Kalanchoe is a diverse genus of about 125 species of tropical, succulent plants in the Crassulaceae family, primarily native to Madagascar and tropical Africa. These plants are cherished for their vibrant tiny clustered flowers in red, yellow, pink, orange, and white, as well as, their ease of care, making them suitable for both, new and experienced gardeners. This article serves as, a comprehensive guide on how to grow and care for Kalanchoe, incorporating insights from scientific studies and horticultural expertise.
The clusters of long-lasting flowers, attractive foliage, drought-tolerant nature, and ease of care make kalanchoe a popular houseplant for cultivation. These succulents thrive outdoors year-round as perennials in warm tropical and sub-tropical climates. However, in colder regions, they are usually kept indoors. With proper care, they can continue to bloom indoors for many years.
Ideal Growing Conditions for Kalanchoe
To ensure your Kalanchoe thrives, provide the following essential growing requirements:
Light
Kalanchoes grown outdoors show healthy growth and vibrant blooms if they receive partial afternoon shade to full sunlight during the day. However, placing them in a spot where they receive direct sunlight can result in scorching of the leaves. When grown indoors, ensure to keep them in a location where they receive bright, indirect sunlight for the best performance of the plant.
Temperature
These succulents are not frost-tolerant; they prefer warm temperatures between 15 to 24 ° C. Placing them indoors or inside the greenhouses during colder months ensures protection from low temperatures.
Soil
For Kalanchoe, the most preferable soil medium would be a mixture of well-drained sandy or loamy with perlite to facilitate drainage that helps prevent root rot. I would generally recommend using potting soil and perlite in a ratio of 3:2 respectively. A clay pot with proper drainage holes is good for the plant. Also, the mixture of paddy straw compost and burnt risk husk is found to have a beneficial effect on the growth and flowering of the Kalanchoe according to a study.
Water
Kalanchoes are hardy and drought-tolerant. These plants can withstand prolonged drought conditions because they store water in their leaves. Frequent watering is not required. Overwatering causes plant root rot, therefore water them when the soil feels dry to touch.
Propagation techniques
Kalanchoe can be propagated either by separating the offsets from the mother plant or through other vegetative methods like stem and leaf cuttings.
Plantlets
Plantlets grown along the edges of the mother plant can be gently removed and planted separately to receive a new plant. These offsets draw energy away from the mother plant so pruning and propagating these offsets to new places allows the mother plant to continue to thrive. The plantlets can be pruned or removed from the joint where they connect to their parent plant and planted to a new place where they can grow to be an individual plant.
Stem and leaf cuttings
Besides propagation through plantlets, you can also take stem and leaf cuttings. Many species of kalanchoe can be propagated through these methods. You can take a few inches of stem with a minimum of two leaves and one node in case of stem cutting however, for leaf cuttings pluck a few leaves by twisting at the base. Afterward, let the callus at the cut end dry out for a few days in the shade and plant it in the well-drained soil mixture where it receives indirect sunlight. Rootings can be observed within a month.
How to encourage tons of blooms in Kalanchoe.
Kalanchoes are known for their beautiful blooms, to get tons of flowers in Kalanchoe and for continuous blooming for years you can take care of two essential requirements of a plant.
- Nutrient requirement: Soil mixture with the composition of garden soil, compost, sand, and a fistful of mixture fertilizer rich in macro and micro-nutrients encourages maximum blooms and best performance in the plant. To get tons of flowers in Kalanchoe make sure you provide plant food enriched with plant growth regulators, calcium, phosphates, and much more.
- light exposure: Besides nutrients, make sure the plant receives adequate sunlight required for proper flower development. Avoid exposure to direct sunlight as it inhibits flowering. Kalanchoe loves darkness so keep it in a dark place for around 16-18 hours and open sunlight for 3-4 hours to encourage blooming. However, if it fails to bloom then use plant growth regulators.
Common problems in Kalanchoe
Generally, kalanchoes are hardy and very easy to grow, problems arise when they are infested with pests, failure to bloom, and faulty watering. Therefore, regular inspection for pests with appropriate treatment measures, proper light exposure, and avoiding overwatering should be performed to resolve the issues.