Kalanchoe Plant – Red

Size: Single plant without flower | 2.5″ Pot Included

The Kalanchoe plant is a popular blooming succulent houseplant. It is low-maintenance, modern and stunningly beautiful with its bright blooms. There are many studies about the benefits of plants increasing mood and health. The Kalanchoe plant makes a great gift for any occasion.

Where to Plant Kalanchoe

Kalanchoe grows best in a bright, sunny window inside a house. Patios or entry gardens with plenty of morning light are great spots for potted kalanchoe plants outdoors.

How and When to Plant Kalanchoe

Kalanchoe is an easy-care container plant, whether indoors or outdoors. Plant in well-draining soil in a clay pot, and keep them where they get lots of indirect light. For six weeks in the winter, make sure your kalanchoe is in complete darkness to allow for spring blooms to develop.

Kalanchoe Care Tips

Kalanchoe thrives in a range of environments, indoors and outdoors. If cared for properly, it can live for decades. Make sure not to overwater kalanchoe, which can cause root rot and prevent leaves from growing and blooms from flowering. You’ll know you’ve given your plant too much water if its leaves start to droop.

Light

Kalanchoe needs bright, indirect sunlight when grown indoors and at least 8 hours of direct sunlight outdoors. For it to bloom, it requires a period of six weeks with 14 hours of darkness. Around four months after this dark period, kalanchoe will bloom with colorful flowers.

Soil and Water

Before watering, check the soil. If it’s dry to the touch, water the plant. If the soil is moist, wait a few days and recheck the soil. Generally, kalanchoe will need water about once every other week. When in bloom, kalanchoes require more water. Because kalanchoe is a succulent, it will be fine if you’re a few days late watering it. Keep well-drained, sandy soil evenly moist, not soggy. Plant in a clay pot to help remove excess water from the soil.

Temperature and Humidity

Kalanchoe will tolerate most indoor environments (55ºF-80ºF) except freezing temperatures, which will kill them. They are also fine with most humidity levels.

Fertilizer

For kalanchoe planted outdoors, fertilize once in the spring. Indoor plants should be fed once a month with a well-balanced mixture, following the manufacturer’s instructions, but only in spring and summer. Don’t fertilize in winter. Use a high-phosphorous fertilizer if blooms are sparse.

Pruning

Pinch back kalanchoe stems for better blooms and to keep its shape. Groom in spring, when the plant is in growth mode. Don’t prune during winter, when it’s dormant.

How to Pot and Repot Kalanchoe

Repot kalanchoe with fresh potting mix in a larger container each autumn after blooming to encourage further growth. Deadhead flowers to keep blooms growing. When planting or moving kalanchoe, be careful of their tender branches; they break easily.

Pests and Problems

Most of the time, problems with kalanchoe are due to over or underwatering or if they’re in the wrong environment. Make sure they’re never exposed to temperatures below 50ºF, as this can damage leaves or make blooms smaller than they should be. Keep sunlight indirect so their leaves don’t scorch, and if their stems are soft, cut back on water.

How to Propagate Kalanchoe

It’s beneficial to kalanchoe to trim stems for propagation. It takes the pressure off the plant to support new growth. After cutting a stem from kalanchoe, let it dry for a few days. Once the cut end has healed, dip it in rooting hormone and add it to the soil that’s the same as the original plant lives in. Leave the cut stem in indirect sunlight for a month, and don’t water it. After the month ends, you can treat it like a mature plant.

To grow from seeds, in early spring, add seeds to the top layer of a porous potting mix, but leave seeds uncovered so they get the light they need to germinate. Then, cover the container with a plastic bag for about ten days, when the seeds should have germinated. Transplant after two months to pots or outdoors.