I'm in need of some serious help for a very large, approx 25-20 year old Dieffenbachia. I water plants at an office for almost a year now and it has always been the picture of health. Something has been happening over the last few months. It has been slowly 'sliding' down the wall that has been supporting it. When I went in there Friday, it wasn't on the wall anymore. The fellow in the office informed me that it looked pretty bad but it's starting to come back. I'm really worried and I don't want to lose this plant. It's very tall....if straight it may be about 8 feet. It's stem is very 'S' shaped, especially now. I don't know how I would support it. I've only pulled 2 leaves off it since I've been taking care of it. I'm not that knowledgeable about dieffenbachias and any help would be much appreciated. Thanks so much! Sarah
Sounds like it may have just gotten too top-heavy. There are a couple of things you can do about this. The first is to repot it and ensure that more of the stem is supported by soil (this should ideally be a very fast-draining mix, at least 50% peat and bark with a bit of charcoal thrown in - check the threads in the Araceae section for more details). The second is to propagate - cut the plant back and replant the cut sections in fresh soil, along with any sections of bare stem - you'll be effectively doubling or tripling the plant. Since it's not your Dieff, you should probably ask the office manager which of the two options they like best.
Beth is absolutely correct. The chances are this plant simply can no longer support its own weight. When you repot the specimen you can use a fair size piece of rough timber as a support and then use plant wire to attach the stem to the wood until it can attach its own roots naturally. If there is a large section of stem that no longer has leaves you would do well to cause it to produce new roots from one or more stems by wrapping the nodes with damp sphagnum moss which is wired in place. In a few months new roots will form and the upper section can then be re-potted along with the older lower section. Either way the plant needs support in the form of a totem or piece of rough timber. What you are experiencing is quite common in the forest if an aroid cannot find a suitable tree to which it can attach the roots. If you go to the aroid section and find the post about why growers rarely water tropical plants you'll find a good soil mix as well as an explanation how the plant should be grown throughout the thread. Be sure and read the last half dozen posts! The soil needs to stay consistently moist. http://www.botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/forums/showthread.php?t=58722
Thanks so much Steve and Beth. You've been great help! It's a gorgeous Dief and I would l hate to lose it because it's top heavy. I will take your advise and see what happens. Thanks so much! :D
