Important notes
leaves, stems & flowers: All parts contain cardiac bufadienolides — the ASPCA lists Kalanchoe as toxic to cats and dogs (vomiting, diarrhoea, rarely arrhythmia). Keep away from pets. ↗
Luce
Bright, with a little direct morning/evening sun. Too dark → it stretches and won't flower.
Irrigazione
Succulent — let it dry out well between waterings. Underwater rather than overwater; soggy soil causes root rot.
Temperatura
Optimum 15–27 °C. Not below 10 °C, no cold draughts.
Umidità
Normal, rather dry room air (40–60 %) — dislikes constantly humid conditions.
Valori target per metodo e fase
| Fase | pH | EC (mS/cm) | Acqua °C | Aria °C | Umidità % | Luce h | Durata (giorni) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vegetativa | 6–6.5 | — | — | 18–27 | 40–60 | 14 | 60 |
| Fioritura | 6–6.5 | — | — | 15–24 | 40–60 | 10 | 50 |
| Fase | pH | EC (mS/cm) | Acqua °C | Aria °C | Umidità % | Luce h | Durata (giorni) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vegetativa | 5.5–6.5 | 1–1.6 | 18–24 | 18–27 | 40–60 | 14 | 60 |
| Fioritura | 5.5–6.5 | 1.2–1.8 | 18–24 | 15–24 | 40–60 | 10 | 50 |
Problemi comuni
Root rot from overwatering, leggy stems in low light, no rebloom without a short-day treatment.
Space & Size
- Final height
- 30 cm
- Final width
- 30 cm
- Spacing
- 20 cm
- Root depth
- 15 cm
- Min. container (Terra)
- ≥ 2 L
- Min. container (Hydro)
- ≥ 2 L
Pests & diseases
| Pest / Disease | Symptom | Organic treatment |
|---|---|---|
| Mealybugs | white, cottony deposits in leaf axils | dab with alcohol, rinse off, beneficials |
| Aphids | sticky, distorted shoot tips | rinse off, soft-soap spray |
| Spider mites | fine webbing, stippled leaves in dry air | predatory mites, neem, slightly raise humidity |
| Root & stem rot | soft, dark stem base, wilting plant in wet substrate | water less, use free-draining substrate, avoid waterlogging |
| Powdery mildew | white powdery coating on leaves | improve airflow, remove affected leaves |
| Grey mould (Botrytis) | grey fuzz on fading flowers/leaves | remove spent blooms, keep drier, ventilate |
Tecniche di resa
Trigger reblooming: from autumn give ~14 h of complete darkness daily for 6 weeks (e.g. a box over it, 6 p.m.–8 a.m.), bright by day. Even brief light at night breaks the signal. Cut back after flowering for compact growth.
Propagation & pollination
- Method
- cutting
- Germination time
- 14 days
- Germination temp
- 20-24 °C
- Pollination
- self
- Hand pollination needed
- no
Let leaf or stem cuttings callus for 1–2 days, then set in barely moist substrate — they root very easily.
History
The species is native to Madagascar and was introduced as a houseplant by German breeder Robert Blossfeld in the 1930s — today one of the best-selling flowering houseplants worldwide.
Sources
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