A Detailed Guide to Propagating Dieffenbachia (Dumb Cane) by Cuttings

1. Substrate Selection

To succeed at propagation by cuttings, the first thing you need to do is choose the right substrate. When taking cuttings of this plant, the substrate is usually a mix of nutrient soil, river sand, peat soil and the like. But sometimes when taking cuttings at home, this ideal substrate is hard to put together; that is no problem, as some medium-coarse river sand will also work. Just rinse it several times with clean water before use, and it is ready for taking cuttings.

2. Cutting Selection

When selecting cuttings, we usually cut the stem into segments about 5 to 8 cm long. When cutting, make sure each segment has more than three leaf nodes. Besides cutting into small segments, you can also use the top shoot as a cutting, which also roots easily.

3. How to Insert the Cuttings

Once the cuttings are ready, we can insert them into the substrate. Do not insert them too deep; just push them in shallowly, which also helps them root. After that, normal care can begin.

4. Later Care

1. Temperature

It roots most easily at a temperature of 18 to 25 degrees. If it drops below 18 degrees, the cuttings will grow very slowly. Likewise, it must not go above 25 degrees; if it does, the cut ends of the cuttings may become infected and rot, and the higher the temperature, the worse the rot. So try to keep the temperature within this range.

2. Humidity

After taking cuttings, create a suitable humidity environment for them; generally, a humidity of 75% to 85% is most suitable. If it does not reach this range, we can mist them to raise the humidity, just 1 to 3 times a day. On sunny days you can mist a little more often, while on cloudy or rainy days or when the temperature is lower, mist a little less.

3. Light

Propagation by cuttings needs some light, but the light must not be too strong, because if it is too strong, the temperature inside the cuttings will rise and water will be used up quickly, which is bad for the cuttings' survival. So we need to shade out part of the sunlight appropriately.

4. Potting Up

Once the cuttings have rooted, we need to pot them up, which is the only way to make them grow stronger. After potting up, do not get careless; be sure to maintain good temperature and humidity so they can grow into full plants as quickly as possible.