The Kalanchoe is sometimes referred to as a “throwaway plant” because the attractive succulent ends up in the trash as soon as it flowers. That's a shame, because if you pay attention to a few points when caring for it, it will bloom persistently and be a pretty splash of color on the windowsill when hardly any other houseplant has flowers.
Why isn't my Kalanchoe blooming?
A Kalanchoe may not bloom if it receives too much light, inadequate care, or does not receive adequate rest. To encourage flowering, keep the plant in less than nine hours of light per day and water and feed carefully.
The plant of short days
The Kalanchoe only opens its beautiful flowers when it receives less than nine hours of light. In our latitudes, this period falls in the winter months, because only then are the days short enough.
Why are Kalanchoes blooming all year round?
Kalanchoes are one of those plants that are very easy to reproduce. Due to the many different flower colors or interesting leaf patterns, they can also be wonderfully combined with other plants to create attractive bowl plants. Nurseries use special techniques to control the flowering period so that this is possible.
Unfortunately, many plant lovers view the Kalanchoe as an annual plant. However, it thrives perennial and reliably blooms again and again on the windowsill at home.
The Kalanchoe doesn't produce flowers, why?
The plant is probably in a room that is illuminated by artificial light in the winter months. The Kalanchoe doesn't care whether natural or artificial light plays around its leaves, it is bright and therefore there is no incentive to produce flowers.
Covering Kalanchoe
To make the Kalanchoe bloom, do the following:
Cut a cardboard box to completely cover the plant
- Put this over the succulent around 5 p.m.
- and don't take it off again until around eight o'clock.
It will now take about a month until the first flowers appear.
Care errors
These can also cause the Kalanchoe not to bloom:
- Watering the succulent too often can cause root rot, which will stunt growth and eventually cause the plant to die.
- If you fertilize too much or too little, this will also affect flower formation.
- If the plant has flowered for several months, it is exhausted and needs a rest period.
Tip
If the Kalanchoe does not bloom despite correct care and darkening, you can try to stimulate the formation of new flowers by cutting it back.
