After the autumn chill, water Christmas cactus and kalanchoe with root-strengthening water: leaves turn firm and upright, and blooming starts 30 days earlier

Now that autumn has arrived, the weather is starting to turn cool, with average temperatures dropping to around 20-plus degrees, which feels very comfortable and cool to people. Likewise, indoor potted plants can feel the comfort too, so potted flowers that were dormant in summer are all starting to revive and enter their autumn growing period, and among them are kalanchoe and Christmas cactus!

When the average temperature is below 30°C, both kalanchoe and Christmas cactus leave dormancy and gradually revive, and at this time, how to care for them is very important! During dormancy, their roots are in a state where they do not absorb water or nutrients, and now that needs to change. We have a trick, and it is not ordinary care! When autumn turns cool, both Christmas cactus and kalanchoe need to drink a little "root-strengthening water," so the roots can properly resume work, the leaves become stiff and upright, and blooming can start 30 days earlier!

The purpose of this root-strengthening water is to stimulate the roots, getting them quickly into the growing period and increasing their absorption of water and nutrients. In fact, there are several kinds of root-strengthening water, and vitamin B12, aspirin, and willow branch infusion are three of the more common ones, but since the roots of Christmas cactus and kalanchoe are still very weak right now, we choose the third one, willow branch infusion. This purely plant-derived liquid is gentler, and its effect is also very good!

Method: Pick a few willow branches, peel off all the bark from the willow branches and soak it in water, then soak the cleaned bare branches in water too, and soak for 24 hours. Of course, the longer the better. If you have many potted plants at home, you can make several batches.

Watering: Each time you water, use this willow branch infusion to water them, then use a small spray bottle to spray some onto the leaves, and the leaves can directly absorb this nutrition too.

Principle: Willow branch infusion contains a substance called salicylic acid. Salicylic acid can promote plant growth, and it is especially helpful to the roots, stimulating root vitality and quickly bringing the roots from semi-dormancy back into the growing period. This is also why willows can survive no matter how they are grown.

Of course, it is not enough to just water with some willow branch infusion; we also need to do the following things. Whether it is kalanchoe or Christmas cactus, when the average temperature is below 30°C, you should quickly let them get sunlight, maintain good ventilation, and increase water. When increasing water, do not use pouring; spraying is better, and increase water gradually. In the early part of the growing period, do not apply heavy fertilizer. Start with a nutrient solution with a relatively gentle effect, and gradually transition to quick-acting fertilizer, so these two potted flowers can enter the growing period in the shortest time!

Christmas cactus and kalanchoe transitioning from dormancy to the growing period should be cared for in this way. Doing so lets their roots quickly recover their condition and become even stronger than before, with better absorption capacity. It also lets their leaves quickly become stiff and upright and grow fast. When the whole plant is healthy, an earlier flowering period is inevitable!

That is all for the care tips for kalanchoe and Christmas cactus during the dormancy transition period. If you are interested in growing flowers, you can follow us. We update flower-growing tips every day, and we hope it helps you!