Question
hi, I bought a tropic snow about a month ago, I'm not really good with plants, so I dont'' know if it was healthy or not.  It looked good.  now the bottom leaves are turning yellow, I cut them off, but I'm not sure if that's enough or if i'm not careing for it right.  It is sitting in front of a window, and the blinds are kept shut. Ok now I'd like to ask you about pruing I'm not sure what that is. now what about emergeing a stem in water, will this grow new roots? and can you tell me how to do this.
Thank you!111

Answer
Hi Amy,

The most important thing for all plants is proper light. Your Dieffenbachia needs lots of bright indirect light, so open up those blinds completely if the window faces north or east and partially if it faces south or west.

Allow the top quarter of the soil to feel dry to the touch before watering. When you do water, be sure to water thoroughly so that the entire rootball is saturated. Remove any excess water that runs through the drainage holes.

Trimming refers to the removal of dead or yellow leaves. Pruning refers to cutting back stems to promote new growth lower down on the stem. For example, if your plant has some stems that are quite tall and have lost many of their lower leaves, then you can cut those stems off at any point. The new leaves on each stem will come in just below the point where you making the pruning cut. Pruning helps make leggy plants more compact.

Foe many plants, including Dieffenbachia, the top section of a pruned off stem can be placed in water and after a month or two, roots will develop under water. After the roots are at least an inch long, the rooted cutting can be transferred to a small pot filled with damp potting mix. You will then have created or propagated a new plant.

Please let me know if any of this is unclear or if you have any additional questions.

Regards,
Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC

You can E-mail me directly at: [email protected]

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