Beginner Gardening: Help! Dieffenbachia is rotting at base of leaves, 1 by whozzat08

whozzat08 wrote:
Blot the fresh cut stem with a paper towel and let the top rest flat with the stem on a fresh paper towel. Do the same for the stem cuttings. Keep the stems dry by blotting if they look damp. Keep edges dry as possible and they should start drying inward( the edges kind of curl up towards the middle of the stem) the inside of the stems turn greyish white and hardens.
The little leafy stem has a opaque look at the bottom. That is not good. I had to cut the short stem down and the piece is shown.(bottom part was mushy and opaque) I will cut the leafy one until it looks like the short stem.
I like the root system to look like the large plant on the right The small one on the left has new roots sprouting higher up on the stem so I will wait until they get a little more growth.

It will depend on the environment in your house. If the stem dries well, it should look like the one with the small new growth.

It does not take long if you keep them dry. Each day will show a difference. Once dry, place it in a clear vase or jar, with half the stem above water. When adding water to the vase, try not to get any on the stem end above the water. You can then watch for the root system.