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 Oscar – The Neverdie Kalanchoe is Kalanchoe crenata is different from the one I write about here.It can last many years in its native environment. The one in this post is Kalanchoe blossfeldiana which is the popular flowering kalanchoe sold in the houseplant trade. There are hundreds of species of kalanchoes. I like this one because of the show of flowers it puts out & the colors it comes in – vibrant. Have fun with your screenplay! Nell
My Kalanchoe is a “rescue plant.” After identifying it using the internet, I thought it would at least develop Lavender Scallops after resuscitating it, but its scallops refuse to turn lavender. Just somewhat dark green, not-thick leaves, with hairy air-roots here and there. Just put it next to my other green plants in the corner, a philodendron and a few snake plants. For color, we got African violets and purple passions.
I’m still working out the details about putting a box over the plant for 14 hours every night to make it flower. Can’t “Genetic Engineering” get that down to 7 hours? Don’t change anything else; just that.
When I started taking care of it, it was getting more than 2 hours of direct sun, with only a window between it and the summer sun. The tip-end of its leaves were turning yellow, brown, dying. I didn’t know if it was too much / too little water, or light, or fertilizer.
It was getting bad for August, but I pulled it back about a foot from the window about one or two weeks ago based on Nell’s advice about “bright shade, not more than 2 hours of direct sun,” and the leaves stopped turning brown. Thanks Nell!
-neil-
Hi Neil – Lavender Scallops is a different kalanchoe than the 1 I’m writing about here. I grew LS in my garden in Santa Barbara & they flowered heavily in late winter. This is the Florist Kalanchoe, but whichever 1 you have, keep it out of a hot, sunny window! Nell
Good Morning, Nell. I have a Kalanchoe houseplant that I’ve had for 2 years in North Idaho. I understand that it is leggy because not enough light, I let it get too tall before pruning, etc. What can I do now that it is so leggy. All of the new growth at the top is bushy and healthy, but the stems are bare for 10 inches or so. How much should I cut it back, or can I transplant it deeper so that I don’t have to cut back the bushy healthy tops? What are your thoughts? Thank you.
Hi Jennifer – You can take cuttings & start a new plant if you’d like. I’ve cut back a kalanchoe b. quite severely & it didn’t come back as full as bushy as I would have liked it too. Or, you can gradually take it down & see if new growth starts to appear further down the stems. Do it soon though because your days will be getter shorter soon. Nell
I think I may have accidentally killed my kalanchoe. I received it as a present from my mother in law last christmas, but I know nothing about plants and gardening. It was getting pretty big so I had moved it to a bigger pot, and started keeping it outside on the porch since we didn’t really have anywhere inside to put it that had enough sunlight. Well, I live in Michigan, and it got pretty cold the other day and ALL the leaves are wilted and drooping! I brought it inside a couple of days ago, and have been keeping it on a rug by our patio door so it can still get some light. I haven’t seen any change since I brought in inside, but it hasn’t gotten worse or started turning brown either. Is there any hope for it, or is it a lost cause?
Hi Emily –
Those kalanchoes really can’t take a freeze. 45 to 50 degrees F is about as low as they’ll go. Most Kalanchoe blossfeldianas are hothouse grown targeted towards the houseplant trade so it’s probably a goner. and anyway, once they loose all their leaves it’s hard for them to come back with any kind of a decent form. Nell
Hi, I bought a pack of six nearly-dead, sad-looking Kalanchoe plants last summer at Lowe’s for a quarter. (I love giving discounted succulents and cacti a second chance.) Since then I’ve repotted it twice. Right now they are about 18″ above the top of the pot. Do you know how tall they can grow to be? Should I try pruning it or just let it be? I don’t want to hurt them. They’ve not shown any indication of blooming yet either. Thanks!
I have a question do Kalanchoe have yellow flowers? I think I have a Kalanchoe plant I just don’t know. I bought it at a store and it had no lable on it so I don’t know but it does have yellow flowers on it. I appreciate knowing what it is so I can take care of it properly. Sylvia.
Hi Jolene – Every palnt deserves a second chance! Kalanchoes tend to get very leggy & I like to keep them to around 10-12″ tall. Here’s a recent post & video I just did which should answer your questions: https://www.joyusgarden.com/a-popular-succulent-houseplant-caring-for-flowering-kalanchoes/ Nell