How to Propagate Kalanchoe by Cuttings? The Latest Cutting Methods Shared
Kalanchoe is more commonly propagated by cuttings. There are two cutting methods: leaf cuttings and terminal bud cuttings. Generally, leaf cuttings and tissue culture are mostly used for producing mother plants, while terminal bud cuttings are mostly used for potted flower production. Let's take a look together below at the cutting propagation methods for kalanchoe!
Cutting Methods for Kalanchoe
1. Leaf cuttings: Remove a whole leaf (the larger the leaf, the better), place it in a cool place to let the wound dry. After several hours, insert the petiole completely into a moist substrate. If the petiole is too short, part of the leaf can also be inserted into the substrate in place of the short petiole. At this stage it must not be too wet, to avoid the leaf becoming diseased and rotting. After inserting the cutting, place it in a spot with slightly weak sunlight, keeping the temperature between 20 and 25°C. After 3 to 4 weeks the root system begins to establish, at which point it can be placed under full sun and given low-concentration fertilizer. After another 7 to 10 weeks, seedlings differentiated from callus tissue can be seen. Once the seedlings grow to 15 to 20 cm, they can be separated from the leaf and grown on their own, while the leaf can continue to produce seedlings. The separated seedlings can be used as mother plants for producing unrooted cuttings.
2. Terminal bud cuttings: Insert the prepared unrooted cuttings directly into a flower pot filled with substrate, keeping the substrate moist. The substrate is generally a mix of peat and perlite in a 7:3 ratio, with the substrate pH adjusted to between 5.5 and 6.0. Producers can adjust the ratio according to their own water quality conditions, production variety and production season, or add soilless substrates such as vermiculite and sand, so as to achieve a substrate with good drainage and moderate nutrient content. In addition, the light intensity should not be too strong, and the temperature should be kept between 20 and 25°C. Roots can form in about 2 to 3 weeks, after which it can enter production-period management. Terminal bud cuttings are generally mostly used for potted flower production (note: kalanchoe is a typical long-day flowering plant; during cutting propagation the daylength must be longer than 12.5 hours, and during winter cutting propagation supplemental lighting must be used).
Cutting Methods for Kalanchoe
1. Cutting time: Leaf cuttings of kalanchoe can be done throughout the year, but summer and autumn are best. Before cutting, prepare the cutting bed first; the cutting substrate is fine river sand or well-drained sandy loam.
2. Cutting method: On the second day after cutting kalanchoe, spray the cuttings once with a mixed solution of 0.1% sucrose and urea. Since kalanchoe is a succulent plant with a high water content in its body, it should not be watered too frequently at ordinary times; if the substrate is too wet, it easily causes root rot, so usually water once every 2 to 3 days. On rainy days, be careful to prevent rain from falling on them. Roots can form after about half a month, and after 3 to 4 weeks the callus tissue at the base of the petiole can grow small tiller buds. Once the tiller buds emerge from the substrate, spray once with a mixed solution of 0.2% monopotassium phosphate and sucrose.
3. Post-cutting management: Spray once every 10 days with 0.5% foliar nutrient solution for flowers. After a month and a half, they can be potted and transplanted. The potting soil is best as well-drained, loose and fertile sandy loam. After potting, water once every 2 to 3 days. In winter, if the temperature is below 5°C, move them indoors to overwinter.
Precautions for Kalanchoe
1. Suitable temperature: Kalanchoe likes a warm environment; too cold or too hot is not good for its growth. During the day its temperature should not exceed 30 degrees, while at night it should not be lower than 18 degrees. Too high or too low a temperature will cause it to enter a dormant state, that is, stop growing. Therefore, when growing kalanchoe, in summer avoid exposing it to the sun, and in winter place it indoors to prevent it from freezing.
2. Sufficient water: Kalanchoe is a drought-tolerant plant and has a relatively low demand for water; watering twice a week is enough. Note that if you have watered it at noon, be sure to keep the kalanchoe leaves dry before nightfall.
3. Sufficient sunlight: Kalanchoe relatively likes to grow in an environment with sufficient sunlight. If it is kept in a shaded environment for a long time, it cannot carry out normal photosynthesis and thus cannot grow normally, and at the same time it will cause kalanchoe to drop leaves or fail to bloom. Therefore, in ordinary seasons we can place it in a sunny spot, only avoiding exposure to the sun in summer.
4. Appropriate fertilizing: The growth of any plant cannot be separated from an appropriate amount of fertilizer, and kalanchoe is no exception. Only when it has sufficient nutrients can it grow normally. During the growth period of kalanchoe, we should fertilize it once every two weeks, which helps promote its growth needs.