Kalanchoe care at home
Few plants boast decorative and medicinal properties at the same time. Among them are Kalanchoe. The thick-stemmed flower from Madagascar requires a little care at home.
Having provided the flower with love and care, you will receive a reward represented by the opportunity to admire the beauty of bright pink flowers. Only the duration of flowering in Kalanchoe is small. And this is good, because some plants, including monstera and dracaena, rarely bloom at home.
Home Care Secrets
- Spring and summer watering. During this period, pour cold water. Water during irrigation should not fall on the stem, otherwise moisture will start the process of decay. The soil should be moist, but not wet. If you have gone too far with water, pour excess from the pan. The plant easily dispenses with watering for up to three days.
- Autumn-winter watering. With the onset of cold weather water Kalanchoe less often. No water should remain in the pan. The flower is afraid of the cold, and even a few drops of liquid become freezing or decaying. Water after the soil has completely dried using old room temperature water.
- Lighting. Kalanchoe cannot grow and develop in the absence of sunlight. During the first half of the day, keep the pot on the illuminated windowsill, and after lunch, move to a darkened place, creating the effect of the night. If it is not possible to move the pot, cover with a handkerchief.
- Temperature. 18 degrees - comfortable temperature. But if the thermometer drops to five degrees, nothing will happen to the flower. As for heat, it is fatal to Kalanchoe. Under such conditions, the plant actively absorbs moisture, which is not completely absorbed.
- Air humidity. The plant does not like excess moisture. Therefore, rooms with a high level of humidity are not suitable for maintenance. Moisture in the air creates an excess of liquid in the stem, and this contributes to the development of mold and fungus.
- Fertilizer and fertilizer. Kalanchoe does not like fertilizer. But with a deficiency of minerals, it is advised to feed with succulent fertilizers in spring or summer, but not in winter. Reduce the dose indicated on the package by half. This home doctor is enough and so many.
- Transfer. The flower grows fast. Even if the size of the stems is small, the root system expands greatly. Transplant Kalanchoe often, performing the procedure in the spring, when the flower is in the active phase. Separate a plant with a small amount of land, remove it from an old flowerpot and plant it in a new pot.
- Adaptation. After transplantation, the adaptation process starts. It is important that the soil in the new pot matches the ground in the previous one. During this period, it will not hurt to feed. Under normal conditions, the plant will take root within a week. When choosing a new pot, it is recommended to leave the choice on a deep model of large diameter.
Kalanchoe should be present in the house of any self-respecting housewife, since it is indispensable in the treatment of various diseases. Following the tips, you will grow a plant that will decorate the house and help with the appearance of health problems.
Kinds
All the people have heard about the miraculous properties of Kalanchoe. Not surprisingly, the plant is found in every home. We discussed the intricacies of flower care, now we will consider the types of Kalanchoe, which are as numerous as varieties of cacti.
A medicinal and ornamental plant is often referred to as a room doctor or a tree of life, like geranium. At the moment, there are about a hundred species. All of them have healing properties. Below I will consider common types of Kalanchoe and their features.
10 most popular types of Kalanchoe:
- Blossomfeld. Small in size up to thirty centimeters with a weakly branched, bare stalk. The length of green ovoid leaves with a red border reaches seven centimeters. Blossoms in pink, orange, yellow or red flowers. Suitable for the treatment of impotence, burns, purulent infections.
- Felt. The plant, growing to thirty centimeters in height, has an erect, leafy trunk. It has green fleshy oval leaves with coarse-edged edges. A thick felt coating is diluted with brown spots. The flowering period is in the middle of summer.
- Cirrus. It grows to a meter high and has an erect stem. The round, fleshy leaves of compact size have a feathery arrangement. Blooms irregularly, throwing asymmetric flowers. This species of the tree of life boasts hemostatic, anti-inflammatory, wound healing and antibacterial properties.
- Behar. Branching trunk and fleshy, opposite, coarse, serrate, gray-coated leaves in the form of a triangle 15 cm long. This species of Kalanchoe blooms in summer, pleasing the eye with yellow flowers.
- Degremona. Appearance is characterized by an erect stem up to half a meter high and triangular, light green leaves with palmate, slightly wrapped edges. The highlight are red or pink flowers. Suitable for combating gastritis, periodontal disease, abscesses, dermatitis and purulent wounds.
- Mangina. Kalanchoe of small height has hanging, thin stems and fleshy, juicy, opposite oval leaves. During the spring season it is covered with medium-sized red flowers.
- Tubular. The peculiarity of the species is considered to be a juicy, bare, green-spotted stem with narrowly linear leaves. In winter, blooms with bell-shaped flowers of a pink or purple hue.
- Lobed. The flower with a fleshy, juicy stalk has fleshy, serrate light green leaves. The species is characterized by abundant flowering, represented by small flowers of a yellow-orange hue.
- Fiery. Such a Kalanchoe grows to a thirty-centimeter height and is endowed with nature by ovoid, narrowed at the base leaflets with palmate edges. During the cultivation, the hosts are pleased with the red-orange flowers up to two centimeters in diameter.
- Marble. It grows up to 50 cm tall and has ovoid leaves with purple or brown spots. From January to April is covered with white flowers.
The most popular varieties of Kalanchoe are presented to your attention. Regardless of the selected species, the plant will delight you with its appearance and beautiful flowering, and to diversify your home garden, grow a croton. This exotic is more demanding in care, but will make Kalanchoe a good company.
Breeding Kalanchoe
All existing varieties are easy to reproduce. To get a dozen beautiful flowerpots with wonderful flowers, a little effort is enough.
Since the flower grows rapidly, gardeners recommend constantly updating it. In just a year, a full-fledged adult plant grows, which is in no way inferior to more adult individuals in terms of appearance and healing properties.
Method One - Siblings
- After flowering is complete, provoke offspring in the plant. To do this, pinch the tops of the shoots. A little later, "kids" will appear next to the mother plant.
- As soon as the size of the daughter plant reaches 30% of the size of an adult, carefully separate and plant in a pot filled with peat-sand composition. After start care.
The second way - cuttings
- Aerial roots appear on the shoots of Kalanchoe, which provide the plant with additional moisture from the air. Cut the stalk from the mother flower and plant it in the ground. As a result, the air roots take root.
- I recommend using the tip of the shoot for cuttings. Place it in a container of water to form roots or plant it in light soil. In a month, the shoot will strengthen in the ground, give roots and release leaflets.
Method Three - Seeds
- Sow seeds in early spring in fertile well-drained soil. To better germinate the seed, cover the pot with a piece of glass or plastic wrap. The result is a greenhouse.
- Ventilate seedlings periodically and spray with warm water. As soon as the shoots appear, open the pot. When the shoots grow up, plant them in pots filled with a mixture of sand, peat and soil.
The listed methods of propagation of Kalanchoe help to timely update existing plants and increase the population. Take this information into service and put into practice, and if you want to look after a more demanding flower, take a look at Dieffenbachia.
The healing properties of Kalanchoe
Kalanchoe is a miraculous plant imported from the African tropics. People call it differently: a green first-aid kit, a family doctor, a tree of life, room ginseng.
The leaves of the plant are especially valuable. They are a source of useful trace elements. Also in the flower contains a considerable amount of vitamin "C".
Kalanchoe is a storehouse of tannic acid, polysaccharides and various enzymes. Thanks to these substances, it has hemostatic, healing and anti-inflammatory properties.
As soon as people began to use Kalanchoe in the form of a houseplant, rumors of amazing properties immediately appeared. This tree of life cleans the air of germs, charges the atmosphere with positive energy, increases tone and restores vitality.
The use of a flower is also common in traditional medicine recipes.
- It is recommended to give children in certain proportions. If the child is tormented by a runny nose, the diluted juice is instilled into the nasal cavity. Kalanchoe tincture is a gargle for a cold.
- Juice heals wounds and relieves inflammation. It helps to stop bleeding, overcome acute pain, get rid of mastitis, eliminate bleeding gums.
- The beneficial properties of Kalanchoe were also used in cosmetology. This is a formidable weapon in the fight against age spots and blackheads. Helps to cope with other skin formations.
- The flower has excellent choleretic properties, thanks to which it normalizes cholesterol and the functioning of the gallbladder.
- According to scientists, the daily use of Kalanchoe juice helps cleanse the blood, slow down aging and improve the functioning of the immune system. The main thing is that it is fresh.
These are not all the beneficial properties of an amazing flower. There are so many that can not be counted. The main thing is that in the arsenal of man there is such a universal assistant. And if you do not use the miraculous properties of the plant due to its absence, be sure to grow it. It is so simple.
Breeding problems
I will pay attention to the problems of growing plants. Kalanchoe usually suffers from poor lighting. As a result, the stems are rapidly elongated, and the lower leaves turn yellow or fall off.
After flowering is complete, it needs nutrition. In its absence, the process of stretching the stem starts and leaves fall. In order to avoid such problems, feed Kalanchoe.
If the loss of decorative effect was caused not by food or lighting, the room is too hot or dry. Remember, holding the plant near the battery is not worth it; in this place it does not feel comfortable.
If the stem or leaves are covered with mold or brown spots, this is the first sign of low room temperature or humid air. When the plant has a healthy appearance, but refuses to bloom, this is a signal of excess nutrition. A review of the dosage of fertilizers will help to resolve the issue.