In the middle of winter, garden centers as well as discount and grocery stores carry pots of kalanchoe in full bloom. It's hard to resist these cheery plants with scalloped leaves and numerous clusters of bright flowers. Once the flowers fade, it won't bloom again without special care. In the Bay Area, grow kalanchoe as a houseplant or an outdoor container plant that you can bring indoors if frost threatens.
Place kalanchoe plants in a south-facing window where they will receive a long period of bright sunlight each day. Outdoors, they need filtered sunlight or shifting shade. An ideal outdoor location is under a tree with an open canopy where you see moving patterns of light and shade throughout the day.
Water the plant in spring, summer and fall when the soil dries to a depth of about an inch. This is approximately the length of your index finger to the first knuckle, so sticking your finger into the soil is a convenient way to check the moisture. Add water until it drains out of the holes in the bottom of the pot. After 20 minutes, empty the saucer so that the plant isn't standing in water. In winter, the plant enters a resting phase and doesn't need much water. Allow the soil to dry out between waterings.
Fertilize kalanoche plants in spring and summer with a liquid houseplant fertilizer mixed at half strength. Do not fertilize in fall and winter.
Clip out the flower stems with scissors after the flowers fade to keep the plant tidy.
Repot the plant annually in spring using a regular houseplant potting soil and a pot about an inch larger in diameter. Remove as much of the old potting soil as possible and skip the next scheduled fertilization.
Move the plant to a room where no lights are used at night in fall.
Cover the plant with an inverted cardboard box to make sure that no light reaches it. Leave the box in place for 14 hours each night.
Place the plant in a bright window after 14 days. You should see blooms about six weeks later.
Things You Will Need
- Liquid houseplant fertilizer
- Sharp scissors
- Potting soil
- Cardboard box
- The most common kalancohe is K. blossfeldiana. Other types include K. tomentosa, which features thick, felted, pointed leaves tinged with brown, and K. diagremontiana, noted for the tiny, rooted plantlets that grow along the edges of the leaves. All kalanchoes need the same care.
- When kalanchoes are placed outdoors, check the soil moisture frequently. Sun and wind cause rapid evaporation.
- The Complete Houseplant Survival Manual; Barbara Pleasant
- Indoor Plants: The Essential Guide to Choosing and Caring for Houseplants; Jane Courtier, et al.
- Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images