How to Grow Kalanchoe (Longevity Flower)? A Complete Guide to Cultivation Methods and Precautions
AbstractSoil: Fertile garden soil and leaf mold are preferable. Light: It likes a sunny environment; apart from slight shading at noon in midsummer, it should be placed in a sunny spot at all other times. Watering: Kalanchoe is fairly drought-tolerant; during the growing season keep the potting soil on the dry side, watering once every 3-4 days, and water again only when the soil has dried out completely. Fertilizing: In spring and autumn during the peak growing season and after flowering. Pruning: Pinch back promptly to encourage branching, and promptly cut off spent flowers after blooming.
Kalanchoe is a flower introduced into China from abroad and is now widely cultivated in China. It can be seen in many places across the country. Kalanchoe has great ornamental value, so many people like to keep a pot of it at home. Before growing it, surely what everyone cares about most is how to cultivate it.
How to Grow Kalanchoe
1. Soil. For pot cultivation, it is best to use fertile garden soil, leaf mold and river sand mixed in a ratio of 1:2:1; adding a small amount of bone meal will give even better results. When the seedlings reach 10 cm, pinch back appropriately 1-2 times to encourage side shoots to sprout and help the plant take shape quickly.
2. Light. Kalanchoe likes a sunny environment; apart from slight shading at noon in midsummer, it should be placed in a sunny spot at all other times, and it needs at least 4 hours of direct light per day to grow vigorously. On a building balcony, turn the pot 180 degrees every half month so that light is received evenly, avoiding a lopsided crown that reduces ornamental value. It can grow in partial shade, but the stems will be thin, the leaves small, the flowers few and the color pale, far less luxuriant than in a sunny spot. If it is kept in too shady a place, it will not only drop leaves and fail to bloom, but even a plant that has already flowered will have its flower color fade and then the flowers drop and wither.
Kalanchoe Cultivation Methods
1. Watering method. Kalanchoe is different from other plants: it contains a lot of water and is fairly drought-tolerant. So do not water too much during the growing season; keeping the potting soil on the dry side is better, and each time water only after the potting soil has dried out completely, generally once every 3-4 days; in dry weather, you can mist the surrounding environment to raise humidity. To grow Kalanchoe well, never let the pot be too wet or drain poorly, otherwise the roots will rot.
2. Fertilizing method. Kalanchoe should be fertilized in spring and autumn during the peak growing season and after flowering. Generally a dilute liquid fertilizer can be applied once every 15-20 days, or a slow-release fertilizer can be applied on the surface of the potting soil; either will keep the plant growing vigorously and blooming profusely. To encourage more flowers, more vivid color and a longer flowering period, after the flower buds have formed, apply 0.2% potassium dihydrogen phosphate solution 1-2 times to increase the potassium content. Stop fertilizing in winter.
3. Pruning requirements. To grow Kalanchoe well, pruning is essential. During the peak growing season, pinch back promptly to encourage branching so the potted plant grows fuller. After flowering, promptly cut off spent flowers so as not to consume too many nutrients and affect the quality of the next bloom.
Precautions for Kalanchoe
1. In the hot summer, provide appropriate shade around midday and ensure ventilation and cooling. If it cannot receive sufficient sunlight for a long time, the branches will become thin and weak, the flower color will fade, and the flowers will wither and the leaves soften and drop, affecting its ornamental value.
2. The ambient temperature should be kept above 12°C; if the temperature is too low, the leaf edges will turn red and flowering will be delayed.
3. Kalanchoe is a short-day flower; flower buds can only differentiate at a temperature of 20°C and 8 hours of sunlight. After the flower buds have formed, following the plant's light requirements for flowering, in summer let it receive scattered light before 10 a.m. and after 4 p.m. each day, avoid strong sunlight during the midday period, shade out 40% of the light with a shade net, and at night place it under a fluorescent lamp as much as possible; in this way it can continue to bloom in summer.
4. Kalanchoe is generally repotted once from September to October. Use a potting mix of peat, vermiculite and garden soil mixed in a ratio of 2:2:1. After repotting, gradually increase the light and begin topdressing.
Kalanchoe Pruning Techniques
Pruning is for the sake of the Kalanchoe's shapely growth and to ensure a perfect plant form. First, the pruning time should be in the two seasons of spring and autumn, when the weather and temperature are mild; Kalanchoe is a plant that does not tolerate heat, and during the hot, scorching period of midsummer it enters a state of evergreen dormancy, so at this time be sure to prevent heatstroke and cool it down, and pruning during the dormant period in this way will not easily harm the plant; second, to prune the mother plant into a perfect shape, pruning can be done in two rounds.
First pruning: cut off the main branches, keeping a length of 5-10 cm, and when new branches grow, repeat the pruning once more; doing this can increase new branches and encourage more flowering, but be careful not to prune too much at once, because the leaves still need to carry out photosynthesis, and if you cut it too bare it may cause the plant to die.
Second pruning: the second time you only need to prune the leggy and imperfectly shaped branches, and this will ensure the plant's perfect form.
Kalanchoe's cultivation methods are relatively simple; the most important thing is to understand its growth habits. Kalanchoe cannot be exposed to light for long periods in summer, so shading protection is needed. Later, Kalanchoe also needs pruning; only by doing this work well can its growth be ensured.