posted
I have already found most of what I need to know about cutting my Diefenbachia, except for one question:
This is a beautiful plant with a very thick abundance of big, healthy leaves. Like most of my plants, he was rescued from beside an alleyway dumpster. He is thriving, and has reached 9 feet tall--which would be nice if my ceiling weren't pretty well stuck at 8 feet.
But when I cut this plant, I'll be cutting off a section with a lot of beautiful leaves. YIKES! Sure, I can stick that section into the soil, but will it lose all those leaves? It seems to have given us its trust, and I hate to do anything that will kill those lovely big leaves!
I have also thought of cutting a hole in the ceiling when my upstairs neighbour is out. What a nice surprise to come home to a brand new Dieffenbachia coming up through a brand new hole in the rug!
Please tell me whether the leaves will survive the trauma of the stalk being cut. Thank you very much.
Plants: 5 | From: Vancouver, Canada | Registered: Jan 2006
| Seeded: 64.180.181.196
posted
Borris, I am not really sure about the leaves, but I do have another solution to your problem. I have 10 foot ceilings, send him on over! Please before you cut that beautiful plant, post a pic of it so we can drool over it. My dieffenbachia is currently about 3 feet tall.
* * * * We are all under the same stars... therefore we are never far apart. Plants: 30076 | From: Washington, the state that is... | Registered: Aug 2004
| Seeded: 66.235.45.83
posted
Ha ha! Well, it is a very humble plant. I think it has no idea that it is so beautiful. Our apartment jungle is mostly plants rescued from our back alleyway in the downtown city core--I hate to see living things abandoned. In return, our plants have lavished us with overwhelming beauty, way beyond what we deserve.
This one we mist-spray like in the jungle, with water dripping from the leaves. We don't actually water it too much, though--the soil feels nice, but not wet. Once in a fairly long time we drench it, but seldom. We try for what the plants would get in nature.
As for the cut, I think I'll do the formal air-layering technique, so it has the best-formed roots in advance.
I have a feeling dieffenbachias grow faster as they get bigger. Maybe take a picture of your baby Dieffenbachia now, Triss, so you'll be able to compare it at 10 feet tall!
Plants: 5 | From: Vancouver, Canada | Registered: Jan 2006
| Seeded: 64.180.181.196
posted
I do not even have a pic of mine when it was a baby cept when cept as a background plant. I will have to get a recent pic of him. He is currently at my Mother in laws and will stay there, but I am going to start over with one of his babies when I transplant his this spring.
* * * * We are all under the same stars... therefore we are never far apart. Plants: 30076 | From: Washington, the state that is... | Registered: Aug 2004
| Seeded: 66.235.45.83
posted
Borris, have you considered air layering your plant. If you cut off the top you could (for lack of a better term) disfigure your beautiful plant. By air layering you can maintain the natural shape of the plant and ... well, have two!
Andi
Plants: 72 | From: Broomall, PA | Registered: Jan 2006
| Seeded: 71.255.107.197
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Please before you cut that beautiful plant, post a pic of it so we can drool over it. My dieffenbachia is currently about 3 feet tall.
Printer-friendly view of this garden