Hi all, I have posted here a few times regarding my diffenbacchia and its progress. It is doing superbly but... I noticed one of the tributary off shoots was lying down last week. like under its own weight. then this monday after the weekend, the whole body of the plant was lying down... just like someone had pushed the thing over in a very strong wind. It;s not broken or damaged so I don't think anyone touched it (unlikley) so it seems like the soil just gave way to the weight of the plant? does this happen? how can I get it to stand up or is it limited with how high it can grow and support itself. here are two pictures. It took me a long time to get it to pose for this shot i.e. stand up straight. I had to wet the soil and compact it down around the trunk to support the plant etc. thats why it look like there is only 66% filled with soil in the pot. I wonder should I top this up to support more of the trunk. As you can see in the second shot there are about 6 or 7 offshoots growing around the main trunk.. any suggestions on how to care would be most appreciated. Thanks
When mine floop like that, I know it's time for the support canes. In the wild, they get to a certain height and then start either creeping or climbing. I'd also be topping up that soil!
hi again Lorax! thanks for your reply. I wasn;t even aware I could add a support cane. what do I attach it to the trunk with to avoid damage, ribbon or something soft, not twine etc? yeah the soil defo needs a touch up.. I will buy a bag of ready mixed potting soil and may even get a bigger pot. top it all up and secure it. the plant itself is very healthy just drooping as you say.
Yup, stake the cane in just outside the rootball, then use soft twine or cloth-covered twist ties to secure the plant to it. I normally just use bamboo stakes.
sounds good!! Thanks Lorax. I'll pick up some cane and some top up soil later and see how I go. cheers!
you could also use the chenille pipe cleaners (get them at a craft store) - they're easy to twist around the canes and, being soft, they wouldn't cause damage. i agree with taking cuttings - you can top off a few of the existing canes and plop the cut ends right in front of the bases - iirc, the bases will sprout new growth. i could be wrong about that though.
hey all, I picked some plant sticks, some soft coated pipe cleaners, and some potting mix... All is right again :) I also picked up a new friend for the desk, a Dracaena. The Diff is too big for the top of my computer where I kept it before, so I've moved it down abit. (It was looking like a jungle growing out from the top of my desk where it was) It still gets plenty of light though so should be fine. thanks for the advice.. Heres some pics.
the diff looks fantastic!! it's amazing what a little support can do, isn't it?! :) and i like the drac - looks like it's janet craig...not sure. it's gorgeous, though!
thanks for the initial advice and feedback guys! Yeah it looks alot happier now alright. :) Joclyn, the Dracaena is indeed Janet Criag / Compacta.
I like your sense of humour. I was going to suggest large stones, you know, 3 or 4 inches across or pine cones on top of the soil. That's what I do if they won't stand up or tend to be top heavy and want to come out of the soil.
I'll admit, I've been known (prone) to use plastic forks to support newly potted plants that won't stand on their own....I'm not ashamed!
hey guys! I would have used plastic forks if I had them at hand to be honest! :) The 40inch green wood plant sticks I bought are working great though. A couple of loose wraps to hold the bulk of the plant up straight and it stands great. (for now!)
can you take some more new photos of it?? after a wile the plant will be tought to stand up rite and it will and will not need the sticks aney more..test it and see... ;)
2 more pics... Its doing great and has grown another couple of inches. Its higher than the guide stick now.... alot higher with 2 new leaves about to unfurl. These guys are amazing for an office environment. They love it. you can see from the second pic how its angled its leaves towards the light source. lumi-tropism or something no? anyway, it like light. :) like most plants.
Wanna see something really neat? These are wild-specimen Dieffs being grown in a municipal garden. The top of the tall one is as high as the second story balconey. (sorry, pic won't flip for me.)
hey Lorax, Thats COOL! They look really impressive in the wild alright. I want my desk to look something like this. :) don't think my employer would be impressed. I think I was very lucky to randomly choose a dieff as my first desk plant. Its proven resilient, and really nice to watch change on a weekly basis. very nice plants.
LOL, McGon - the Philodendron bipinnitifidum in that photo is at least 6' tall, with giant leaf blades. Those Dieffs have leaves well over 3' long. And I am not sure you could get a Yarina palm to flourish in an office environment! Plus your boss would most likely have fits over the size of your Dieff.
