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Dieffenbachia (Dieffenbachia) - Varieties, Reproduction, Agricultural Technology
Dieffenbachia (Dieffenbachia) - Varieties, Reproduction, Agricultural Technology

Video: Dieffenbachia (Dieffenbachia) - Varieties, Reproduction, Agricultural Technology

Video: Dieffenbachia (Dieffenbachia) - Varieties, Reproduction, Agricultural Technology
Video: Dieffenbachia Varieties/Species in our Garden + Plant Care & Tips + Dumbcane is a Poisonous Plant 2024, March
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Dieffenbachia - variegated beauties

Dieffenbachia
Dieffenbachia

Lovers of indoor plants are invariably looking for some unusual, rare and attractive at first sight plant to replenish their collections. And in this case, it is worth paying attention to the wonderful genus of tropical decorative deciduous flowering plants - Dieffenbachia.

This genus received its name in honor of the German botanist I. F. Dieffenbach. There are about 40 known species distributed in tropical regions of South America. In indoor conditions, the height of the plant can reach 1.5–1.8 m. There are many forms, interspecific hybrids and varieties. The main thing in these plants is that they have luxurious leaves, painted white or ivory with fancy patterns - spots, strokes, borders, splashes and other patterns.

Dieffenbachia
Dieffenbachia

Interesting varieties

The ratio of white and green in dieffenbachia leaves varies greatly, each variety and hybrid is characterized by a unique appearance. Thus, the Aline and Camilla varieties attract almost entirely white leaves with a narrow or wider green border. Compacta grows as a lush bush in white splashes on a green background of leaves, and the Giant variety looks like a densely leafy narrow column with many elegant leaves, the veins of which are "trimmed" with ivory.

The Vesuvio variety surprises with narrow, long leaves with a blurry whitish pattern, the wider, elongated-oval leaves of the Sparkle and Sara varieties are painted with bizarre white and yellowish spots (the latter variety has green spots on a white background).

Dieffenbachia
Dieffenbachia

I must say right away that Dieffenbachia, as befits a beauty, has its own character and secret properties. Its juice is poisonous, it should not get into the mouth, or in the eyes, or in the cracks on the skin of the hands, so trimming the plant must be done with rubber gloves, and you should not put it in the nursery - out of harm's way, so that you don't want to try on taste these motley ornate leaves. But the rose also has thorny thorns, but no one refuses to grow it for this …

Agrotechnics

Of the requirements for the conditions of keeping dieffenbachia, it is important to know the following:

even air temperature during the year + 20 … 23 ° С, winter minimum + 17 ° С, warm windowsill in winter (you can put a foam plastic plate under the flowerpot), no drafts

diffused light without direct sunlight, withstands partial shade, but the more white or yellowish spots on the leaves, the more intense lighting it needs; in winter, additional lighting with a fluorescent or special lamp for plants will preserve its decorative effect

abundant watering from spring to autumn and moderate in winter; from excess moisture and lack of oxygen in the soil, the leaves turn yellow and fall off; lack of nutrition, especially nitrogen during the growth period, manifests itself in a similar way

relatively tolerant of dry air in winter, but still 2-3 times a week it is useful to spray the space around the plants, and it is better to put the pot on a layer of wet expanded clay; with insufficient air humidity, dieffenbachia can shed leaves

the soil mixture is made up of 1 part humus, 2 parts leaf, 2 parts peat, 0.5 parts sand - this is a classic recipe. If this is not possible, buy a peat soil for ornamental foliage from the store and dilute it with garden soil and sand or perlite, adding 0.5-1 teaspoon of complete long-acting AVA fertilizer with nitrogen to 1 liter of the mixture. Or when planting in a pot up to 15 cm in diameter, add 1 capsule of AVA-N, which will nourish the plant for three months

a regular shower covered with a film of an earthen coma is extremely useful for all plants with smooth leaves, including Dieffenbachia. The tubular specimens are content with wiping the leaves on both sides with a soft, damp sponge, after each leaf, the sponge must be thoroughly rinsed. Clean leaves and stems are the key to healthy plants and fresh, oxygen-enriched air in rooms

Dieffenbachia
Dieffenbachia

How to propagate dieffenbachia

It is not cheap, and several of its specimens of different varieties can create a nice corner of the winter garden in the house, in the bright lobby and on the windowsills of the entrance of the city house. It's nice to grow young plants as a gift to friends. Dieffenbachia can be cut throughout the year. Over time, the plant stretches strongly, loses its lower leaves and becomes like a "palm tree". To return the decorativeness and full-fledged foliage of the entire stem, you need to cut off the top of the plant with a stem length of about 15-25 cm, hold the cut for several minutes in warm water to stop the flow of juice, and then put the apical cutting in an opaque vase of water at room temperature, throwing a tablet there activated carbon. Rooting will take place without loss of decorativeness, since dieffenbachia in a vase will look like an exotic bouquet. When roots are formed after 1–1.5 months, the plant can be planted - preferably in a ceramic pot with a drainage layer of expanded clay and a nutrient mixture with long-acting fertilizer to facilitate flower care. A ceramic pot is preferable because of its weight - it will balance the heavy crown of a large dieffenbachia, prevent the plant from falling. In addition, ceramics evaporate moisture well through the pores in the walls of the pot, which avoids overflow and root decay. Excess moisture is especially dangerous in the cold and dark seasons.will not let the plant fall. In addition, ceramics evaporate moisture well through the pores in the walls of the pot, which avoids overflow and root decay. Excess moisture is especially dangerous in the cold and dark seasons.will not let the plant fall. In addition, ceramics evaporate moisture well through the pores in the walls of the pot, which avoids overflow and root decay. Excess moisture is especially dangerous in the cold and dark seasons.

Dieffenbachia
Dieffenbachia

What to do with the remaining bare stem and the trimmed pot itself? Everything will go into business, no waste. The stem is cut with pruning shears into 3–5 cm long pieces with one or two buds (these are the attachment points of the leaves, they are noticeable), leaving 15–20 cm from the level of the pot. The cut stem cuttings are allowed to dry on paper until a thin film is formed on the cut, powdered with coal powder and placed horizontally close to each other in a bowl, shallow wide pot or container with a light mixture of peat and sand, deepening half the thickness of the stem. The rooting substrate is pre-watered and slightly compacted. It is convenient to do this in transparent containers with confectionery lids. The container is placed in a warm, bright place and the constant humidity of the substrate is monitored, the cuttings are periodically ventilated by opening the lid. It is very interesting to observe how dormant buds awaken in the upper part of the stem pieces, and thick white roots form in the lower part. The first two months, the growth of shoots is rather slow, then - faster. To accelerate growth, you can give humic fertilizing with nitrogen - in addition to the main dressing of the substrate. Usually rooted cuttings horizontally, as they grew during rooting, are planted in small - 7-9 cm pots, and as the roots grow, they are transferred into pots with a diameter of 11-13 cm. By autumn, young Dieffenbachia will be quite decorative. For the earliest possible receipt of a dense bush, plant 2-3 rooted cuttings in one pot. In addition, you can pinch the top of the growth of a young plant to induce active tillering. The first two months, the growth of shoots is rather slow, then - faster. To accelerate growth, you can give humic fertilizing with nitrogen - in addition to the main dressing of the substrate. Usually rooted cuttings horizontally, as they grew during rooting, are planted in small - 7-9 cm pots, and as the roots grow, they are transferred into pots with a diameter of 11-13 cm. By autumn, young Dieffenbachia will be quite decorative. For the earliest possible receipt of a dense bush, plant 2-3 rooted cuttings in one pot. In addition, you can pinch the top of the growth of a young plant to induce active tillering. The first two months, the growth of shoots is rather slow, then - faster. To accelerate growth, you can give humic fertilizing with nitrogen - in addition to the main dressing of the substrate. Usually rooted cuttings horizontally, as they grew during rooting, are planted in small - 7-9 cm pots, and as the roots grow, they are transferred into pots with a diameter of 11-13 cm. By autumn, young Dieffenbachia will be quite decorative. For the earliest possible receipt of a dense bush, plant 2-3 rooted cuttings in one pot. In addition, you can pinch the top of the growth of a young plant to induce active tillering.they are planted in small - 7-9 cm pots, and as the roots grow, they are transferred into pots with a diameter of 11-13 cm. By autumn, young Dieffenbachia will be quite decorative. For the earliest possible receipt of a dense bush, plant 2-3 rooted cuttings in one pot. In addition, you can pinch the top of the growth of a young plant to induce active tillering.they are planted in small - 7-9 cm pots, and as the roots grow, they are transferred into pots with a diameter of 11-13 cm. By autumn, young Dieffenbachia will be quite decorative. For the earliest possible receipt of a dense bush, plant 2-3 rooted cuttings in one pot. In addition, you can pinch the top of the growth of a young plant to induce active tillering.

Dieffenbachia
Dieffenbachia

Sometimes flower lovers are afraid to cut off the top of the "palm" Dieffenbachia. In this case, you can make an air cut without cutting. To do this, the stem in the upper part is cut obliquely with a sharp knife, a piece of a match or a toothpick is put into the incision, and when the juice runs out, sprinkle this place with coal powder to prevent fungal and bacterial infections, as well as root to stimulate root formation. Then they wrap the place of the incision with wet moss, cotton wool, on top of this layer - with a film, which is tightly tied above and below the incised part of the stem.

You can also use this option: tie the bottom edge of the film tightly around the stem, pour wet perlite around the cut, tie the upper edge of the film. The essence of the "operation" is that in the incised part of the stem in a humid neutral environment (moss, cotton wool, perlite), roots will form, and the plant will continue to grow like a "palm tree". When the young roots are visible through the film, the stem is cut off under the film and the rooted plant cutting with leaves is planted in a pot according to all the above rules. The remaining bare stem can already be safely cut into cuttings and laid out in a mini-greenhouse with a lid for rooting. A mother plant with a low stem left should be transplanted into a larger container with a nutrient mixture filled with long-acting AVA fertilizer with nitrogen. After a while, the dormant stem buds will sprout with new shoots, and your rejuvenated Dieffenbachia will become more beautiful than the old one. If growth is slowed down, it is worth adding liquid fertilizing with a high nitrogen content to the "diet". Another scenario is possible: the buds of the underground rhizome will wake up earlier and give new shoots. In this case, you can cut the old stem to the surface of the ground, but it is better to wait until the next period of active plant growth.but it is better to wait until the next period of active plant growth.but it is better to wait until the next period of active plant growth.

Dieffenbachia can be the only salt plant in your living room and it will be a stylish and effective home design. Large specimens can be kept on the floor in beautiful pots, complementing the composition with ferns, a monster, illuminating them from above, from the side or from below with fluorescent lamps in the dark months of the year.

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