To keep your Dieffenbachia plant life glad , healthy , and looking nice , you need to rationalise it to get rid of any damaged or idle leaves . For most flora , this is a simple job : just cut or pinch back the flora above a leaf lymph node .
The tropic plant Dieffenbachia , which is also know as “ dumb cane , ” is a popular houseplant because it is prosperous to care for and has full , often model leaves all year long .
With their large , lush leave in variegate patterns , dieffenbachia plants make excellent houseplants . They prosper indoors with minimal care , offer striking tropic foliage to light up up any infinite . But to keep your dieffenbachia level-headed and looking its best , episodic pruning is required .
Why Prune Dieffenbachia Plants?
Here are the principal reason for pruning dieffenbachia houseplants
remove dead or die leaves – Yellow or brown leaves can ruin the look of the works and increase risk of diseases . Pruning maintain plants look fresh .
Eliminates broken and damaged leaves – storm or accidental bulge can get buck and ragged foliage . Pruning maintain plants neat .
Cuts aside leggy growth – Dieffenbachia can get stretched and sparse with deficient luminosity . Pruning remedies legginess .
Encourages fuller , bushier growth – cut back stem forces out side shoot and new leave-taking .
Controls size – Pruning prevents plants from outgrowing their space .
Improves air circulation – Removing congested development allows better airflow to forestall fungous issues .
Maintains desire shape – With directional pruning cut , you’re able to shape dieffenbachia to your liking .
rejuvenate previous plant – heavily pruning or propagating from cuttings can reinvigorate elderly plant life .
When to Prune Dieffenbachia
Dieffenbachia can be pruned at any clock time of twelvemonth as needed . But it ’s secure to avoid rationalise extensively right before or during active growth point . Otherwise you ’ll be cutting off novel shoot as presently as they constitute .
The optimal meter to prune dieffenbachia are :
other give , before growth resumes .
Mid to former summer when growth slow .
During the fall and winter month when plants are dormant .
Prune as needed to assert the works through the class by polish off dead leaf promptly and trim leggy growth . For major reshaping , stick around to former spring or tardy summertime .
How to Prune a Dieffenbachia Plant
Gather Your Supplies
Before pruning , forgather the follow supply :
Sharp , clean lopper or gardening scissors / shear
bactericidal like isopropyl alcohol
Clean rag or paper towels
pot soil and a container ( if propagating cuttings )
Sterilize Your Tool
It ’s all-important to prune dieffenbachia with a sterilized tool to deflect spreading disease . Wipe down your pruner with inebriant and rinse with clean water before each use .
Remove Dead or Dying Leaves
cautiously swipe or edit out away any full yellow , dark-brown or black leaves at the base of the leaf bow . Also remove leaves with significant leaf tip burn mark or ragged / shoot part .
Trim Away Damaged Areas
Cut Back Leggy Growth
Look for top - heavy , stretched out stanch with sparse leaves and reduce them back by 1/3 to 1/2 . cut back right above a foliage node or where a leaf emerges from the bow .
Shape and Control Size
Prune branches strategically to shape dieffenbachia to your desired form . Remove crossed stems , lineal growth outwards , and maintain compactness .
Disinfect Between Plants
Always sterilize pruning hook again before moving to another works to forfend channel diseases .
Remove Debris
Discard all lop off leafage and stems forth from other plants . Never compost pathologic detritus .
Consider Propagating
Dieffenbachia respond well to tip carving . Root intelligent top newspaper clipping in body of water or potting mix to engender new plants .
Clean Up
Rinse off pruners , wipe down with alcohol , and wash your manus after pruning . Monitor the plant and remedy any outlet that do damage .
How Much to Prune a Dieffenbachia
When pruning a dieffenbachia , never remove more than 1/3 of the flora ’s foliage at one sentence . dilute away too much unripe growth can stress the plant . Go slow over multiple sessions if revivify an overgrown plant .
For general upkeep :
Prune aside deadened or damage leave as they come about by pinching or snip off at the base .
reduce back the marvellous , leggiest stems by 1/3 to encourage humiliated forking .
Shorten wayward branches by 1 - 2″ to shape plant life as demand .
With this gradual , selective pruning , you avoid shocking the plant by remove too much at once . Time major chopping for spring or late summertime .
Pruning Dieffenbachia Tips
key out where leave attach to stems before make cuts to avoid snipping the untimely spot .
Angle cuts slightly downwards to prevent water pooling on sheer bakshis .
Use a unimaginative , incisive blade for clean cuts that heal quicker .
Always wear gloves as the sap can irritate peel .
Discard make out portions promptly to prevent spreading takings .
Avoid over - pruning , removing no more than 1/3 of leafage at once .
Prevent legginess by moving plants to undimmed spots before pruning back .
Quarantine raw plants before introducing to avoid bringing plague / disease .
supervise moisture , spark and fertilization after clip to forestall stress .
Problems that Require Pruning Dieffenbachia
Here are uncouth dieffenbachia problems where wise pruning is part of the remedy :
Drooping Leaves
folio that are wilted , bend downwards or drooping often argue underwatering . Prune forth severely affected leaf . Increase watering frequency for unaffected leaves to recover .
Leaf Spot
modest brown / dim spots on leaves can be due to a fungal infection . Prune off infected leaves , dispose of rubble and improve air circulation .
Root Rot
Overwatering can cause roots to rot , run to yellow leaves . Prune off damaged leaves and touch root . Repot in fresh , well - drain soil .
Leggy Growth
marvellous , sparse staunch with few leaves intend insufficient brightness level . Prune back leggy portion and move to a brighter location .
Few New Leaves
A want of new leaves form often signals improper care . Assess growing condition and prune for improvement before fresh outgrowth resume .
Leaf Tips Browning
ironical gentle wind , under or overwatering , and mineral buildup can cause folio crest burn mark . trim back just the brown section . align watering docket and humidity .
With some heedful pruning , you’re able to keep your dieffenbachia lush and beautiful for long time to come . Just be careful not to exaggerate it , and sterilize lopper between plants to keep optimal plant health .
When Should You Prune A Dieffenbachia?
Some indoor plants can only be pruned when they are uprise , but not the Dieffenbachia . It can be pruned whenever you want .
Pruning is n’t always require , but if you desire your plant to stay happy and healthy , you should cut off any leaves that are dead or damage .
Should I Cut Yellow Leaves And Brown Leaves Off Dieffenbachia?
If you require your dumb cane plant life to look goodly , you should get rid of any yellow or chocolate-brown leaves .
The most common problem with Dieffenbachia works is overwatering , which can then conduct to yellowing lower leaves . Not giving your plant enough water could also be to pick , as could too much direct sunlight or other bad inflammation , plague , or cold weather .
Plant upkeep for Dieffenbachia is rather comfortable , but sometimes thing materialize . If the leaves on your slow cane originate to turn yellow or brown , verify it has the best conditions to farm .
Check that the room temperature is between 65 and 75 degree Fahrenheit , andhumidityis around 60 % ( you may need to invest in a humidifier to reach these conditions ) .
Also , you should always keep the soil damp but not soaked in piddle so that it does n’t dry out . However , overwatering can have yellow leaves or even precede to root rot .
If the yellow and brown leaves do n’t go aside after changing the grow circumstance , use potting dirt that drain well and repot your plant in a new pot with drainage pickle .
Prune dead leaves from Dieffenbachia .
Cutting Back a Dieffenbachia | The Plant Advisor
Should I lop a Dieffenbachia ?
Pruning while it ’s dormant might overstress the plant and cause it to set off dropping foliage . But if the plant is in a constant State Department of increment , it wo n’t harm the plant to prune . Never cut off more than one - third of the plant ’s foliation . If you geld off anything more , it will start to harm the plant . How Often Should I Prune My Dieffenbachia ?
How do you distribute Dieffenbachia ?
Propagating Dieffenbachia , or Dumb Cane , is a straight outgrowth that can be done through stem cuttings or division , allow you to multiply your flora aggregation or share it with friend . Here ’s how to distribute Dieffenbachia effectively : prefer a Healthy Stem : Select a healthy , mature stem with several folio nodes .
Can a Dieffenbachia be saved ?
If your genus Dieffenbachia is already leggy , do n’t worry . you may still save it . All you need to do is give it a good pruning . Start by cutting off any leave that are yellow or fail . trend these leave back to the point where they forgather a healthy prow .
How do you take care of a Dieffenbachia ?
After pruning back your dieffenbachia ’s growth , use the cuttings to bulge out more plant . organize a container of sterile industrial plant mass medium and dampen it thoroughly but not until soggy . Pull off the bottom 1/3 of the foliage and sink the fore into rooting endocrine . escape from off the excess endocrine .
