jsm11482
Newly Registered
Posts: 5
Joined: Mon Mar 28, 2011 6:44 pm
Location: Leesburg, Virginia, US

Plant is taking over the house, how to control it?

I have a plant (don't know the species) that is growing like crazy. The trunk is winding all over the place and it has fallen over before due to its own weight and height.

What should I do to make it more stable and control it better?

Bonus: What kind of plant is it?

Pictures here: [url]https://imgur.com/a/P4VZc[/url]

HydroCura
Full Member
Posts: 26
Joined: Sat Mar 26, 2011 9:05 am
Location: Willemstad, Curacao

You can just cut it. Those plants don't die if you cut all their leaves. I did that with mine.

User avatar
Kisal
Mod Emeritus
Posts: 7646
Joined: Tue Jun 24, 2008 1:04 am
Location: Oregon

It's a dieffenbachia. I like diefs. :)

Cut the canes back to about 6" above the soil surface. New branches will sprout from the sides of the stubs that are left.

Cut the leafy top off, leaving a piece of cane attached that, when planted in the soil, supports the top at an attractive height. (Perhaps a foot or 18"? Just use your own judgement to decide what you think looks nice.)

Finally, take the remaining pieces of the canes and cut them into sections. I like to leave 2 nodes per section. (The nodes are the little ridges that encircle the cane.) Make your cuts midway between 2 nodes. Set the sections aside for anywhere from 24 hours up to a few days ... even a week, if need be. What you want is for all the cut ends of the cane sections to dry and become hard. This is called "callousing over". Be sure to do this with the cut end of the leafy top section, too!

When the ends have calloused, plant the stems of the leafy top sections in a pot of fresh, moist-but-not-wet soil. Be careful not to overwater them, because there are no roots to absorb water from the soil. Roots will form quickly, though, and you will have nice new plants.

Lay the other cut sections of cane horizontally, on their sides, buried about halfway in a moist, sterile medium, such as clean sharp sand or plain perlite. Place them in bright, indirect light. Each section will sprout new stems and roots, and become a whole new plant. You'll have pretty gifts for all your friends! (And maybe even a few strangers! :lol: )

jsm11482
Newly Registered
Posts: 5
Joined: Mon Mar 28, 2011 6:44 pm
Location: Leesburg, Virginia, US

Thanks for the detailed information! I guess I'll have these plants growing everywhere in my house now. :wink:

User avatar
Kisal
Mod Emeritus
Posts: 7646
Joined: Tue Jun 24, 2008 1:04 am
Location: Oregon

Yep! That's what happened to me! :lol:

jsm11482
Newly Registered
Posts: 5
Joined: Mon Mar 28, 2011 6:44 pm
Location: Leesburg, Virginia, US

I chopped it up today. The base of one "stalk" was pretty rotted. BTW I came home from work yesterday to find the whole plant fell over due to its weight - so it was time. Thanks for the help.

jsm11482
Newly Registered
Posts: 5
Joined: Mon Mar 28, 2011 6:44 pm
Location: Leesburg, Virginia, US

Okay so I've "planted" 6 pieces horizontally - how long should it take before I can tell that it's starting to grow? I them in perlite but I'm not sure how much water I should poor in there. If I put too much water, they will just rot, right?

User avatar
lorax
Greener Thumb
Posts: 1316
Joined: Mon Jul 12, 2010 5:48 pm
Location: Ecuador, USDA Zone 13, at 10,000' of altitude

You'll see growth within the next week, two weeks maximum. At this stage, there really isn't "too much" water - they'll root in a glass of water if that floats your boat! Check occasionally for the development of roots, and once you've got those cut back and consider transplanting into loose, free-draining soil.

jsm11482
Newly Registered
Posts: 5
Joined: Mon Mar 28, 2011 6:44 pm
Location: Leesburg, Virginia, US

Okay so I'll just keep them constantly swimming in water until I see good roots and then transplant them and carry on per usual.



Return to “Container Gardening Forum”