Kalanchoe Kalandiva is a plant resulting from selection. It is grown exclusively at home. Since it does not take a lot of time to leave, it is suitable for every lover of flowers.

Botanical description of the plant

Translated from the Portuguese Kalanchoe means "grass of life." Kalanchoe Kalandiva belongs to the family Crassulaceae. This low plant can reach 40 cm in height. Its shoots have a thick and fleshy structure. Oval leaves with short petioles located opposite each other. They have a dark green tint and are slightly rounded; their length reaches 5 cm, width - 3 cm.

Did you know? African tribes, knowing about the healing and other beneficial properties of Kalanchoe, used it not only to treat their ailments, but also to quench their thirst.

Flowers are collected at the top in inflorescences, they are erect, terry texture, 1 cm in diameter. Their color is diverse. So, in nature you can find yellow, orange, red, white and other flowers of Kalanchoe.

Healing properties

Kalanchoe is known to have anti-inflammatory, bactericidal, healing and hemostatic effects.

In addition, the juice of the plant is able to withstand such diseases:

• acne and warts;
• flu, cold, runny nose;
• pressure sores;
• imbalance of the digestive tract;
• toothache;
• headache;
• frostbite;
• stomatitis and periodontal disease;
• burn;
• cervical erosion;
• cracks in the nipples during breastfeeding;
• furunculosis;
• tonsillitis and others

Important! If in equal proportions mix water with Kalanchoe juice and introduce the resulting fluid into the sinuses, you can remove the symptoms of a runny nose.

House growing conditions

Even for a novice gardener, caring for this plant will not cause special difficulties. After it adapts to home conditions, take care of lighting, ventilation, temperature and humidity in the room.

Lighting

Lighting for the plant is moderate. In this case, do not put the pot in a too dark place or where there is a high probability of direct sunlight falling on it. Thus, the western or eastern side of your property is suitable for him.

Usually gardeners place a pot of Kalanchoe on the windowsill. In this case, it is necessary to take into account that the deterioration of weather conditions on the street and cloudy weather impede the intensive development of the plant. To avoid this, provide him with additional lighting - it will contribute to the dynamic growth of leaves. But if the Kalanchoe has been in the light for more than 9 hours, it should be removed in a dark place.

Ventilation

Ventilation can not only lower the temperature in the room, but also fill it with fresh air, which is very necessary for calendaring. This procedure must be carried out at least once a day for 10-15 minutes. In this case, the flower can be set aside in another place. But avoid drafts, because their appearance can provoke the spread of mold on the leaves.

Temperature mode

The most optimal temperature for the content of this flower will be + 15 ... + 30 ° C. But in winter, when the plant is still blooming, it can be lowered to + 14 ... + 16 ° C. Such a climate will contribute to the successful laying of the kidneys.

Air humidity

Since the flower easily tolerates dryness in the room, you can wipe its leaves 2 times a month with a wet sponge - there is absolutely no need to spray them. If the flower is dusty, you can make him a warm shower from the protected water. Just before this, cover the soil tightly.

How to care at home

Although kalandiva is not whimsical to care for, there is still a need to familiarize yourself with the rules of watering, feeding and transplanting a plant. You also need to know how to pinch the plant during pruning.

Watering

Since Kalanchoe refers to plants that have special tissues for water reserve (succulents), frequent watering is not required.

Did you know? To determine the need for watering, you can insert a fork into the soil to a depth of 3-4 cm. If you see that the cutlery is dry, then the Kalanchoe still needs watering, and if the ground is still wet, this procedure can be postponed.

It is necessary to water this plant in advance with defended water on average 1 time per week. In summer, in hot heat, this should be done every 3-4 days, and in winter - once every 2 weeks. Water should be at room temperature.

Top dressing

The introduction of mineral fertilizers is performed 2 times a year; autumn and spring are most suitable for this. Feeding with organic infusions is carried out 1-2 times a month during the laying of buds.

Do not feed Kalanchoe too often - this can provoke an increase in its mass and shorten the period and quality of flowering.

In this case, top dressing must be added directly to the water used to water the flower. To do this, you can use fertilizers designed specifically for succulents - they contain the necessary potassium and phosphorus for the plant. This is very important, because in conditions of lack of nutrients, it will begin to drop leaves.

Natural organic fertilizers are not suitable for this plant due to the content of nitrogen in them, which primarily ensures the greening of the flower, and not its flowering.

Important! To avoid the death of the plant, before applying fertilizer, it is necessary to water the ground.

Crown pruning

Pruning Kalanchoe calendalida involves the removal of not only extra leaves (1-2 extreme, growing on the stems), but also flower stalks after flowering. The latter must be cut off at the base so as not to stimulate the appearance of mold. In general, pruning will give the flower a shape, prevent infection and prevent fading.

However, the algorithm for its implementation depends on the variety of Kalanchoe. So, kalandiva tolerates pruning of the crown well, and even if you remove all the branches and leaves, it will still be covered with new foliage in the near future. A positive nuance of deep pruning of Kalanchoe is that its buds are laid precisely at the tops of young shoots.

To form the crown, it is necessary to pinch them as the tips grow. This should be done after the plant has faded.

There are several rules for cropping:

1. The procedure is best done before lunchtime.
2. Do not water the plant after the procedure.
3. Do not leave the plant in the sun after the procedure.
4. For a full recovery after the procedure, 25–35 days should pass.
5. To perform pruning, you must use a sharp knife, because tearing off the leaves with your hands will cause the flower to fade.
6. There is no need to prune the plant in winter.

Transfer

You need to figure out in advance how best to transplant the Kalanchoe Kalandiva, since this will have to be done immediately after buying the plant.

Here is a general algorithm of actions:

1. Lay on the bottom of the pot a layer of drainage, which includes claydite, pebbles and crumb brick. The height of the embankment should be approximately 1.5 cm.
2. Sprinkle a nutritious soil mixture consisting of 4 parts peat, 2 parts turf land and 1 part sand.
3. Remove the plant and brush the ground off the roots.
4. Rinse its roots in a pre-prepared pink solution of potassium permanganate.
5. Put the flower in a container with drainage and drip it with soil.
6. Next time, the plant will need this procedure a year later, when its root system grows. The diameter of the container should be 1-3 cm larger.

Important! When the plant becomes an adult, it will need to be replanted once every 3 years.

Before planting, it is imperative to trim the old roots so that it feels comfortable in the new pot. As a "home" for the flower should choose a plastic container. A clay pot is also suitable, which due to its porosity will allow the root system to regularly absorb oxygen.

Breeding

Independently propagate calendula at home in two ways.

Cuttings

It is very convenient to propagate calendaring by the method of cuttings. First you need to pick a stalk - this procedure is extremely important, because it depends on how the plant will develop in the future. You can use any part of the plant: leaf or shoot.

Cuttings are dried for several hours on a warm windowsill, and then planted in a moist steamed substrate composed of peat and sand (1: 1).

Kalanchoe has a high rate of vegetative propagation: thanks to brood buds, it grows in 4-6 months to 70 cm in height, and after leaves are cut from it, it restores them in a few months. The container is covered with glass and placed on a light windowsill at a temperature of + 20 ... + 24 ° C.

So that the soil in the greenhouse does not mold, the glass is raised daily for ventilation. Water the planting as needed. After rooting, that is, after 2–4 months, the plant is transplanted to a permanent place.

Did you know? Due to the high speed of vegetative propagation, Kalanchoe is able to grow by half a year in six months. This indicator is inherent in the following species: Blossfeld, Marnier, Degremon and others.

Seeds

For seed propagation, the best time of the year is spring. First you need to prepare the soil for germination (a mixture of peat and sand) and arrange the temperature above + 20 ° C, then moisten it and plant the seed. Tamping it with your finger, you need to send a container under the glass. A few times a day, it is recommended to ventilate the seedlings. Later, they should be transplanted into a constant container.

It should be noted that generative propagation (by seeds) of calendula does not make sense: firstly, cultivators of hybrid origin rarely form seeds, and secondly, bushes grown from them do not inherit the varietal characteristics of the maternal specimen, which means that to grow an exact copy the plants you already have will not work.

Growing difficulties

Although strong immunity is inherent in calendars, there are several problems associated with the process of growing them:

1. If the usual green leaves of a plant turn yellow, this may be a signal of lack of water and lighting. It will be necessary to water the flower and change its location, as well as put a lamp nearby for additional lighting.
2. Leaves covered with a bluish plaque indicates the infection of the plant with powdery mildew - a fungal disease, the development of which is facilitated by excessive watering against a background of high ambient temperature. The affected bush should be immediately transplanted into fresh soil and treated with Fundazol.
3. Stems darkened at the base indicate rotting of the root system. The main cause of this problem is soil waterlogging. It is hardly possible to save a diseased flower, so you need to cut off all healthy shoots from it and put them in a nutrient substrate for rooting.
4. Dry brown spots creeping along the leaves is a sure sign of insufficient or uneven watering. The moisture reserve in fleshy leaves and stems helps the plant survive short-term thirst, but prolonged drought can lead to massive loss of foliage.
5. Wet spots of brown color - A symptom indicating the development of a bacterial or viral infection. Special fungicides (Topaz, Chorus, Hom) will help cure the first. Viral diseases, unfortunately, are incurable, so the affected specimen will have to be destroyed along with the soil in which it grew, and the pot must be scalded with hot water or boiled.

Pests of plants are:

• aphid - the presence of this parasite can be judged by twisting and drying leaves;
• shields - leave brown plaques on the foliage and shoots;
• feltman (mealybug) - covers the plants with white lumps, similar to pieces of dirty cotton wool;
• spider mite - Reddish dots on the underside of the leaves indicate a lesion.

Against ticks and aphids, Kalanchoe bushes are sprayed with a solution of the insecticide-acaricide drug (Aktara, Fitoverm, Akarin). The scabbard and felt are washed off the leaves with a cotton pad soaked in alcohol or soapy water, and then the plant is treated with any suitable insecticide (Decis, Fufanon).

Proper parasite care will help prevent the emergence of parasites, since pests usually choose weakened or diseased specimens to attack.

Omens and superstition

Some people who believe in folk signs are convinced that Kalanchoe is able to absorb the negative energy of all who live next to it. In addition, it can eliminate evil thoughts and help you tune in to a productive working style or a welcoming home. According to another sign, if the house grows Kalanchoe, there will always be happiness and prosperity.

In general, growing Kalanchoe will not cause you much trouble with proper care and timely transplantation. In addition, compliance with the required temperature and watering schedule will also contribute to the successful growth and development of the flower.