Q.Why Are My Plant’s Bottom Leaves Beginning To Peel From Stalk?
The leave were healthy and green, but separating from stalk. I removed them completely. Was this the right thing to do? Other than only 2 leaves turning brown in the 2+ years since I rooted the stalk, there have been no leaf issues. A few weeks ago I found the plant beginning to “lean” precariously and I “staked” it with small bamboo sticks. Is all of this normal or should she be repotted, cut back, fertilized, or something else?
Certified GKH Gardening Expert
This sounds like an issue with the plant being rootbound in its pot. This can be corrected in one of two ways. The best way is to repot in a slightly larger pot while gently shaking away old soil on the outside of the root mass and refreshing with new soil.
The more invasive way will be to remove the bottom 1/3 of the root mass and plant back into the container with fresh soil at the bottom. I do not recommend this for the species in question.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/houseplants/dumb-cane/growing-dumbcane-dieffenbachia.htm
