Reasons and Prevention Methods for Yellowing and Softening Leaves of Kalanchoe
Kalanchoe, just hearing its name sounds very auspicious, but in fact it got this name because its flowering period is very long. Kalanchoe is also a type of succulent plant, with thick, plump leaves that stay green all year round, but the leaves of some flower lovers' Kalanchoe have started to turn yellow, greatly reducing the Kalanchoe's appearance. What should be done about this?
Reasons for Kalanchoe leaves turning yellow
1. Improper fertilization
If too much fertilizer is applied or the concentration is too high, the tips of new leaves will turn brown, and old leaves will become dry, scorched, yellow, and fall off. What should be done when Kalanchoe leaves turn yellow? Generally, the parts of the leaf surface with excess fertilizer appear glossy, but most of them are uneven.
2. Low temperature
In the cold winter, if the indoor temperature is low, or if the plant is exposed to cold wind, the leaves will also turn yellow and fall off. In addition, flowers harmed by pests and diseases can also cause yellow leaves and leaf drop. However, if a small number of leaves at the lower part of the plant turn yellow and fall off in winter, this is normal metabolism.
3. Light alternating between strong and weak
Kalanchoe likes sufficient sunlight, but we know that the too-strong midday sunlight in summer can also cause Kalanchoe leaves to be scorched and turn yellow. If Kalanchoe is kept in insufficient light for a long time, the chlorophyll in the leaves decreases, causing the green color of the leaves to gradually disappear and take on an albino appearance.
4. Environment too dry
If the owner has no time to care for it, causing drought, this can also lead to Kalanchoe leaves turning yellow. Generally, if it is due to lack of water, old leaves will turn yellow from bottom to top and fall off, while new leaves grow normally.
5. Too much watering
Kalanchoe is a succulent plant and does not need much water. Too much watering will instead cause leaf dehydration, tender leaves lacking resilience, and stagnation of old leaf growth. If watered too much, causing water to accumulate at the bottom of the flowerpot, it will affect the respiration of the Kalanchoe roots and hinder their absorption of nutrients.
Solutions for Kalanchoe leaves turning yellow
1. Watering must be controlled
Just water thoroughly once every 3 days to 4 days, keeping the potting soil slightly moist. What should be done when Kalanchoe leaves turn yellow? At low temperatures in winter and during the rainy season, watering should be controlled to avoid root rot. During the peak growth season, apply a dilute compound liquid fertilizer once every 2 weeks to 3 weeks.
2. Fertilization should be controlled
In fact, when flower lovers fertilize, most do not know the proper amount, resulting in excessive fertilization and fertilizer damage. The best way to control fertilization is to combine fertilizing with watering, and water promptly after fertilizing. This helps the plant absorb the fertilizer and also dilutes the fertilizer, preventing excessive local fertilizer concentration and fertilizer damage.
3. Provide light at the right time and shade appropriately
At midday in summer, appropriate shading is needed, and normal light is sufficient the rest of the time. Make sure to provide more than 4 hours of light per day. Although Kalanchoe can also grow in partial shade, its stems and leaves will be relatively weak, so keep the temperature between 15 and 25°C. In winter, when light is weaker, appropriate artificial supplemental lighting can be used.
Prevention and treatment of soft Kalanchoe leaves
Once we have found the reasons for Kalanchoe leaves becoming soft, we can think of ways to prevent and treat it. According to the reasons, we first need to meet its light requirements. Apart from appropriate shading in summer, sufficient light must be provided at other times to ensure the growing environment meets its sunlight needs.
During the dormant period of Kalanchoe, light needs to be reduced. Only 2 hours of light a day is enough, and the rest of the time it can be placed in a warm, shaded place; bright scattered light would be even better. In addition, watering should alternate between dry and wet, not too much or too little, and while ensuring sufficient moisture, care should also be taken to prevent waterlogging. If the leaves become soft, you need to find the right cause, and then it can be solved well.
What to do if Kalanchoe does not bloom
1. Ensure the plant receives light evenly
In fact, Kalanchoe's lighting is easy to control. Place it in a sunny spot on the balcony, and just provide appropriate shading in summer. At other times, provide normal light and ensure more than 4 hours of sunlight per day. In order to make the Kalanchoe plant bloom evenly, attention should be paid to frequently changing the direction of the flowerpot so that the plant receives light evenly. On building balconies, turn the flowerpot 180 degrees every half month.
2. Supplement nutrients in time
From the time Kalanchoe is brought indoors at Frost's Descent until October of the following year, this is exactly the period of late flower bud differentiation and full bloom for Kalanchoe, and also the time when it grows and accumulates nutrients, so its demand for fertilizer is very high. Therefore, apply a fishy-smelling fertilizer mainly based on phosphorus and potassium once a week to support flower bud differentiation.
Kalanchoe has a long flowering period, which is also the period for "showing results." During this period, apply a dilute nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium fertilizer or a 0.2% potassium dihydrogen phosphate solution once a month, so that later flowers will not become smaller and lighter in color due to lack of fertilizer.
In summary, although Kalanchoe is a relatively easy-to-care-for succulent plant, if care techniques are improper, it is still possible for Kalanchoe not to bloom and for its leaves to turn yellow, so everyone must pay attention to watering amount and temperature control!