How to Propagate Dumb Cane

You will need clean sharp pruning shears or a knife, a glass jar for water propagation or a small pot with moist potting soil, and optionally rooting hormone.

1. 1 Cut the top 4–6 inches of a growing stem, making the cut just below a node (the ring where a leaf was attached). Include several healthy leaves on the cutting.
2. 2 Remove the bottom 1–2 leaves to expose the node.
3. 3 For water propagation, place the cutting in a jar of room-temperature water with the node submerged. Change the water every 5–7 days. For soil propagation, dip the cut end in rooting hormone (optional), then plant in moist potting soil, burying the node about 1 inch deep.
4. 4 Keep in bright indirect light at warm temperatures (65–80°F / 18–27°C). For soil cuttings, cover with a clear plastic bag to maintain humidity.
5. 5 Roots develop in 3–4 weeks in water, 4–6 weeks in soil.
6. 6 Once water roots are 2–3 inches long, transplant into potting soil and keep consistently moist for the first 2 weeks.
7. 7 The parent plant will grow new shoots from the node below the cut within 2–4 weeks, producing a bushier shape.

If your Dieffenbachia has grown tall with a bare lower trunk, you can cut the cane into segments to produce multiple new plants. You will need a clean sharp knife, small pots with drainage holes, moist potting soil, and rooting hormone (recommended).

1. 1 Cut the bare trunk into 3–4 inch segments, each with at least one node (the ring where a leaf was attached).
2. 2 Let the cut ends dry and callus for 1–2 hours.
3. 3 Dip one end in rooting hormone.
4. 4 Plant segments vertically in moist potting soil with the node facing up, burying the bottom half. Alternatively, lay segments horizontally on moist soil and press them in lightly so they are half-buried.
5. 5 Cover with a clear plastic bag to maintain humidity.
6. 6 Keep in bright indirect light at warm temperatures (70–80°F).
7. 7 Keep the soil consistently moist but not soggy.
8. 8 New growth emerges from the node in 4–6 weeks.

You will need a clean sharp knife and pots with drainage holes.

1. 1 The best time to divide is during spring repotting.
2. 2 Remove the plant from its pot and gently shake off excess soil.
3. 3 Identify natural division points where clusters of stems have their own root systems.
4. 4 Using your hands or a clean knife, separate the root ball into 2–3 sections, each with several stems and a healthy root mass.
5. 5 Dust cut surfaces with cinnamon powder to prevent fungal infection.
6. 6 Plant each division in its own pot with fresh soil at the same depth.
7. 7 Water thoroughly and keep in a warm, shaded spot for a week.
8. 8 Resume normal care after 7–10 days.

1. 1 Select a healthy section of stem.
2. 2 Make an upward diagonal cut about halfway through the stem.
3. 3 Insert a toothpick to keep the cut open.
4. 4 Apply rooting hormone to the cut surface.
5. 5 Wrap with moist sphagnum moss and cover with plastic wrap, securing both ends tightly.
6. 6 Keep the moss consistently moist by misting every few days.
7. 7 Roots develop inside the moss in 6–8 weeks.
8. 8 Cut below the rooted section and pot it up.
9. 9 The parent plant continues growing from below.