Kalanchoe care
Kalanchoe contributes to the restoration of strength, has the fortifying properties of
. As soon as Kalanchoe is not called "indoor ginseng", "magic doctor".Yes, Kalanchoe is really a wonderful healing plant. It not only cleans the air, but also has the strongest antiviral activity. The plant strengthens the immune system and helps to restore strength. If the house is sick, it is recommended to put the Kalanchoe in a dark cool room for several hours( this activates its properties) and then put it near the bed. The closer a person is to the Kalanchoe, the stronger the impact effect. For general strengthening of the body, it is recommended to touch the Kalanchoe leaves daily.
Adult, well-developed plant Kalanchoe positively affects not only the well-being of people present in the room, but also the growth of nearby plants.
Perennial evergreen plant up to 100 cm tall. Leaves are fleshy, juicy, in the lower part of the stem are ovate, large, trifoliate or cirrus in the upper part of the stem, mostly oblong, ovate, the edges of the teeth are jagged, young plants grow in large numbers. The flowers are tubular, collected at the ends of the branches into large-bracted large inflorescences.
Kalanchoe flowers are abundant, starting from January until the end of May. The plant was well established in indoor culture. His rapid growth captivates lovers of home colors. Homeland Kalanchoe - South America.
Features of care
For normal development, the plant needs a warm, well-lit room. Oriental or western windows will do, in the southern summer will require shading.
Watering in spring and summer is moderate, in autumn the watering is reduced, in winter it is only slightly moistened by earthen litter. Winter content at a temperature of 12-15 ° C.
In spring, the plant is transplanted into fresh soil. Pots are best to choose wide and shallow. A stretched, tired plant can be rejuvenated, cutting off and rooting the top. The apical stem must be dried first. Kalanchoe Degremona is most easily multiplied by "children", which are formed in abundance along the edges of the leaves and, falling down, themselves take root.
Family of crustaceans. The genus of Kalanchoe. Natural climatic conditions: subtropics and tropics.
Semi-shrub or shrub succulents with various variants of stalk and leaf structure;leaves opposite, simple or pinnate with a smooth or serrated margin;inflorescence( as a rule) - loose bunch, located on peduncles.
Warning! In most sources of floriculture, the same-common inaccuracy is allowed: the genus Kalanchoe is confused with the genus bryophyllum. The principal difference between them is the inability of the Kalanchoe to form on the leaves adnexal kidneys. The most common species in indoor culture are:
Kalanchoe Behar
♦ Stem thin to 2 m in height, pubescent;leaves up to 10 cm long, wedge-shaped or triangular, coarse-jagged, wavy, in some species covered with a wax coating, others - with brownish hairs;Peduncles up to 60 cm tall, inflorescence loose, flowers light yellow, blooms in June-July. The leaves are preserved only at the tip of the shoots, in connection with which it is desirable to update the plants frequently, by letting the cropped top on the stem.
Kalanchoe Blossfeld
♦ Stems up to 40 cm tall, smooth, glabrous;leaves up to 7 cm long, ovate, notched at the edge, stiff, fleshy, dark green, blushing at the edges;peduncles up to 45 cm, inflorescences capitate, numerous flowers, small( up to 1 cm in diameter), differing in color from different varieties: from lemon-yellow( Golden Flies) to sharlah-kraenyh( variety of varieties).With proper care blossoms from March to October.
Kalanchoe felt
♦ Stem up to 40 cm high, thick-leafed;leaves sessile, elongated-oval with blunt tip, crura-jagged along the edge;the leaf blade is green, but the color is replaced by a thick felt pubescence to almost white, brown dots or spots can be seen on the teeth and the tip of the leaves;flowers are whitish-pink;blooms in July.
Kalanchoe single-flowered
♦ Under natural conditions it often grows as an epiphyte;stems creeping, thin, rooted in knots;leaves small( up to 3 cm long), almost sessile, almost round, oval or back-ovate, thick, fleshy, green;flowers bloated-bell-shaped, from reddish-lilac to dark red. Grown up as an ampel plant.
Warning! The conditions of Kalanchoe single-flow are different from all other species. Pretty unpretentious plants. Requirement for moisture: rare, but abundant watering in the summer, very mild in the winter.
Temperature regime: in winter, the optimal temperature is 12 -14 ° C, except for the single-flowed Kalanchoe, which even then needs at least 18 ° C.
Light mode: very sun-loving, typically short-day plants. To achieve flowering in spring and summer, it is necessary to artificially reduce the light day to 12 hours. Optimal southern exposure, with the exception of Kalanchoe single-flowered, which requires moderate illumination.
Soil requirement: A mixture of compost, humus and hardwood lands with sand in a ratio of 4: 2: 1: 1 is optimal for land, with the exception of one flowerflower calanchoe, which is desirable to grow in a hardwood substrate with the addition of humus, charcoal, sand andmoss in the ratio of 12: 1: 1: 1.It needs fertilizing with solutions of mineral and organic fertilizers, in the period of budding( from March to August) - having an increased content of phosphorus or separately phosphoric.
Propagation: by reproduction buds, less often - by seeds, leaf cuttings and propagation of peduncles. Cuttings are desirable before planting podvyalit within a day and a half. The shards are rooted in the sand. The peculiarity of seed breeding is that the seeds are germinated at a temperature of 16-18 ° C.
Features: Young rooted plants need to pinch the tip. A transplant or transshipment is desirable every year.
Application of
For the therapeutic purpose, juice of stems and leaves is used. Juice, like aloe juice, has an anti-inflammatory effect, promotes rapid cleansing and healing of wounds and ulcers, does not irritate the skin and mucous membranes, is slightly toxic. It is applied externally in the form of dressings, in surgical practice for the treatment of purulent wounds, trophic ulcers of the lower leg, and pressure sores. In dental practice, used for inflammation of the gums. Heals cracks in the dry skin of the hands, feet and nipples in nursing mothers.
Juice is prepared as follows: fresh cut leaves and green part of the stems are stored in the dark at a temperature of plus 5-10 degrees for a week, then washed in running water and ground in a meat grinder. It turns out a homogeneous mass, which is squeezed out, the liquid part is defended. At a temperature of 4-10 degrees, heat is sterilized, filtered and canned. In appearance it is a transparent yellow liquid with an orange tinge.
Goethe, the author of "Faust", ate "children" Kalanchoe not in vain. This is a great tool for restoring strength and maintaining vivacity.
Outer leaves can be used and fresh, and after keeping them in a dark place. We know that in doing so, they produce a large number of biologically active substances.
Fresh mashed leaves quickly stop bleeding.
With inflammation in the throat, with a cold, flu, you can also use Kalanchoe leaves( the leaf is chewed in the mouth).Several such procedures - and painful symptoms recede.
The leaves of this plant, which pass through the meat grinder, help with burns. For several hours, attach them to the burned skin area: the juice promotes early healing, besides it protects against infection. Kashitsa from fresh leaves Kalanchoe also helps with frostbite, purulent wounds, ulcers.
Kalanchoe leaves are useful when weakening the body after a serious illness. They purify the blood, neutralize harmful substances and help to protect themselves from the common cold.
With the preventive purpose it is possible to add fresh leaves in vinaigrettes and potato salads, preliminary having washed out and finely cutting. This is especially useful for people suffering from inflammation of the periodontal tissues - periodontitis.
How to grow a Kalanchoe
Kalanchoe is an unpretentious and easy-to-care plant. All its species to a greater or lesser extent have the signs of succulents - plants that easily survive in the most unfavorable conditions. This determines the method of its growth. Any special efforts and conditions for its growth and development will not be required. It is enough to choose a cozy place for your pet, where there is enough light.
Soil requirements and transplant
There are no significant requirements for soil composition. But still Kalanchoe prefers the soil of a neutral and slightly acidic composition. It is best to take garden soil, humus and sand in equal proportions. The thickness of the nutrient layer should be 12-15 cm.
Transplant Kalanchoe in the spring. The soil can be made as follows: turf, leaf land, peat land, sand in equal parts. It is useful to add to the soil for Kalanchoe brick crumbs, pieces of birch coals. When transplanting, the diameter of the new pot should be 1-2 cm larger than the previous one. After the transplant, the plant is watered abundantly, feeding is started only when it is sufficiently settled in a new vessel, that is, after 2-3 weeks.
Location and Illumination of
Since in nature Kalanchoe chooses brightly lit places, then in a roomy environment a bright sunny window is preferable. But it is better if the plant is still protected from direct sunlight. On the southern window in the summer( and especially during the hottest hours of the day) it is better to create a shadow. In the summer, the Kalanchoe also feels good on the western and eastern windows. Due to its endurance for some time it can grow even on the windowsill, where the sun's rays do not arrive at all.
You can grow Kalanchoe and using artificial lighting - in this case, use fluorescent lamps for 16 hours a day.
Watering and air humidity
As the Kalanchoe belongs to the group of succulents, all its species easily tolerate low air humidity. From spring to autumn - during the growth period - they are watered moderately. But still you need to make sure that the top layer of the soil does not dry out. In winter, watering can be rare, with periodic spraying of the plant does not hurt at all.
If for some time you have to leave, your "tree of life" will calmly survive this period and without watering. It will be enough for him to get moisture from the air. Just before leaving, do not forget to water the plant abundantly and move it to a cool place - away from the direct rays of the sun. In such circumstances, your family doctor is able to survive without any care for a month.
Some varieties of decorative flowering Kalanchoe are recommended to spray more often, because the humidity of the air depends on the duration of their flowering.
Air temperature
In winter Kalanchoe is kept at a temperature not lower than 12-16 ° C.Otherwise, the plant does not form flower buds. In summer, it feels great in the open air on the balcony or in the garden.
Bloom
Blossoms a Kalanchoe from about February to March for several months, depending on the species. And with good care can bloom all year round.
How can I achieve a repeated flowering? When the plant blossoms, he needs to rest for a month. At this time, remove from him all the stems and put on a shaded window sill. You can even close it for a while with a paper bag or box. So for him a short-day regime is created - most of the day the plant spends in the dark. All this time the Kalanchoe is watered very rarely. After 2.5-3 months the plant is gradually returned to normal illumination. Similarly, with watering - the normal regime is not translated immediately. The change of light and water regimes stimulates the formation of buds. After a while the plant will again be covered with flowers.
Often after flowering, the Kalanchoe loses its former appearance - the stems are stretched and bare, the leaves take on a different shape( especially if the flowering was abundant).Such elongated stems should be cut, shortened and re-rooted. After cardinal pruning, the plant is plucked 2-3 times more. In this "surgical" way you will return your former cheerful and pleasing look to your pet.
It should be remembered: any plant of Kalanchoe needs a rest period during the year, even if you do not set a goal to achieve its abundant flowering. Usually such a holiday suits him in the early spring.
How and how to feed the Kalanchoe
In the summer 2 times a month the Kalanchoe is fed with fertilizers for cacti and other succulents. Viviparous species are fertilized once a month.
Before fertilizing with liquid fertilizer, the plant must be watered with clean water.
Growth Problems
Kalanchoe often suffers from a lack of light - while the stems are stretched, and the lower leaves fly around or become pale and turn yellow.
After abundant flowering, he lacks food - the plant also stretches and loses the leaves. Help can be provided by transplantation or feeding.
If the loss of decorativeness is not associated with a lack of light or power, it is most likely caused by too warm and dry air in the room. Especially not comfortable with the plant next to the battery.
The appearance of brownish soft spots or mold on the plant, on the contrary, means that the room is too humid or the temperature is too low.
Excessive supply with an overdose of fertilizers interferes with the onset of flowering, although the plant can have a healthy appearance and large, juicy green leaves.
Features of reproduction
All kinds of Kalanchoe reproduce very easily - leaf and stem cuttings or seeds. Kalanchoe Degremona and Kalanchoe pinnate( so-called viviparous species) reproduce well and brood kidneys.
For later reproduction, small plants are removed from the edges of the leaf blade and placed in a land mixture with a large amount of sand. You can root them in a mixture of sand and peat. The temperature in the room is desirable to maintain at least 22 ° C, and high humidity is needed.
At home, the Kalanchoe can be propagated at any time of the year. To do this, it is sufficient to cut off the plate of the sheet, turn it upside down and lay it on the surface of the soil or sand horizontally. After that, the edges are sprinkled with a thin layer of soil( 2-2.5 cm) and pressed lightly. The cut can be treated with special hormonal drugs( to stimulate root-formation).
Seed propagation requires patience. To do this, a small bowl with a height of 3.5 cm is filled with light peat soil for 1-2 cm, 0.5 cm of clean, sand washed in several waters is poured on top. On the so prepared soil, seeds are sown, gently spread them on the surface, the soil is moistened from above. The dish with the sowing is placed in a cellophane bag and placed in a warm bright place, avoiding direct sunlight( the desired temperature is 20-22 ° C).Crops are periodically ventilated. Usually from sowing to flowering takes about 12 months.