Dieffenbachias are among the evergreens on the windowsill because they are easy to care for, grow vigorously and are very attractive. Propagation is also not difficult and can be easily achieved even by people without a green thumb through cuttings or division. However, please remember that all parts of Dieffenbachia are poisonous and avoid skin contact.
How to propagate a Dieffenbachia?
The Dieffenbachia can be propagated by cuttings (head, shoot or stem cuttings) or division. Place cuttings in potting soil with rooting powder and cover, while division is done by dividing the root ball when repotting.
Propagation by cuttings
Propagation with head, shoot and stem cuttings is possible:
- Head cuttings: Cut off the ten to fifteen centimeter long tip of a shoot with two or three leaves. Cut below a leaf node.
- Shoot cuttings: side shoots (children) that are independently cultivated separately from the mother plant.
- Stem cuttings: When pruning, simply cut stem parts into pieces with at least two eyes. These eyes (buds), from which the leaves later grow, look like small knots.
Insert cuttings or kindles
Proceed as follows:
- It is helpful to sprinkle the interface with rooting powder (€13.00 on Amazon) for growth.
- Flower pots with commercially available potting soil, better filled with nutrient-poor potting soil.
- Insert cuttings.
- Pour and cover with a clear plastic bag or a hood.
- Place the potty in a bright, sunny place on the windowsill.
- Air daily to prevent mold from forming.
- Keep evenly moist but not too wet.
Stem cuttings are placed in planting bowls so that the eyes point upwards. A translucent hood also supports sprouting here. Leaves quickly grow from the buds and roots develop on the underside.
The offshoots usually grow fresh green after just four weeks. Then remove the hood and continue cultivating the small plants on the windowsill.
Alternatively, you can place head cuttings in a vase filled with water and only plant them in soil when roots have formed
Reproduction by division
Strongly grown dieffenbachias can be divided when repotting in spring and propagated in this way.
- Take the plant out of the pot.
- Knead the root ball gently until it breaks into two or three pieces.
- If necessary, use a sharp, clean knife.
Place the individual plant parts back into standard potting soil. Division is easy even with hydroponic plants that have become too large and can either be planted in soil or expanded clay.
Sowing
If your Dieffenbachia blooms, you can harvest seeds from the rather inconspicuous, white flowers. These are placed in water for one night and then scattered on sowing soil. Cover a thin layer of substrate and place a cover over the cultivation container.
Place this in a warm place on the windowsill, the temperature should be at least 22 degrees all day long. Unfortunately, even then the seeds do not always germinate because the mother plants are often hybrids.
Tip
If you have to shorten a Dieffenbachia that has grown too large, this is the ideal time to obtain numerous cuttings.
