Such a diverse and beautiful Kalanchoe Blossfeld

Walking past the windows of a flower shop, it is difficult to resist the temptation when Blossfeld's Kalanchoe bloom magnificently behind the glass. From under the caps of amazing inflorescences of various tones and shades, the compact bush itself is practically invisible. The framing of the volumetric bouquet is only a rosette of shiny leaves of a beautiful dark green color. It is not surprising that such indoor plants appeal to lovers of indoor floriculture, in the assurance of sellers that special care for Kalanchoe Blossfeld is not required at home, only such interest is strengthened.

It is difficult to imagine that forty years ago there was no such excitement around this native of Madagascar, just as there was no variety of forms and colors of the plant. In nature, the Kalanchoe of this species forms a half-shrub of rarely branching shoots 30 to 50 cm long. And the inflorescences appearing on the tops of the stems combine flowers with small simple red flowers.

This is exactly how the plant was seen by its discoverer R. Blossfeld, who in 1932 brought a sample of Kalanchoe to Europe.

The history of the discovery and selection of Blossfeld's Kalanchoe

The distribution of Blossfeld's Kalanchoe was served by serious breeding work aimed not only at obtaining new shades, but also creating more unpretentious varieties suitable for home cultivation.

At the end of the last century, Dutch and Danish growers obtained plants that are more compact and strong than wild ones. The leaves have become larger and brighter, and much has changed in relation to the quality of flowering. Since 1980, Kalanchoe plants with spectacular inflorescences of orange, white, pink, yellow and red tones have appeared at the disposal of amateur florists.

And already at the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries in Sweden, it was possible to identify an interesting mutation, thanks to which today, in addition to the usual Blossfeld Kalanchoe, plants appeared on display windows with not four, but three dozen petals. After a long work, the resulting group of varieties was named Kalanchoe Kalandiva and became a real sensation among gardeners.

The color of Kalanchoe flowers of this type is very diverse and includes not only the already named colors, but also soft green, orange, as well as two-color and variegated combinations. If the usual Blossfeld Kalanchoe blooms for up to 6 weeks, then Kalandiva pleases with bright inflorescences up to 2.5 months. Moreover, all cultivated varieties of this interesting plant are unpretentious, and reproduction of Blossfeld's Kalanchoe and caring for it, with a certain approach and knowledge, will not be difficult.

How to make Blossfeld's Kalanchoe bloom?

Most often, a flowering plant with a small rosette of leaves, a lush mass of flowers and a small supply of nutrients in a transport pot enters the house. While the Kalanchoe is blooming, you should not transplant or feed it. It is much more correct to choose a suitable planter for the bush, which can reduce excessive evaporation of moisture and make the plant acclimatize faster.

When Blossfeld's Kalanchoe begins to fade, the wilted peduncles are removed, which will redirect the forces of the bush to the remaining buds.Bearing in mind the unpretentiousness of the plant and the uselessness of special care for Blossfeld's Kalanchoe at home, many novice gardeners, after the last flowers wither, transplant the bush into a permanent pot and put it on the windowsill, waiting for the early flowering. And here they are often disappointed.

To see bright buds again, it is important to know and take into account the peculiarities of cultural life, as well as skillfully make Blossfeld's Kalanchoe bloom.

This culture has both pronounced periods of growth and seasons of rest. This is the time that comes after all the flowers wither. The plant must restore strength, give an increase in green mass and lay new flower buds.

In nature, Kalanchoe bloom in the fall, when in the middle lane daylight hours naturally diminish.

To lay future buds, the plant needs to be in the light no more than 10 hours a day, if the lighting is longer, then the plant perceives this as a signal for growth, starting to give new shoots and foliage, “forgetting” about flowering. Therefore, after the withering of the inflorescences, the Blossfeld Kalanchoe is transplanted, fed and necessarily cut off to cause the appearance of new lateral shoots.

And then the plant is transferred to the short day mode, putting the pot on the window in the morning, and after 10 hours removing it in a dark place or covering it with an opaque cap. In this case, in mid-autumn or by winter, the plant will bloom. What are the requirements of the Blossfeld Kalanchoe for care, transplantation and reproduction?

Features of the conditions for the Blossfeld Kalanchoe at home and caring for him

Kalanchoe, like other indoor succulents, are extremely sensitive to light.

Even with a short day regimen, the plant needs bright, but not direct sunlight:

1. If the bush is under the scorching rays, its color fades, the leaves wither quickly, and dried burn spots appear on them.
2. With a lack of light, the leaves become smaller, the stems become weaker, lengthen and lean. And the inflorescences on such a Kalanchoe are less dense, and there are fewer buds in them.

It is possible to guarantee comfortable lighting conditions for the Blossfeld Kalanchoe by taking care of additional artificial lighting, which will be required both in cloudy weather, and on winter days, and when plants are found on the northern windows.

No less important than lighting, the organization of irrigation is important for the Kalanchoe, sufficient to support the growth and development of the plant.

Kalanchoe Blossfeld, especially during flowering and summer days, requires a lot of moisture. But here it is important not to overdo it, since stagnant water in the soil often leads to the development of rot on the roots and stem, which leads to damage or death of the bush.

If the soil is dry for the length of the finger phalanx:

• Kalanchoe needs to be watered with settled water at room temperature;
• be sure to remove excess water from the pan;
• wipe the bottom of the pot dry.

A sign of moisture deficiency for the Blossfeld Kalanchoe is considered to be lethargy of the leaf blades, yellowing of the lower leaves and dropping of buds.

When watering, make sure that moisture does not remain on the green parts of the plant, which can cause the development of fungal infections and mold.

For succulents, dry air in the room is not a critical factor. Therefore, at home, caring for Blossfeld's Kalanchoe does not include spraying. "Water procedures" are required only for cleaning foliage from dust.

Top dressing of Kalanchoe is carried out in several ways after flowering. For fertilization, take a ready-made mixture for succulents, which is used every two weeks until the end of summer. When the plant grows in buds, the amount it receives nitrogen it is best to limit it so as not to cause lush foliage to the detriment of flowering. Sometimes this is enough to make Blossfeld's Kalanchoe bloom.

But with a lack of nutrients, it is impossible to avoid not only refusal to book buds, but also yellowing, foliage falling.

The Kalanchoe also has certain requirements for the temperature in which the plant would be comfortable:

• You can prolong flowering and provide the bush with the most gentle atmosphere by providing a temperature of about 18-25 ° C during the day and 15-17 ° C at night.
• During the growth period, Blossfeld's Kalanchoe perfectly tolerates temperatures from 15 to 30 ° C, which makes it possible to carry pot crops to the garden or to a lighted veranda.

The plant should not be allowed to be near heating devices or in a stream of cold air. For this species, temperatures below +4 ° C are destructive.

But even when the air is cooled below 12 ° C or the temperature rises above 30 ° C, a slowdown in development cannot be avoided. At low temperatures, the plant hibernates, it does not form buds, it reduces moisture consumption, therefore, in this case, watering is reduced or stopped altogether. In the second year of life, the Blossfeld Kalanchoe bushes grow significantly and require pruning in order to maintain a compact, neat plant shape and get the largest number of inflorescences.

The cuttings obtained from the tops of the shoots can be used for propagation of Kalanchoe Blossfeld. This is the easiest way to get new, lush blooming plants on the windowsill.

Reproduction, transplantation and care of Blossfeld's Kalanchoe

In the warm season, Kalanchoe cuttings take root in three weeks, and in winter the plant will take a maximum of 4-6 weeks.

For a full-fledged plant to develop from the top of a young shoot, a 6–8 cm piece of stem with two pairs of leaves is enough.

Only the upper leaves need to be left, the lower ones are removed, and the cutting is left in the air for 12 hours to dry. You can root Blossfeld's Kalanchoe by immersing the cutting by 3 cm:

• into water with the addition of root;
• a mixture of humus, peat and perlite;
• wet clean sand.

In all cases, in diffused light, roots form quickly, and soon the young plant can be planted in a ceramic pot, in a permanent place.

Leaves, along the edge of which, upon contact with wet soil, form daughter rosettes, can also be used for breeding Kalanchoe Blossfeld:

• Healthy leaves, like cuttings, are dried, then laid out on a damp substrate or sand.
• The container is covered with glass or foil and germinated in the light, maintaining the moisture level in the soil.
• The tiny plants that form should give roots. Then they are separated from the sheet plate and planted in the ground.

When propagating the Blossfeld varietal Kalanchoe by seeds, it is important to take into account that hybrids do not inherit the qualities of the previous generation. Therefore, the bushes grown in this way sometimes bloom and look different.

For planting young plants and transplanting already flowering bushes, use soil for flowering indoor plants or a mixture of an equal amount of coarse sand, turf soil, rotted humus and non-acidic purified peat.

It is important that the soil is loose and moisture permeable. At the bottom of the pot, better than a ceramic one, drainage is made from expanded clay chips. A transplant of Blossfeld's Kalanchoe is required when the roots are completely entwined with the soil ball and they already lack nutrition. Do not take too wide volumetric containers for planting, since the plant will grow to the detriment of flowering.

Video about Kalanchoe Blossfeld