How to achieve abundant flowering of Kalanchoe - recommendations for transplanting after purchase and leaving at home

Kalanchoe is characterized by rapid growth, bright color of flowers and a fairly high resistance to disease. When purchasing this plant, it is very important to know what care is needed after purchase. Proper content is the basis for the healthy development and lush flowering of Kalanchoe.

In our article, we will talk in detail about how to choose a healthy flower in the store. We also consider what care this beautiful plant needs at home. We also recommend watching a useful and interesting video on this topic.

Plant description

ATTENTION: Kalanchoe is a perennial plant of the Tolstyankov family. Refers to succulents. These plants accumulate water in the leaves. The height of the specimens can be from 15 centimeters to 3 meters. Stems lignify with age.

The fleshy leaves of Kalanchoe have a glossy surface and are very fragile.. Covered with wax or hair. Flowering occurs mainly in winter and spring. Flowers are located in large inflorescences.

The natural colors of the flowers are orange and red. Hybrids have different shades, flowers are yellow, orange, pink, purple and even two-tone.

Choosing a good flower in the store - tips

When choosing Kalanchoe, you should evaluate the appearance of the plant according to the following criteria:

1. Leaves. Must be without damage, elastic to the touch, uniform in color and fit tightly on the stem. You should not purchase a copy with spots, yellowness or a gray coating on the leaves. It is recommended to give preference to Kalanchoe of compact size. If the distance between the leaves is large, the plant lacks lighting. After the purchase, such an instance will need to be heavily trimmed.
2. Buds. By buds, you can determine the color of future flowers. Kalanchoe with an inflorescence in the stage of bud formation should be chosen. In this case, the flowering time of the plant will be more than a month. If faded buds predominate, Kalanchoe will soon enter a dormant period.
3. Disease. It is necessary to inspect the stem and leaves for rot and other diseases.
4. Pests. Inspect the back of the leaves and stem. Aphids or scale insects may be present on the surface. Look into the blossoming flowers. Signs of possible pest damage:
   • plaque;
   • dark or light dots;
   • scab;
   • deformation of leaves and flowers.

IMPORTANT: The best time to buy Kalanchoe is the beginning of winter, when the plant is just beginning to bloom.

How to help adapt to home conditions?

Kalanchoe experiences stress right after changing conditions. It is necessary to help the plant go through a period of adaptation. It is important to provide the flower with favorable conditions, to protect against diseases and pests.

What to do first?

The further development of the plant directly depends on proper care after purchase:

1. Quarantine. It is necessary to keep Kalanchoe separate from the other flowers for two weeks, preferably in another room.
2. Seat selection. The plant feels good in a fairly lit place away from direct sunlight, fans and split systems. In the period from spring to autumn, the window sill on the east or west side is optimal for placement. The southern direction is not suitable. There is a high risk of plant burns. If only southern windows are available, you need to shade Kalanchoe with a light cloth. In winter, the south side is desirable.
3. Watering. The first 14 days, you should water the flower until the humid earth coma is moderately moistened. Fertilizing during this period is not needed - in the store plants receive high doses of growth and flowering stimulants.

When is a transplant required?

Kalanchoe is usually found in transportation soil at the store, which is not suitable for growing flowers after purchase. It is recommended to replace such land with a nutrient substrate.

In the first days after the acquisition can not be transplanted Kalanchoe. It is necessary to give the plant time to adapt. 5-7 days after the purchase, you can proceed with the transplant. If the soil mixture is good and buds have blossomed on the plant, it is allowed to wait until the flowering period ends.

How to care?

Kalanchoe is a fairly unpretentious plant. The basic rules of maintenance are the same for all species of this flower. We talked about the intricacies of caring for a flowering plant at home here, and from this article you will learn how to care for Kalanchoe so that it blooms.

Pot preparation

A clay pot is required, preferably without glaze. At the bottom of the tank must have a drainage hole. The new flowerpot should be 2 cm in diameter larger than the previous.

The new container must be treated with boiling water and held for 2 hours in hot water. Thoroughly wash the old flowerpot one day before transplanting with soap and disinfect with a solution of potassium permanganate or formalin.

To prevent stagnation of water, place drainage on the bottom of the pot at a quarter of the height - coarse sand, clay shards and expanded clay.

The soil

Kalanchoe suitable ready-made soil for succulents. You can prepare the soil yourself at home. To do this, you will need:

• turf land - 4 parts;
• sheet land - 2 parts;
• peat - 1 part;
• sand - 1 part.

It is allowed to add mullein or humus in small quantities. To give soil looseness, perlite or crushed birch charcoal must be mixed.

Transfer

A few days after the purchase, you need to transplant the Kalanchoe into a new earth mixture:

1. Shed the finished substrate with hot water or a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
2. At the bottom of the pot, place a quarter of the height of the drainage.
3. Pour a layer of soil on top.
4. Tamp, make a tubercle in the center.
5. Water Kalanchoe thoroughly.
6. Extract the plant from the pot.
7. Free the roots from the remnants of the transport mixture.
8. Inspect the root system.
9. Remove areas containing rot.
10. Place the Kalanchoe in the center of the pot.
11. Add earth. The roots should be straightened and completely covered with soil. The substrate layer should be three centimeters below the edge of the container.
12. Tamp the soil next to the stem with a pointed peg.
13. Water the plant.
14. Put in a shaded place for two to three days.

Kalanchoe is transplanted every two years by transfer to a pot two or three centimeters larger than before. The procedure is best done in the spring.

Illumination

Kalanchoe needs good, but not bright, lighting:

• In summer, it is important to protect the plant from direct sunlight, to shade in the afternoon hours.
• In winter, a sufficient level of illumination should be provided.

ATTENTION: Light deficiency is indicated by elongated stems, small pale leaves and lack of flowering. The required daylight hours in the autumn and winter months is 12 hours. In August - no more than 9 hours.

For other reasons for the lack of flowering in Kalanchoe, as well as the necessary care for the plant at home, read here, and this article provides tips on how to make Kalanchoe bloom.

Temperature

The optimum temperature for the successful development of Kalanchoe should be in the range from +18 to + 30 ° С in spring-summer and from +15 to + 20 ° С in autumn-winter. It is not allowed to lower the indicators below + 10 ° С. Short-term drafts and temperature differences within the permissible limits do not harm the plant.

In spring, as soon as a stable air temperature of + 10 ° C is established on the street, it is useful to take Kalanchoe to a balcony or a veranda for 2-3 hours. It is important to shade the plant from direct sunlight. In summer, Kalanchoe feels great in the garden or on the balcony.

Humidity

In prolonged intense heat, it is allowed to spray Kalanchoe and immediately wipe the leaves with a dry cloth. Species with pubescent leaves cannot be moistened in this way.

Watering

Moisturize the soil as the earthen coma dries. In spring and summer, watering is needed twice a week, in winter - much less often. The humidification frequency of the substrate is determined by the humidity of the air in the room and the operation of the heating devices. Stagnation of moisture threatens to rot the roots. Draining the soil can cause dropping of leaves (why Kalanchoe leaves turn yellow and what to do with this and other problems can be found here).

Watering should be plentiful. The amount of water per irrigation depends on the size of the plant, the volume of the substrate and the conditions of detention. Water needs to be poured under the root or in the pan. At the same time, protect leaves and flowers from moisture. Soft irrigation water is required for irrigation.

Kalanchoe can withstand short-term drought, but waterlogging is very difficult.

Top dressing

Special fertilizers for succulents are required. Kalanchoe Blossfeld and Kalandiva need to be fed with complexes for flowering plants. Fertilize the plants in the summer every two weeks, combining with watering. Before applying liquid top dressing, it is necessary to pour Kalanchoe with clean water.

TIP: It is recommended to follow certain standards. Excess fertilizer can lead to active growth of leaves and stem, which makes it difficult to plant buds.

Topping

Over time, the apical shoots of Kalanchoe are depleted, the leaves begin to experience a deficiency of nutrients, become small and pale. This is a signal that Kalanchoe needs a pinching procedure. To do this, use scissors.

Sections must be treated with activated carbon powder. After some time, a pair of side shoots is formed in this area. After the procedure, the plant is placed in a dark room for 30 days. The compact form will last a long time.

Pruning

After the plant fades, the lower leaves of the Kalanchoe fall, the stem stretches and bends. In this case, you need to trim the aerial part, leaving stumps 2-3 centimeters high (read the basic rules for trimming Kalanchoe here). Then place the plant in a dark room and reduce watering.

After 2-3 weeks, new shoots are formed. By the next growing season, Kalanchoe becomes lush and blooms profusely.

Watch the video about pruning Kalanchoe after flowering:

Conclusion

Healthy Kalanchoe is pretty easy to grow. It is important to prevent waterlogging of the soil, as well as direct sunlight. The appearance of the plant speaks of successful development: a uniform color of succulent glossy leaves and a lush bush form.

Watch the video: How to Propagate Succulents Fast n Easy (December 2024).