Here are some photographs showing my Kalanchoe Blossfeldiana (also known as ‘Flaming Katy’). I’ve had this succulent for around two years and it’s kept its pretty pink flowers since it bloomed in spring, but they are just starting to wilt so will cut them back soon. When the plant has been pruned, move the plant into a shady spot and keep the soil almost completely dry for a month – after this it can be moved back to its sunny spot and watered as normal. After this ‘rest’, the kalanchoe can be repotted if desired.
It’s a really easy houseplant to care for and I keep mine in a sunny spot in my office in a cluster with some other plants, the pop of pink looks really lovely amongst the greenery. If the plant gets enough strong sunlight, the leaves can take on a reddish tinge …though mine hasn’t yet! The photograph below shows the plant flowering last year, this year the blooms are much bigger [see other images].
CARE TIPS:
The Kalanchoe is a really easy to care for houseplant, with them often given as flowering gifts around Christmas. The plant thrives in a sunny spot but watch out for cold draughts. I water my plant lightly every 7-10 days, feeding it with a weak baby bio solution once every two weeks.
In the winter the compost should be left to get moderately dry between waterings so that the roots don’t get waterlogged. It’s important to keep the fleshy leaves free from dust – I sometimes give my plant a quick since under the shower to perk the plant up if the weather has been warm and dry. The leaves don’t need to be misted generally though.
The red flowering version of the plant [above] was one that I bought someone as a present last year. It was kept in a warmer environment than mine and this one flowered in February … and had more blooms than mine which shows how much it likes to be kept warm!
Thanks for reading!
HOUSEPLANTHOUSE 