Kalanchoe Blossfeld And Mangin

2024 Author: Sebastian Paterson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:47

Kalanchoe Blossfeld and Mangin - under the sign of Taurus

According to the horoscope, the Taurus zodiac sign (April 21 - May 20) is accompanied by the Usambar violet, ampelous peperomias, decorative growing begonias, beautiful gloxinia, primrose (primrose), Persian cyclamen, Kalanchoe Blosfeld and Mangin.

According to experts, numerous species (and there are more than 125) of the Kalanchoe succulent genus from the Grassulaceae family, which growers grow at home, can be divided into three groups: decorative deciduous (felt, Behar, Millet), viviparous (Degremona, pinnate, tube-colored) and flowering (Blossfeld, Mangin, Marniera, Fedchenko, one- and bouquet-flowered).

Kalanchoe comes from tropical and subtropical latitudes of America, Australia, Asia and Africa, which must be taken into account when cultivating it on our windowsills.

In the group of long-lived beautifully flowering Kalanchoe (the name speaks for itself) there are many species that will appeal to many flower growers interested in flowering succulents. Of the two Kalanchoe species common in indoor floriculture - Blossfeld (K. blnssfeldiana) and Mangin (K. manginii) - the first is still of greater interest. The homeland of both is the island of Madagascar.

The Blossfeld Kalanchoe has bushes (30-40 cm high) with slightly branched smooth stems and with wide opposite petiolate shiny fleshy leaves (with a reddish border) of a round-oval shape up to 7 cm long and 4 cm wide of a dark green color.

Plants of this species are especially effective during the flowering period (the most abundant in March - June). On high (25-30 cm long) peduncles, tubular scarlet-red flowers appear in bunches in shortened umbellate inflorescences, collected in turn in complex multi-flowered inflorescences-shields (60 flowers or more), which last for a month.

Then the flowers wither, but they are replaced by the next wave of new ones. Kalanchoe bloom lasts up to six months. There are many forms, varieties and hybrid varieties (including garden forms) with flowers of various colors (red, yellow, orange, pink and even white in some cultivars).

The location of the plant is chosen with bright lighting, but not accessible to open midday sunlight, since the leaves will begin to turn red. Kalanchoe does not tolerate the dustiness of the atmosphere, therefore, they carry out regular ventilation, at the same time protecting it from drafts. In summer, the plant is able to withstand a fairly high temperature, but during this period it should be in the shade in the fresh air.

Watering is moderate, but frequent (preferably with warm water that does not contain lime), while stagnation of residual water in the sump is not allowed (a drainage layer at the bottom of the tank is required). Drying out of the earthy coma in summer can damage the root system of the plant.

During active growth, Kalanchoe gratefully responds to diluted liquid dressing before flowering (nitrogen fertilizers should not prevail in its composition). It is brought in with irrigation water. But in winter they water it carefully (as the top layer of the soil dries up), the optimal temperature for keeping at this time is considered to be 15 ° C (not lower than 13 ° C).

Plants are transplanted as needed, but at the end of the dormant period. The soil substrate for young specimens of Kalanchoe is made up of a mixture of leaf, humus and peat soil (in a ratio of 1: 1: 1) with a small addition of sand. For adult perennial plants, a combination is preferable: turf, leafy soil, sand (2: 1: 0.5). The acidity of the soil substrate is desirable in the range of pH 5.5-6.5.

The Blossfeld Kalanchoe blooms in the period January - May (watering at this time is abundant). After flowering, the plant needs to gain strength: for rest it is provided with a cool, bright place and watering is limited, maintaining only a slight moisture content of the compost.

If the Kalanchoe is kept in winter with very strong darkening, then it can bloom in November. But the whole summer period you can admire only abundant foliage. This is due to the fact that Kalanchoe is a "short day" plant, so flowers will not appear until the daylight hours are longer than 12 hours, it will "hold out" to bloom until early autumn and even winter.

To make this "short day" plant bloom, it must be moved into a room (even with artificial light), but only with an exposure of 8-9 hours a day at a night temperature of 15 … 16 ° C for 3-3.5 weeks. As a rule, from the beginning of the reduction of illumination to the moment of flowering, according to experts, at least 2.5-3 months should pass. Thus, if desired, the flowering of this species (as well as others in the group of flowering flowers) can be controlled.

Kalanchoe tends to release small leaves at the ends of the twigs. The plant spends a lot of energy on their growth, which could provide a long flowering period. To avoid this phenomenon, experts recommend regularly keeping the tops of the branches of those plants that are already one year old. In addition, as the flowers wither, the faded stems are cut off.

Kalanchoe is propagated by seeds, sowing them in loose soil with sand: from sowing to flowering - about a year. Reproduction is possible by leaf and shoot cuttings, which are planted in moist peat at the end of flowering and kept at a temperature of 20 … 24 ° C. The beginning of flowering of young plants obtained in this way is reduced to 9-10 months.

In Kalanchoe Mangin (K. manginii) - lanceolate or spatulate fleshy (with a serrated edge) leaves (somewhat smaller than in the previous species, about 2.5 cm), located on erect low stems, gradually curved towards the top.

The leaves serve as an excellent background for large drooping orange-red bell flowers, collected in inflorescences (2-7 pieces each) at the ends of arcuate brownish pedicels. Breeders have obtained numerous hybrid varieties with flowers of various shapes and colors.

And in the homeland of Kalanchoe, Mangina creeps along the ground. On some short shoots, a peduncle with flowers appears, and at the ends of others, small daughter plants are continuously formed, thus forming a continuously creeping whole carpet of Kalanchoe. Tessa, which is derived from the wild Kalanchoe Mangin, is now slowly gaining popularity for bright living spaces.

Several other species from the group of flowering Kalanchoe are much less common in the collections of lovers of these succulent crops, although their cultivation deserves some attention. Thus, climbing shoots in the Kalanchoe species Marnier (K. marnieriana) and Fedchenko (K. fedtschenkoi) are equipped with aerial roots, so they can be used as ampelous crops.

In Kalanchoe Marnier, large pink tubular flowers that appear in January-February look great against a background of light green leaves with a red border along the edge of the leaves. Kalanchoe Fedchenko's leaves are large, shiny, with a jagged edge (sometimes with a purple tint) and yellow flowers, collected in inflorescences and blooming in winter.

Epiphyte Kalanchoe one-flowered (K. uniflora) is characterized by very small (up to 1 cm long) green leaves with a purple border, located on shoots hanging from a pot, with which the species can be easily propagated (by rooting). The decoration of the latter species is also the single bell-shaped lilac flowers that appear in spring. The bouquet Kalanchoe plant (K.thyrsiflora) is distinguished by pubescent grayish leaves and an inflorescence - a panicle of yellow flowers.

This group of Kalanchoe is often used for landscaping office and industrial premises, balconies and for decorating winter gardens, foyers and showcases.

Although Kalanchoe care is considered unpretentious, if not attended to, the plant can get sick. Faded flowers indicate a lack of light. The appearance of "cork" spots on the leaves and their accretion is evidence that the plant is frozen. By drooping and some tendency to cracking the leaves, the plant informs the grower that it is being watered too abundantly. In this case, as soon as the soil ball dries up, the flower should be transplanted. Then during the first weeks watering is very careful.

From harmful insects on the Kalanchoe, several types of worms, ticks (red and spiderweb), scale insects and thrips can appear. With a high abundance, the insects are able to cover the entire surface of the leaves. The elongated oval bodies (3-4 mm in size) of the mealybug are covered with a waxy whitish bloom. As a rule, each individual worm or scale insect is removed by hand.

It can be treated with a soapy solution of liquid potassium soap (20 g / l of water) by adding actellic (at the rate of 2 ml / l). The root worm lives on the roots of the Kalanchoe in the soil. It causes inhibition of plant growth, and at a high number, and its death. This pest is detected by white wax bags: there is a feeling that the soil is, as it were, sandwiched with lumps of cotton wool.

On close inspection (especially with the help of a magnifying glass), females (1.5-2 mm in size) of white or pink color can be distinguished. It is advisable to transplant the plant by carefully examining its root system; as a safety net, you can shed new soil with a solution of the above acaricide. Leaves inhabited by mites are wiped with a cotton swab moistened with hot (50 ° C) water (20 g of green soap / l).

Of the acaricides, neoron (1 ml / l of water) or actellic can be used (they carry out 2-3 treatments with an interval of 7-10 days). When young Kalanchoe leaves are populated by several aphids, they are removed mechanically. With a high number, the drugs recommended above are used.

But nevertheless, according to experts, preventive measures are preferable to prevent these pests from entering the Kalanchoe, since an already affected plant is rather difficult to cure. It is necessary to monitor the condition of other (neighboring) plants, as well as to prevent the introduction of these harmful insects with wild or garden flowers into the room where Kalanchoe is kept.

It is also possible the appearance of rot on the roots and base of the stem (in the form of dark spots), which is caused by a group of fungal pathogenic microorganisms. At the first symptoms of the disease, a solution of foundationol (2 g / l) is used. Powdery mildew (white powdery coating) may appear on leaves weakened for some reason. When it first appears, it is necessary to treat the leaves with a fungicide.