Kalanchoe is an evergreen perennial plant, very popular in home flower growing not only because of its decorative appearance, but also due to its unique healing properties.
Kalanchoe pinnate: healer
The most medicinal in folk medicine is the Kalanchoe pinnate (aka Kalanchoe Briofillum) - a tall (about 1 meter) plant with a soft standing stalk and fleshy bright green leaves: oppositely oval in the lower part, at the base, and cirrus dissected, divided into 3- 5 cloves closer to the top. Under natural conditions, Kalanchoe pinnate (photo) is common on the islands of Madagascar, in the tropical countries of Africa, Southeast Asia.
The aerial part of the plant is rich in organic acids, polysaccharides, flavonoids, catechins, tannins, vitamin C, macro- and microelements, which is successfully used in the treatment of various diseases. The juice of the plant has wound healing and anti-inflammatory properties, for which young shoots and fresh leaves of Kalanchoe need to be washed well in running water, kept in a dark place for a week (at a temperature of 7-10 ° C), then grind through a meat grinder previously sterilized by boiling . From the obtained slurry, it is required to squeeze the juice through 4 layers of gauze, let it stand in the refrigerator for three days, filter and add chloroform (their calculation is 0.5%) for preservation.
Kalanchoe in folk medicine
For medical purposes, such healing juice is used to heal wounds, burns and frostbite. It is buried in the ears, nose and eyes in the treatment of inflammatory processes, runny nose, sinusitis. With a cold, the juice of the plant must be diluted with water in a ratio of 1 to 5 and dripped several times a day. In its pure form, a natural preparation also cleanses the nose well, but can irritate the mucous membrane and cause severe sneezing.
In inflammatory processes in the stomach and kidneys , Kalanchoe juice is taken orally; when coughing, it is recommended to drink it with honey. Finely chopped and insisted on a glass of boiling water leaves of the plant (2 tbsp. Tablespoons) will help in cleansing the skin of acne. Such a lotion that removes excess oil, tightens pores and disinfects the skin, can be used for daily rubbing of the face. Pharmaceutical preparations based on Kalanchoe, the varieties of which for the most part have medicinal properties, are widely in demand in ophthalmic and dental practice.
Kalanchoe ointment can effectively help affected surfaces (ulcers, burns, wounds). To prepare it, you need to take a quarter cup of plant juice, add 0.5 cup of olive oil (or ghee), heat in a water bath and cook for half an hour, constantly stirring.
Kalanchoe pinnate, a photo of which colorfully conveys all the attractiveness of the plant, can be used for culinary purposes. The leaves of this plant are a useful addition to salads, sauces, mashed potatoes and are especially recommended for people with peptic ulcer, pregnant women, suffering from toxicosis and patients with diabetes mellitus.
A simple salad recipe with Kalanchoe:
Rinse and chop the leaves of Kalanchoe well, mix with dill and parsley, salt and sprinkle with grated boiled egg.
Kalanchoe "cat ears"
Of the variety of varieties of Kalanchoe, the original appearance stands out from the rest of the Kalanchoe Felted. A low (about 30 cm) plant is characterized by slightly branching branches and an erect semi-lignified stem. The leaves are fleshy, light green, oblong, with slightly noticeable bright brownish denticles along the edges. “Cat's ears” this kind of Kalanchoe is called for the thick, light pubescence covering the leaf plates.
Under natural conditions, Kalanchoe Felted blossoms with small umbrella-shaped inflorescences of red-violet flowers. In indoor conditions, such a spectacle manages to admire quite rarely.
The optimal soil composition for home cultivation is loose soil, which allows air and water to pass through well. This can be achieved by adding a small amount of coarse sand. As the main composition, you can use sheet and turf soil in equal parts. Kalanchoe, the reproduction of which is a fairly easy process, grows relatively slowly, so it does not need frequent transplants. Adult plants are recommended to be replanted in fresh soil once every 2-3 years. The size of the containers should correspond to the age of the flower: for young plants a small flower pot should be used, for adults - a larger one, in accordance with the dimensions of the Kalanchoe.
For transplanting, the plant must be removed carefully from the pot. Shaking off the soil from the roots is not recommended, so as not to damage. In the prepared container, pour fresh soil into which to transplant the plant. The soil must match the composition of the previous one, otherwise the flower will be difficult to root. The plant fully adapts in a week.
Kalanchoe: reproduction
Propagation of Kalanchoe is a fairly easy process in which stem and leaf cuttings are used. In cut form, they need to be slightly dried, then planted in a sterile substrate and kept in a bright place at a temperature of at least +20 ° C, with periodic moistening of the soil. The stalk is rooted in a week. You can wait for the roots to appear by placing shoots with aerial roots in the water.
Kalanchoe, varieties of which are characterized by a diverse color palette, is propagated by seeds that need to be sown in loose soil in the period from February to April. Constantly moisturize. Crops should be kept at a temperature of 20-23 ° C. The emerged seedlings should be planted in small containers and wait for leaflets to appear, then transplanted into pots. During growth, young plants often need to be fertilized with small doses of mineral preparations. To form a beautiful bush, it is recommended to pinch the shoots.
These are the original "antlers"
Due to the unusual shape, home-grown Kalanchoe “deer horns” are widely used, characterized by beautiful, deeply dissected serrate leaves that are vaguely reminiscent of furry needles.
Its fleshy, juicy shoots lodge as the flower grows, and the lower part is gradually exposed, which does not reduce the attractiveness of a perennial plant, often used as an ampelous. Capable of decorating any surface, Kalanchoe Lacianite, as it is otherwise called, is completely undemanding in care. It will fully display decorative properties when located on the southern windowsill.
The main factors in caring for Kalanchoe "deer horns" and other varieties are also:
- Watering. Abundant, but not frequent in spring and summer; quite rare - in the winter. Water should be soft, settled. Spraying is optional, except on a very hot summer day.
- Temperature condition. For all types of Kalanchoe, the optimum temperature for growth and development is + 18-28 in the summer and + 10-12 - in the winter.
- Fertilizing, which consists in the periodic introduction of mineral and organic preparations. Of the store options, the most suitable are fertilizers for cacti.
About the "cosmic" variety of Kalanchoe
Kalanchoe tubal is a perennial shrub with many tubular grayish-green leaves, with thin strips of burgundy or pink. In the upper part of the leaf plates there is a large number of “children” - brood buds that give the plant a “cosmic” originality.
Leaves are about 10 cm long, located on the bare trunk opposite.
The flowers are red, consist of 4 not fused petals. Flowering is plentiful.
About the stunningly beautiful and fashionable Kalanchoe of Blossfeld
Perhaps the most popular indoor cultivation is Blossfeld's Kalanchoe - a stunningly beautiful succulent (storing water in its tissues) with attractive, very delicate leaves and beautiful flowers. An ornamental plant is able to radically transform the apartment space, decorating it with multi-colored paints of flowers. An important factor in successful growth and development is sunlight, with the abundance of which Kalanchoe will feel just fine.
The birthplace of Kalanchoe Blossfeld, named after the German breeder Robert Blossfeld, is the island of Madagascar. Only Kalanchoe with red flowers (less often orange) grew in nature. Breeding science adapted the plant to room conditions, having managed to develop resistant and very beautiful varieties.
Kalanchoe Blossfeld, whose home care is simple enough, blooms from 6 to 8 weeks. Inflorescences as they bloom are recommended to be cut in half. This manipulation is aimed at stimulating further flowering. When the plant fades completely, it must be cut to the first leaves, and the water supply should be reduced. This action will lead to the laying of new buds and the next re-flowering.
Home care consists in the proper feeding of the flower, which must be actively carried out in the summer. When lighting is provided for 10 hours and 14 hours of dark time, Kalanchoe, considered a short-day plant, will please with abundant flowering after 4 months. For example, if you want to get a blooming masterpiece for the New Year, starting from the first days of September, you need to cover it with a dense dark cap or place it in a cupboard from 18:00 in the evening to 07:00 in the morning. The minimum duration of this procedure is 1 month. With a long period, flowering will be more active and intense. For different varieties, the duration of the "short day" is different, but should not be less than 1.0-1.5 months.
After the appearance of the buds of Kalanchoe Blossfeld, home care which is simple even for a beginner grower, you need to put it on the window and wait for the flowering to begin. At this time, the plant needs full lighting, which in winter can be organized artificially. Upon receiving full lighting throughout the year, the plant will rapidly increase its green mass, but flowering will be sparse and short-lived.
Why did Kalanchoe Blossfeld become so popular, because before it was a rather rare plant in urban apartments? The wide demand can be explained by the huge breeding work, the purpose of which was the cultivation of not only medicinal species (as is customary for Kalanchoe), but also beautiful flowering varieties.
Kalandiva - a charming resident of urban apartments
The start of the breeding of new species with rich foliage, strong stems, compact shape and numerous flowers of different colors was laid in 1980. Kalanchoe Blossfeld with purple, pink, red, orange, white and even two-tone flowers quickly gained popularity around the world. The creation of the masterpiece continued in 2002, when a flower was introduced that had 32 instead of the usual four petals. Each of them resembled a miniature rose, and the inflorescence as a whole looked like a huge terry ball.
The deduced species is one of the dwarf varieties of Kalanchoe Blossfeld and is called Kalandiva. This is a low succulent with fleshy thick shoots, opposite short-leaved leaves, characterized by a dark green color and a round-ovoid shape. Upright terry flowers are collected in racemose apical inflorescences, pleasing to the eye with a wide variety of colors. Flowering lasts a long period - from 6 to 11 weeks, from the first days of winter to mid-summer. Thanks to the professional breeding work of Kalanchoe, terry is little susceptible to disease and, like other species, is not particularly demanding in care.
Features of watering
In indoor floriculture, such a variety of Kalanchoe as Rosalina mix is ​​common - close to the Kalandiva variety, but more miniature. The plant is characterized by bright green, oval, with wavy edges leaves. Terry flowers are inherent tones from light orange to purple. In caring, the plant is not capricious. He doesn’t like excess moisture, so Rosalina mix should be watered very carefully and moderately, controlling the temperature of the water.
Watering the plant is required infrequently, but abundantly. Kalanchoe, whose varieties number more than 200 varieties, is able to accumulate moisture in the leaves and can easily tolerate long periods of drought. An excess of moisture in the soil, which can lead to rapid decay of the root system, is not recommended. In the summer, watering is required every 7-10 days. In winter, the moisture supply is reduced. In cold weather, one watering in two months is enough, with the earthen coma completely dried. To avoid stagnation of water in the pan, the bottom of the pot should be equipped with a good drainage layer.
General information
Kalanchoe, whose varieties impress with its striking diversity and dissimilarity to each other, is an unpretentious plant that responds well to full-fledged home care. It can be placed anywhere in the apartment, where at least sometimes the sun's rays will fall. It is best to place flowers on the western or eastern windowsills. With insufficient light, the Kalanchoe will begin to fade and die.
The plant is quite loyal to temperature indicators and is able to tolerate even coolness. In the spring and summer, outdoor content is recommended. The heat of the flower is not terrible, at high temperatures it is recommended to increase the number of waterings.
If the leaves of the plant began to change shape, and the stems stretched very much - it was time for pruning. It is recommended to remove too long stems, which can later be used for seedlings, as well as wilted parts of the plant. In the summer, it is recommended to pinch its tops to preserve the decorative shape of the flower.
Kalanchoe "knows how" to clear the air in the room from pathogenic microbes. In folk medicine, “home doctor”, or “indoor ginseng,” is widely used to treat and prevent a large number of diseases.
Diseases and Pests
Kalanchoe, like any houseplant, is not immune from the scourge of disease and pests. If the soil is excessively moistened and sprayed, it may be affected by powdery mildew. The consequence of excess moisture in the winter is infection with gray rot - a grayish coating formed on the leaves. The treatment of these diseases is carried out by using insecticidal drugs.
Of the pests, Kalanchoe can be affected by a scab, a tick and aphids. A tick causing the plant to dry can be eliminated by using insecticides. Aphids that settle on stems and leaves in the initial stages of emergence can be fought with a soap solution. If the entire plant is affected, it will need to be cut and treated with insecticides.
A grayish coating on the aerial part of the plant will indicate the appearance of the scale, the state of which sharply worsens, a fungus appears, flowering stops. To get rid of the pest, the leaves need to be treated with an alcohol solution, gently remove the insects with a brush, and then re-wipe the affected areas.