Kalanchoe
Kalanchoe blossfeldiana
Through the year 🗓️
☀️ Summer now
Peak leafy growth. Water on the dry side, feed monthly, and shield from scorching midday sun.
🍂 Fall
Give it 6 weeks of long, uninterrupted dark nights and cooler temps to set winter flower buds.
❄️ Winter
Bloom season. Keep it bright and cool, water lightly, and skip feeding while the show runs.
🌱 Spring
Deadhead spent winter blooms, prune leggy stems by a third, and repot if roots are crowded.
The details
Light & placement
- Light
- Bright light with some gentle direct sun; blooms fizzle in dim spots
- Ideal PPFD
- 200–400 µmol·m⁻²·s⁻¹
- Grow-light distance
- 12–18 in below LED
Water & feed
- Watering method
- Soak-and-dry: water deeply, let it drain, then let the soil dry out fully. Its succulent leaves store plenty; soggy soil is the main killer.
- Fertilizer
- Balanced feed at ½ strength, monthly in spring–summer; pause while it sets winter buds.
Home & habit
- Soil
- Fast-draining cactus/succulent mix with extra perlite; pH 6.0–6.5
- Humidity
- Low; tolerates dry air (30–50%)
- Temperature
- 60–80 °F
- Mature size
- 8–12 in tall & wide
- Repotting
- Every 2 yrs or after a bloom cycle, in spring
- Propagation
- Stem or leaf cuttings: let cut ends callus 1–2 days, then root in barely-moist mix.
When something looks wrong
- Overwatering signs
- Mushy, translucent leaves; blackening stems; sudden collapse
- Underwatering signs
- Wrinkled, thinning leaves; dry lower-leaf drop
- Common pests
- Mealybugs, aphids, scale, powdery mildew in stale air
Common problems 🩺
The usual suspects when Kalanchoe looks unhappy. Most houseplant trouble is watering or light, not disease — see all plant problems if you are not sure which plant is the culprit.
Never blooms again after the first flush
Likely cause
It needs long nights to set buds, like a Christmas cactus.
What to do
Give it 14 hours of complete darkness a night for about six weeks, then return it to bright light.
Mushy stems and collapsing leaves
Likely cause
Overwatering. It is a succulent and stores its own water.
What to do
Let the soil dry out fully between waterings and use a gritty mix.
Stretched, floppy growth after flowering
Likely cause
Normal post-bloom stretch, made worse by low light.
What to do
Cut it back hard after flowering and give it brighter light; it regrows compact.
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