What Happens if Dieffenbachia are Grouped Together?

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What Happens if Dieffenbachia are Grouped Together

Its showy foliage and beautiful variegation make the dieffenbachia a striking statement piece in any room or garden. But do dieffenbachia, the dumb cane, like to be crowded?

Dumb canes do not prefer to grow in crowded arrangements, especially during their growth phase. Young dumb canes needs their space in their growing period. You can group dieffenbachia with other plants that have similar growing requirements. Here are the deets.

You Can Crowd Dieffenbachia – Only if You Do it Right

  • Yes, dieffenbachia do well when placed near other plants. However, they need their space to grow to their maximum potential. Avoid placing your dieffenbachia too close to one another.
  • The effect of crowding on dieffenbachia depends on the season and various external factors. It can be tempting to put different plants with dieffenbachia, however, this will impact their growth rate.
  • To help your dieffenbachia reach its highest growth potential, space them two to three feet apart – if the room permits. For interior gardens, you should space them at least 12 inches apart.
  • In extremely tight spaces, your dieffenbachia will respond by growing as vertically as it can go. This results in a thin, weak-looking stalk.
  • Moreover, the leaves will look small with a loss of variegation. Dieffenbachia plants have variegated leaves and need to be placed in an environment that can receive enough indirect sunlight.
  • Crowding them too close together may deprive dieffenbachia of sunlight and restrict their growth potential.
  • The solution is to keep your dieffenbachia at least two to three feet apart in bright, indirect light.

Also read: Does Snake Plant Need Drainage?

Is Your Dumbcane Receiving Enough Light?

  • How to tell if you are providing your dieffenbachia in California with enough light?
  • You should be able to read a textbook next to the dumb cane without using external light. Most of the sunlight your dieffenbachia receives should bounce off other objects in the room.
  • You also need to rotate the dieffenbachia to receive light from all sides. It is simply not enough to place your dieffenbachia in a bright room and leave it there.
  • Unless your dieffenbachia is in a solarium with sunlight pouring in from all sides, one side of the plant will receive more sunlight than the others.
  • Over time, the dieffenbachia in California will look lopsided and imbalanced as the stalk shoots toward the closest window.
  • This means crowding your dieffenbachia could deprive the plant of adequate sunlight. For a more balanced and well-rounded aesthetic, you should place the plant strategically so that all sides receive equal amounts of light.
  • If one side receives too much light while the other is deprived of light, your dumb cane is too crowded.

Rotate Crowded Dumbcanes to Receive Adequate Light

You can, however, get away with placing your dieffenbachia close to other plants. However, you will want to rotate it every few days to make maximal growth possible.

Rotating the plant when you are performing a soil test to see if it needs watering is a good idea. Don’t worry if you forget to rotate your dieffenbachia – it has an easy-growing personality. But it would help if you tried to rotate the dieffenbachia regularly.

Dividing Dieffenbachia

  • Sometimes a dieffenbachia plant grows too big for its good. In this case, you can divide the plant’s steps to create multiple dumb canes.
  • Wear garden gloves, safety goggles, and long sleeves before dividing the dumb cane. You don’t want the plant to touch your skin or eyes.
  • It is recommended to wear a breathing mask to avoid the risk of accidentally bringing your mouth too close to the plant.
  • Star by gently pulling the plant out of the pot. You may want to run a butter knife around the rim for extremely big plants to loosen the root ball.
  • Once you have uprooted the plant, clear away as much of the soil as possible. The less soil that remains on the root ball, the easier your job.
  • Now that you have removed the soil, gently clean the roots. Look for roots that are still attached to the stem.
  • Pull them apart to split the plant into separate containers. If you can’t pull them apart by hand, use a sterile knife to cut through the soil. Make sure to disinfect the blade before and after use.
  • You can plant stems with attached roots in a separate container.
  • Place the dumb cane into a new container at the same height as before. Gently fill the area with potting soil. Now water the plant.
  • A good time to divide and repot dieffenbachia is in spring. This is when the plant is in the midst of its growing conditions.

Check this: Does a Snake Plant Like Humidity?

Criteria for Crowding Dieffenbachia with Other Plants

A rule of thumb when grouping dieffenbachia is to select plants with similar growing requirements. This includes soil, sunlight, and humidity.

You can group a plant with dieffenbachia in California if they have the same:

  • Need for sunshine
  • Tolerance for shade
  • Tolerance for humid soils
  • Resistance to diseases and pests
  • Watering requirements

Best Time to Group Dieffenbachia Together

  • You may be tempted to put all your plants, including dieffenbachia, together in a pot. However, doing this may impede their growth.
  • Dumb canes that are too crowded may not reach their full size. Another thing to watch out for is tangled roots.
  • Roots of plants that grow together may get tangled with each other. This can lead to severe health problems for all your plants.
  • Sometimes, the roots of crowded dieffenbachia get cramped. This forces the roots to climb out of the holes of the pot in a bid to get more breathing room.
  • If you see roots poking out from the bottom of the pot, it’s a good idea to separate the plants because they are too crowded.
  • The best time to group dieffenbachia with other plants is in their dormant phase. This is usually the fall months when the plant enters its resting phase.
  • Most plants stop growing during their dormant stage. This means you won’t have to worry about caring for your plant as well as in the growing months.
  • For aesthetic reasons, you can use the fall months to experiment with different plants.
  • Bring your plants indoors when the temperatures get too low. Most plants will not survive frost or cold drafts and your entire landscape could be ruined.
  • Place your plants in a room with plenty of indirect sunlight during the colder months. The new arrangement of plants will not require frequent watering in the winter months.
  • Once the summer months return, you should create more distance between the plants. Don’t forget to prune the plants. This will help maintain a neat and organized look.

Tips to Group Dieffenbachia with Similar Plants

Being a plant parent is hard work, especially if you have several babies to look after. Strategically crowding dieffenbachia is a popular option because it allows you to minimize the labor involved in looking after them.

Here are a few tips to help you group dieffenbachia with other plants.

Click here: What is the Ideal PH of an Indoor Dieffenbachia Plant’s Soil? [Benefits And Care]

Arrange them in Odd Numbers (rule of three)

The rule of three takes advantage of how our brain works to distinguish patterns. When you see an odd number of plants, your eye darts around to scan the space, which creates a visually rich experience.

This rule also applies to dieffenbachia and other houseplants. You don’t have to arrange them in groups of three; any odd number will work for groups of dieffenbachia.

If you’re after a lush and colorful look, start by bunching your dieffenbachia in trios, and then increase their number based on your goals.

Group Them Near Seating Arrangements

An effective way to make a dramatic statement with dieffenbachia is by placing them around the seating areas of your home.

This could be your living room, where all the plants are huddled together around chairs, or your dining room, where they can be placed near the table.

This creates more visual appeal and makes everyone feel cozy as if they are sitting inside a comfy greenhouse.

Also, grouping your showy dieffenbachia plants is bound to get the conversation going with guests.

Best Companion Plants for Dieffenbachia

As mentioned earlier, you can group plants if they share similar growing conditions. Here’s a list of plants with the same growth criteria as dieffenbachia.

Spider Plant

Spider plants are beautiful indoor plants that are low-maintenance and look great. They grow easily and are used to decorate different parts of a house.

Cast Iron Plant

Like the spider plant, cast iron plants are known for being low-maintenance. The plant has long, pointed leaves that can withstand just about anything you throw. It has a reputation for being near indestructible, hence the name ‘cast iron plant’.

Dragon Tree

The dragon tree is a showy plant with sword-like green leaves and contrasting red edges. It is a slow-growing plant that can grow in various conditions, making it an ideal companion for dieffenbachia.

Wrapping Up

As long as you don’t place dieffenbachia too close to other plants, you should be able to create an aesthetically pleasing garden.

Dieffenbachia plants are surprisingly hardy and very forgiving. As long as you perform regular maintenance practices such as repotting and pruning, the plant will reward you with exuberant, evergreen leaves.

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