Practically in any house, a special place is given to flowers, care for them, cultivation and reproduction. At the same time, everyone prefers plants of completely different types, so that the average apartment has at least 2-3 kinds of flowers. In this variety of domestic plants, Kalanchoe Blossfeld occupies a special place, which for many years has been known and popular in the open spaces of our country.
Due to its unpretentiousness and adaptation to the real conditions of maintenance, it is not difficult to grow Kalanchoe, but experts still recommend that you take into account the peculiarities of the plant and know how to care for Blossfeld’s Kalanchoe, its preference regarding maintenance and care.
Kalanchoe Blossfeld: features of the species
Kalanchoe Blossfelda is one of the few domestic plants that harmoniously combines decorative and medicinal components. The homeland of this thick-stemmed flower is the warm tropical zones of Madagascar. However, despite this, Blossfeld’s Kalanchoe belongs to extremely unpretentious houseplants that are easily grown at home. To do this, it is enough to know just a few features and recommendations.
Indoor plants such as hamedorea, cactus, dieffenbachia, hippeastrum, room chrysanthemum, tselogina orchid, fragrantus fragrant, bougainvillea, freesia and palm trees will really create a cozy and comfortable atmosphere in your room.View of Blossfeld - Kalanchoe with large leaves, which blooms with small, rarely exceeding 1 cm in diameter, terry flowers gathered in massive brushes. The natural color of the flowers is red, and among the hybrid varieties you can find yellow, pink, coral and even orange inflorescences. Kalanchoe Blossfelda blooms in the period of the end of winter - the beginning of spring and can last more than two months.
Did you know? Due to the unique set of useful substances that are in the composition of Kalanchoe juice, this plant is actively used in medicine and cosmetology. Already today, solutions, ointments, creams, lotions, masks and tonics are sold on the basis of Kalanchoe extract. According to laboratory data, each of them proved to be highly effective.
Necessary conditions for growing
Potted flowers of Kalanchoe Blossfeld are rather unpretentious to home conditions, but growth, development and flowering blooms are usually determined by exactly where the flower is located in the house and how it is looked after.
Did you know? The appearance of the plant is directly dependent on the created home conditions, that is, lighting, watering, soil composition and fertilizing.
Lighting
Kalanchoe refers to those plants that need constant sunlight but at the same time there are some features. So, from early morning until noon, a pot of flowers is allowed to be kept on a windowsill or in any other well-lit place. However, after lunch Kalanchoe Blossfeld is extremely important to move in the shade, thus creating a sense of the night. If it is not possible to constantly rearrange the flower to a new place, you can solve the problem by covering the pot with a light handkerchief. This mode of lighting for Kalanchoe Blossfeld is obligatory, because after lunch the flower ceases to perceive the sun's rays.
Temperature
In the case of temperature, the plant is unpretentious and resistant. It feels equally well at + 20 ° C and at 5 ° C. This allows them to decorate any room at home. But the flower can dry out quickly with constant content at excessively high temperatures (25 ° C and higher). In such cases, it is desirable to move or increase the volume and frequency of irrigation.
Air humidity
Despite the nature of this plant, the content in rooms with a high level of humidity is detrimental to it, since Kalanchoe actively absorbs all the available moisture and accumulates it in the stem, and not in the root system. Such a surplus leads to the activation of processes of decay, the formation of mold and fungus. That is why for Kalanchoe Blossfeld it is better to choose a room with moderate or even low humidity. Moreover, it is best to put a pot with a flower in a place where overmoistening and drafts are excluded.
The soil
For this home flower, it is necessary to prepare a nutritious, multicomponent and previously fertilized soil that will absorb well and release water.
The best option is the independent preparation of the substrate for growing Kalanchoe Blossfeld. It is desirable to add peat, river sand, humus, sod and leaf soil in equal proportions to the composition of such soil. In some cases, experts recommend making charcoal. A pot with soil must have a drainage layer consisting of expanded clay, crushed stone, foam plastic or brick chips.
How to plant at home
The incredible popularity of Kalanchoe Blossfeld is due to many factors, so it is not surprising that almost everyone wants to have this plant in their home. To do this, of course, simply purchase a flower in a specialty store, but most people prefer to propagate Kalanchoe on their own.
There are several effective ways to reproduce this perennial: cuttings, seeds and leaf. The methods are quite diverse and specific, but each of them deserves attention.
Did you know? According to experts, the Kalanchoe Blossfeld is very useful to have in the house - the plant is able to actively absorb harmful radiation emitted from working electrical appliances. It is best to place a pot of Kalanchoe near a computer or TV, as this will significantly reduce the exposure.
Planting cutting
The easiest way to breed Kalanchoe Blossfeld is considered to be grafting For this purpose, young cuttings are used, rarely exceeding ten centimeter length. It is possible to cut such a stalk with any knife, after which all leaves in the lower part of the shoot should be removed. Before planting a sapling in a new place, it must be dried and kept in a composition that accelerates root growth.
For transplanting it is better to use a shallow wide pot with a drainage system (holes) in the base. Planting flower soil should be nutritious, contain peat, sand, fertilizer and soil. The depth of planting cuttings, as a rule, does not exceed 5-6 cm, with each layer of the earth methodically and accurately compacted.
After planting the cutting, it is important to provide him with the most optimal conditions of detention. To do this, water and put in a room with a constant temperature in the range of 20-23 ° C. Reproduction by cuttings almost always gives positive result.
Seed method
Reproduction of Kalanchoe Blossfeld seminal method requires skills and time, however, subject to the rules and recommendations allows you to always achieve good and fast shoots.
The composition of the soil for sowing and reproduction by cutting should be similar. Sowing Kalanchoe Blossfeld seeds should be carried out at a warm temperature in a pre-moistened soil. Sowing depth should not exceed 2-3 cm, while the soil on the surface should be light and loose. After planting the seed, the pot with seedlings must be placed in a warm room, protected from drafts.
Seeds also reproduce plumeria, blueberries, Indian onions, lisianthus, clivia, adenium, arugula, mountain ash (aronia), black-fruited, fennel and aglaonema.
During the entire period of germination, crops should be watered regularly, but moderately. Immediately after the shoots of the Kalanchoe Blossfeld grow and get stronger, they pinch their top to form several branches. Only after that the plant can be transplanted to a permanent place.
Leaf reproduction
Breeding sheet Kalanchoe Blossfelda can be carried out at any time of the year. To do this, it is necessary to cut off the adult leaf of the plant and plant it in a separate pot with the soil previously placed there. In the pot must be a drainage layer.
Before breeding Kalanchoe Blossfeld, be sure to consider the fact that reproduction best occurs in a moist and fertilized substrate.
Planted leaf Kalanchoe need to tightly cover a can or glass. After a few days, the leaf, as a rule, takes root and begins to form into a full-fledged plant. After that, open the sheet, moderately water and fertilize it.
It is noteworthy that with respect to Kalanchoe Blossfeld leaf breeding can be called one of the preferred options.
Basic rules of care, how to grow a flower at home
Key questions about home maintenance of Kalanchoe Blossfeld - how to care, water, fertilize and trim - have certain features that should be considered to grow a flower worthy of the pride of the owner and the envy of the guests of the house.
Did you know? The flower Kalanchoe according to beliefs is a talisman of people born under the signs of the Zodiac of Cancer and Taurus.
How to water a flower
In summer, Kalanchoe Blossfeld should be provided with regular, abundant watering, while avoiding drying of the flower soil. Water should be immediately after the top layer is a little dry. It is extremely important that the water in the pot does not stagnate - the main volume should be absorbed by the root system of the flower, and the excess flow through the drainage holes in the base of the pot.
In winter, reduce the volume and frequency of watering, watering the flower only as urgently needed. For irrigation, it is desirable to use softened and pre-settled water. This will avoid premature salinization of flower soil.
Important! During watering, it is imperative to ensure that moisture does not remain on the green parts of the plant, as this may contribute to the development of fungal diseases and mold growth.
Plant nutrition
Kalanchoe Blossfelda does not apply to home flowers that are strictly dependent on regular feeding. However, in cases where the plant's condition begins to deteriorate to some extent (aging, diseases, pests, drying, etc.), and also after its seasonal pruning, the flower should be fed.
In specialized stores, fertilizers for Kalanchoe occupy a special place and are represented by a wide assortment variety. It is best to make a choice in favor of succulent fertilizers, which are fully absorbed by the plant. At the same time, the fertilizer procedure is strictly prohibited to be carried out in the winter period. This is due to the fact that in winter the root system of Kalanchoe Blossfeld is overloaded with maintaining the general condition of the plant and will not be able to assimilate the mineral substances introduced, as a result of which they will accumulate in the flower soil and gradually kill the flower.
An important secret of experienced flower growers is that when feeding, only half of the norm is applied, indicated on the packaging of fertilizer. Long-term practice proved that such a reduction in dosage is very effective due to the full absorption of the flower.
Important! When transplanting be sure to take into account that the calanchoe assimilates only the fertilizer mixture, which is previously completely dissolved in hot water. Such a solution for the fertilizer is cooled and only then applied to the flower primer. Otherwise, top dressing will not show the desired efficiency.
Trimming rules
Kalanchoe Blossfelda, like most home flowers, needs regular pruning of shoots. This procedure is especially relevant and necessary for flowering species for which cardinal cutting is strictly mandatory.
To rejuvenate a flower and protect it from damage by diseases and pests, flower stalks should be removed completely, without leaving stumps. All damaged, dried up and just old shoots are cut. In some cases, you can slightly trim the tops of young shoots, which contributes to rooting and an increase in the rate of further growth of the flower.
Trimming is best done in summer period and then the flower will certainly be watered and fertilized. In order to form side shoots, the plant can be pinched. It is best done in the summer when the Kalanchoe is in the most optimal conditions of detention and can easily transfer this procedure. This technique allows you to give Kalanchoe Blossfeld correct and unusually beautiful shape.
Flower transplant
Kalanchoe Blossfeld has a high growth rate, so over time its transplantation becomes inevitable. Fortunately, Kalanchoe, a transplant after purchase for which is mandatory, quickly adapts to new conditions.
The root system of this plant develops much faster than the stem part, so before you transplant Kalanchoe Blossfeld, you need to prepare a large pot with a drainage system.
It is important to note that in the case of Kalanchoe, transplantation and reproduction have close relationship because without a proper, timely transplant, the plant will stop growing. Kalanchoe: how to transplant after purchase? The process takes place in several stages, each of which should be carried out with great care and trepidation.
First of all, you need to carefully remove the flower from the old pot, ensuring the integrity of the root system. After that, the plant should be placed in a new pot, on the bottom of which a drainage and a layer of fertilized soil should be laid. It is desirable to level the root system of Kalanchoe to ensure even growth.
It is better to fill the soil in the pot in layers, compacting and fertilizing it at each stage. As a result, the root system of the plant should be completely immersed in the ground.
The main diseases and pests of Kalanchoe Blossfeld
Flower Kalanchoe Blossfelda, home care for which is simple and understandable, in some cases exposed to diseases and attacks of pests. The causes of damage can be different, but to prevent them or to deal with them, you should know the possible threats.
- Shchitovka
If during a visual inspection a grayish bloom of an unpleasant consistency consisting of small insects was discovered on the surface of the plant, we can safely say that the Kalanchoe is affected by the scutes. Owing to their activity, the general condition of the flower is rapidly deteriorating, fungal infections appear, and flowering stops.The guards emit poisonous acid mucus, which is why they must be preceded by the alcohol treatment of the plant surfaces. After that, insects can be removed with a soft cloth or brush, completing the cleaning with a repeated alcohol treatment.
With a significant damage to the shield you can use not pure alcohol, but specialized flower medicine based on it, which is offered in stores. After treatment, Kalanchoe Blossfelda is fully restored on its own.
- Aphid
The most common and dangerous lesion for a plant of this species. It can be detected quite simply: on the stem and leaves, small greenish insects are almost always observed, affecting any plant life processes due to the complete cessation of access of nutrients to the root system of the flower. Therefore, it is not surprising that from the activities of such pests Kalanchoe can easily die. Do not delay the beginning of the fight against aphids.If the leaves of Kalanchoe Blossfeld begin to dry out, turn yellow and lose their shape, and the inflorescences fall off or do not appear at all, you can be sure that the defeat of aphids is already very serious. First of all, the affected areas should be removed immediately, and the rest of the flower should be treated abundantly with potassium soap and / or alcohol solution.
It is noteworthy and extremely important that the plant does not tolerate the ingress of these substances into the soil, which is why it must be covered before processing.
The most frequent cases of the disease of this plant and pest attacks are directly related to violation of care and conditions of detention. In order to further protect the Kalanchoe from risks, one should follow the recommendations of specialists.
In conclusion, we can conclude that the Blossfeld Kalanchoe is great for home cultivation. Thanks to the ease of care and amazing simplicity the plant is very popular in our country over the years and every year becomes a favorite in new homes.
