This decorative plant belongs to the aroid family. How is dieffenbachia treated at home? Transplanting, conditions of detention, breeding rules, useful and harmful properties of this indoor flower will be described below in the article. They have their own nuances, but even an inexperienced gardener, if all the requirements are met, can successfully grow this beautiful plant, which will become an adornment of his house.
Description
The genus of plants got its name in honor of the Austrian botanist and gardener Joseph Diefenbach. Dieffenbachia has a thick strong trunk and succulent leaves of an unusual color. The plant looks quite impressive and is popular with flower growers. It is used for landscaping residential premises, offices, balconies and verandas, as well as in winter gardens.
This evergreen plant is distinguished by intricate light patterns on the leaves, consisting of speckles, spots and stripes of light green or yellow color. If you do not limit the growth of Dieffenbachia, then it is able to reach 1.8-2 meters in height. At the same time, its stem is lignified, and the lower leaves fall. However, this rarely happens at home.
The leaves of Dieffenbachia are large and wide. The inflorescence of this plant is an ear, like the entire Aroid family. It has male and female flowers. The fruits of Dieffenbachia are toxic berries of red or orange color.
Temperature Requirements
The optimum temperature for Dieffenbachia flower, care at home for which is not too complicated, is not lower than +17 degrees Celsius. It should be remembered that the plant does not tolerate drafts at all. Before opening balcony doors, windows or windows, it is necessary to take Dieffenbachia to another room or, better, just close it from the air stream, without disturbing the plant. This is especially true of the cold season. Otherwise, care for dieffenbachia at home in the winter will not be successful, and the plant may die.
Lighting requirements
Dieffenbachia loves diffused light, but it should be enough. It should be screened from direct sunlight, because the leaves of the plant in such conditions lose their color and fade. In this case, it is very important to maintain balance, since with a lack of lighting the leaves of the flower will become small.
Watering and humidity requirements
Excessive watering is detrimental to Dieffenbachia. But at the same time, the plant needs constant spraying, otherwise its leaves will dry out along the edges. In winter, if the air is excessively dry, humidifiers should be used. It is also necessary to periodically wash the leaves with warm water.
The drying up of an earthen coma is just as fatal to Dieffenbachia as is excess moisture. However, it must be remembered that for irrigation you can use only soft, well-defended water, the temperature of which will not be below room temperature. In the dormant period (September - March), the flower should be watered very moderately. This plant with juicy stems is prone to decay.
Compliance with the rules of irrigation is very important, otherwise it is unlikely to be successful for a plant such as Dieffenbachia, home care. "The leaves of the plant turn yellow!" - This is the most common complaint of gardeners with a lack of moisture. They may also begin to dry and brown at the edges.
Ground requirements, transplanting, plant nutrition
Four parts of turf land, one leaf each, peat and sand - this is the optimal soil mixture for Dieffenbachia. Home care (photo can be seen below) provides that when planting and transplanting the plant, drainage must be added. As it is possible to use brick chips, expanded clay, charcoal.
Dieffenbachia is usually transplanted no more than once every three to four years. It is useful to loosen the earth in the pot periodically.
Complex fertilizer is used once every two weeks during the period of active growth of the plant (April-August). In addition, organic nitrogen-containing fertilizers are useful for Dieffenbachia as an ornamental leaf plant.
Propagation of Dieffenbachia
Care, breeding at home, as mentioned above, have their own nuances. You can propagate dieffenbachia in three ways: apical cuttings, parts of the stem or seeds. The last method is possible, of course, only if the plant bloomed, and you collected seeds from it. It is the least common. Indeed, in order to guarantee a change, you still have to work hard, transferring pollen from male flowers to female flowers below with a brush. In addition, the flower after withering, most gardeners recommend cutting, as the process of seed ripening takes a lot of energy from the plant. Given all the above, it is better to give preference to reproduction using apical or stem cuttings.
If, however, it is decided to propagate Dieffenbachia by seeds, then they need to be collected when the fetal membranes are wrinkled. For seed germination, it is best to use sphagnum moss.
Cut off cuttings or parts of the stem of Dieffenbachia, like all indoor plants with milky sap, must first be dried for several hours before planting or immersing in water. After this, the sections are sprinkled with charcoal crumbs. It is possible to root parts of a plant both in water, and in a mixture of sand and peat or clean sand. In water, the process is more visible, as it is clearly visible when the first roots appear. When their length reaches 3-4 centimeters, young plants can be transplanted to a permanent place.
If it is decided to root the dieffenbachia cuttings in the substrate, before planting, dip their tips into Kornevin. It will also be good to add this rooting agent once a couple of weeks to water for irrigation (you can also use “Heteroauxin”, “Zircon”). Cuttings are placed in a small "greenhouse" - covered with a jar or plastic wrap. For successful rooting, the temperature should not be lower than + 21 degrees (it is better if it is + 25 degrees or higher). In addition, the cuttings must be regularly sprayed with warm water.
Diseases, pests
The most common cause of Dieffenbachia disease is excessive watering. It leads to decay of the roots and stems, damage by fungi. Externally, root rot is not visible, it manifests itself in the fact that the plant is withering, weakening, dropping leaves. At the same time, the earth in the pot is constantly wet. Digging out the roots, you can find affected areas. They should be carefully cleaned with a sharp knife, and crushed activated carbon or cinnamon powder should be rubbed into the cut points. Dieffenbachia, affected by root rot, must be transplanted into a new soil, previously spilled with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. You can start watering it not earlier than the soil dries up a couple of centimeters, and you need to do this very moderately!
Benefit and harm
Dieffenbachia is able to significantly improve indoor air, as it contains volatile. According to studies, the number of pathogenic bacteria, such as Staphylococcus aureus, is much smaller near Dieffenbachia. In addition, according to flower growers, it can affect the dust content in the air, significantly reducing it, as a result of which it can be useful for people suffering from allergies.
The harmful properties of dieffenbachia are primarily the toxicity of its milky juice. If it enters the mucous membranes and skin, it can cause contact dermatitis. There are cases of poisoning of animals and young children who tried to taste the plant. However, they usually have a few moments to abandon this venture, feeling a burning sensation. Therefore, it is difficult to seriously poison the juice of Dieffenbachia, but you can get a serious complication - swelling of the larynx, which is no less dangerous. Because of this, many are afraid to keep the plant in their home.
Species and varieties
The genus includes about 60 species. The following are most popular in indoor floriculture:
- D. picta (colorized). The spots on the leaves of this species are large, and in a variety called Exotica they can merge together. Some varieties of this species, such as Marianna, Camilla, have leaves, almost light or cream, with a small border.
- D. amoena (lovely). Representatives of this species are more impressive in size than the previous one. So, the length of the leaves in them can reach 50 centimeters. Light inclusions look like white stripes on a dark green background. They are best expressed in a variety called Tropic Snow.
- D. bowmannii (Bowman) has huge leaves, up to 70 centimeters in length.
In addition, over 150 years of cultivation of the plant, many hybrid forms have been created, which are very popular among gardeners. Hybrid varieties Mars and Maroba are very popular. They have dark green leaves with a colorful pattern. The growth of Mars is up to 70 centimeters.
A variety called Mix is mid-sized with white spots. Dieffenbachia also has low-growing varieties - for example, White Flame, which grows to 55-60 centimeters. It got its name because of the drawing on the leaves, resembling tongues of flame ("flame" - English flame). An interesting bush variety called Compact. Its small leaves are dotted with white dots; the pattern is located along the veins. In general, everyone can choose for themselves a suitable variety of this deciduous plant - high or low, with more or less large leaves, a pattern in the form of stripes, specks or spots. Their diversity allows this to be done.
Useful Tips
After wilting, the resulting inflorescences should be cut off or broken off if you do not wait for the seeds to ripen. The growth of dieffenbachia during the flowering period slows down, and the stem can otherwise be exposed. If the moment is missed, the stalk is exposed, as a result of which the plant looks unattractive, it can be cut to a height of about 10 centimeters, leaving only a stump. New shoots will soon begin to grow from it.
Because of the caustic poisonous milky juice, the plant is not recommended to be kept in child care facilities or in homes where there are small children. When replanting a plant, rubber gloves should be worn (a medical mask will not hurt). After work, be sure to wash your hands thoroughly with soap.
Finally
The article briefly described the types and varieties of Dieffenbachia, home care and reproduction. Photos give you the opportunity to see how rich in color options this indoor plant, which can also be successfully used for landscaping balconies and verandas. When growing it, certain difficulties may arise, however, following all the recommendations, you will certainly get a beautiful healthy flower that will delight you for many years.