Colourful Christmas Kalanchoe Plants.
How a Kalanchoe should not look!
I had a beautiful leafy, bright red flowering Christmas Kalanchoe (pronounced “kal-un-KOH-ee”). Note past tense “had”. I was first attracted to the vibrant clusters of flowers at the nursery but they never reappeared after I brought it home. After three years that lush plant is now spindly and not so easy on the eyes. Deep down I’ve hoped the Kalanchoe would somehow “fade away” so I wouldn’t have to be responsible for it any more.
It’s trying hard to stay alive so my guilt is preventing me from tossing it out (it could also be the separation anxiety I suffer from when disposing my things). But, after some coaxing from my boyfriend to put it out of it’s misery and grow new plants from cuttings I’ve decided to give my brown thumb another test.
The Kalanchoe Blossfeldiana (also known as Christmas Kalanchoe, Florist Kalanchoe and I love this name – Flaming Katy) is a succulent native to Madagascar and was introduced in Potsdam, Germany in 1932 by Robert Blossfeld 1932. It produces clusters of small flowers above dark green, waxy leaves in single and double flowering varieties. The flowers come in many bright brilliant colours like white, pink, fuchsia, red, yellow, gold, orange, etc.
From what I gather, they are actually easy to maintain, even for beginners. Well I’ll be darned! This “pre”-beginner has some work to do before reporting back…
I have the same issue with mine! I appears to be flourishing, but, has not flowered again since I brought it home!
I have had mine for 3 yrs. and no flowers. I could have left the pics above and response..how uncanny! Just a month ago I decided to see what a cutting would do and it is growing leaps and bounds!
I am so hoping for it to flower as it becomes mature. These are not inexpensive plants! The adult plant is doing very well so I have no intention of destroying it. The leaves are fine with me. I will take more cuttings from it since the one I have is doing great. I will be patient for flowers!
I live in the Dominican Republic and my Kalanchoe, grown outside are absolutely splendid. Christmas is a week away and they are large plants full of buds. In July they were merely cuttings from the odd leaf.
So starting from the top.. 12 hour days and nights. Shade in the morning hot sun in the afternoons. Temp; July-mid October 34c dropping abruptly to 27c Summers hot and dry. Mid October the rains start and become heavy daily during November and most of December. Ground they are in is full of pebbles with little soil.
Cuttings; a leaf broken off and the end put into water, kept in shade until rooted. Dosnt take long. I filled a dish full, they all rooted well. That was in July.. and are the ones now in full bud and have made large plants.
I believe the sharp temperature drop during mid October intiates the forming of buds as it is so with Phalaenopsis orchids.
Your plants sound amazing Dorne! I think you’re right about the buds forming due to the temperature drop. I’ve heard of different types of plants that will bud or change colours if they are stressed abruptly. It’s much cooler here in the Pacific Northwest so mine are grown indoors. For buds to grow on mine would try “stressing” it with the amount of sunlight/darkeness it receives. Your Kalanchoe is a good example that good drainage is important. Keep up the great work & thanks for stopping by!
we are lookng a kalanchoe & chrysanthemum plants for our qatar plants selling points
Milestone Gadens Nursery
Doha Qatar
+974 55778350
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