Kalanchoe Rosalina®

Kalanchoes are popular succulent houseplants with long-lasting blooms. If you want a succulent houseplant that blooms, well then, let me introduce you to the Kalanchoe , Florist Kalanchoe, or Flaming Katy.

Perhaps you’ve seen one but never brought it home. I want to encourage you to do that because they’re easy to grow and are in bloom for quite a long time. Here’s how to care for flowering kalanchoes & get them to bloom again.

They’re grown in a wide range of colors; most of them are vibrant hues like yellow, pink, magenta, orange, and red. No shrinking violets here! Around the holidays you can more readily find them in white. The foliage makes a statement too because it’s glossy green and the leaves are quite large.

Temperature : Kalanchoe blossfeldiana thrives in a warm, light spot in the living room. It prefers a South-facing window although the Kalanchoe is suitable for anywhere in the home, even in full sun, but do protect it from intense afternoon sun. The Kalanchoe can survive in a cool room – just water less

Lighting preference : These flowering Kalanchoes like bright, natural light. A medium or high light situation is best as long as they’re not getting too much direct sun. Be sure to keep them out of any hot windows because they’ll burn.

Irrigation of water : These plants are Succulents with fleshy leaves and stems (which they store water in) and you don’t want to keep them constantly wet. They need good drainage.

Water yours well, let it all drain out and then water again when dry. That might mean you water yours every 2 weeks. The frequency will vary depending on your temps, light situation, and the size pot your Kalanchoes are in.

Humidity :Kalanchoes grow well in regular to low household humidity. When the humidity is too high, these plants develop plant diseases such as leaf spot or powdery mildew.

Fertilization and feeding :Fertilize monthly when the plant is actively growing with a fertilizer high in nitrogen diluted to 1/2 the recommended strength. If the soil is very dry, moisten the soil with plain water before fertilizing; this prevents the plant food from burning the roots.

 Soil : Use a light soil composed of peat moss, sand, and perlite that drains well for a kalanchoe. When using a basic, store-bought potting soil, be sure to add an equal amount of sand for good drainage.

Toxicity : A Kalanchoe is a poisonous plant and is toxic to cats and dogs. They belong to a group of plants that contain naturally-occurring poisons that affect the heart. The toxins in kalanchoe plants are similar to digitalis or digoxin, a common heart medication used in both human and veterinary medicine. The severity of the injury depends upon the amount of plant eaten. All parts of the plant are considered toxic, even the water in the vase of cut kalanchoe flowers is dangerous.

Pot Size : They rarely need to be in a container larger than 8” wide and 6” deep. Kalanchoe containers must have drip holes in the bottom so excess water can drain out. If the pot is too large and the soil stays wet too long, the roots die.

Pruning : Remove dead or dying flowers as soon as they appear. Cut bare bare stems to keep the plant full and bushy.

Diseases : A kalanchoe plant may get Leaf Spot Disease and powdery mildew. The best way to prevent these plant diseases is to keep the leaves dry and provide good air circulation around the plant. Read more about how to identify and treat these plant diseases in the glossary of the website.