If we name some of the the most common indoor plants in homes, there is no doubt that Dieffenbachia seguine is one of them. This tropical plant is not so “touching” that you have to watch it all the time. Seguine Dieffenbachia care is very easy to follow.
And, in return, it gives you a size and leaves that will grab the attention of anyone passing by, and inevitably end up stroking them (although keep in mind that it leaves you feeling itchy). But what care do you have? We tell you.
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How is seguine Dieffenbachia
Dieffenbachia seguine, also known as Dieffenbachia, Dieffenbachia picta or Dieffenbachia maculada, is a tropical plant. Its origin is in Brazil and is characterized by oval and lanceolate leaves. They are pale green in color while the edges and also the vein are cream in color.
If you take good care of it, you can easily reach two meters in height and on top of that it has an exotic variation in which the leaves are more green and have that cream color in the center.
It must be taken into account that, although the plant has flowers, it is very difficult, if not impossible, for it to bloom inside the house. But if it’s outside, you’ll have more opportunities.
Another important point you should know about her is that it’s toxic. All of her. Totally. The reason is that it contains long and sharp calcium oxalate crystals. Therefore, if you rub against the leaves, you will notice a sticky and itchy feeling in your hand, which irritates your skin. This is its “defense”, but at the same time it makes it a plant to keep away from children and pets.
Dieffenbachia seguine: important care
Now that you know what Dieffenbachia seguine looks like, the next step is how to care for it so you can enjoy it for a long time. And for that, we tell you here.
Location
Dieffenbachia seguine is a plant that it needs a lot of light. He likes to be near a window because it will make him dig more veins in the leaves. But it does not tolerate direct sun.
As for whether it’s indoors or outdoors, we’ll put you in context. If where you live there is a mild climate all year round, you can leave it outside. But it is not usual, normally you choose to always put it inside the house.
Temperature
In the care of Dieffenbachia seguine, temperature is one of the most important. And it is that the optimum for the plant is between 20 and 30 degrees in summer and between 15 and 18 degrees Celsius in winter.
It does not like the cold at all, nor the air, so it must be placed in a place where it will not suffer with these.
earth
The substrate you should use should have good drainage because the roots of the plant do not like waterlogging at all.
The recommendation we can give you is that you use a mix with peat, beech leaves and coarse drainage such as akadama (although more bonsai oriented, being tall benefits the root respiration of this plant).
Make sure the pH is somewhat acidic, between 5.5 and 6.5.
Transplantation
In connection with the above, transplants should only be performed when the pot has already become too big, never before. In general, this can happen every 2-3 years and this is the time when the soil must be renewed so that it has more substrate.
In this transplant is when you can separate the “suckers”, that is, the small trunks that may have appeared (or are incipient) and which will give new plants.
Irrigation
Watering is one of the most important cares for Dieffenbachia seguine. You might think that, being a tropical plant, it needs a lot of water, but the truth is that it doesn’t. In fact, it needs good humidity more than good watering.
Therefore, we recommend that you water to keep the soil moist but nothing more. And, in return, that you submit it to a humidity between 80 and 90%. You can achieve this by placing it on a plate with pebbles and water and regularly spraying the plant to keep it healthy (if this water comes from rain, much better).
Pass
the Dieffenbachia seguine fertilization is done from spring to late summer. It must be provided every 15 days and always with a dose a little lower than that indicated by the manufacturer.
As for which is the most suitable, choose a fertilizer for leafy plants.
Now, as the end of summer approaches, the fertilizer should be reduced until, during the winter, it is no longer added (although some advise adding once a month) .
Cut
The only care you should consider is that you should remove dry leaveswith the aim that they are not a focus of infection of parasitic diseases.
Of course, before touching it, it is better to protect yourself and above all to disinfect the tools that you are going to use (and after having used them too).
Plagues and diseases
This plant is Susceptible to cottony mealybug and red spider mite. The first is removed with tweezers and cleaning the entire plant with a cloth soaked in alcohol. For its part, the second could be removed with humidity.
As for illnesses, they are mostly linked to the scarcity or excess of water and/or light.
Multiplication
Another care of Dieffenbachia seguin is its reproduction. Know that you can do this by cutting. To do this, what you need to do is cut a stem 5 to 10 centimeters long in the spring.
The lower leaves should be removed and the stem dipped in rooting powder to encourage it to create roots.
Then it will be enough to plant it and cover it with a transparent plastic bag so that it is kept at a temperature of about 25 degrees. Make sure the soil is always slightly moist (without wetting the cuttings) and control the humidity.
When the cuttings are rooted you will see that the first shoots start to come out and so you can remove the bag and put them in a brighter place (but with the same temperature). Only when you see that they are large enough can you transplant the cuttings into another pot.
As you can see, the care of Dieffenbachia seguine is not complicated at all. Do you have this plant at home? How are you with her?