AboutDarlene K. Kittle Expertise I have been a Master Gardener for 20 years and I raise around 300 houseplants a year including tropicals, succulents, and cacti.
Experience She is also studying the Japanese art of bonsai with tropical plants and is President of the Fort Wayne, IN Bonsai Club.
Education/Credentials I am not a hortculturist. I am a Purdue University Master Gardener for over 20 years. I have studied plants on a personal level by growing hundreds of plants annually for the last 35 years. I have also studied under several nationally known American Bonsai experts.
The tall houseplant in the picture is the one I am concerned about. First, what is it? Second, it is too tall and the trunk is too flimsy to support the plant. Is this the type of plant that can be cut down and will regrow the leaves? Or is there a reason why the stalk is too flimsy to support itself?
Answer Todd,
Your plant is a dieffenbachia. The trunk is tall and flimsy because the plant did not have enough light as it was growing so it elongated itself reaching for more light. You can air layer the top part off just below the leaves and once it is rooted you can plant it in the pot beside the base of the original or you can pot it in a separate pot. Then it will be spring and you can cut the empty trunk into 8"-12" sections and dip the lower end of each section into rooting hormone and insert them into the soil beside the original plant or the air layer. Dieffenbachias look really nice with 3 plants in each pot so it is nice and full.
Then yes the base of the old plant will sprout new leaves and regrow and if it gets enough light it will not be spindly like it is now. The plant should only be fertilized twice a year, once in the spring and again in mid summer. If you over fertilize that can cause spindly growth also.
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