What to Do When Your Kalanchoe Grows Into a Skyrocket: 3 Steps to Grow a Big Flower Ball

After summer, many gardeners' kalanchoes have changed shape: when you got it, it was a small flower ball, but as it grew, it turned into a long neck. Actually, kalanchoe is also a type of succulent and is very prone to becoming leggy. If you ignore it, it will be hard for it to bloom again. Now follow Huahua and do this - 3 tricks will restore it to its flower ball shape.

Trick 1: Give it a trim, a haircut

After kalanchoe becomes leggy, the first step is to prune it. Like other succulents, the more you prune kalanchoe, the faster it grows. Don't feel bad - pick up the scissors!

1. Pruning rule: Cut off all new branches

The new branches that sprout from a leggy kalanchoe are all thin and weak, with insufficient nutrients to bloom, so they need to be cut off. Gardeners, pay attention to the pruning position - generally just cut off 3-5 cm of new growth.

2. Apply phosphorus and potassium fertilizer after pruning

After pruning, add some fertilizer so it can grow plump, but never add nitrogen fertilizer - it will easily become leggy again. Sprinkle some crushed eggshells in the pot to serve as phosphorus fertilizer; sprinkle some crushed bones or bone meal to serve as potassium fertilizer.

3. Take the pruned branches and propagate them

Don't throw away the pruned branches - they're perfect for cuttings. Find some small pots or plastic cups, use some granular soil or sandy soil, water thoroughly, then insert the kalanchoe branches. Place them in a cool, ventilated spot, and they'll root in 1-2 weeks.

Trick 2: Control shape with light

Kalanchoe can't take sun in summer, which is why it becomes leggy. Now the temperature is suitable - it's the perfect time to give it sunlight, so don't miss it.

1. When autumn comes, give at least 4 hours of light daily

Kalanchoe actually quite likes sunlight. Except for the scorching summer sun, in spring and autumn it's best to maintain at least 4 hours of light per day. This prevents leggy growth and makes the flowers more vivid in color.

2. No sunlight? Use a grow light

If your home doesn't get enough sunlight, a grow light is essential for plant care. You can find them on Taobao. Turn it on to shine on the flowers - it has the same effect as sunlight. Just shine it for 4-6 hours a day.

Trick 3: The water control method

The stronger the kalanchoe's vitality, the thicker the stems. Thick stems have strong water storage capacity. If you water too much, it will easily grow thin, weak branches. To make the stems plump, you need to control watering.

1. Water thoroughly only when completely dry

Don't think that just because summer is over, you can water your kalanchoe freely. Kalanchoe has a strong water storage function itself. Stick to watering thoroughly only when the soil is dry. Pour water in until you see water flowing out from the bottom of the pot - that means it's thoroughly watered.

2. Keep it ventilated

After watering, there's also ventilation. Without ventilation, nine times out of ten it will rot again. Balconies, windowsills, and hallways at home are all relatively well-ventilated places. If all else fails, placing it on a taller cabinet works too.

Bonus trick: The kalanchoe bloom-forcing method

The kalanchoe blooming season is almost here - is your kalanchoe ready? Huahua has one more bloom-forcing method to share, hoping for lots of blooms this year~

1. Cover with a black bag

Although autumn has arrived, the nights are still relatively long. After your kalanchoe has had sunlight during the day, you can cover it with a black plastic bag in the evening - just don't tie it shut. Simulate short-day conditions to force blooming. Once flower buds appear, you can stop doing this.

2. Spray some bloom-forcing agent

Many gardeners know that monopotassium phosphate can force blooming. Dilute it according to the instructions and spray it on the leaves once a week to speed up blooming. Besides spraying, you can also water with fermented rice water or fruit peel water to supplement nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer, which also forces blooming~

Gardeners, have you all learned after reading this?

If you grow kalanchoe at home

Hurry up and save this

Don't miss the timing

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