Such a plant as Kalanchoe, many call "home doctor." It is very common in homes. I must say that the popular name Kalanchoe is justified and accurate: the juice of this representative of the succulent family has many healing properties, so it is widely used in medicine.
general information
This plant is so picky and hardy that it adapts to almost all conditions. Moreover, it “forgives” its owner a lot, up to a complete lack of care. Therefore, Kalanchoe is able to breed even a beginner grower. But this does not mean that he does not need attention at all. Care for Kalanchoe, of course, is necessary.
Only in this case, this pet will delight with its useful properties and decorate any home. This perennial plant of the succulent family Crassulaceae family is found everywhere in the tropical forests of America, Asia and Australia. Where exactly it came to Europe is not known for certain. Recently, it began to be bred as a houseplant. There are more than two hundred species of Kalanchoe, not counting hybrids. In our article we will talk about how to care for Blossfeld's Kalanchoe, how to propagate it, make it bloom, etc. Knowing the agrotechnical rules for growing this amazing beautiful plant will help many budding flower growers.
Description
Passing by the flower shop, many admire the view of the window when they see on it the lushly blooming Kalanchoe of Blossfeld. Photos of this houseplant are familiar to many. This species is considered to be a native of the island of Madagascar. It is not surprising that Blossfeld Kalanchoe is of great interest to lovers of indoor floriculture. The fact is that it does not require special care. But during the flowering period it looks so attractive that it can decorate the house and create a special atmosphere around it. At this time, the compact bush itself is completely hidden under the head of amazing inflorescences. And only a rosette of shiny dark green leaves frames a bright bouquet.
Kalanchoe Blossfeld is one of the few indoor plants that perfectly combines decorative and medicinal properties. It is a perennial shrub with juicy fleshy smooth leaves, with a wavy border at the ends. They are saturated green. Snow-white, scarlet, orange buds with all shades adorn the bush. There are many varieties of Kalanchoe Blossfeld. They differ primarily in their sizes: from the standard - 50 centimeters in height, and to miniature dwarf ones - 15 cm or even less.
Distribution history
It is hard to imagine that four decades ago, there was no excitement around this guest from distant Madagascar. In nature, Kalanchoe Blossfeld is a shrub with sparsely branching shoots from thirty to fifty centimeters long and red inflorescences that appear on the tops of the stems during flowering. That is how the discoverer of this culture saw him, in whose honor it was named. R. Blossfeld in 1932 brought a sample of this Kalanchoe to Europe.
The distribution of this plant was preceded by a long and serious breeding work. It was aimed at obtaining new shades of flowers and at creating varieties suitable for growing at home. At the end of the last century, Dutch and Danish flower growers were successful: they produced a more compact and robust selection compared to wild growing. Blossfeld’s home Kalanchoe, whose care is fairly simple, has brighter and larger leaves, and the quality of flowering is different.
Spectacular inflorescences of white, orange, red, pink and yellow tones appeared. At the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries in Sweden, breeders managed to identify a mutation. And today, thanks to them, in store windows, in addition to the usual Blanchfeld Kalanchoe species, plants appeared not with four, but with thirty petals. Success prompted specialists to create even more interesting varieties. Today there are already on sale varieties with terry flowers of a wide variety of shades: from white to purple.
Home Care
If all agrotechnical rules are observed for more than two and a half months, one can enjoy the lush flowering of Blossfeld Kalanchoe. Caring for a plant is not difficult. It is quite enough to water on time, periodically prune the crown, especially in copiously flowering species, and apply fertilizer. It is necessary to completely remove the old, already dead shoots, and young growth is partially better to trim. So it develops faster. Peduncles must be removed so that even hemp is not left from them. The appearance of this plant directly depends on the conditions of its home maintenance. This applies not only to irrigation, soil composition and periodic top dressing, but also to lighting.
Care for Kalanchoe Blossfeld involves a certain light regime.
Lighting
This succulents needs constant sunlight. But at the same time, you need to know some of the features of accommodation in the house of Kalanchoe Blossfeld. Home care of this plant is to keep the pot on the south windowsill or other well-lit place from morning and noon, and after dinner to move it into the shade, thus creating a “night feeling” for the culture. If this is not possible, you can solve the problem in another way: just cover the pot with a light scarf. Such a regime is mandatory for Blossfeld Kalanchoe, because after lunch the plant does not want sunlight, it does not perceive them.
If the bush is directly under the scorching rays of the sun, its color fades, the leaves quickly wither and burns appear on them. Conversely, a lack of light leads to shredding of foliage, weakness of the stems, which lengthen and bend. Inflorescences on such a Kalanchoe will be loose, and there will be less buds.
Watering
During flowering and on hot summer days, almost all home plants require a lot of moisture. Blanzfeld Kalanchoe is no exception. Watering for him should be regular, but not too plentiful. Otherwise, as a result of stagnation of water on the roots and stalk, rot may develop, and this will entail the death of the bush. Watering is necessary if the soil is dry on the length of the phalanx.
Kalanchoe loves standing room temperature water. Be sure to remove excess moisture from the pallet and wipe the bottom dry. A sign of lack of water are falling buds, yellowness on the lower parts of the leaves and their lethargy.
During watering, you need to ensure that no moisture remains on the green parts. This can lead to the development of a fungal infection or mold.
In general, for succulent plants, dry air is not a critical characteristic. This also applies to Kalanchoe Blossfeld. Home care does not involve spraying. It is only necessary to periodically clean the leaves from dust with a damp cloth.
Top dressing
Kalanchoe fertilizers should be served in several stages immediately after flowering. For feeding, you can use ready-made mixtures for succulents, which are sold in specialized stores. Fertilizers must be submitted before the end of summer every two weeks. When a plant is in the process of releasing buds, it is better to limit the amount of nitrogen it receives. Otherwise, lush leaf growth may occur at the expense of flowers. Moreover, a nitrogen limitation is sometimes enough to make Blossfeld’s Kalanchoe bloom. If the plant was bought in a store, it will not need to be fed for at least a couple of months, since it has already received a sufficient amount of nutrients.
Flowering secrets
Usually Kalanchoe Blossfeld pleases the owner with bright colors from six to eight weeks. On inflorescences, the buds do not open immediately, but gradually. As they bloom, they need to be cut so as not to allow them to take energy on themselves and prolong flowering.
After the Kalanchoe completely drops the petals, it is necessary to trim the peduncles to the first green leaves. After this, watering the succulents needs to be reduced. If necessary, weak and drying leaves are also removed. This is done so that in the future, new buds will again appear in Kalanchoe Blossfeld. This plant, subject to all agrotechnical rules, pleases the owner with its beautiful view. And periods of flowering and dormancy succeed often enough.
Breeding
The cuttings of the tops of shoots obtained from trimming do not need to be thrown away. They are used for reproduction. This is the easiest way to get new, lush flowering plants. In the warm season, cuttings take root in a maximum of three weeks, but in the winter they will need from four to six weeks. For reproduction, only the upper leaves are left on the stem, and the lower ones are removed. The cutle should be left in the air for about twelve hours to dry. Planting material is rooted in three ways: by immersing it in water with Kornevin, placing it in a mixture of humus, perlite and peat, or simply in clean, wet sand.
The propagation of Kalanchoe Blossfeld occurs with the help of leaves, along the edges of which as a result of contact with moist soil, daughter rosettes are created.
It should be borne in mind that hybrids will not inherit the varietal qualities of the previous generation. Therefore, bushes grown in this way sometimes bloom, and look somewhat different.
Landing
With scattered light on the cuttings and daughter sockets, the roots form quickly enough. Therefore, soon the young plant will need to be planted in a ceramic pot and placed in its permanent place. For planting rooted cuttings and leaves, as well as for transshipment of already faded bushes, you should use the soil intended for flowering houseplants, or mix the mixture from equal proportions of turf land, coarse sand, humus and peat. It is very important that the soil is loose and well permeable to moisture. Drain is placed at the bottom of the pot. Blossfeld Kalanchoe should be transplanted when the soil lump is completely braided by roots and therefore lacks nutrients. It is not necessary to take wide and too voluminous containers, since in this case the plant will begin to grow to the detriment of its flowering.
How to make blossom Kalanchoe Blossfeld
Usually this plant blooms from autumn or from the first of January to spring. This is due to the fact that the Kalanchoe of Blossfeld is a short-day succulent. But if appropriate conditions are artificially created for it, it is quite possible to regulate flowering periods. To do this, create a short day for the plant. For this, Kalanchoe should be covered with a dark cap for 13-14 hours.
After budding, he returns to his previous regime.
Kalanchoe Blossfeld: healing properties
The flower has proven itself in cosmetology due to its anti-aging and moisturizing characteristics. But most of all, it is in folk medicine that Kalanchoe Blossfeld is used. The properties of this plant are so amazing that it is even used in the preparation of many medicines. The juice of this succulent promotes the rapid healing of any wounds, in addition, it is able to relieve the inflammatory process of the gums and eyes. If you cut the leaves of Kalanchoe and apply to those areas where there is dry skin or cracks, then soon you can forget about these shortcomings forever. When frostbite also doctors use the juice of this plant, which also positively affects the mucous membrane and heals ulcers. Both adults and children can use Kalanchoe. Dentists treat stomatitis, gingivitis and periodontal disease with Blanzfeld Kalanchoe juice.
The plant is also used against a strong allergic cough, some diseases of the liver and stomach as a decoction, as well as various diseases of an infectious nature. It has long been known for its miraculous properties that help get rid of blackheads and warts.