What are the cultivation methods for kalanchoe?

Kalanchoe, also known as dwarf kalanchoe, is a perennial succulent herb with opposite, plump and juicy leaves that break easily; it bears terminal cymes with flowers in colors such as orange-red, yellow and red. The kalanchoe plant has a short, compact form, a long flowering period, and abundant blooms, giving it high ornamental value. Today, let's look together with the editor at the cultivation methods for kalanchoe.

Choosing a flowerpot

For cultivating kalanchoe, the flowerpot should preferably be small, well-ventilated and breathable; loose, airy sandy loam is best for cultivation. Kalanchoe grows best in a well-ventilated earthenware pot, but this looks unattractive indoors, so it can be placed inside a plastic or porcelain pot, or planted directly in a small purple clay pot or plastic pot. When cultivating kalanchoe, place a layer of crushed charcoal pieces or crushed hard plastic foam pieces at the bottom of the pot to improve ventilation. Although it is not very particular about soil, it easily suffers root rot in heavy clay, and grows best in loose, airy, fertile, slightly acidic sandy loam. For home potting, it is best to mix leaf mold and topsoil from a vegetable garden in equal amounts, then add 5% to 8% sand as the cultivation and care soil. During cultivation, add a little bone meal or nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium compound fertilizer as a base fertilizer.

Water control

Moderate water control makes kalanchoe leafy and lush, while ample phosphorus and potassium make its flowers brightly colored. Kalanchoe is a succulent plant with a relatively high water content in its tissues, so it is fairly drought-tolerant and afraid of waterlogging, and it grows well under the dry air conditions of high-rise buildings. In spring and autumn, water thoroughly about once every 3 days after the potting soil dries, and keep it just slightly moist at ordinary times. In summer, water less, preferably once every 5 to 7 days. For kalanchoe cultivated outdoors, avoid rain during the rainy season; too much water easily causes root rot, leaf drop, and even death. With appropriate water control so that the potting soil alternates between dry and moist, the branches will be lush and the flowers abundant. After bringing it indoors in winter, it is best to water in the afternoon with water close to room temperature, about once a week.

Reasonable fertilization

Kalanchoe likes fertilizer. For young seedlings, 15 days after potting and planting, or for old plants, 15 days after division, apply 2 to 3 times a nitrogen-based liquid fertilizer to promote stem and leaf growth. After flowering, apply one nitrogen-based liquid fertilizer to promote rejuvenation. At other times, except for stopping fertilization in summer, only nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium compound fertilizer may be applied. When fertilizing, do not get fertilizer on the leaves, otherwise the leaves and flowers easily rot; if the leaf surface is accidentally soiled, rinse it off with water. Kalanchoe has a long flowering period, so the rule of not fertilizing during flowering should be broken: apply a dilute nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium fertilizer or a 0.2% potassium dihydrogen phosphate solution once a month, so that later flowers do not become smaller and paler due to lack of fertilizer.

Light control

Kalanchoe likes a sunny, well-lit environment. Apart from slight shading in the afternoon of midsummer, it should be placed in a sunny spot at other times. It needs at least 4 hours of direct light each day to grow healthily and vigorously.

When cultivating kalanchoe on a building balcony, turn the flowerpot 180 degrees every 15 days so that it receives light evenly, avoiding a lopsided crown and reduced ornamental value. Although it can also grow in semi-shade, its stems are thin, leaves are thin, flowers are few and colors are pale, far less luxuriant than in a sunny spot. If it is too shaded, it not only easily loses leaves and produces no flowers, but even a whole plant already in bloom, if placed in shade, will have its flower color fade, and then the flowers will drop, turn yellow and wither.

Suitable temperature

The most suitable temperature for cultivating kalanchoe is 15°C to 25°C. Above 30°C, growth slows and it enters a semi-dormant state; below 10°C, growth stalls; below 8°C, the leaves turn red and flowering is delayed; below 0°C, it easily freezes to death. Therefore, to grow kalanchoe well, it is necessary to create a small environment that is warm in winter and cool in summer. In the afternoon of midsummer, avoid strong direct sunlight and place it in semi-shade with ample scattered light, such as under a large tree, under the eaves, or on a north-facing balcony. Pay special attention to ventilation and cooling; water can be sprinkled on the nearby ground, but not on the whole plant.

After the Beginning of Autumn, from late August to early September, it can gradually be exposed to sunlight, and from October it should receive more sunlight to promote its transition from vegetative growth to reproductive growth. When the minimum temperature drops to about 10°C, move it indoors and place it in front of a south-facing or west-facing balcony so that it receives more sunlight, maintaining 10°C at night and 15°C to 18°C during the day; it can then bloom in December.