Dieffenbachia Pruning: Did I do this correctly?

9 years ago

I have had this dieffenbachia seguine for over a year now. It has grown a lot, and some of the leaves were starting to curve and/or touch the ground. Not to mention a lot of overlapping and crossing leaves, which were an eyesore. Not to mention some broken leaves that have been in that state since purchase in january 2016.

Before:

After:

Everything that I read online said to cut it back 6 inches from the soil, but I thought this was a much nicer attempt at selective rejuvenation. I cut back the largest stalk, then removed some low, overlapping, and crossing leaves. I intend for the stalk to start growing, because there are some buds on the side of it (nodes).

Also, I did not waste the large stalk. I allowed it to dry overnight on a paper towel, then I planted and staked it today. Hopefully it will take root. Also, I wasn't sure if I should remove/trim foliage on the cutting.

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Comments (4)

goldstar135
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Beautiful plant! I think you did a great job pruning.

"I allowed it to dry overnight on a paper towel"

I'm not sure you're supposed to let cuttings from dieffenbachia plants dry before putting them in the media-I know that's the process for succulents, but I'm not sure about diefs. Shouldn't be too much of a problem though.

Also, I wasn't sure if I should remove/trim foliage on the cutting.

Personally, I would just leave them on. The more leaves it has, the more photosynthesis the cutting can perform and the faster it can grow/produce roots. If leaves begin wilting badly you can cut them in half or cut some of the lower leaves off.

Good luck!
Logan L Johnson thanked goldstar135
tropicbreezent
9 years ago
The reason for allowing a cutting of Dieffenbachia to dry overnight (same with some other plants) is to allow the cut to seal. That reduces the chance of pathogens getting into the plant and causing it to rot. Reducing foliage is also a good idea. Without a root system the cutting doesn't have the ability to take up as much water as the leaves are transpiring. This can cause a lot of stress in the cutting and even kill it. Weather is also a relevant factor in this issue as hotter, drier weather will increase the rate of transpiration. Often cuttings themselves will drop leaves for this reason. I always reduce the leaves on cuttings but don't usually remove all of them. A bit of a balancing act.
Logan L Johnson thanked tropicbreezent
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Mentha (East TN, Zone 6B-7A)
9 years ago
I would almost say that overnight might not have been long enough for such a large stalk. As for the leaves on the stalk, I'd cut half of them off and cut the rest in half. The cutting is not going to be able to sustain a bunch of leaves and grow roots also. They will just drain the cutting of energy and make it weaker.
Logan L Johnson thanked Mentha (East TN, Zone 6B-7A)
Logan L Johnson
Original Author
9 years ago
Thank you all. Now I know I didn't kill it by pruning Lol. I know that with most cuttings that I root (usually woody plants and roses) I remove the majority of the foliage but wasn't sure about it being true to dieffenbachia. Also, I keep the house 73-75 degrees, so it's an ok temperature. Lack of humidity could be a problem, but I can mist or use a humidifier if necessary.