Kalanchoe: home care and the main types of the family

If you want to revitalize your home with indoor plants, then Kalanchoe is an excellent option. There are more than 200 types of it, and among them there are also medicinal varieties. Below is all the information about Kalanchoe, home care, what diseases can affect a flower.

Kalanchoe flower: types and description

Caring for Kalanchoe at home is not difficult. Here are the most popular perennial species:

• Kalanchoe Degremona. In the conditions of an apartment, it reaches a length of up to 70 cm, has monochromatic serrated sheets. The sap of the plant has healing properties in the treatment of rhinitis, sinusitis, etc. The variety is unpretentious, quickly gives birth to children, takes root and even blooms with miniature bells;
• Kalanchoe pinnate is another medicinal variety. The leaves are rounded, monotonous green. Outwardly they resemble feathers, hence the name;
• Kalanchoe tube-colored or tubiflora. Forms a single stem up to a meter long, leaves and flowers are twisted into a tube;
• Kalanchoe Magnini - ampelous flowering bryophyllum. Flowers can be orange or red;

Kalanchoe Degremona

• Kalanchoe Blossfeld. The most popular variety, in stores most often found with the inscription "Kalanchoe mix" or "Kalandiva". The last series was bred by breeders. The flower has 32 petals, so it looks like miniature roses. With proper care, the plant blooms continuously for up to four months. Kalanchoe Kalandiva can have red, pink, orange and white flowers. The bushes reach a length of 50 cm, there are also more compact varieties (Rosalina). There is also a series of Grandiva with larger inflorescences;
• Kalanchoe Fedchenko. Succulent plant reaches 60 cm in length, fleshy dark green leaves with a pink border. In intense sunlight, the shade spreads over the entire leaf plate;
• Tomentosa. In the species, the stem is covered with hairs. This decorative Kalanchoe is often used for outdoor landscaping;
• Kalanchoe Laciniata. A common indoor type, the popular name is "deer antlers". Leaves are elongated with a fairly dense surface.

Kalanchoe pinnate

This is not the entire list, because, as mentioned above, the family includes more than 200 species.

Kalanchoe Laciniata

Kalanchoe Kalandiva: home care

Decorative varieties of Kalanchoe are great for gardening at home. In addition to beautiful flowering, the plant benefits - it cleans the air of harmful toxins. However, many do not know the intricacies of flower care. The result is that the bush does not bloom and stretches out. Kalanchoe care is as follows:

• the temperature of the content is not important, if we are not talking about extreme decreases to minus indicators. The plant feels great both in heat and at temperatures up to 0 ° C. Some keep a flower pot outside from May to September;
• Kalanchoe prefers bright lighting. It is best to choose the sunniest places, like all succulents, this species is hardy even in the southern regions of the country. Without normal lighting, budding is impossible;
• watering is carried out depending on weather conditions. In the hot season, it is best to increase the amount of water, the plant is watered 2 times a week. In late autumn and winter, if there is no additional lighting, the frequency of watering should be reduced to 2 times a month;
• as for humidity, in conditions of too dry air, yellow dry spots or an invasion of spider mites can be observed on the leaves. It is useless to spray the sheets, since the water will simply slide down due to the smooth surface. It is best to put a jug of water next to it or put wet expanded clay in a pallet. It should be noted that such cases are quite rare, since the Kalanchoe has no special requirements for air humidity;
• soil is best purchased for succulents. For greater looseness, sand is added, and for nutritional value - a small amount of humus. Fertilizers need to be applied no more often than once every three months. The plant immediately reacts to an excess of fertilizing: you can see yellowing and wrinkling of the leaves.

How Kalanchoe reproduces

The plant can be propagated in two ways - by seeds and cuttings. The first method is longer, but the resulting copy has more endurance. Well suited for rare species. Germination of seeds is carried out as follows:

1. Loose soil is compiled.
2. A small layer of earth is placed in small containers.
3. Seeds are laid out on top.
4. Sprinkled with a thin layer of soil.
5. Next, the soil with seeds is sprayed and covered with a film. It is best to find a sufficiently lit area without drafts.

As for cuttings, the home indoor varieties of Kalandiv, Blossfeld, etc., reproduce perfectly even from one leaf. Sometimes air roots can be seen on an adult plant, in which case the cutting is cut off and placed in loose soil. A small glass is ideal. It is necessary to pour a drainage layer down. Within a week, new shoots can be noticed.

Aerial roots in cuttings

If the stalk is cut off without roots, then it must be prepared: the cut is dried for half an hour. Next, the appendix is ​​placed in a light soil with a good drainage layer and the container is placed in a sunny place. In the first days, you can notice a decrease in the turgor of the leaves, but as soon as the growth of roots begins, they will return to normal.

Planted cuttings

Almost all varieties, including medicinal ones, are easily propagated by cuttings. If we are talking about a sheet, then it is important to completely cut off the spoiled and rotten places, and then place it in the ground by one third. It is preferable to build a greenhouse from a bag or transparent cover.

How to achieve flowering

Thus, caring for Kalanchoe is simple, but why do many growers complain about the lack of flowering? How to care for Kalanchoe in this case:

• the plant needs to be cut frequently and the shoots should be pinched. It is after such procedures that flower buds are laid, in addition, the bush will be lush and more compact. If the flower has begun to stretch in length, you should also pay attention to the lighting, it may not be enough. Most of the trimming will be enough to add fluffiness;
• another secret of forcing flowers is strictly limited daylight hours. Enough 7-8 hours of bright lighting, then the pot is covered with a box, bucket or other suitable object for 10 hours. After a couple of weeks of manipulations, flower stalks can be seen. It is best at this time to slightly increase the frequency of watering;
• a common mistake of many flower growers is to arrange a drought on a flower. In nature, many plants easily tolerate the lack of moisture, but even succulents can die in an apartment.The soil should dry out completely between waterings, but its complete drying will lead to the death of the root system. Further, with abundant watering, the Kalanchoe will simply rot, it is no longer necessary to talk about flowering.

Peat tablet use

Transfer

If we are talking about just purchased Kalanchoe, then it is necessary to transplant it in a couple of days. Store soil is completely unsuitable for growing plants, as a rule, it is used only for transportation purposes. You need to purchase a pot that is suitable in size, expanded clay, soil for succulents, sand or perlite. It will not be superfluous to add a little activated carbon to the soil for additional disinfection. It will help to avoid rotting, reproduction of some microorganisms.

At the bottom of the pot, expanded clay is poured with a layer of 2 cm. It is better to choose not small balls, but rather large ones. A little soil is added on top. As for the pot, a plastic one is preferable. In ceramic, it is easy to overcool or overheat the root system. The size of the container should be a couple of centimeters larger than the shipping container.

The plant itself must be taken out and the roots must be carefully freed from the peat. To facilitate the work, they are placed in water. The soil will completely go into the liquid. You need to dry the Kalanchoe a little on a paper towel. Next, the plant is placed in a pot and carefully sprinkled with earth. It is best to tamp it down a little, as the soil will settle. Watering is carried out in a couple of days.

Main problems

Often, novice florists are confused by some problems:

• yellowing of leaves, dryness at the ends. Sunburn or spider mites are likely. If the place is too hot, the flower should be transferred to partial shade. When pests are found, the leaves are treated with special preparations;
• leaves lose turgor, dark spots appear. Unsuitable soil (too dense and heavy), overflow, ceramic pot on a cold windowsill. The soil must be replaced with a lighter and looser one, the container must be changed to a plastic one;
• Kalanchoe stretches. This is due to a lack of light and nutrients. The solution to the problem is supplementary lighting, pinching and feeding;
• the leaves become smaller. This is not a problem, as a rule, in stores, each flower has large leaves, at home they become smaller.

If you take care of the Kalanchoe correctly, then it will certainly thank you with lush and long flowering. And then no problems and pests are afraid of him.