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suntanned_gw

Calanchoe needs help

suntanned
10 years ago

Husband bought this plant couple month ago, it was pretty and stuff. Then all the flowers fell off and the leaves also. The plant is being watered twice per week. I feel sad for it, but it seems to be doing really badly. What can be done?

Comments (7)

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    10 years ago

    i think of it as a desert plant ... and i am not saying it is.. i am saying its my memory trick for how to water it ....

    the stain at the bottom of what i PRESUME is a red pot.. indicates too much water ...

    you water.. when a plant needs water.. not by the calender.. insert finger and water when near dry or dry ... on such a small pot.. you can also do it by weight ....

    i would not waste time nor effort on what is left of yours.. probably root rot... unpot it.. and see if there are any viable white roots there ...

    i would sneak out and get another.. before hubby notices.. lol ...

    ken

    ps: if there is a plastic pot inside of a two tone ceramic pot... then drainage is still probably the issue.. along with over watering ....

  • rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
    10 years ago

    Toss it. I suspect that it might be sitting in water inside that cache pot....maybe not, but it surely does look past any hope of recovery.

    Kalanchoe need a porous soil and careful water management. They thrive in a very bright location and should be allowed to nearly dry out in the winter. Did you check the status of the potting medium before each of those twice weekly waterings?

    The good thing is that these plants are cheap and ubiquitous. Frankly, they are on the list of 'disposable' plants.....induced to their full glory by special lighting and chemical growth hormone sprays. Once we bring them home, they will outgrow their 'treatments ' and few people care to mess with them as they lose their flowers and compact growth.

    You can learn to keep kalanchoe attractive and even bring it to flower again, though. It takes some knowledge of how to balance light, water, temperature, and fertiizer but it can be done.

    The good thing about kalanchoe is that, unlike seasonal plants such as poinsettias (also manipulated with lighting and growth regulators) , they aren't associated with any particular holiday. You should be able to find a replacement at anytime.

    P.S. If interested in learning about your Kalanchoe, visit the Houseplant Forum.

    This post was edited by rhizo_1 on Mon, Dec 23, 13 at 8:59

  • suntanned
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Yes, It was a mistake to overwater this plant. Even though the top of the soil was dry to the touch, the soil inside the pot was sensibly wet. The roots of the plant seem to be strong. I took it out of the soil and plan to replant, or maybe let it dry a bit. I understand, it is a far reach, but I am going for it. I need to learn to give love to this plant instead of demanding of it to grow the way I want it to.

  • suntanned
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    I will give it another chance, maybe it will be able to still grow.

  • jean001a
    10 years ago

    The roots are dark and shortened. Key characteristics of root rot. Save yourself some grief. Start over with a fresh plant, same or different kind.

  • calliope
    10 years ago

    Kalanchoe does quite well outside in pots in summer. No-care. In winter (their normal bloom time) they'll need adequate light in days, and to induce bloom, no light at night. Just like a poinsettia. No, you do not need to treat them with growth regulators, other than your fingers when they need a pinch to keep them branching and stubby. They get gangly from low light in daylight hours.

    The same can be said for poinsettias, my signature crop for many, many years. I stopped lighting poinsettias when the short response/longer night length varieties started to become mainstream. The lights were used to essentially hold them back from blooming too soon, not the other way around. Neither did I black-cloth them. They and kalanchoe will bloom quite naturally in their normal bloom seasons under natural conditions. That means away from artificial light during long nights. That does not mean to stuff them in a closet, but put them in an unused room with a high natural light level so their sequences are not interrupted by artificial light. Once the flower buds are initiated, they will continue to bloom, or the bracts on points to colour up. You would have better luck from propagating that plant from a tip cutting than those roots. But then again, you're not out anything to try.

  • Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
    10 years ago

    Here's a K. blossfeldiana that was blooming when I got it in March. Just starting to bloom again. Seems to be a very carefree plant to me, if you have a spot near a sunny window (when that elusive ball of fire isn't blocked by CLOUDS!) I put it outside for summer too, usually out in full sun, but had to move it under the porch for 2 months of rain although it doesn't seem to appreciate drying completely like a jade or some other Kalanchoes. Being constantly wet for 2 months could kill about any plant.

    I don't know enough about them to predict anything from what's left of yours at the roots, but hope you end up with a pretty plant eventually, whether that one can recover or it's a new one. The green parts of the stems from the 1st pic would be the part I would try propagating.