They Get Questions
The <a href="https://cactusjungle.com/archives/blog/exit.php?url_id=1826&entry_id=1647" title="http://www.azcentral.com/home/garden/articles/0126swgarden0126.html" onmouseover="window.status=’http://www.azcentral.com/home/garden/articles/0126swgarden0126.html’;return true;" onmouseout="window.status=”;return true;">Arizona Republic</a> is taking questions, and it’s all about the kalanchoes today.<br /><br /><div style="margin-left: 40px;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Question: About a year ago, I propagated a cutting from a very colorful kalanchoe. The cutting has gone very well, filling a 12-inch pot, but producing no blossoms. How can I encourage this fickle kalanchoe to produce flowers? During its short life, the plant has been in a patio receiving, perhaps, four to five hours of sun.<br />
– Bill Ispirian, Scottsdale<br /><br /><img width="250" hspace="5" height="400" border="2" align="left" src="/blog/uploads/misc/012608garden-autosized258.jpg" /> Answer: There are many species of kalanchoe plants. These succulents produce a profusion of long-lasting blooms. Most are cool-season bloomers and flower in winter and spring.<br />
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Kirti Mathura, Desert Botanical Garden horticulturist, said those sold at the garden will bloom yearly and do well as patio container plants. Others sold in retail outlets often are forced to bloom so they are available throughout the year.<br />
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If you want to experiment, keep your kalanchoe in a cool, dark place. Some growers use either a piece of shade cloth (available at plant nurseries) or even a box to cover their plants.<br />
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By covering them up to 14 hours a day in a cool place, you may be able to force the plant to produce buds.<br />
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Once they bud, remove the covering and place in a well-lighted area. Kalanchoe prefer a well-drained soil rich in organic material. Watering once a week should do it, but let the soil dry out before watering again. While it is in the dark, water only half as much as you normally would.<br />
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Mathura said you can fertilize your plant, but use a fertilizer that contains more phosphorus than nitrogen to promote blooming. Too much nitrogen promotes more leafy growth, she said.</span><br /></div><br />Now you know. I like that phrase. It’s very compact.<br /><br /><br />
