Breathing Life into Your Kalanchoe: A Comprehensive Guide to Blooming and Revival Techniques

Today we talk about how to make Kalanchoe bloom because getting the plant to bloom a second time isn’t necessarily easy – unless you follow our tips. We will also share how to revive a dying Kalanchoe.

Kalanchoe is a large genus of about 125 species of tropical, succulent flowering plants in the family Crassulaceae, mainly native to Madagascar and tropical Africa. The very abundantly flowering plant is considered easy to cultivate and brings a cheerful display of colors to the house in spring and early summer. Plants with red or pink flowers are mostly sold, but there are also varieties with orange or white flowers.

How long do Kalanchoe blooms last?

Kalanchoe blooms last several weeks and even months.

In its natural habitat, the kalanchoe flowers towards the end of winter at the beginning of spring. This happens because it is a plant called “short days”, that is, it needs at least 13 hours of darkness a day to start its flowering process. This cycle becomes slower as the daily lighting increases.

If the resting phase is not properly observed, Kalanchoe will bloom poorly or not at all.

How to make Kalanchoe bloom again and again

Most people only cultivate the Kalanchoe for one season and then throw it away. The reason for this is the problem that a second bloom is apparently difficult to achieve – once the Kalanchoe has bloomed, it is often difficult to have another bloom the following year.

However, it is actually quite simple once you have the trick figured out. The Widow’s-thrill, as the Kalanchoe is often called, belongs to the short-day plants and only develops flower buds if you observe the following steps:

• The buds are formed after a period of rest.
• During this, the plant should get little light and water,
• it should also be as cool as possible.
• Ensure the plant receives light for a maximum of eight to nine hours a day.
• This applies not only to natural but also to artificial light.
• Furthermore, the temperatures should be a maximum of 59°F (15°C)
• and the plant can be watered very little.
• Fertilization is completely absent.
• Keep the Kalanchoe in complete darkness from 6 p.m. to 9 a.m.
• If necessary, put a box or bucket over it
• or place the plant in a cupboard or in the windowless storage room.

This phase should start in November and last for about six weeks. The plant will then form flower buds in the following year.

Extend the flowering period

As a rule, the Kalanchoe blooms between February and June. This period can even be extended by plucking the wilted flowers regularly. However, only remove the flowers, not the entire flower stem – this is where the second flower also forms.

Tip:

If you can’t get enough of the Kalanchoe, then simply multiply it yourself – for example with the help of leaf or stem cuttings.

What to do with Kalanchoe after flowering

Once the flowers begin to wither and die, it is important to remove them from the plant, in order to avoid wasting energy in maintaining something that has no turning back. During the summer, keep the plant in well-drained soil in a sunny place and maintain a moderate humidity level.

Why is my Kalanchoe dying?

Think your Kalanchoe is dying? Well, even if it sounds like that, it’s not necessarily so. If you find yourself looking for help or advice, here’s how to find out if your Kalanchoe is dying, and what to do or how to revive a dying Kalanchoe.

It is common to get this confusion, in some cases you may not be doing anything wrong, or on the contrary, your plants may just be suffering from excess water or lack of irrigation.

First of all, just because your Kalanchoe leaves are dying doesn’t always mean that your plant is, or that you’re doing something wrong. In fact, like all plants, the leaves of Kalanchoe will not always live: this is a natural reaction. As the plant grows, it creates new leaves by letting the old ones die.

Excess Water

Now, if the top leaves (the ones that have grown new) in your Kalanchoe don’t look very good, you’ll need to take note and determine what may be causing the change. Inadequate irrigation is one of the biggest causes of death for Kalanchoe. Soil can also be a determining factor. If the leaves start to look yellow and transparent and feel wet or soft when touched, they are likely to have been over-watered.

Lack of Water

If your Kalanchoe starts to have wrinkled leaves and get dry and wrinkly, it’s probably time your Kalanchoe needs water. Most Kalanchoe relives fairly quickly if they’re only beginning to wrinkle. However, in the case that they have become completely wrinkled, there is a chance they will not recover.

How do you revive a dying Kalanchoe?

To save an overwatered Kalanchoe, start by forgoing irrigation, that is, stop watering it, and check if it is necessary to switch to a better mixture of soil. If you notice black spots on the stem, you’ll need to behead the plant and stop its spread. Be sure to cut off any black spots, and give it enough time to dry before replanting it (3 to 5 days). Don’t water it!

You can also keep the bottom section of the plant. Do not water until the soil (all the way to the bottom of the pot) is completely dry. Although the original plant is unlikely to survive, it is worth waiting to see. Hopefully, drying will allow the plant to recover from over-watering, thus delaying death.

While it is more likely, in most cases, to revive a Kalanchoe suffering from lack of water compared to an over-watered one, you should learn how to water your Kalanchoe with the right amount of water. Knowing these signs and symptoms of watering problems will help you save your Kalanchoe before it’s too late. Some symptoms may occur in Kalanchoe plants that can help you know what’s wrong with your succulent.