Learn Tips On Growing Kalanchoe Plants

The Kalanchoe plant, an easy-to-grow winter-blooming houseplant increasingly popular as a Christmas plant blooming when many other plants rest.

Kalanchoe blossfeldiana, a small thick-leaved succulent grows about 12″ inches tall.

This delightful member of the Crassula family like the popular Jade plant is suited to growing indoors.

The attractive flower panicle, a cluster of many, small, tiny bright oranges, yellow, red, pinks, and white flowers sits attractively above the plant’s leaves.

New shoots appear regularly throughout the winter months providing a continuously long-lasting display.

Kalanchoe’s grow as potted plants but also do well in outdoor areas that mimic their native land of Madagascar.

Caring For Kalanchoe Plants

This indoor plant also grows well outdoors in USDA zones 8-10 during the summer growing season months. The low-maintenance Kalanchoe thrives in the low humidity of winter households. For strong and healthy plants, use the following care tips.

Soil For Kalanchoe

The Kalanchoes houseplant will do very well in a well-drained soil designed for succulents and cacti. The plant needs good soil that is well-drained, mix in plenty of sand or perlite with some peat moss.

Kalanchoe Light Requirements

The hardy Kalanchoe succulent houseplant tolerates various lighting but enjoys bright light resting on a windowsill. Keep the plant away from the direct sun especially during summer. A thin and leggy plant indicates the plant is not receiving enough light.

Watering & Feeding Kalanchoe Plants

Too much water (overwatering) will cause stunted growth and is also one of the leading killers of the Kalanchoe plant. Allow plant’s too dry between watering. Water thoroughly until water runs out the bottom and empty the drainage tray.

Never allow the plant to sit in water.

Temperature & Humidity Requirements

Kalanchoes like a temperature ranging from 50°-72° degrees Fahrenheit. They still do well if exposed to temperatures outside of these ranges, but avoid frost. The Kalanchoe will do well at normal indoor room humidity and plants do not need misting.

Summer Care – Plants can grow outdoors during the summer. Select a spot sheltered from rain.

Repotting Kalanchoe Plants

These small plants native to Madagascar require repotting every few years. Repot kalanchoe during spring in well-drained, light soil, one suitable for cacti.

On top of an inch of broken crock or charcoal to provide the best of drainage, use soil made of equal parts coarse sand a good potting soil or compost.

When re-potting, take additional care in handling as the kalanchoe leaves are somewhat brittle and can snap easily. Clay pots work exceptionally well for planting kalanchoes. Ensure pots can drain well, and saucers can empty easily.

After planting, water thoroughly to settle the soil and fill air pockets. Thereafter keep the plant on the dry side for active growth and continuous bloom.

Propagating Kalanchoe

  • The best Kalanchoe plants grow easily from cuttings, with stems rooting very quickly.
  • Take 2 to 3-inch cuttings, strip off the bottom leaves, and allows them to sit in a warm, dry location to form a callus.
  • Plant cuttings in pre-moistened a 50/50 perlite, peat moss mix up to the first leaf
  • Place the entire starting pot inside a plastic cover forming a little terrarium to conserve moisture
  • Place the pot in a bright window, but away from direct sunlight
  • Roots should develop after 14 to 21 days and be ready for transplanting.
  • Also, many varieties of Kalanchoe develop tiny plantlets along the leaf margins which be individually potted
  • Plants can also start from leaves laid on the soil, these plants usually bloom more freely than seedlings.

Cleaning And Pruning Kalanchoe

Trim off any dead or wilted flowers at their stem. Depending on the variety, the plant may bloom thought-out the year at random times.

Deadheading flowers as needed helps in maintaining vigorous blooms.

To remove the dust and keep the plant looking sharp, wipe or gently spray the leaves.

Disease and Pests

Be on the lookout for common houseplant pests such as little red spider mites, aphids, and scale pest insects. In small-scale infestations, they can be wiped away with a wet cloth, but more extensive cases could require an eco-friendly pesticide.

Overwatering helps create powdery mildew disease conditions. It is also important to keep good air circulation to prevent Basal Stem Rot and Botrytis.

  • Prolong Flowering

To prolong the flowering period, when flower buds appear move the plant to a cooler location away from bright sunlight and strong heat.

Popular Kalanchoe Varieties

This plant list enumerates popular kalanchoe species and a short description of their appearance, background or uses.

Kalanchoe Blossfeldiana – is the most popular variety with large heads in a variety of shades. Also known as Flaming katy and Christmas kalanchoe.

K. Manginii – (aka Beach Bells) this variety bears large pendant flowers

Kalanchoe Porphyrocalyx – this variety also bears large pendant flowers and makes an excellent hanging plant

K. Beharensis – popular for its large, velvety, donkey-eared leaves that are silvery green. Also called elephant ear kalanchoe.

Kalanchoe Fedtschenkoi – also known as ‘lavender scallops” or Bryophyllum fedtschenkoi this low-growing perennial succulent has attractive flowers and leaves of lavender-green with scalloped edges.

Kalanchoe Pinnata – also known as bryophyllum pinnatum, air plant, cathedral bells, life plant, miracle leaf and goethe plant. This variety has fleshy green leaves that bear tiny plantlets along the margins

Kalanchoe Laciniata – a taller variety suited to the conservatory or a greenhouse, producing large flowers with different shades of yellow, scarlet and orange

Kalanchoe Flammea – does well in a cool green house. The kalanchoe flowers are yellow in color.

Kalanchoe Tomentosa – a native plant from Madagascar which is also known as panda plant, pussy ears, and chocolate spider. Fairly popular easy to grow houseplant for as its small size and dark red-rimmed foliage.

Kalanchoe Daigremontania – has the following common names: bryophyllum daigremontania, devil’s backbone, mother of thousands, alligator plant, or Mexican hat plant.

This drought-tolerant plant reaches up to 72″ inches tall with oblong-lanceolate phylloclades. It holds bulbiliferous spurs bearing plantlets that may form roots.

Kalanchoe Thyrsiflora – this South African native plant bears basal rosette, rounded, fleshy leaves.

They grow up to 1.3 meters tall while their small tubular flowers grow up to 15mm long. This variety is used in traditional medicine.

Kalanchoe Marmorata – synonym for kalanchoe grandiflora and kalachoe macrantha. This species is also known as the penwiper plant or spotted kalanchoe.

Kalanchoe Tubiflora (Mother of Millions) – Common names include: bryophyllum delagoense, kalanchoe tuberosa, kalanchoe verticillata.

This invasive weed is popular for its robust vegetative production, ability to attract hummingbirds and drought tolerance.

Growing Kalanchoe Gastonis Bonnieri

A Kalanchoe donkey ear is a unique shrub plant that is native to Madagascar. This interesting plant is also known as Donkey Ears, Giant Kalanchoe, Good Luck Leaf, Leaf of Life, Life Plant, Miracle Leaf, Palm Beachbells, Sprout Leaf Plant, Sprouting Leaf, Tree of Life.

Because of its unique leaves, big flower stems, and its way of welcoming many hummingbirds make Kalanchoe donkey ear top the lists of many succulent plant lovers.

Young leaves of Kalanchoe donkey ear are light green or greenish white in color and become bigger with prominent mule spots as the plant grows. The leaves are shaped like a Donkey’s ear, thus it is commonly known as Donkey Ears.

Kalanchoe donkey ear can reach a height of about 2 feet tall when it blooms producing showy drooping flowers with red and yellow colors.

With Kalanchoe donkey ear, growing succulents is so easy. Unlike other succulents, Kalanchoe donkey ear grows fast and can tolerate almost any condition.

It looks best outdoors; just take it back in during winter and place it in any bright-window indoors. In landscaping, Kalanchoe donkey ear is used as a low-rise specimen plant. Kalanchoe donkey ear plants can also be grown in pots.

Caution Kalanchoe is Toxic to pets:

Kalanchoe is considered toxic to cats and dogs. The America Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animal (ASPCA) advises pets owners to visit the animal clinic if their pets begin vomiting or diarrhea after consuming the plant.

 

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