How to propagate kalanchoe
Kalanchoe plants are one of the most popular houseplants, and for a good reason.
Not only do they come in a wide variety of shapes and colors, but they also grow easily from cuttings, leaves, or seeds.
Kalanchoes propagate best when taken from another healthy kalanchoe plant and produce new leaves.
You can then place these pieces into fresh potting soil to create your kalanchoe plants.
What You’ll Learn
How to propagate kalanchoe from leaves?
The first step is to select a healthy, mature leaf.
Ensure the leaves are free of fungi and pests before taking them for propagation.
Use sharp scissors or a knife to cut off about half an inch below the main stem under mature leaves that have fallen from the plant.
Make sure you leave behind at least two nodes ( points where new stems can emerge from ) as it is necessary for the propagation.
After this, you need to allow the leaf-cutting to dry out completely before planting.
It would be better to place them in a shady area or under direct sunlight but not on top of the soil where they might rot away.
If there are two healthy nodes left behind after pruning, you can plant them into pots or soil.
If they are cuttings with only one node, the best place to put them would be inside a humidifier with at least 50% humidity.
This will encourage rooting and leaf growth.
Once they have grown roots of about an inch long, it's time for planting.
You can begin to plant them in pots or soil.
You can also root the leaves by placing them inside a humidity dome, which you should keep moist and warm ( 70 degrees Fahrenheit ) for about two weeks.
After this phase, remove the leaf-cutting from the domed environment to get proper air circulation, light, and temperature.
Keep an eye out for any signs of pests and diseases in the newly planted leaves.
By following these steps, you should be able to propagate kalanchoe from leaves easily at home.
How to propagate kalanchoe from cuttings?
The first step is to choose healthy leaves.
You don't want any leaves that are damaged or have spots.
On the other hand, you do not want them to be overly green either.
Make your cut just before a leaf joint with another leaf and make sure it is at least three inches long, including the petiole (leaf stem).
Once you have your cutting, first make sure the end is dry by allowing it to sit for a day or two.
This will also allow any bacteria on the cut surface of the leaf to die off before planting.
Then push it into some well-drained soil that has been fertilized with some slow-release fertilizer like Osmocote.
You can also dip the cut end of the cutting into a rooting hormone like Clonex to help increase your chances of success.
Water sparingly at first, gradually increasing as new roots form.
Keep in mind that kalanchoe is succulent, so it does not need a lot of water.
Too much water will cause the plant to rot.
The soil should stay just moist, not soggy, and never dry.
Give your cutting plenty of sunshine in a warm location if possible, but be sure they are protected from the hottest part of the day as this can also burn them.
Kalanchoe cuttings should start to root in about four to six weeks, and once they have, you can gradually begin weaning them off the fertilizer.
Can I root kalanchoe in water?
Yes, kalanchoe can be rooted in water.
It is very easy to root the Kalanchoe cuttings when using this method.
Make sure that your plant has long stems before taking a cutting it.
Long stem helps easier propagation in water with minimal damage to the plant tissue or leaf edge.
Take a sharp knife or scissors and cut the stem just below a node (the point where the leaves grow from the stem).
Remove any leaves from the bottom half of the cutting.
Fill a small container with water and place your kalanchoe cutting in it.
Make sure that the cutting is completely submerged in water.
Place the container in a well-lit area.
Change the water every few days to keep it clean and fresh for an optimal rooting environment.
Your kalanchoe cutting should root within several weeks.
Once the roots are long enough, your cutting can be planted into potting mix or soil mixture with equal parts sand and perlite.
Transplant carefully since kalanchoe is a fragile plant.
How to propagate kalanchoe from seeds?
The first step is to remove the seeds from mature Kalanchoe blossfeldiana flowers.
The next step is to place them in a clean and dry container, with enough moist sphagnum moss around the seedlings so that they will not dry out.
After about two weeks of stratification (cold period for better germination), plant each seed about half an inch deep in a seed starter mix.
Place the container with seeds under fluorescent lights and keep them warm, about 70 degrees Fahrenheit (20 Celsius).
Some gardeners also place a heating mat underneath their germination containers to ensure they stay at optimal temperatures for the better growth of young plants.
The next step is to provide proper light and monitor the moisture levels.
You should start seeing seeds sprouting in about three weeks, and then you can transplant them to small pots filled with potting soil once they reach a height of one inch (two centimeters).
The final step is to place the young plants under fluorescent lights or, even better, LED grow lights and continue to water and fertilize them according to their needs.
Kalanchoe propagation from seeds is not difficult, but it does require some attention to detail to achieve the best results.
With a little bit of care, you can soon have plenty of new Kalanchoe plants to share with your friends and family.
Do kalanchoe flowers have seeds?
Kalanchoe flowers are quite small, so it might be hard to tell if they have seeds or not.
The kalanchoe plant also produces very few flowers each year, making their presence much less obvious than other plants that produce more frequently.
Kalanchoe is a succulent and does propagate from cuttings like most succulents.
The plant does not produce seeds that grow into new plants, so propagating from cuttings is the only way to propagate and expand your kalanchoe collection.
I hope this works.
If it does, you will have a whole bunch of kalanchoe plants ready for the holidays.
They are easy to find at garden centers in early fall after they die back during winter, so keep your eyes open.
I would love to hear about how these grow and what holiday colors you choose if you try this project.