With the advent of winter, lush caps of flowering Kalanchoe of all shades of the rainbow appear in the windows of flower shops. Many people buy them as a gift close to the holiday, and then wonder about proper care. Maintaining the attractive appearance of Kalanchoe Blossfeld is not difficult, but you will have to work hard to resume its flowering.
Kalanchoe Blossfeld, how it looks, to which family it belongs
Flowering perennial herbaceous plant Kalanchoe Blossfeld (lat. Kalanchoe blossfeldiana) is a succulent, part of the family Crassulaceae (lat. Crassulaceae). In the wild, it is found only in Madagascar. Sometimes on sale you can see plants under the most intricate names, for example, "Brosselfeld Kalanchoe", but this is an erroneous name.
Simple flowers of Kalanchoe Blossfeld
Leafless branching juicy shoots form a crown of a plant up to 30 cm high. Large ovoid leaves with town-shaped edges are painted in green or dark green, sometimes with a reddish border. The plant blooms with tassels, in which numerous buds bloom with simple odorless 4-petal corollas, mostly dark red.
Note! All varieties of Kalanchoe Blossfeld bloom from December to May.
Briefly about the history of the appearance, the use of leaves
For the first time, the German botanist Karl von Pellnitz described the succulent in 1934. He published an article in a periodical, where he gave a detailed description of the characteristics of the plant. The name is given in honor of Robert Blossfeld - a famous German breeder.
Unlike other species of Kalanchoe, Blossfeld is grown for its attractive appearance. For medicinal purposes, use the juice of foliage, using it as an anti-burn agent, as well as to restore damaged skin (from scratches, abrasions, cuts).
Popular varieties
At the end of the last century, breeders of Denmark and Holland bred numerous varieties of Kalanchoe Blossfeld, differing from natural forms by the splendor of flowering and more compact crown size. Now you can buy a plant with flowers of white, orange, pink, yellow, moreover, not only with simple corollas (4-8 petals), but also with double ones (up to 30 petals). A group of hybrids based on Kalanchoe Blossfeld was given the common name Kalandiva and has a long flowering period (up to 6 months).
Variegata
The variety is distinguished by a special coloring of the leaves. They are lighter than usual, while being covered with chaotic spots and stripes of white, cream and pinkish tint. Along the edge there may be a reddish border. Blooms Variegata mainly red and coral flowers.
Kalanchoe blossfeldiana Variegata
Rosalind (Pink Flaming Katy)
The rosebud variety with a compact bush no more than 25 cm high and very large wide leaves. Corollas of flowers - double, terry. Petals from the face are brighter than from the inside, painted in a delicate pink tint, darkening as they are completely dissolved. The usual flowering time is spring, but under optimal conditions it can again produce peduncles several times a year.
Kalanchoe blossfeldiana Pink Flaming Katy
Kalandiva mini (Liliput)
Variety series obtained on the basis of the Kalandiva line. The flowers are numerous double, painted in pink, white, yellow, red shades. A distinctive feature is the maximum compactness of the bush. The height of the plant does not exceed 10-15 cm together with peduncles.
Kalanchoe blossfeldiana Calandiva mini
Shell pink
The plant is very popular. Its peduncles are large corymbose caps of numerous buds (up to 60 on each). At first, the petals are painted in a simple white-green hue, but as they dissolve, they become pale pink with barely noticeable veins. Although there are only 4 petals in each corolla, the variety is not inferior in appearance to inferior varieties of roses.
Kalanchoe blossfeldiana Shell Pink
Grandiva
Variety series with large flowers up to 2 cm across. Shades of petals are very different: pink, purple, violet, orange, lilac. The leaves are large and form a bowl, from which short thick peduncles, crowned with unusually large terry buds, tend upward.
Kalanchoe blossfeldiana Grandiva
Kalanchoe Blosfeldiana mix
Under this name, terry varieties belonging to the Kalandiva group are often sold in retail chains. They come in a variety of shades: white, red, purple, orange, yellow, violet, etc. Each year new shades appear, resulting from the hard work of breeders of large European nurseries.
Multi-colored Kalanchoe Blossfeld
Tom Thumb Tetra and Orange Triumph
Variety series, which is easy to identify by a large crown (up to 30 cm in height) with large wide leaves, as well as flowers with 4 petals, similar to small stars. It included specimens with red and orange flowers that form on short, juicy peduncles in the form of loose brushes or corymbose inflorescences. For indoor content, this variety is 100% suitable, characterized by unpretentiousness and increased immunity.
Kalanchoe Tom Thumb
Kalanchoe Blossfeld - home care
Growing succulents at home is easy. He dies extremely rarely, but often loses his decorative effect with a lack of light. You can achieve repeated flowering when certain conditions are created.
Illumination and temperature
Kalanchoe requires a lot of sun, so it is better to put the pot on a south, southeast or southwest window. In partial shade, the plant will not die, but it will stretch out a lot, its leaves will become smaller, decorativeness will suffer significantly.
The optimum temperature in the warm season is + 18 ... +25 ° С. Since the end of autumn, the pot is rearranged in a cool, bright place, since the reduction of daylight hours in the heat leads to a strong extension of the stems.
Note! Allowed to lower the temperature to +10 ° C.
Watering rules and humidity
Watering Kalanchoe is performed during the warm season after drying out the soil in a pot by one third. If watered more abundantly, the root system may rot. In winter, watered no more than 1 time per month. Spraying the plant is not required even in the heat, but from time to time it should be gently bathed under a warm shower to wash off the dust from the leaves.
Top dressing and soil quality
The optimal reaction of soil pH should be 6.0-6.5. The substrate is prepared in such a way as to obtain a not-so-nutritious mixture, but excellent water and air passing through it. Coarse sand, crushed charcoal, and vermiculite are added to the universal soil for succulents. Kalanchoe feeding is required from May to September, but not more than 1 time per month, with complex mineral fertilizer for succulents, for example, Agricola.
Flower Tank Size
The flower pot is chosen so that it not only contains the root system, but also has a small gap for its growth. The height of the container should be slightly less than its width. A drainage layer of expanded clay or small pebbles must be laid at the bottom.
Plant Transplant Features
Succulents are not transplanted often, since it grows very slowly. An adult plant will need to change the soil and pot every 2-3 years, and young bushes up to 3 years old need annual transshipment, which is usually carried out in May.
Important! Immediately after the transplant, you don’t need to water the Kalanchoe, leaving it for several days without water to acclimatize the root system.
Flowering and dormancy
The Kalanchoe Blossfeld purchased at the flower shop will bloom only when appropriate conditions are created for this:
- For 1 month, watering is stopped.
- All this time, the pot is left in the window in the light only for 5-6 hours a day, and the rest of the time the plant is in a dark cabinet or under a lightproof cap.
- After that resume standard care.
When these activities are performed, the flower buds are laid. If this does not happen, the plant is still young - you should wait 6 months and repeat all the procedures.
Type and shape of flowers
Flowers of modern varieties of Kalanchoe can be simple (monophonic corollas with 4 petals), semi-double and double. The size of the corolla ranges from 4 mm to 2 cm across. Buds can be collected in loose brushes or corymbose inflorescences.
Half Terry Flowers Kalanchoe Blossfeld
Propagation of Kalanchoe Blossfeld
Succulent is easy to breed. The seed method is used to obtain new shades of flowers, crossing different varieties. Leaves and cuttings propagate existing specimens.
Leafy and stem cuttings
Each leaf of Kalanchoe, along with cuttings, is an excellent planting material. The cut part of the plant is left to airy for 2-3 days. Then the stalk is immersed in a substrate and awaiting rooting within 2-3 months. Watering at this time is carried out only after the soil has completely dried, so as not to provoke rotting.
Note! The leaves of the flower take root much longer than the cuttings.
Seeds
Sowing seeds is carried out almost immediately after receiving them. They retain germination for no more than 1 year. Sprouts appear at a temperature of + 20 ... +22 ° C after 10 days. If they did not appear, then the seed has lost its germination. Seedlings leave to grow up to 2-3 pairs of leaves, and then planted on individual containers.
Possible problems with growing Kalanchoe
Kalanchoe extremely negatively perceives overflow, especially with a simultaneous decrease in air temperature in the house. This is signaled by yellowing, losing elasticity leaves, dark spots and dried areas appear on them.
Are there any diseases and pests
With improper care, the plant suffers from fungal diseases. At the first symptoms, the bush should be treated with a fungicide and left for 2-3 weeks without watering, since the absorption capacity of the roots at this time is significantly reduced.
Additional Information. Scutellaria, spider mite, aphids willingly settle on Kalanchoe bushes. Treatment with an acaricide or systemic insecticide (for example, Actara) allows you to solve the problem quickly and without threat to neighboring plants.
In winter and early spring, elegant pots with flowering Kalanchoe bushes are a popular and welcome present. Caring for them is very simple. This will allow you to admire the luxurious bouquet for a very long time, and if you so desire, repeat it.
