When Does the Kalanchoe Bloom? An Up-to-Date Guide to Its Blooming Season

The kalanchoe blooms from January to April. Kalanchoes generally produce bright, eye-catching flowers from January to April of the following year, with as many as dozens of flowers on each flowering stem. The kalanchoe's blooming season lasts more than 4 months, which is how it got its name. It is an ideal potted flower for gifting to relatives, friends and elders during New Year's Day and the Spring Festival.

The kalanchoe is native to Africa. It likes a warm, slightly humid environment with plenty of sunlight. It is not cold-tolerant, and its optimum growing temperature is 15-25°C. In summer, when the high temperature exceeds 30°C, its growth is inhibited. In winter, the indoor temperature must not be lower than 12°C; 15-18°C during the day and above 10°C at night is best. Below 5°C, the leaves turn red and the blooming season is delayed or the plant fails to bloom normally, which affects its ornamental value during the holidays. If the room temperature exceeds 24°C during the winter-spring blooming period, flowering will be inhibited; if the temperature is around 15°C, the kalanchoe will bloom continuously.

The kalanchoe is drought-tolerant and not demanding about soil, though fertile sandy loam is best. Generally, repot once each spring after the flowers fade; a good potting mix is 4 parts leaf mold, 4 parts garden soil and 2 parts river sand, plus a small amount of a mixed fertilizer. The kalanchoe is a short-day plant and is fairly sensitive to photoperiod. For a plant that is growing well, giving it short-day treatment (8-9 hours of light per day) for 3-4 weeks will bring out flower buds and blooms.