Kalanchoe - planting, growing and care at home, photo species

Plant photo

Kalanchoe (Kalanchoe) - a perennial plant of a succulent type, Belonging to the Tolstyankov family. Most species grow in South Africa, Madagascar and the islands of the Mediterranean Sea, as well as in Southeast Asia.

The size of the plant varies and is more dependent on the species: it can reach a height of 6 cm to 2 meters.

Kalanchoe is a perennial plant, but after 5-6 years it begins to lose its decorative appearance: it begins to stretch in height, its stems are exposed. In this regard, the bushes must be periodically rejuvenated.

	The growth rate is high, a full-fledged flowering plant is formed from cuttings in one season.
	Flowering occurs only once a year, in most species it occurs at the end of winter - the beginning of spring.
	The plant is easy to grow.
	It is a perennial plant.

Beneficial features

Photo of Kalanchoe in a pot

The plant is most often used in traditional medicine recipes due to its anti-inflammatory effect, it is used as a local remedy (rinses, lotions for diseases of the teeth, eyes, nasopharynx, burns and bedsores). Kalanchoe juice favorably affects vascular tone, helps in the fight against pain and bleeding.

Features of growing at home. Briefly

Temperature mode	In summer, up to 27 ° C (room temperature), and in winter no more than 15 ° C.
Air humidity	Low
Lighting	Needs sunlight.
Watering	Excess moisture does not tolerate, watered every 5-10 days.
Priming	The best option is soil for succulent plants with the addition of sand.
Fertilizer and fertilizer	During active growth, once a few weeks, you can feed the plant with special formulations for succulents.
Transfer	Kalanchoe transplantation at home is carried out in the springtime immediately after flowering
Breeding	Reproduction occurs by seeds and apical shoots. Viviparous species can breed by subsidiary plants.
Growing Features	The plant grows easily. It is undesirable to get water on the center of the bush when watering, the leaves of the flower are fragile, they are easy to damage.

Kalanchoe care at home. In detail

Bloom

Kalanchoe blooms at home Once a year and the period and duration of this process depends on the species. In order for the flowers to bloom faster at home, the plant needs to reduce the duration of exposure to light to 10-12 hours a day.

The remaining hours of lighting should be bright - this allows large and colorful flowers to bloom in the future.

Temperature mode

Feels comfortable with a wide temperature range. In summer, it can reach 28 ° C, and in winter up to 10 ° C, while the optimum temperature is between these values.

In a hot room, a plant can have diseases, the flower buds are disturbed.

Spraying

The plant does not need spraying of leaves, since for its comfortable existence a low level of humidity is required. Types of Kalanchoe with velvety leaves from spraying quickly decay, since drops of water linger between the thin hairs covering the plant.

Lighting

Homemade Kalanchoe loves light, but at the same time in the summer it must be protected from direct sunlight: this can damage the fragile and sensitive leaves of the plant. From hot rays the leaves begin to turn red with the appearance of burns.

therefore in summer, the plant should be kept on the east or southeast side to prevent damage to it. In winter, this rule does not have much significance, since the sun's rays are not so intense.

Watering

The amount of water and the frequency of irrigation depends on the season and the conditions of the plant. In late spring and summer, the plant is watered abundantly if the flower spends a lot of time in the sun.

In winter, watering is less common but does not stop at all: with a lack of moisture, the leaves begin to dry out. Water is not poured onto the plant from above (this can lead to the formation of rot), but into the pan for the pot.

Pot

Clay pots will be most preferable for growing indoor Kalanchoe. This material is very porous, which contributes to good respiration of the root system of the plant and favorably affects good growth and flowering in the future.

The size of the pot is selected based on the size of the flower.

The pan should be large so that excess fluid flows out of it, and it will be more convenient to water it.

Priming

Kalanchoe mix. A photo

Transplanting soil is best taken with a neutral or slightly acidic environment. The optimal soil composition is sheet and turf soil, and the latter should be twice as large. They add a little sand and humus.

A well-functioning drainage must be made at the bottom of the pot. It grows well using the hydroponic growing method.

Fertilizer and fertilizer

To breed Kalanchoe at home, you can buy special fertilizers for succulents. Once a month, you need to fertilize the plant in spring and summer, as winter approaches, reduce this amount. In winter, does not need to be fed.

Kalanchoe transplant

It is carried out as necessary. Usually, young plants need to be replanted once a year, and adults less often - once every two to three years. It is advisable to transplant in the spring after flowering.

How to crop

After the Kalanchoe ceases to bloom, the stems of the plant need to be cut to maintain a beautiful appearance. Otherwise, as they grow, they begin to bend, nutrition is disturbed in them and the stems gradually dry out. Long shoots can be used on cuttings for further propagation.

Rest period

It is weakly expressed, falls at the end of winter after flowering. The plant must be placed in a place where direct sunlight does not fall on it.

This period lasts about 1-1.5 months.

How to make Kalanchoe blossom

After flowering is over, the plant needs to be prepared for the next. To do this, you need to cut off all the extra and old shoots, and on the young, pinch the leaves located on top. Repeat this manipulation after the third pair of leaves has appeared on the shoot. Directly before the beginning of the flowering period, the last pinching is carried out.

In order to make Kalanchoe bloom, it is possible to produce “shock therapy”. Flowering is necessary for reproduction, and it occurs under unsuitable conditions for the plant (as the need to survive). The plant is placed in a cool and dark place for three weeks without watering it. Then it is placed in its original place, gradually introducing watering and fertilizer back. A flowering plant can be observed soon.

Breeding

It can happen in three ways:

Propagation of Kalanchoe by apical shoots

It is better to cut the cuttings in the spring after the flowering of the plant, their length should approximately be 8-10 cm. The roots need to be strengthened in peat or sand, covered with polyethylene. After some time, it is necessary to ventilate and spray sand, the temperature should be about 21 ° C. Shanks, the root system of which is sufficiently strengthened, are transplanted into pots.

Single leaf propagation

It is considered a simpler option, because for this, the plant needs only healthy leaves, and bottoms from plastic bottles are suitable as a container for rooting. You will also need pebbles to create drainage and peat. We make several holes on the bottle and put pebbles there on one third of the capacity. Then the soil is laid out, where the leaf blades for rooting are placed.

Growing Kalanchoe from Seeds

They are sown in a container with sheet soil with the addition of sand at the end of winter. The temperature at which the seeds will germinate should be between 20-22 ° C. If the seeds are fresh, then their germination can be observed after one to two weeks. After this, you need to transplant the seedlings into separate containers and put into the light - this favorably affects nutrition and growth.

Diseases and Pests

Possible troubles that can be encountered when breeding:

• rotting roots - may be due to fungal infections, the result of excessive moisture during watering;
• leaves growing from below turn yellow and fall - probably this is the result of excess sunlight or too hot air, especially if the plant is near the battery;
• leaves wither, stalks turn black - lack of sufficient light or its excess in combination with excessive watering;
• the stems and sinuses of the leaves turn black - The reason most often is excess moisture and drafts;
• Kalanchoe slowly growing - plant nutrition is recommended;
• stems are extended in length, and the lower leaves fly around - perhaps the plant lacks sunlight: in summer, you need to keep the flower pot on the east or west side, and in winter make a choice in favor of the south;
• leaves fall - lack of nutrients or a cold room;
• after a flowering period Kalanchoe not growing or dropping leaves - a sign that the flower does not have enough nutrition: this problem can be solved by transplanting or dressing with special mixtures;
• does not bloom, and the leaves are large - there was an excess of fertilizers, you need to stop feeding the plant and wait;
• on the leaves Kalanchoe spots of brown or black color suddenly appeared - the plant begins to rot due to increased humidity in combination with low ambient temperatures;
• white plaque on the leaves - powdery mildew. It is recommended to carry out a fungicide treatment when such a coating appears, it must be repeated at least three times. Between treatments with the solution should take 10 days.

Of the pests of indoor plants, the most commonly affected are Kalanchoe, mealybugs, common spider mites, and scabies.

Types of homemade Kalanchoe with photos and names

Kalanchoe Blossfeld

Kalanchoe Blossfeld - is considered the most common type of this plant. The plant is about 20-30 cm long, feels comfortable in the shade. Many branches depart from the stem, on which large green leaves with a red rim grow. The edge of the leaves is uneven, hunchbacked.

Flowering of this species begins in February, the flowers are small in size, decorated in the form of dense inflorescences of a fanciful shape. The duration of this period is 3-4 weeks. The color of the flowers depends on the variety of this species: there are white, orange, yellow, red and pink.

Variety of Kalanchoe Blossfeld - Calandiva variety. These plants are considered more adapted to living indoors. They are small in size and the flowers are quite large. Variety Rosalina also went from Kalanchoe Blossfeld - a low plant with double flowers.

Kalanchoe Behar

The plant is large, tree-like, in nature can reach a height of up to 5-6 meters. The stem is dense, thick and long, on it you can see strips in the form of triangles - the result of falling leaves. The leaves in the lower part of the plant quickly fall off and are dried, they are large in size, can reach a length of up to 20 cm.

Leaflets are velvet, uneven, with large cloves. It blooms very beautifully: the flowers are yellow-green, on which you can see purple stripes directed to the tip of the leaf. Flowers are collected in inflorescences in the form of a panicle, their length in height can reach 35 cm.

At home, it is best to leave only young plants on the windowsill, and for large rooms or greenhouses with adequate lighting, adult Kalanchoes of this species are suitable.

Kalanchoe "Tessa"

This bloom species has beautiful pink flowers in a bizarre bell shape. It is time to bloom in the spring, but sometimes it can be in the summer. Ideal for growing at home.

Kalanchoe

Kalanchoe is a cup - flowers of this species differ from others in their size and shape. They are oblong, hanging, have an orange color.

Kalanchoe Mangin

Kalanchoe Mangina - the appearance is characterized by small leaves with oblong shapes with a sharp edge, the length of the sheet is about 2 cm in length. The bell-shaped flowers are orange-red, but the breeders have bred varieties of a different color. Inflorescences of the plant consist of 2-15 small flowers that hang on long stems. A plant of this species needs to be sprayed more often than others, since the duration of the flowering period depends on this.

Watch the video: How to Grow and Care for Kalanchoe (May 2024).