Unfortunately, the pretty Kalanchoe has almost become something of a throwaway plant. Unfortunately, many plant lovers think that the succulent only thrives as an annual and once it has bloomed, further cultivation is not worth it anyway. Our tips prove that this is not the case, which not only extends the flowering period. Properly cared for, the Kalanchoe blooms every year.
What should you do if a Kalanchoe has faded?
When a Kalanchoe has bloomed, first carefully break out the individual flowers and only cut out the umbels when no new buds grow back. After flowering, care for the plant like a short-day plant to encourage it to bloom again.
Care during flowering
Do not cut out the spent umbels immediately when the first flowers wither. The flowering period can be extended to several months if you proceed as follows:
- Just carefully pinch out the individual flowers.
- Only cut out the flower stems when there are actually no more fresh buds growing.
And what happens after flowering?
The Kalanchoe is one of the short-day plants. This is the name given to plants that can only be exposed to daylight for a few hours in order to flower. If the Kalanchoe has completely bloomed, we recommend the following procedure:
- First cut off everything that has faded.
- In autumn, when the hours of sunshine naturally decrease, do not provide additional lighting to the Kalanchoe.
- The plant should only be exposed to light for about eight hours a day.
- In rooms where artificial lighting is often used, you can imitate the long night hours by cutting a cardboard box and placing it over the plant.
- Inventive natures simply put their Kalanchoe in a cupboard in the evening.
- Lowering the temperature is helpful for flower formation, but it should not fall below 15 degrees.
- It is only watered little by little and not fertilized at all.
As soon as the first flowers appear, the Kalanchoe is watered a little more and fertilized monthly. But be careful: too much water, especially liquid that collects in the saucer and is not poured away, quickly leads to waterlogging.
Tip
Kalanchoes are usually grown indoors. The sun-hungry succulents also feel extremely comfortable outdoors in the warm summer months. It can be kept very sunny here, but the houseplant should be carefully accustomed to the changed conditions in the first few days.
