What Is My Plant Telling Me? by Emily L. Hay Hinsdale

Author:Emily L. Hay Hinsdale
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: S&S/Simon Element
Published: 2022-09-20T00:00:00+00:00

Jasmine’s habit in northern climes is to bloom indoors in the late winter to early spring, often starting in February. It is sweetest at night, giving the dark hours of your late-winter doldrums a hint of the new year of growth to come.

KALANCHOE

Light: bright indirect light

Water: water when soil is dry, drain well

Soil: fast-draining mix of cactus or succulent soil and regular potting soil

Food: fertilize monthly in spring and summer

Pot: repot every two years, good drainage

This may be the ideal plant: good-looking and has a good personality.

It is as rare to find this combination in the plant world as it is on a dating app, but kalanchoe is that unusual houseplant that features both gorgeous flowers and a low-maintenance care regimen.

Unlike many tropical succulents with similar growing needs, this Madagascar native is prized for its blooms. Its flowers come in an array of white, yellow, pink, orange, and red, and are arranged in tiny bouquets clustered atop long green stems that emerge from among its shiny, scalloped-edge green leaves. Kalanchoe can flower repeatedly through most of the year, making it a constant source of color and interest in your home.

In common with other succulents, kalanchoe does best with a hands-off approach. Stick to the succulent rule of plant ownership: Just say something nice and keep walking. Kalanchoe likes to dry out between showers, so start by installing it in a pot with good drainage (must have drainage holes in the bottom!), filled with soil that drains quickly, without retaining too much water. A cactus or succulent mix, perhaps combined with a regular potting soil, will do well here. When you do water the plant, water with enthusiasm. No dribbling tablespoons of fluid—give it a good washdown, with water flowing out through its drainage holes. Then let the soil dry out before you water again, sometimes waiting as long as a month.

Kalanchoe doesn’t need to be repotted often, as it doesn’t grow quickly. Select a pot that fits the root ball, with perhaps an inch of growing space. A pot that is much too large will retain too much water (and you know your kalanchoe doesn’t like to be wet).

Not such a hard routine to follow, is it? Nevertheless, there are a few things you can do to upset the easygoing kalanchoe:

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