A Detailed Guide to the Propagation Method of Cutting Off the Top of Philodendron 'Golden Diamond' to Stimulate Budding
Philodendron bipinnatifidum is a foliage plant much loved by people. However, its seeds are not easy to obtain, and propagating seedlings from seed is rather difficult. If the division method is used, under normal circumstances it is not easy to induce lateral buds to sprout. The method of cutting off the top to stimulate budding for propagating Philodendron bipinnatifidum is not only simple and easy to carry out, but also gives the best results.
When the temperature is relatively high in summer and autumn, use a sharp knife to cut off the terminal bud of the mother plant of Philodendron bipinnatifidum. When removing the terminal bud, be sure to completely gouge out the apical growing point. After about 1 to 2 weeks, this will prompt the bud eyes at the base of the stem to rapidly produce lateral buds. For a Philodendron bipinnatifidum seedling with a stem height of about 20 cm, more than 10 or even more lateral buds can be forced out on the stem at the same time.
When the lateral buds sprouting from the bud eyes on the stem of Philodendron bipinnatifidum have grown to 8 to 10 cm, choose fine weather and use a sharp knife to cut off each sprouted bud together with a piece of stem, and you can obtain quite a few small plantlets without roots. When cutting the stem for division, if the daughter plant has 1 to 2 roots attached, it can be potted directly.
To prevent the cut daughter plants from rotting when potted directly, first smear the cut surfaces of the young plants with sulfur powder or clean plant ash. After letting them dry slightly, bury them in pure river sand, leaving only the sprout above the sand, so as to help the wound heal and differentiate new roots as quickly as possible. In the early stage of root induction, do not water too much; simply keep the river sand moist. Wait until well-formed roots have grown before transplanting into soil in pots.
How do you divide Philodendron 'Golden Diamond' when it produces no suckers?
Philodendron 'Golden Diamond' is a foliage plant much loved by people, but its seeds are not easy to obtain, and propagating seedlings from seed is rather difficult. If the division method is used, under normal circumstances it is not easy to induce lateral buds to sprout. The method of cutting off the top to stimulate budding for propagating Philodendron 'Golden Diamond' is not only simple and easy to carry out, but also gives the best results.
When the temperature is relatively high in summer and autumn, use a sharp knife to cut off the terminal bud of the mother plant of Philodendron 'Golden Diamond'. When removing the terminal bud, be sure to completely gouge out the apical growing point. After about 1 to 2 weeks, this will prompt the bud eyes at the base of the stem to rapidly sprout lateral buds. For a Philodendron 'Golden Diamond' with a stem height of about 20 cm, more than 10 or even more lateral buds can be forced out on the stem at the same time.
When the lateral buds sprouting from the bud eyes on the stem of Philodendron 'Golden Diamond' have grown to 8 to 10 cm, choose fine weather and use a sharp knife to cut off each sprouted bud together with a piece of stem, and you can obtain quite a few small plantlets without roots. When cutting the stem for division, if the daughter plant has 1 to 2 roots attached, it can be potted directly.
To prevent the cut daughter plants from rotting when potted directly, first smear the cut surfaces of the young plants with sulfur powder or clean plant ash. After letting them dry slightly, bury them in clean river sand, leaving only the sprout above the sand, so as to help the wound heal and differentiate new roots as quickly as possible. In the early stage of root induction, do not water too much; simply keep the river sand moist. Wait until well-formed roots have been induced before transplanting into pots.
A Propagation Method That Induces Dormant Buds to Sprout in Philodendron 'Golden Diamond'
Philodendron 'Golden Diamond' belongs to the genus Philodendron in the Araceae family. It is a fairly widespread evergreen perennial foliage plant, with a short stem, growing in clumps, and large, unusual leaves that are deep green and glossy. It is relatively shade-tolerant and can withstand low temperatures of around 5°C. It is suitable for indoor viewing and can be displayed in entrance halls and living rooms or placed in studies and assembly halls according to plant size, and it is quite popular with people.
The propagation method commonly used for Philodendron 'Golden Diamond' is division, that is, using a small knife to cut away the small plants growing from the stem of the plant and potting them for cultivation. Here I introduce two propagation methods I use to break apical dominance, induce dormant buds to sprout, and quickly produce mature plants.
1. The stem-cutting method to stimulate budding
From late April to late June, or from late August to early October, when Philodendron 'Golden Diamond' is growing vigorously, for plants with a stem diameter of 7 cm to 10 cm and a height of about 15 cm to 30 cm, use a sharp knife to cut the top of the stem horizontally. The length of stem removed is about 4 cm to 5 cm, retaining 1 to 2 aerial roots and one relatively large leaf, with all the other leaves removed. The cut surface should be smeared with rice husk ash, and the cut-off stem should be potted after drying slightly. New leaves can emerge in about a week, and a new plant with ornamental value is then formed. After the cut plant has had its apical dominance broken, after 1 to 2 weeks, 2 to 3 dormant adventitious buds will sprout at the edge of the stem and at its base. When the small plants have grown to 3 to 4 leaves, cut them off together with their roots using a sharp knife and plant them, and the mother plant can still be kept for continued use. Generally, during the growing season, one mother plant of Philodendron 'Golden Diamond' can be propagated into 8 to 10 new plants by this method, and the time to reach maturity is short.
2. The method of cutting off the terminal bud to stimulate budding
In August and October of summer and autumn, use a sharp knife to cut off the terminal bud of the mother plant and dig out its growing point. After apical dominance is broken, after about 2 weeks, 2 to 3 lateral buds will sprout on the stem. At this time, do not rush to cut them off. Wait until April of the following year, when the plants formed from the sprouted lateral buds have stems already 6 cm to 7 cm tall and 4 cm to 5 cm in diameter, with 4 to 5 leaves and 4 to 5 roots, and are already small Philodendron 'Golden Diamond' plants suitable for viewing. At this time, cut them off again and pot them, and the mother plant continues to be kept for use. After about 1 to 2 weeks, 2 to 3 buds will sprout at the base of the stem. When the small plants formed from the buds have grown to 3 to 4 leaves, cut them off with their roots and pot them, and the mother plant can still be kept for use and will still sprout dormant buds from the base. If the small plants are not cut off, the dormant buds generally do not sprout easily, but if the plants are too small and are cut away from the mother plant without roots, they will root and grow rather slowly after potting.