One of the favorite indoor plants are Kalanchoe flowers. For home growing, only a few varieties are suitable - Blosfeld, Cirrus, Calanthiva, Monocot and others. There are Kalanchoe and medicinal varieties in the flower. For example, Degremon is actively used to treat runny nose, disinfection, and accelerate healing. Today we will tell you all about growing a Kalanchoe flower at home, taking care of which will not take you much time and effort. And also take a closer look at the most popular varieties of this plant. In this article, you will learn about the features of the Kalanchoe flower, how to care for it and fight pests and diseases.
Description and types
The home flower of Kalanchoe is a perennial plant that belongs to the family Crassulaceae. His homeland are Asian countries, Australia and America. Recently, they began to grow Kalanchoe flower at home. This was made possible thanks to a very simple care that does not require frequent transplants and intensive top dressing. To date, there are more than 200 varieties of this plant, but not more than 15 are most popular.
- Blossfeld, or white Kalanchoe, as he is also called, came to us from Madagascar. Under natural conditions, its size can exceed one and a half meter height. Dark green succulent leaves are egg-shaped, and the color of inflorescences in natural conditions is white. To date, breeders have bred a large number of varieties of this variety with pink, orange and yellow inflorescences. At home, the height of the plant reaches 30 centimeters.
- Mangin. Hybrid Kalanchoe, leaf-shaped, like Blossfeld's, and delicate pink bell flowers. Many flower growers prefer this variety due to its long flowering and very pleasant appearance of inflorescences.
- Felt Kalanchoe has another name because of its appearance - "cat ears". Oblong leaflets, covered with white pubescence, have brown notches along the edges. During flowering, the bush is covered with red-violet flowers.
- Kalandiva One of the favorite varieties of Kalanchoe, very beautifully flowering. The diameter and height of the plant does not exceed thirty centimeters. And in a long flowering period (about six months), the bush is wrapped in double flowers of red color. Also, gardeners note the unpretentiousness of this variety.
Growing conditions
The main conditions for a comfortable existence and active growth of Kalanchoe flowers are:
- Lighting. Since the plant is tropical, it does not require constant bright light. It will feel great both in a bright and in a shaded room. The best option is a windowsill on the east or west side of the house. Needs active sunlight Kalanchoe only in the winter.
- Air temperature. Kalanchoe flowers are completely unpretentious in terms of temperature conditions. When the street begins to warm (at least + 10 ° C), the plant can be taken out to the balcony. In a room, a favorable temperature is 23-25 ° C.
- Humidity. Due to the ability of the plant to store water in the leaves for a long time, a fairly low humidity in the room should be observed. Kalanchoe tolerates drought and does not tolerate moisture on the leaves, so it does not need spraying at all.
In addition to creating comfortable conditions, proper care is important to the plant. Kalanchoe flower needs moderate watering, infrequent fertilizer and pruning. So, first things first.
Watering
The earth in a pot with Kalanchoe flowers should be intensively spilled with water, but the surplus must be drained, since the soil should dry out between waterings. In winter, the plant is watered every two weeks, in hot summers, watering is much more frequent. However, it should be understood that excessive soil moisture can lead to the development of rot and fungal diseases, as well as damage to the roots. Kalanchoe does not need spraying, especially in winter - this leads to excessive moisture. It is quite enough to dust the leaves of the plant with a damp soft cloth or sponge.
If a plant begins to dry quickly only the lower leaves, the upper ones in perfect order, this does not indicate insufficient watering, but a small volume of the flower pot.
Fertilizer
Top dressing is applied to the soil for growing Kalanchoe no more than once a month. Moreover, in winter, the plant does not need fertilizer at all. Use complex fertilizer during the active vegetative period. And since Kalanchoe flowers do not like excessive dressing (they cease to bloom), reduce the dosage of drugs at least twice.
Pruning
The best time for cutting Kalanchoe is the flowering period - it is at this moment that the plant becomes weaker. The peduncle is cut to the very base, otherwise the remaining part may rot. Do not spare the plant - cut off all weak leaves, stems and peduncles that have a painful appearance. Only the youngest and strongest, healthy shoots take root. In summer, the upper shoots are attached to stimulate lateral growth. Otherwise, the plant will become sloppy, begin to grow ugly.
Transfer
As mentioned above, Kalanchoe flowers do not require frequent transplantation, but once a year this is necessary. In the case of already quite mature plants, it is completely permissible to simply pour a little fresh soil into the pot. Young Kalanchoe is transplanted in late March.
For transplantation, use a pot whose diameter should be a couple of centimeters larger than the previous one. It is necessary to take out the plant from the old pot very carefully, since due to its fragile roots and stems it is quickly damaged. The composition of the soil in the new pot should include sand, sheet and turf soil in equal proportions. A small amount of humus is acceptable.
Propagation by cuttings
The most popular and effective method of propagating Kalanchoe is cuttings. But this method is not suitable for all its varieties. For example, it is permissible to cut Mangin and Blossfeld. Cuttings of the upper shoots serve as cuttings. The strongest and most healthy parts of the plant, covered with succulent leaves, are selected. The length of the cut stem must be at least 8 centimeters. And its landing in the ground is carried out in such a way that the lower leaves are on the surface. After the rooting period ends, the plant should begin to pinch to obtain a lush and flowering bush.
Seed propagation
Felt and cirrus varieties of Kalanchoe flowers are propagated by seeds. These exotic plants are quite difficult to find for sale in adulthood, therefore, reproduction is carried out by collecting and planting seeds. This process is carried out at the end of winter or early spring. Seeds scatter on the surface of the soil, which consists of a mixture of sand, humus and peat. After that, the seeds are covered with a film or glass and periodically moistened until seedlings appear, which will be ready for transplanting. The temperature in the room where Kalanchoe is grown should not be higher than twenty degrees.
Disease
Like any other home plant, Kalanchoe flowers are susceptible to the negative effects of various diseases. In this section, we will describe how to recognize them and prevent the death of the plant.
There are three aggressive viruses that, when a plant is damaged, do not give it a chance of survival - a ring-shaped virus and an abnormal growth virus, as well as a virus that causes the petals to turn green. The first appears in bright spots on the leaves, the second brightens the young leaves and makes the old coarsened and ugly. Unfortunately, the only way to combat these diseases is to completely destroy the plant.
Powdery mildew is one of the most common diseases of both garden plants and indoor plants. Kalanchoe flower, as well as its leaves and stems are covered with a white coating, similar to flour. The plant can be saved by biological fungicides - "Strobi", "Topaz".
Gray rot manifests itself in the form of translucent and soft patches of leaves, and when the humidity is high, the plant may become gray coated. To destroy this disease, reduce air humidity and remove affected parts of the plant, as well as wipe off excess dew. With a more severe infection, Kalanchoe flowers are treated with the preparations of Skor or Purebloom.
Pests
Multi-claw mites infect Kalanchoe flowers, harming the cuttings and leaves of the plant - they harden, become covered with brown bark and stop growing. Small white mites actively multiply and become clearly visible on the leaves of the plant. With a weak lesion, treatment with a soapy solution is sufficient; with a stronger one, fungicidal and insecticidal preparations such as Fitoverma, Acarina should be used.
The appearance of ticks can be recognized by small yellow specks of droplets on parts of the plant. The next stage of infection will be discoloration and drying of the leaves. The main location of these insects is considered the lower part of the leaf, which they entangle with a cobweb. To avoid the appearance of these pests, you should maintain dry and warm air in the room, as well as treat the plant with a soapy solution for prevention.
In case of damage to the flowers, Kalanchoe aphids should be treated with tobacco dust or with Iskra and Actellik preparations. Damage consists in twisting and drying of the leaf, in some cases aphid secretions appear at all.
Another pest of Kalanchoe is the worm. He leaves on the veins of the plant a whitish coating, similar to wax. If treatment with mineral oil does not help, then the plant must be destroyed.