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How to Handle a Kalanchoe After It Finishes Blooming

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After a kalanchoe finishes blooming, you should prune the spent flowers, trim the branches, take cuttings, or care for it during dormancy. This is because the plant enters a dormant period after flowering, so the excess parts should be removed to reduce unnecessary nutrient loss. The pruned plant can continue to be cared for and become an older plant, while the healthy branches cut off can be propagated by cuttings to produce new plants. During dormancy, provide appropriate shade and control temperature and water.

1. Pruning Spent Flowers

After a kalanchoe finishes blooming, first cut off the flower bud portion; generally, cut off the upper part of the branch that has flowered together with the spent flowers. Because flowering times differ, you can prune in stages according to each plant's flowering time.

2. Pruning Branches

After flowering, give the plant an overall trim: first prune the dead branches, old branches, and leggy branches, then thin out the growth according to the plant's shape, so that the plant form is attractive and well ventilated.

3. Taking Cuttings

Cut off some of the better-growing branches below a node, let the wounds dry in a ventilated place, then plant them in a medium mixed with perlite and bone meal; generally, such branches grow well.

4. Dormancy Care

After flowering, keep the plant at 15-25°C. In summer, evaporation is fast, but do not overwater, to prevent stunted growth and problems such as root rot; water only after confirming the soil is dry. After flowering, you can apply some nitrogen fertilizer as appropriate to replenish the nutrients needed for growth. The post-flowering period is generally the spring and summer dormancy period; at this time sunlight intensity increases, so provide appropriate shading.

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