The care of Kalanchoe

Content

• The care of Kalanchoe
• How is poured?
• How is fertilized?
• humidity
• When and how is being repotted
• When and how to cut?
• Diseases
• root rot
• mildew
• Which pests threaten?
• Important for flower formation: The hibernation
• Tips

Kalanchoen only need water once a week

The care of Kalanchoe

Originally located in Madagascar and tropical parts of Asia and Africa, Kalanchoe is one of the most popular indoor plants. The relatively easy-care succulent plant shows its glowing flowers just when many plants hibernate. Other varieties of the large plant family are cultivated exclusively for their exceptional leaves. Pay attention to some basic things in the care, the Kalanchoe guarantees every year new buds and impresses with weeks of flowers.

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How is poured?

The Kalanchoe stores water in the thick, fleshy leaves. As a result, the plant is able to survive even in dry places where almost nothing grows. This makes watering quite easy, as it usually suffices to water once a week.

Casting only occurs when the substrate feels dry to a depth of a few centimeters. Rainwater or soft water are ideal, but the plants can handle well with not too hard tap water. The Kalanchoe, however, can handle absolutely no waterlogging, so pour out excess liquid in the coaster after a few minutes.

How is fertilized?

Pots grown in pots only have a very limited supply of nutrients and must be fertilized regularly for this reason. Succulents, on the other hand, are very frugal, so it's a bit different with nutrient supply than many houseplants:

humidity

Unlike many other indoor plants that thrive in tropical regions such as Madagascar, the Kalanchoe copes well with dry indoor air. Even a regular spraying of the leaves is not required.

When and how is being repotted

If you want to save on fertilizing, simply turn over every year. Otherwise it is always repotted when the planter has become too small. The best time for this care measure is the early spring, even before the plant bears the first flowers.

As in their natural home Madagascar, the soil should be well permeable to water. Ideal is therefore a mixture of:

The pot must necessarily have a good water outlet, which you cover with a potsherd. Then fill in a drainage layer of coarse gravel or expanded clay.

Newly purchased Kalanchoen are often in conventional potting soil, which is at the most a little styrofoam mixed up as a loosening up. Replace this substrate as quickly as possible with an earth more suitable for succulents.

When and how to cut?

Unless the shoots grow too bulging, you do not have to cut back the Kalanchoe. Only the dead leaves and flowers should be removed regularly. Always use a very clean, sharp knife. This avoids bruising on the fleshy stems and reduces the risk of infecting pathogens.

Diseases

Despite the fact that this plant is so robust, plant diseases threaten with care errors and unfavorable indoor climate.

root rot

Root rot occurs quite often due to waterlogging. The first indication that you meant too well with their watering is a rapid growth of the shoots, but the leaves themselves remain very small. In the wetted soil putrefaction bacteria spread, which damage the roots. These can no longer transport water and the plant dries up.

Wrap the plant and remove all damaged root parts. In the future, pour significantly less. In many cases, Kalanchoe recovers well from the damage.

mildew

Indoor plants can also be affected by this fungal disease. Hot summer days, open windows and dryness make their contribution. It shows a flour-like, greyish white coating on the leaves of Kalanchoe. Remove infested shoots immediately and dispose of them with household waste. Spraying is only necessary in exceptional cases.

Which pests threaten?

While some species seem to be immune to pest infestation, other Kalanchoen are quite susceptible to infestation with leaf, lice or mealybugs. Also weeping birds or thrips like to settle on some varieties. Discover the small pests, the Kalanchoe must be individually and treated with a suitable spray.

Important for flower formation: The hibernation

During the winter months, most Kalanchoe varieties should be much cooler than in the summer months. Ideal is a temperature between 8 and 13 degrees.

An exception is the Flaming Katy (Kalanchoe blossfeldiania). This species is maintained year-round at room temperatures. However, for it to bloom magnificently, it is necessary for this Kalanchoe to be exposed to light for about two months only for about eight to nine hours.

Tips

If the room in which the Flaming Katy is standing is artificially illuminated, the plant often does not plant any flowers. In this case, simply cover the small flowering miracle in the evening with a cardboard box.