and leave for a week or two until the roots appear.

In winter, this process can be delayed, and the cuttings will need more time to take root. In order to avoid contamination of the plant with putrefactive viruses and bacteria, you can add 2-3 tablets of crushed activated carbon to water.

It is possible to plant such cuttings only when roots of 2-3 cm in length appear on them. Then the cutting is ready for planting into the soil.

If you decide to root the cutting immediately in the soil, then this process will require more effort.

In order to root rooted without problems, it must be dried a few hours after cutting or soak in "Heteroauxin". In the soil the plant needs to be buried in such a way that 2-3 internodes are in the soil.

If the leaves of your dieffenbachia turned yellow or started to dry - do not panic, this is normal in the rooting process. In this case, the leaves just need to cut and facilitate the life of the flower, because these leaves do not benefit the plant, but require constant nourishment. In the soil the stalk will take root in 2-3 weeks.

Propagation of dieffenbachia stem cuttings

After trimming dieffenbachia remains bare trunk, which can also be used for rooting. For this, the remaining stem is cut into smaller pieces 5-10 cm long so that 3-4 such internodes are left on each such cutting. Such cuttings can be rooted in two ways: in water and in soil.

Rooting the stalk in water is necessary in such a way that 2-3 internodes appear under water. It is important that you can not confuse the top and bottom of the cutting (bottom - the place cut); if you put the top of the plant in the water, then rooting will not occur.

In order for the plant to be well rooted in the soil, the cuttings must first be dried at room temperature for a day. Then the cutting is buried in the ground on the same principle as when rooting in water (having sunk into the ground for 2-3 internodes). Planted cuttings on top can be covered with cling film or glass, creating a greenhouse effect.

Many florists are not satisfied with the not too aesthetic appearance of the planted cutting. In order to give the plant a more decorative look, an ampelous plant is planted around the edge of the pot or, with the appearance of 2-3 adult shoots that reach 10–15 cm in size, to propagate the dieffenbachia again according to the rooting principle of the apical cuttings.

How to propagate dieffenbachia air layering

Dieffenbachia reproduction by layering - a method that is not particularly popular due to its complexity. Its essence is to propagate Dieffenbachia without cutting the cutting and make the roots form on the stem of the flower.

Breeding algorithm of dieffenbachia air layings:

• make two shallow cuts horizontally in a circle on the stem;
• remove the bark to the cambium;
• roll the incision in a circle with moist sphagnum, and then with food film;
• polyethylene secure with scotch / wire.

You will notice the first roots in a month or two. Then you need to remove the film and cut the trunk below from the formed roots. The cut must be dried and treated with activated carbon powder and planted in the ground.

Propagation of dieffenbachia by dividing the bush

Dieffenbachia bush can be propagated by dividing the bush. To do this, the plant must be carefully removed from the pot and clean the root system from the ground. Immediately need to get rid of damaged roots. Then the root is cut so that 2-3 tuber remains on each delenka.

All sections should be treated with crushed activated carbon. It is worth working with gloves, because dieffenbachia juice can cause a burn if it comes into contact with an open skin area, and you need to use a sharp instrument, treated in alcohol, for dividing. Delenki need to be planted in pots in the already moistened soil.

Methods of reproduction dieffenbachia enough, and everyone can choose for themselves the one that will be most convenient. Even inexperienced florist will be able to propagate dieffenbachia, thereby creating another decorative element for his house.