The birthplace of Diffenbachia is South America. This plant got its name from the surname of the gardener Dieffenbach. The plant has a fleshy stem and large leaves with wavy edges. The length of the leaves reaches up to 50 cm, and the width is up to 14 cm. Although individual species have more. As a rule, the leaves are decorated with many light strokes and veins. Almost every type has its own pattern on the leaves. This plant is often grown in room conditions. Let’s talk about how to properly care for diphenbachia.
Lighting
Diffenbachia – a photophilous plant. It is better to grow it in a room with a bright scattered light. Therefore, it is better to arrange it near the southern or southwestern window. Although the shadow of the plant also tolerates well. Only from the shadow of Dieffenbachia the leaves can become less motley.
How to care for diphenbachia
In summer, it is not necessary to allow direct sunlight to enter it, because this can cause burns on the leaves of the plant. Therefore, for a particularly sunny summer period, the best option for the location of diphenbachia is partial shade.
Temperature regime
Diffenbachia is thermophilic. In summer, the air temperature should be 20-24 degrees for it, and in winter 17-20 degrees. In no case should you allow sharp temperature changes and strong drafts in the room where you grow diphenbachia. From this she may turn yellow and fall the leaves.
Watering
In spring and summer you need to water it very abundantly. 2 to 3 times a week. In winter, you need to do watering moderate, since the excessive humidity of the earthen coma can lead to yellowing of the leaves and rotting the roots. But even in winter it is impossible to completely dry out the earthen lump. Thus, in the autumn and winter time, Dieffenbachia has to be watered about 4 times a month.
Air humidity level
Dieffenbachia to maintain normal growth and development, increased humidity is needed, which should reach 70-80%. If the humidity is not supported, then its leaves can begin to twist like tubes. Therefore, it is necessary to spray it with water. In the summer it is desirable to do every day. But in autumn and winter, spraying procedures need to be reduced to 2-3 times a week.
Reproduction
It is best to propagate diphenbachia with apical shoots with leaves. Do it like that. The shoots are cut off and placed in warm soil. Moreover, it is necessary to ensure that the soil in no case does not dry out. To do this, it should be periodically moistened until the stalk is rooted in it.
It should be noted that the cutting of the apical cuttings has a beneficial effect on the parent plant, since after this procedure it will further become more magnificent.
How to care for diphenbachia
Thus, if you see that your plant becomes very high, but his foliage remains only upstairs, and below the trunk is almost naked, because the older lower leaves fell. In this case, simply cut the upper half of the trunk of diphenbachia and put in another pot. The lower trunk without leaves will soon give the kidneys, from which new stems will begin to grow actively. Thus, you will get two magnificent plants.
Possible problems
Often, when growing diphenbachia, we are faced with the problem of yellowing of part of its leaves. This can be caused by a number of reasons:
a sharp change in temperature to a lower;
burns from direct sunlight on the leaves;
Deviation with ticks, thrips, worms.
Yellowing and falling of old leaves is a normal and natural process for diphenbachia. But, as already indicated, this problem can be solved by pruning the plant trunk.
But what to do if young leaves began to fall? This can happen from a lack of watering, as well as if the room has sufficiently dry and hot air.
Precautionary measures
Most species of diphenbachia are quite poisonous, since their juice contains substances that irritate the skin and mucous membranes, both in people and in animals. Therefore, all work with Diffenbachia (especially when you make the trunk pruning), you need to carry out the security purposes in gloves.
