Many lovers of indoor floriculture keep decorative Kalanchoe on their windowsills. The point is not only the unpretentiousness of the plant - it can satisfy the most varied demands of its owners. Fans of unusual and beautiful foliage will suit the lacinate. Those who love flowering varieties will enjoy the Kalanchoe Kalandiva, Mix or Blossfeld. Supporters of large bushes and miniature plants - all will find something suitable from the many representatives of the genus.
The most popular types
In fact, decorative Kalanchoe has more than a hundred different representatives. Almost all of them can be grown indoors. However, the following won the hearts of plant growers most of all:
- Kalanchoe Blossfeld. Perhaps the highest bush of all representatives. Inflorescences are large, brightly colored. May be pink, white, purple, red and yellow. The foliage is juicy green, sometimes framed by a reddish border around the edge.
- Kalanchoe Kalandiva. Variations on the theme of blossomfelds, but small in stature. Flowering is very long, peduncles much shorter than that of a fellow, and therefore the plant looks more decorative.
- Kalanchoe mix. Care is similar. The bushes are small, bloom very brightly and multi-colored (which, however, is reflected in the name).
- Cirrus Kalanchoe. It belongs to the so-called viviparous: many children grow along the edge of the foliage, due to which the bush looks fluffy. When sitting, the kids quickly take root and give a full-fledged strong plant.
- Kalanchoe degremone. Selected by plant growers for a greenish-gray interesting foliage, narrow and with spots of a pronounced purple hue.
- Kalanchoe lacinate. The leaves are strongly dissected, almost light green in color, with a waxy coating. In shape, they resemble spreading horns, so this decorative Kalanchoe is known to many as deer horns. This variety blooms quite willingly, but less beautifully, so it is loved for its leaves.
The content of all species is the same, except that Kalanchoe Kalandiva, mix and Blossfeld need fertilizing with fertilizers for flowering plants, and the rest just for succulents.
Kalanchoe after purchase
In the case when you bought a plant in a store, the first thing to do upon arrival home is to transplant it. If you are not sure that the flower will successfully endure two stresses in a row, you can wait a couple of days, but not longer. The fact is that the peat substrate in which the plants are kept before sale is not suitable for Kalanchoe. At home, he withers in peat. For transplanting in advance, purchase a pot a little larger than the one in which the flower was. A good layer of drainage at the bottom is required, but the roots should not be washed when moving: just slightly cut them off from excess peat. Immediately after planting, the plant spills well and is left alone for several days.
Land
Kalanchoe is not capricious. Most often it is planted in soil for succulents. The flower is also taking root in the universal. However, if you wish, you can collect the soil yourself. For it, you will need four parts of turfy land, two - sheet and one each - sand and peat. For greater nutrition, you can flavor the ground with dry cow manure or humus - both are taken in very small quantities.
Right place
The indoor flower of Kalanchoe is photophilous, but does not tolerate direct midday rays. The northern windows will not fit him: he can survive there, but you can’t wait for the flowering - the stems will stretch out, the leaves will become small and pale. If the pot is on the south side, the plant will receive burns almost immediately, and will have to be cared for for a long time. The eastern side is more or less suitable, however, you will have to make sure that the pot is out of reach for the midday sun: either from the side where it will not reach, or in the shade of a curtain (frame). If there is no way out, and only southern windows are available, decorative Kalanchoe is shaded. You can simply pull on a light curtain fabric to diffuse the rays.
How much heat do you need?
An average of 18-20 degrees is what Kalanchoe flowers love. The care includes spring “walking” of plants: as soon as stable +10 is established outside the window, the pots are taken out to the balcony, porch or garden. Do not forget about the first condition - shading from the bright sun. The coolness of Kalanchoe is very comfortable, but drafts are not. So place it should be away from window leaves, fans and air conditioners.
Watering but not overflowing
One of the most important subtleties of keeping domestic plants is their proper watering. Violation of the water regime inevitably leads to the loss of a green pet. Since the Kalanchoe indoor flower belongs to succulents, it does not need frequent watering. They must be plentiful so that water saturates the whole earth in the pot, but rather rare - the soil should dry between moisturizations almost to the bottom, otherwise water stagnation will lead to decay of the roots. The maximum summer frequency of watering is twice a week, and then if there is a suffocating heat. With dry air and stuffiness, decorative Kalanchoe is sprayed, large-leaf specimens are rubbed with a wet sponge. In winter, sometimes monthly watering is enough. Of course, if the heating in your house is too strong, then the plants will have to give water more often.
How to ensure and prolong flowering
Elegant flowers - that's why most people buy Kalanchoe. Flowering, like everything in our life, ends sooner or later. And some plant growers Kalanchoe refuses to please them at all. In order for the capricious to bloom, two conditions must be met:
- Enough light. If the end of May is approaching, but no buds are observed, rearrange the pot on a better-lit window sill.
- Accuracy in top dressing. Generous fertilizer causes rapid growth of the bush, which "forgets" the need to bloom. To remind him of this, after the first spring fertilizing, fertilizers are set aside, and when buds appear, another fertilizer is obtained - for flowering plants. Nevertheless, decorative Kalanchoe spends a lot of energy on this beauty.
If you try, you can significantly extend the flowering of your pet - almost until winter. In addition to mineral support, he needs regular removal of already faded, wilted flowers. Soon new ovaries will appear.
How to keep flower attractive
When the decorative Kalanchoe completely finishes blooming, the leaves at the bottom of the bush fall quite quickly, the trunk and branches stretch out, and often bend. The result is a rather nondescript, and sometimes ugly bush. Some gardeners are disappointed in the acquisition and seek to get rid of it. However, the situation is quite fixable, only you need to know how to revive Kalanchoe flowers. Care in this case will consist in cutting the bush almost to ground level. This is done in the fall, during the resting period of the plant. After trimming, the pot moves into the shade. Watering should be rare, as the risk of decay of the underground part is greatly increased. In just a couple of weeks, new leaves will appear, and by spring the decorative Kalanchoe will be ready for a new, no less magnificent than last year, flowering.
What is sick with Kalanchoe: errors of care
All plant growers note both unpretentiousness and vitality, resistance to Kalanchoe ailments. Diseases are mainly caused by the lack of provision by the owners of the needs of the plant. However, it quite clearly signals what exactly is being done wrong.
- At the height of flowering or in the spring, the lower leaves begin to fly. In the fall, this is understandable, and we already talked about rejuvenating the bush. But the rest of the time, this phenomenon speaks of starvation of Kalanchoe. It needs to be fed with fertilizers.
- Dry brown spots appear on the leaves; over time, the affected leaves turn yellow and crumble. These are the most common burns. And it’s not necessarily sunny: if the plant used to stand in the same place, but this was not observed, take a look at where the spots are located. You will see that they are where the leaves come in contact with the glass. Your pet just grew, and he became crowded. Have to buy a stand.
- The leaves are covered with soaking black spots, and then actually bend from the bush. Your decorative Kalanchoe freezes and "drowns". Given that it prefers cool, there are two options: either winter, and you part with watering, or in the heat, somewhere near there is a source of draft.
If you avoid such shortcomings, your handsome man will avoid such problems.
Unsuitable conditions
And this is another reason why Kalanchoe is waning: diseases are caused by the mismatch of the environment to his needs. A plant can also catch an infection if a new tenant appears next to it, who is sick with something and has not passed quarantine.
- Powdery Mildew Too humid air is the reason for its appearance. If you have dampness in the apartment, you will have to air it more often and refuse to spray it.
- Gray rot. It looks like a grayish coating, along with watery spots. The reasons are the same - damp and cold. Kalanchoe usually overtakes in the fall, when the heating is not yet turned on.
- Ticks They appear as small yellow specks, gradually turning into dry white spots. All nearby plants will have to treat with fungicides.
- Aphid. Settles on the bottom of the leaves, which begin to curl, turn yellow and deform. Special preparations or an ordinary solution of laundry soap help from such a disaster. A day later, the earth beneath it is spread with a film, and the Kalanchoe is washed away from the solution and pests.
- From neighbors, Kalanchoe can also get bacterial or viral diseases that manifest themselves as brown, failing spots. The whole plant is treated with fungicide, leaves with spots are removed. Watering is reduced to a minimum (only so that the plant does not die), spraying and completely stop.
How to propagate Kalanchoe
This plant can be planted in any way - leaves, cuttings from the stem, seeds. In viviparous, the process is completely simple - they provide the owners with already formed children. The leaves and cuttings root so well that they can be immediately planted in pots with the right soil. For better survival, the cuttings are sometimes dried for a couple of days, but even without this procedure 90% of them easily take root.
With some types of flowering Kalanchoe, seeds can be obtained. They are sown in light soil between January and March. Sprinkle with earth on top is not necessary, enough shading and covering the box with glass.