"Room Doctor" - Kalanchoe Kalandiva: types and care of plants at home
Kalanchoe Kalandiva is a popular plant suitable for home growing. It is characterized by unpretentiousness in terms of care, attractive appearance and compact size. And its beneficial properties allowed him to become popular in the treatment of colds and colds.
In the article, we consider the features of this plant (it is also called Kalanchoe Blossfeld) and its varieties - Mini and Mix, we will give tips on home care.
Botanical Description and History
This species of chic plant was born from a Swedish breeder. He found that an unusual purple hue had formed on the Blossfeld bush. They not only featured an original palette, but also a form. This plant is called Kalanchoe Kalandiva.
Kalanchoe Kalandiva is a low plant belonging to the Tolstyankov family. A bush can grow to a mark of 40 cm. Indoor flower belongs to the category of succulent plants. He has a thick, bare and fleshy stalk. The leaves are round and ovoid. They are characterized by short cuttings and opposite arrangement.
The leaf plate is painted dark green, with rounded denticles. The length of the sheet plate is average, it is 50 mm, and the width is 30 cm.
The flowering of decorative culture is spectacular. It lasts for six months. The flowers are erect, terry. The average diameter is not more than 1 cm. At the top, flowers are collected in racemose inflorescences. Subject to varietal features whisk is different in color, distinguish such shades:
- yellow;
- red;
- lilac;
- Orange;
- white.
This plant has synonymous names: Kalanchoe Blossfeld (Kalanchoe blossfeldiana). We wrote about the amazing yellow Kalanchoe in this article, and about such flowering varieties as cirrus, red, white, pink - read here.
Description and photo varieties
Next, you can familiarize yourself with the varieties of the plant and see their photos.
Mini
This is a species of Kalanchoe Blossfeld. Mini - this means a compact plant, since its height does not exceed 15 cm. The most common are the following colors: peach, purple and scarlet.
Mix
Kalanchoe Mix is a succulent plant that was obtained using Kalanchoe Kalandiva Mini. This is its hybrid form. Homeland is Africa, South America and Asia. Thanks to breeding work, the distinctive features of maternal culture were deduced. The most important difference is the duration of annual flowering. Most often, pink and white inflorescences are found.
Transplant after purchase
Kalanchoe landing measures must be carried out immediately after its purchase. To do this, adhere to the following recommendations:
- Water the plant abundantly, wait 10-15 minutes and remove the flower from the container along with an earthen lump on the roots.
- Place it in a new container for drainage, sprinkled with fresh nutritious earth mixture. The layer thickness is 3-5 cm. Add soil at the edges, densifying it.
- Water the plant sparingly and set it in partial shade for 3-4 days. After that, return it to its original place.
- Mulch the top layer with pebbles or small slivers. This will retain moisture and protect the soil from mold.
Lighting and location
Kalanchoe Kalandiva is a houseplant that is positive about light. So it is necessary to grow it on the southern windows. But only direct sunlight is unacceptable. To do this, you will have to obscure the aerial part of a long-term culture from the midday sun. You can also grow Kalanchoe on the windows of the east or west.
Soil requirements
For the cultivation of this species of Kalanchoe it is necessary to choose a substrate for cacti and succulents. Equally effective is a substrate prepared by hand. To do this, mix in equal proportions such components:
- peat;
- turf land;
- medium sand.
How to care?
Watering
Kalanchoe Kalandiva is a flowering plant that, due to its botanical features, can accumulate moisture in foliage. For this reason, Kalanchoe tolerates the forced drought easily and without consequences, while maintaining a decorative look.
But the bays and waterlogging of the soil adversely affects the plant. Perform watering as the earthen coma dries. In winter, humidification should be rare - 2 times a month. For irrigation use only settled water.
Top dressing
Kalanchoe Kalandiva sometimes needs to be fed. To do this, use compounds for cacti and succulent crops. To breed fertilizers in a dosage that is 2 times less than specified in the instructions. Feed, combining with watering.
Pruning
With timely and competent pruning, you can improve plant growth and prolong flowering. Perennial pruning occurs dramatically, removing the lowest flower stalks. All developed and strong branches after pruning can be used for subsequent rooting.
In summer, it is recommended to pinch the apical part to form lateral shoots and prevent stretching.Common Diseases and Pests
With improper care of Kalanchoe, it can be affected by diseases:
- Excess moisture during watering leads to the development of rot. A lack of moisture forms brown spots on the leaves. If the leaves begin to fall off, then this is a symptom of a viral or bacterial disease.
- Lack of light contributes to yellowing and falling leaves of Kalanchoe Kalandiva. To solve this problem, you urgently need to rearrange the flower in a well-lit place.
- If the soil in which Kalanchoe grows is not rich in nutrients, then the plant loses its leaves. To cope with this problem, complete nutrition will help.
- The appearance of black spots on the leaves of Kalanchoe is a symptom of a fungal disease. It occurs as a result of excessive watering or the influence of low temperatures. The treatment is based on transplanting the plant into another container. When transplanting, change the soil and cut off all the leaves affected by the parasitic fungus.
- Of the pests, the aphid remains a frequent guest. Insecticides are used to combat it.
Propagation Features
Kalanchoe Kalandiva propagates in several simple ways.:
- seeds;
- kids
- cuttings.
But most often flower growers use stem cuttings, this will require:
- Separate a fully matured shoot from the parent plant.
- Then root it in well-moistened sand.
- Cover the rooted stem with a glass. This will create greenhouse conditions.
The measles system is formed very quickly, and the rooting process lasts no more than 1.5 weeks. Flowering ornamental culture occurs after planting in a permanent place six months later.
The method of propagation such as leaf cuttings remains more difficult. To do this, cut off the adult leaf and plant it in a pot with carefully moistened fertile substrate. Cover the leaf with a jar or a glass. After 2-3 days, it will take root and a full-fledged plant will begin to form from it. For propagation, you can use parts of the leaf blade buried in the ground. Young plants also form quickly from them.
Propagation by seeds is the most risky, since it is accompanied by the absence of varietal traits of the parent plant in the obtained seedlings.Kalanchoe Kalandiva is an amazing home plant that can be grown for two purposes - decorative and medicinal. And although the flowering is not long, it is very beautiful and bewitching. In addition, you can plant several types of Kalanchoe with different colors of flowers and create your own unique floral arrangement.