Kalanchoe Care As A Houseplant & In The Garden
Oh, how I love succulents! And a succulent with lots of long-lasting flowers is just the cat’s meow. Enter the popular Kalanchoe blossfeldianas that are most commonly sold as indoor plants. In Santa Barbara, where I used to live (USDA zone 10), mine enjoyed the great outdoors year-round. This is about Kalanchoe Care indoors and outdoors, or Kals as we call them.
These long, lasting blooming plants with colorful flowers will brighten up both your garden and home. If you want the flowering period to be more long-lasting, buy your plant with at least half the flower buds partially or not yet opened. They’ll gradually open after you get them home.
I buy mine at the farmers market, and although we used them a lot in the interiorscaping trade in offices and homes, I had never grown them in the garden before. I’ve discovered that Kalanchoes bloom almost all year round here with very little care. My kind of plant!
Botanical Name: Kalanchoe blossfeldiana
Common Names: Kalanchoe, Flowering Kalanchoe, Florist Kalanchoe, Flaming Katy
NOTE: This post was published on 07/16/2014. I’m updating it on 06/22/2023. It’s one of the very first posts that I ever wrote. My how blogging has changed!
I’ve since written newer posts on Kalanchoe Care as houseplants. Rather than extensively update this post, I will list these more current posts Kalanchoe Care, Calandiva Care, and Growing Kalanchoe FAQs with more information and tips.
Kalanchoe Care In The Garden
Light Requirements
Bright shade. Mine get bright light and one or two hours of direct sun in the summer, no more. Too much direct sunlight will cause burn.
Water Requirements
Once a week, thoroughly. They’re succulents, so they like to dry out between waterings.
Soil
Mine are planted in pots in half organic potting soil and half Succulent and Cactus Mix. Kalanchoes are succulents susceptible to root rot; they must be planted in well-draining soil.
Fertilizer
I don’t use any. I plant with worm castings, then top dress with worm castings and compost every spring. Once or twice during the warm months, I’ll water in some seaweed extract.
Pests
None so far, but then they can be susceptible to mealybugs and aphids.
Pruning Tip
I trim off the spent flowers, taking the stem down to where it meets the foliage. I don’t have to do it too often because the flowers are long-lasting, and the plant looks better this way.
Kalanchoe Care As Houseplants
Now, onward to caring for them as houseplants. At the end of this post, I touch briefly on how to get them to bloom again indoors. Hint: it’s not easy.
Light Requirements
Give yours lots of bright indirect light. As bright as possible, something close to but not in a south and/or west-facing window. Keep it away from the hot windows – touching that glass will burn it. Ouch!
Water Requirements
Every two weeks in the warmer months. Wait until the soil drys out before watering again. And don’t let it sit in water. Remember, they’re succulent plants that store water in their fleshy leaves and stems, so keeping them too wet can cause mildew.
Too much moisture will also lead to root rot. They like to be kept on the dry side.
Tip: Yes, that paper or foil wrapping may be prettier than the grow pot but remove it when you water your plant. Remember, the Kalanchoe is a succulent, and too much water building up in the bottom will drown it out.
Soil
Use a potting soil mix formulated for houseplants with good drainage. A mixture of half potting soil and half Succulent and Cactus Mix would be fine. That’s what I used to plant up my new pink Kalanchoes.
Tip: Make sure the pot has drainage holes so the excess water can freely flow out.
Temperature
I say if your home is comfortable to you, then your houseplants should be just fine too. They would enjoy a vacation outdoors in the warmer months (refer to outdoor care above).
Fertilizer
Use an organic balanced liquid fertilizer like Sea Grow if you feel yours needs it. Easy does it—only two yearly applications – once in mid-spring and the other in mid-summer.
Here are some of our houseplant guides you may find helpful: 13 Stores Where You Can Buy Houseplants Online, 6 Low Maintenance Plants For Travelers, 11 Pet Friendly Houseplants, Tips For Buying Houseplants, Best Low Light Indoor Plants, Easy Care Office Plants, 7 Easy Care Floor Plants, 7 Easy Tabletop & Hanging Plants
Pests
Keep an eye out for Mealybugs. They leave behind a residue that looks like specks of cotton. Aphids and Scale can also be an issue.
Pruning Tip
The foliage grows very densely. I snip away some of those leaves growing over the blooms. Those purdy little flowers will show more!
Getting Kalanchoes To Rebloom
Now, on to how to get them to bloom again. If yours hasn’t ever repeat bloomed, don’t feel bad. I’ll start by saying “good luck” because you must work for it.
Kalanchoes, like Poinsettias, are photoperiodic. This means they react to periods of light exposure and need at least 12-14 hours of darkness to bloom again.
Chances are, if you have them in your home, you have them in a room that isn’t getting that amount of complete darkness. Starting in winter, you must put them in a closet or a pitch-black room for 12-14 hours. And yes, they need that every night for two months. Be sure to cut back on the watering too.
Kalanchoe Blossfeldiana Flower Colors
Kalanchoes are known for their beautiful flowers, which come in vibrant red, orange, and pink shades. You can also find them in white and more subtle shades of pink. There are bi-color flowers as well.
The flowers are long-lasting, and the rich green leaves are attractive and shiny. A great blooming plant for the garden or your home!
Kalanchoe Care Video Guide
(Warning: This is an old video!)
In conclusion, taking care of a Kalanchoe plant is not as daunting as it may seem. With the right light levels, water, and well-drained soil, your kalanchoe can thrive and bring life to any room in your house or the right spot in your garden.
We have written more current posts on Kalanchoes: Kalanchoe Care, Calandiva Care, and Kalanchoe FAQs with lots more information and tips.
Note: This post was originally published on 07/16/2014 and updated on 06/22/2023.
Happy Gardening,
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Nell, the founder of Joy Us garden, was born into a gardening family and grew up in Connecticut’s countryside. After living in Boston, New York, San Francisco, & Santa Barbara, she now calls the Arizona desert home. She studied horticulture & garden design, working in the field all her life. Nell is a gardener, designer, blogger, Youtube creator, & author. She’s been gardening for a very long time & wants to share what she’s learned with you.
Hi Cathy – Fungus gnats appear because of too much water. You want to let the top half of the soil thoroughly dry out. They have a short life span so you can let the adults run their cycle or control them w/sticky yellow traps. they lay lots of eggs so you can kill those by watering with 1 part hydrogen peroxide to 5 parts water. It might take a couple of rounds. Nell
I acquired two really lovely Kalanchoes recently, about a week apart. Both have been repotted with new well draining soil/pot. I have them in East facing windows, and noticed when I had the windows open a bit, some of the leaves wilted. So I stopped doing that. Several days later (today) it was finally sunny here in NY so I placed it in a nice bright South facing window before the bright sun disippated, it was there maybe an 1-2 hours and the leaves really wilted. 🙁 I now understand they don’t like drafts, but I thought they loved sun? It was 62 degrees outside here so I didn’t think it was too hot? So, two questions…1. Will the wilted leaves perk up? 2. Why are the leaves wilting in the sunny window? For now I will keep them in the East window with windows closed. Thanks for any help!
Hi Jane – Kalanchoes like brighter light in winter & less in summer. I now live in the desert & mine grows outside in bright shade. The wilted leaves won’t perk up. They could be wilting because the light was too bright & hot or they’ve gotten too much water – they are succulents after all. If the leaves wilt, shrivel & turn yellow, then too dry. Nell
Hi, I’m in Phoenix and recently was given 4 small pots of Kals and believe they’ll do well outside until our weather warms up (90s+) My thoughts are to bring them inside at that point until October or November. What do you think?
Hi DJ, I’m now your neighbor to the south – I moved to Tucson June 1 of last year. I left most of my kalanchoes behind in Santa Barbara but did bring 1. Here’s what I did: I left it outdoors (in bright shade, no direct sun at all) until the end of Sept. when I brought it inside. I did this because it was going to flower which it’s doing now. I imagine you could do as you suggested but just to certain to protect them from freezing temps. Nell
I have a kalanchoe plant that I have just recently repotted into a larger pot. When I first had this plant it was in a 4-5 inch pot and bloomed twice. Now about 6 months later have had no blooms and the leaves are no longer shiny. They are not wilted either. So not sure if I overwatered it or what. I am hoping the replanting in a larger pot will make the leaves shiny again along with getting more blooms since we are coming into spring. We are located in Southern Iowa And my plant has always been indoors. Any help will be appreciated.
Hi Bonnie – I water my Kalanchoe (which is indoors now) thoroughly once a month. It gets really bright light. I’ll put it back outdoors soon (I now live in Tucson) for a few months. Mine flowered here starting at the end of Dec. & is still in bloom. Easy on the watering, plant it in succulent & cactus mix & give it as much light as possible but avoid any hot, direct sun. Nell
Hi Nell, I received a Kal as a gift, so far so good, and I’d like to keep it that way:) I plan on re-potting the plant. What type of planter do you suggest I use, material wise and shape wise? Also, can I hang this plant outside? I live in Pa where the weather can be a bit erratic and unpredictable at times, so in the event we receive a lot of rain, do I bring the plant indoors? I’m thinking of just keeping it indoors rather than having to worry about it outside. Thank you!
Hi Jodash – The shape or material really doesn’t matter that much. If the plant is in a 6″ pot, then go no bigger than an 8″ or 10″ pot. You can hang it outside but the Kalanchoe is a succulent & doesn’t like to be kept constantly wet so maybe it’s better indoors. And, use a succulent & cactus mix if you can. Nell
I received a Kalanchoe, or at least what certainly seems to be one, in a little planter full of other things which have all died. I thought the Kalanchoe has died, too, so I hadn’t watered the planter in months – probably not since January. I have no ability or experience in cultivating plants, but, on removing all the other dead foliage from the little planter, I discovered that the Kalanchoe is, although poorly, still alive. She’s green on some major leaves and the stems, and still has four little red flowers – although a lot of her remaining leaves are brown, dry, and shrivelled on the ends. I was puzzled how any plant could be alive after that much neglect, but since I’ve now discovered it’s a succulent, I suppose that explains why it’s my only survivor. My question is this: how should I bring my Kalanchoe back to health? She lives on my office windowsill in central Texas, in what seems to be the right kind of sunlight and a generally mild-warm indoor/window-adjacent temperature. Would plant food help her brown leaves? Should I water her slowly, or all at once? She’s still in the plastic-lined planter she came in, which may retain too much water. Would repotting her cause too much stress? What sort of pot should she be put in? Thanks for bearing with my ignorance – I’d like to have an office plant I don’t kill, and this one seems willing to survive poor treatment! Please help me figure out how to save her.