How to Grow a Dieffenbachia From a Cutting

Dieffenbachia is the genus name for a group of plants commonly called dumb cane. Species such as Dieffenbachia maculata and Dieffenbachia seguine are commonly grown as houseplants for their large, variegated leaves and tolerance for dim light, but all species are sensitive to sudden changes in light or temperature and respond by dropping their leaves. Fortunately, dieffenbachias grow effortlessly from cane cuttings and new foliage will emerge from the leafless trunk of the plant if it is potted in moist growing medium near a source of bright light.

Things You'll Need

Perlite
Coir
4-inch plastic pot
Gloves

Gardening knife or pruning shears
0.2 percent IBA (indolebutyric acid) rooting talc
Large plastic bag

Instructions

- 1
  Combine equal parts perlite and coir in a large bowl. Drizzle water over the perlite and coir while mixing them together. Keep adding water until the mixture feels moderately moist.
- 2
  Pack the perlite and coir mixture into a 4-inch plastic pot. Leave 1/2 inch between the soil and the top edge of the pot. Set the pot aside.
- 3
  Put on gloves before gathering cane cuttings from dieffenbachias since they exude a mildly toxic sap.
- 4
  Locate a thick, fleshy cane at the base of the dieffenbachia, below where the foliage emerges. Sever the cane flush with the surrounding soil using a gardening knife or pruning shears.
- 5
  Cut off the top of the cane so only a 2- to 3-inch-long portion remains. Make sure the cane portion has several leaf buds, including one within 1/4 inch of the base.
- 6
  Pluck off and discard all the leaves from the dieffenbachia cane cutting to expose the leaf nodes. Grasp the base of each leaf and pull it back against its natural direction of growth to remove it.
- 7
  Press the base of the cane cutting into 0.2 percent IBA rooting talc. Roll the bottom half-inch of the cane in the rooting talc. Tap the cane to remove the excess powder.
- 8
  Dig a hole in the center of the prepared rooting pot. Make the hole half the height of the cane cutting and of equal diameter.
- 9
  Nestle the bottom half of the cutting in the hole. Push the soil mixture in against the base. Pour 1/8 cup of water onto the soil near the cane.
- 10
  Place the potted dieffenbachia cutting inside a large plastic bag. Leave the bag slightly open to allow for evaporation.
- 11
  Set the pot on an east- or north-facing windowsill with indirect or diffuse light. Limit direct sun to less than 30 minutes each day during the rooting period.
- 12
  Add a few spoonfuls of water to the soil mixture if the top 1/2 inch dries out. Avoid overwatering dieffenbachia cuttings.
- 13
  Watch for renewed foliage growth in 20 to 30 days. Remove the plastic bag once leaves emerge.
- 14
  Transplant the rooted dieffenbachia cane into a permanent planter two to three weeks after rooting.

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