Kalanchoe Kalanchoe

Fat family. Homeland South and Southeast Asia, South America. There are more than 200 species in nature. These are succulent plants that appeared in Russia for a very long time, they are grown as ornamental-flowering plants, and as medicinal ones. Kalanchoe has many folk names: tree of life, room doctor, room ginseng, they say "surgeon without a knife" about him. Its great virtue is that it is completely safe. When it comes to choosing colors for the child, in the nursery, Kalankhoe is the best fit.

Viviparous species of calanchoe, which form along the edge of the leaf of children - small daughter rosettes - can be found under the name bryophyllum. They breed very easily, and with children and cuttings.

Calanchoe species

• Kalanchoe Blossfeld Kalanchoe blossfeldiana is a native of Madagascar, a low-branched, erect shrub, about 30 cm high with opposite rounded or oblong leaves, wavy along the edge, about 5-7 cm long. The flowers are small - about 1 cm in diameter, bright red, they look spectacular in inflorescences - umbrellas. Flowering from March to June, very abundant. There are varieties with orange, yellow and other flowers.
  Blossfeld's Calanchoe

  Blossfeld's Calanchoe

  Blossfeld's Calanchoe
• Kalanchoe Kalandiva Kalanchoe blossfeldiana 'Calandiva' is a very popular variety of Blossfeld's terry kalanchoe, its flowers are multi-petalled like miniature roses. The color of the flowers of Kalandiva is very different - white, yellow, pink, red. Plants are compact, flowering abundant.
  Kalankhoe Kalandiwa

  Kalankhoe Kalandiwa

  Kalankhoe Kalandiwa
• Kalanchoe Mangina Kalanchoe manginii - has small leaves up to 3 cm long, obovate, with a serrate edge, sitting opposite on short petioles. The corolla of the flower is orange-red, fused into a long tube, about 2-2.5 cm long. Flowers drooping, on long pedicels.
• Kalanchoe Degremon Kalanchoe daigremontiana is native to Madagascar, about 50-70 cm high. A plant with narrowly ovate fleshy leaves (the shape of an elongated triangle), up to 15-20 centimeters long, grayish-green in color, with purple spots on the back. Numerous children form in the recesses along the serrated edge, which easily fly around and root. Inflorescence - panicle, flowers about 1.5 cm in diameter, pink, blooms in winter.
• Kalanchoe dissected (lobed) Kalanchoe laciniata is native to Africa and Asia, a perennial herb with erect (in old plants, lying) shoots. The leaves are deeply dissected, serrate-edged, fleshy, green, shiny. Flowers in small-flowered umbrella-shaped inflorescences. Corolla tubular, short, yellow. The people have the name "Deer horns."
• Kalanchoe feathery Kalanchoe pinnata is a plant with an erect stem, grows up to 80 cm tall at home. The leaves are opposite, on small petioles, young leaves are almost sessile. Leaves on average up to 10 cm long, dense, oval in shape with a serrated edge. Very often, "brood" buds form between the denticles, from which tiny children grow. The inflorescence is a panicle. In flowers, sepals fused into a wide tube up to 3 cm long. The ends of four petals, also fused at the base and bent at the ends, are slightly extended from it. The flowers themselves are not bright. The tube is green, the ends of the petals are pink. The fruit is a box with small seeds.
  Kalankhoe Mangina

  Kalanchoe feathery

  Kalankhoe Boveri
• Kalanchoe Boveri Kalanchoe beauverdii - this plant is distinguished by narrow long leaves up to 5 cm long and 3-5 mm wide, from the base smooth along the edge, serrated at the end. With age, the leaves bend in an arc, in the bright sun they acquire a reddish tint, and a little Shoots are initially erect, but gradually the calanchoe takes an ampel shape. If the stems are not cut, 90-100 cm long grow at home. With age, the green leaves darken, the stems lignify. The flowers are light purple, annulate.
• Kalanchoe behar Kalanchoe beharensis - native to Madagascar, shrub with powerful, little branching shoots. The stem is often exposed from below, the leaves are large, oppositely located, shaped like an elongated triangle, with a wavy edge, covered with a grayish waxy coating. In summer it blooms with yellow small flowers.
• Kalanchoe felt Kalanchoe tomentosa is native to Madagascar, a shrub with erect shoots and pubescent leaves of silver-green color and a brown stripe along the edge. Leaves about 5 cm long, whole or serrate, sessile (without petioles). The inflorescence is a loose spike. The corolla of the flower is tubular, short, white, a thin dark strip in the center of the petal on the outside.
  Calanchoe dissected

  Kalanchoe Degremona

  Calanchoe felt

Calanchoe home care

Temperature

Kalanchoe is not at all demanding on summer temperatures, grows well in any conditions, if watering corresponds (after drying). If possible, it is better to take it out into the fresh air - on the balcony or in the garden. In winter, it is desirable to provide a period of rest for kalanchoe at a temperature of 10-12 ° C and with dry content (i.e., watering is rare, about once a month). Winter minimum + 8 ° С, and with complete dryness and insulation of the pot + 4 ° С (insulation in the form of foam rubber or an additional pot with filling the voids with sawdust). The difference in daily temperatures of 5-7 ° C contributes to the formation of buds and flowering.

Lighting

Kalanchoe is a light-loving flower, it needs bright intense lighting, with direct sunlight, preferably in the morning and/or evening. The western and eastern windows are well suited for growing calanchoes, on the southern window, you may need shading during the hottest hours of the day at noon, in winter shading is not required even on the southern windowsill. Species with pubescent leaves, like calanchoe felt, are more tolerant of direct hot sun, do not grow completely in a shaded place, stretch and grind the leaves. But Blossfeld's calanchoe blooms profusely only in sufficient light and a long daylight day. In winter, when illuminated, it is also possible to get flowering, since the dormant period is not mandatory for it.

Watering

Kalanchoe is watered like all succulents - moderately during the period of growth and flowering (in spring and summer), less often in autumn. In winter, depending on the temperature - in the presence of a cold period of rest, water is limited. Overdrying the Kalanchoe is relatively easy to tolerate, and excessive watering can lead to the death of the plant. The general rule for watering Kalankhoe is mandatory drying of the upper part of the soil. In summer, the earth should dry out in the upper third of the pot, in winter at 2/3 of the depth of the pot, i.e. almost completely. It is difficult to check the ground for humidity so deeply, so touch the soil from above as soon as it dries, wait with watering for a few more days: when the temperature is about 22-26 ° C - a day or two, at 18-22 ° C - 3-4 days, if below 18 ° C - after drying, wait about another week.

Fertilizing

Kalanchoe can (but does not have to) be fed from late spring to mid-summer with special fertilizer for cacti and other succulents once a month. Suitable POKON for succulents, AVA, Kemira Lux, etc. Fertilizers should contain a small dose of nitrogen, since the increased content of this element contributes to the decay of the roots. Feed flowering calanchoes necessarily, but it is better to feed very small dosages weekly.

Air humidity

Kalanchoe is resistant to dry air, but periodic spraying will not harm at all for hygiene purposes - you need to wash off the dust, and as a tick prevention. Do not spray on buds and blooming flowers.

Calanchoe transplant

Kalanchoe is annually transplanted into the soil of a neutral or slightly acidic reaction with a pH of 5.5-6.5. Pots should not be too spacious, if you noticed that the root system has grown slightly, then transplant to the previous pot, replacing the crumbling earth with fresh one .

Soil for kalankhoe, options:

• 1 part of the turf, 1 part of the leaf, 1 part of the coarse river sand and 1/4 part of the vermiculite.
• 2 parts of universal soil, 1 part of coconut substrate, 1 part of vermiculite, 1 part of humus.
• 1 part of light loam, 1 part of coconut substrate, 1 part of zeolite filler (for cat toilets Barsik Standard).

It is useful to add pieces of birch coals to the soil for kalanchoe. You can also use purchased soil for cacti and succulents, but add humus (well rotted compost 1/6-1/7 part), or universal soil to which add fine expanded clay (2-3 mm) or perlite (1/4-1/3 part of the total volume).

Caring for Kalanchoe at home is not only about maintaining irrigation and temperature. With age, especially after abundant flowering, the plant grows, stretches and exposes, so you need to maintain the decorative appearance of the bush - pinch long shoots, and it is better to cut off the strongly exposed stems, shorten the exposed part and re-root, i.e. rejuvenate the plant. Rejuvenation differs from ordinary reproduction in that all shoots are cut from the mother plant, all of them are shortened, leaving only the juiciest beautiful leaves, put on rooting. And when the roots grow 4-5 cm, all cuttings are planted in one pot, where the mother plant grew.

Calanchoe reproduction

Cuttings, leaf, as well as seeds and children or brood buds (in viviparous species). Reproduction is easy, without stimulants. It is enough to place the handle or sheet in a humid environment - on wet sand or put a sprig in a glass of water. Large cuttings are better rooted in water, small leaves and small cuttings in sand or vermiculite. The optimal time for breeding is from March to June, at other times of the year the kalanchoe also takes root, if it is light and warm enough.

Kalankhoe - care after purchase

It is not difficult to care for kalanchoe, but remember that at home it turns out to be in completely new conditions for it: in the store it is usually darker, watering more often. Therefore, plants are accustomed to sunlight gradually, otherwise it can get burned and drop flowers. To do this, the plant is placed on the windowsill and shaded with cut gauze or tulle, on sunny days. After a few days, the fabric is removed for a while, gradually increasing the time without shading. Then remove completely. It is not necessary to rearrange the blooming kalankhoe from place to place, this can damage flowering. Water should be carefully, as the soil dries, do not forget that Kalanchoe is a succulent.

Medicinal properties of kalanchoe

Do you know that kalanchoe can significantly reduce the amount of harmful microbes in the air of a plant? They not only reduce the number of bacterial and fungal spores in the air, but even have antiviral activity.

Kalanchoe juice is also used in dentistry, in the treatment of gingivitis and stomatitis, for this kalanchoe juice is squeezed onto cotton wool and applied to the gums 3-4 times a day for 10 minutes.

For treatment, you can use fresh calanchoe leaves, but do not lose their medicinal properties and frozen.

The most widespread is calanchoe juice from a runny nose. But adults and children need a different approach to treatment. You can read about the medicinal properties of kalanchoe, how to give kalanchoe to children here ://la-vida.ru/health.php? cod = 498

Kalanchoe diseases

Frequently asked questions about growing Kalankhoe, the experience of professionals.

• Kalanchoe, most often, suffers from a lack of light - with the stems stretching out and the lower leaves flying around, or the leaves turning pale or yellowish green.
• It so happens that after abundant flowering, the calanchoe does not grow, or is exposed - it loses leaves, in such cases, as a rule, it lacks nutrition, so a transplant or feeding is needed.
• Leaves dry and die - when kept in a very warm room in winter, especially near the battery, when affected by pests.
• Brown or black soft spots or mold appeared on the plant - if it is too humid, especially at low temperatures in poorly ventilated rooms.
• The leaves are large juicy green, flowering does not occur - when overfeeding with fertilizers, especially organic or mineral with a high proportion of nitrogen.
• When wintering in too warm conditions, it loses leaves and decorative attractiveness.

The most common pests are mealybugs, scale insects, spider mites.