Kalanchoe

Kalanchoe Care

Caring for kalanchoe is easy with a few basic tips and the right conditions. The main growing requirements for kalanchoe are:

• Plant kalanchoe in loose, loamy, sandy, well-drained potting medium like cactus mix or soil used for succulents.
• Place kalanchoe in a warm indoor location with bright, indirect light. or place it in a full sun outdoor location that has protection from late afternoon sun.
• Allow kalanchoe plants to dry out completely between waterings.
• Fertilize indoor kalanchoe plants once per month during spring and summer.

Light

Kalanchoe plants grown indoors do best with bright, indirect light. Plant outdoor kalanchoes in partial shade to full sun. When planted in full sun, it's ideal for it to receive some afternoon shade to protect it from scorching. Leggy stems are a sign that the plant isn't receiving enough light.

Soil

Outdoors, a kalanchoe plant grows best in well-draining, loamy or sandy soil. Indoor plants should be potted in a well-draining porous blend, like a 50% potting soil and 50% cactus mix, or 60% potting soil and 40% perlite.

To ensure proper drainage and avoid an overly moist environment, plant your kalanchoe in a clay pot, which can help wick excess water from soil.

Water

This hardy plant does well with minimal water, requiring saturation only every few weeks or so (and even less often during the winter months). Let the soil dry out completely in between waterings to help prevent root rot.

Temperature and Humidity

Generally, your kalanchoe will thrive at temperatures between 55°F and 80°F. With the exception of protecting it from frost, you don't have to do much to create a proper indoor environment. Kalanchoe plants are not fussy about humidity.

As outdoor garden plants, kalanchoes will not thrive outside of USDA hardiness zones 10 to 12 because they don't thrive at temperatures below 55°F.

Fertilizer

Like most flowering plants, kalanchoe benefits from fertilizer, though they's not heavy feeders. Garden-grown plants require only a single light feeding in the spring. Indoor plants should be fed with a well-balanced fertilizer blend once a month during the spring and summer months, but not in winter. If flowering is sparse, switch to a fertilizer that is higher in phosphorus.

Growth Rate

Kalanchoes are generally slow-growing, on average taking between two and five years to reach mature size. One of the most common kalanchoes, 'Flaming Katy', reaches around 12 inches tall at maturity. Paddle plant can grow to more than two feet tall at maturity, while cathedral bells and velvet-leaf kalanchoe can grow up to 5 or 6 feet tall inside.2

Kalanchoes grown outdoors tend to grow more quickly because they're in brighter conditions.