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Flower growers at home grow many species of such a diverse and at the same time unpretentious plant as Kalanchoe. On the windowsills today you can see the spectacular Kalanchoe Blossfeld inflorescences, the sharp leaves of Kalanchoe Degremona strewn with children, as well as the gray-gray, covered with felt patina, variegated and purple bushes of outwardly different, but belonging to the same genus, come from subtropical and tropical Africa, Australia and Asia. Lovers of indoor floriculture Kalanchoe attracts and unusual appearance, and simple care, numerous methods of reproduction and the ability to achieve flowering of this plant.
If in nature, different types of Kalanchoe in height can reach from 20 cm to 4 meters, in the pot culture these perennial herbaceous shrubs do not exceed half a meter, grow well and regularly delight with the appearance of inflorescences.
For plants from fairly warm corners of the world to feel well on the windowsill in the apartment, even such an unpretentious culture as Kalanchoe, at home without care, transplantation, proper watering and other conditions of life are indispensable. Most of the rules for growing Kalanchoe for indoor species of plants are common. This concerns the issues of planting young bushes obtained from cuttings, leaves or daughter rosettes and transplanting mature plants that need to expand their “living space”.
Do you need a Kalanchoe transplant during flowering?
Kalanchoe with good care grows quite quickly, while not only the elevated part of the growth, but also the root system. This means that from time to time the plants need to be transplanted into a larger pot or planted several Kalanchoe in separate containers. How to transplant Kalanchoe? And when is it better to carry out this procedure in order to injure the plant less and not to prevent its flowering?
Often Kalanchoe of such ornamental species as Kalandiva and Blossfeld come into the house already flowering. At the same time flower growers face a difficult problem. Should I immediately transplant Kalanchoe, which adorn inflorescences of all shades?
If the shrub is transplanted during the flowering period, for the plant it will become stress, to which it will respond with a fall of buds and a long, painful acclimatization.
It is better to postpone all bush manipulations until the moment when the flower stalks have faded and will be cut. And before this time it is necessary to create acceptable temperature conditions for Kalanchoe, to ensure proper watering and lighting for the indoor plant. Before planting Kalanchoe manufacturers, a certain amount of long-lasting dressings is surely added to the soil, which should be sufficient before the end of flowering.
The only really serious problem at this time is the possible drying out of the soil in a small transporting pot. It can be solved by placing the plant in a suitable size pots, and on the surface of the soil to make a mulch layer of nutshell, sawdust, pebbles or other material. The first Kalanchoe transplant at home is best done in the spring, when the light day begins to arrive, flowering is completed, and the plant is ready to gain strength and grow.
Home-transplanted Kalanchoe
As in the following years, the first transplant is performed with extreme caution.
Before planting Kalanchoe in a new container, pay attention to the state of the root system and the stalks of Kalanchoe.
Such an inspection is necessary because of the sensitivity of the Kalanchoe roots to stagnant moisture and excessive irrigation.
- If dark spots of rot or mold are observed on the roots, these areas are removed and the pruning sites are treated with crushed coal.
- If the lesion has affected the stems, then the sprout will have to be cut below the damaged tissue so that later its healthy part can be used as a cutting and seeding Kalanchoe.
The plant is taken out of the pot along with an earthy clod, trying not to lose the existing soil and not to damage the roots. To facilitate the process, shortly before transplanting Kalanchoe well watered. This is extremely useful if you have to seat the Kalanchoe, for example, removing small daughter plants, rooted cuttings or rosettes that have fallen from the leaves from under a large bush.
Then the lump is carefully placed on a ground-sprinkled drainage, filling the empty spaces around the plant with soil, slightly compacting it. Finally, level the surface of the soil and mulch with a layer of pebbles, crushed shells or large chips. This method of taking care of Kalanchoe during a home transplant will reduce moisture loss and prevent mildew from developing, as well as prevent children and falling Kalanchoe leaves from contacting the ground and taking root.
Choosing a pot for Kalanchoe
A new pot for a bush is taken a couple centimeters larger than the previous one. The optimal size of the hill for Kalanchoe is from 12 to 18 cm, depending on the variety and variety.
Flowering varieties do not like the neighborhood of other plants, even related species. But if an overly wide pot is chosen for transplanting Kalanchoe such plants, this can lead to the growth of the green part of the bush and the rejection of flowering. It is possible to get out of the situation by planting a pair of young rosettes from the same scrub or from the children to the Kalanchoe. Room beds of several plants that give inflorescences of different shades at the same time will look even more spectacular.
Kalanchoe, under natural conditions growing in arid deserts, for example, felt varieties or Kalanchoe Lucia, coexist well with other plants with a similar lifestyle. From these types of Kalanchoe you can create indoor gardens that imitate the corners of the rocky desert of southern Africa or Madagascar, which will be a unique addition to the interior. The best material for a pot is unglazed ceramics, in which all pores are preserved, which means the plant breathes, and from the soil naturallyexcess moisture is removed.
Before being transferred to the selected pot, the container is washed with hot water and treated with a solution of potassium permanganate.
Soil for Kalanchoe
If the soil in the transport pot of Kalanchoe is predominantly a mixture of peat and coconut fiber, then in a permanent place the plant will be more comfortable in nutritious loose soil of a more harmonious composition that must be maintained during subsequent bush transplants. This technique allows you to minimize the adaptation of the Kalanchoe to new conditions.
For Kalanchoe, a soil with an acidity level of 5.0 to 6.5 is preferred. Such an indicator can be achieved by adding dolomite or lime flour to the soil.
The soil suitable for Kalanchoe should pass oxygen and water well, provide adequate nutrition and not contain toxic or plant-hazardous components:
- You can take the soil as a ready-mixed soil for flower plants, diluting it with a quarter of pure sand.
- It is possible to use a primer for succulents for the Kalanchoe deserts that are used to harsh desert conditions.
But it is better to prepare the soil for Kalanchoe yourself, in equal shares by mixing high-quality humus, garden soil and coarse sand.
To add structure to the ground, add one part of a mixture of brick or expanded clay crumb and crushed coal.
Since there are a lot of plant varieties, but they are all quite unpretentious to the proposed soils, then as a soil for Kalanchoe you can use a mixture of:
- 4 parts of purified peat;
- 2 pieces of turf land;
- 1 part of river sand.
In order to protect the plant from dangerous fungal infections and Kalanchoe pests that remain in the humus and on the ground, the soil must be steamed or heated in an oven before planting. Do not forget about the drainage. This is a mandatory part of the arrangement of a pot for Kalanchoe. The drainage layer, not less than 2 cm thick, is made of fine expanded clay or crushed bricks.
After transplantation, the calanchoe undergoes acclimatization, during which the plant requires support. Such special care for Kalanchoe after a home transplant becomes top dressing, which is carried out twice a month until the beginning of autumn.
How to plant Kalanchoe outdoors?
In the middle lane and in warmer areas of the country, from the second half of April or in May, Kalanchoe can be carried out to a veranda, loggia or balcony.
Care in the open field is no different from what the plant receives in the room. And it is necessary to replant Kalanchoe in home conditions after pruning, in mid-August, when the nights become cold.
