Eternal love and endurance is the Kalanchoe symbolism. Keep these around to be a memorial to a loved one or to validate a budding relationship and continuing devotion to it. Besides, their floral color lights up a room and lasts for months!
Care Level: Green thumb
Pet Friendly: No
Toxic to pets if ingested.
Bloom: Yes
Bright, indirect light to filtered sun.
Allow the soil to dry out completely between waterings.
Doesn't require additional humidity.
Ideally, the Kalanchoe grows best when temperatures are between 60°-85°F. Avoid placing it near a draft or cold spot.
Outside: Grow in partial shade (4-6 hours) where nights are above 60°F. Indoors: The Kalanchoe prefers bright, indirect light for at least six hours in a southern, eastern and western windows.
Fertilize bimonthly during its growing period while the flower is in bloom. Use a balanced liquid fertilizer at 1/2 strength. Reduce during the fall and winter months while the plant is in its dormant phase.
Repot Kalanchoe in the early spring in a well draining succulent and cacti soil mix. Use a container with drainage holes. Place a piece of screening at the bottom of the container over the drainage hole to secure the soil and allow it to drain. Add the mix to the bottom of the new slightly larger container and carefully place it in the center, adding backfill around the edges. Leave a 1/2 inch of space between the soil and the top edge to prevent water spillage. Water as instructed and fertilize with succulent/cacti fertilizer.
Prune any spent blooms from the plant to promote new buds. Trim the stalk back to the second or third leaf. Remove any yellowing leaves from the base and clean debris on the soil. At the end of the growing season, cut all the stems back to prepare it for dormancy and the following year's growth.
Trim a cutting off the plant where it is not flowering, making sure it has at least four to five leaves on it. Remove two to three sets of leaves off the stem with sterile scissors. Allow the stem to callous over for two to three days. This period will protect the new plant from diseases and rotting. Next, take the cutting and dip it in rooting hormone. Use a succulent and cacti mix, and fill the container you're using. Poke the cuttings in the soil and water. Now, create a humidity chamber by spritzing a clear plastic bag and dropping it over the new plant and container. Place the cuttings in bright, indirect light. Keep the soil moist while the cuttings establish roots and leaf growth occurs.
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