How to Grow and Care for Kalanchoe: Key Tips and Common Issues, Causes of Yellow Leaves and Solutions

The kalanchoe plant is compact with lush green leaves, and when it blooms, the flowers are large and neatly arranged, symbolizing good fortune. Around every Spring Festival it is a popular potted plant at flower markets. However, many people find that as they grow it, problems appear such as yellowing leaves, leaf drop, and even root rot. Below, the growing methods, care tips, and yellow-leaf solutions for kalanchoe are all explained clearly at once.

How to Grow Kalanchoe: Five Basic Points to Get Right

Soil: Do not use heavy, sticky soil, otherwise it is prone to poor growth, root rot and leaf drop. You can mix 4 parts leaf mold, 4 parts garden soil, 2 parts river sand, plus a small amount of bone meal. This kind of soil is loose, fertile, well-draining and slightly acidic, which benefits root development. A breathable earthenware pot is best; for indoor display you can place it inside a plastic or porcelain pot. Line the bottom of the pot with a layer of crushed charcoal pieces or crushed hard plastic foam pieces to improve air and water permeability.

Watering: Kalanchoe has fleshy leaves and is drought-tolerant but not waterlogging-tolerant, so it does not need large amounts of water. During the growing season, water thoroughly every 2 to 3 days, keeping the soil slightly moist. When the weather is hot and water evaporates quickly, water once every evening; when it is cool, watering about once every ten days is enough. In winter the plant enters dormancy and water must be strictly controlled, as overly wet soil easily causes root rot.

Light: Kalanchoe is a short-day plant and needs at least 4 hours of direct sunlight per day to grow vigorously. It is also phototropic, so every half month turn the pot 180 degrees to let the plant receive even light and avoid lopsided growth. With insufficient light over time, the branches become thin and weak, the leaves thin and small, flowering is sparse with pale colors, and large numbers of leaves drop.

Temperature: The suitable growing temperature is 15-25°C. Above 30°C or below 10°C, growth stops and the plant enters dormancy. In winter, room temperature must not be lower than 12°C; if it drops to 6-8°C, leaf edges turn red and flowering is delayed. If you want it to bloom at New Year's Day or Spring Festival, keep daytime temperatures at 16-20°C and nighttime at 10-15°C.

Fertilizing: During the peak growing season, apply a diluted compound liquid fertilizer once every 15-20 days to promote vigorous growth and abundant flowering. After flower buds form in November, apply 1-2 additional doses of 0.2% potassium dihydrogen phosphate or 0.5% superphosphate for more flowers, richer color and a longer blooming period. Because the blooming period is long, you can supplement once a month with a diluted nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium fertilizer to prevent late-season flowers from being small and pale. Be careful not to let fertilizer water touch the leaves, as they rot easily; if it accidentally gets on them, rinse it off with water.

Care Tips for Growing Kalanchoe

In hot summer weather, provide appropriate shade around midday and ventilate to cool the plant. You can also use a shade net to block 40% of the light, letting it receive only scattered light before 10 a.m. and after 4 p.m., so it can continue blooming in summer. Flower bud differentiation requires a temperature of 20°C and 8 hours of sunlight, so light management in autumn must keep up.

Repotting is generally done in September to October, using a mix of peat, vermiculite and garden soil at a ratio of 2:2:1. After about two years of growing, old roots tend to rot; when repotting you can trim off the rotten roots. If the plant is too large, it can also be divided. After repotting, gradually increase light and begin fertilizing. In the early stage of vigorous growth, promptly pinch the tips to encourage branching and make the plant full and shapely. After flowers fade, promptly cut off the spent blooms to avoid consuming nutrients and affecting the next flowering. Common diseases include downy mildew and anthracnose; pay attention to indoor ventilation and spray insecticide when necessary for control.

What to Do When Kalanchoe Leaves Turn Yellow? First Find the Cause

First, natural metabolism. If only the bottom leaves turn yellow and dry while the top leaves remain normal, this is a normal phenomenon; just cut off the yellow leaves to keep the plant looking nice.

Second, sunburn. Kalanchoe likes light but fears scorching sun. If the leaves begin to dry out from the edges, it is most likely sunburn. Move it to a shady spot, water it appropriately, and cut off the severely withered yellow leaves.

Third, overwatering. If the leaves first become soft and then turn yellow, it means the plant has been overwatered. You can move it out to get some sun, and after the edges dry out, cut off the withered parts. The remaining leaves will heal themselves in a few days, and new shoots will gradually grow out.

One more reminder: excessive fertilizing can also cause yellow leaves. Normally, just apply an appropriate amount of base fertilizer when loosening the soil; for potted plants, loosening the soil 1-2 times a year is suitable. Master these key points, and your kalanchoe will have green leaves and abundant flowers, blooming in a full pot year after year.