Extremely robust, the Flammende Käthchen is one of the most popular indoor plants. It requires little attention and will bloom year after year with the right care. Since the natural flowering time falls in winter, the Madagascar bell provides color on the windowsill at exactly the time when other plants are hibernating.
Flaming Katy brings color to winter with its small flowers
Plant profile:
- Botanical name: Kalanchoe blossfeldiana
- Order: Saxifragales (saxifrages)
- Family: Succulents
- Genus: Kalanchoe
- Growth: Upright, bushy
- Growth height: Up to 50 centimeters
- Main flowering period: December to April
- Leaf: Thick, dark green, with entire edges or notched
- Flower: Terminal
- Flower Color: White, yellow to orange, pink to purple, red
Special properties
The Flaming Katy is a short-day plant, so the flowering period falls in winter. Nevertheless, we offer it flowering all year round.
origin
The pretty houseplant comes from the tropical parts of Asia and Africa. It is particularly widespread in Madagascar.
location and care
In its natural home, Flaming Katy thrives in full sun. That is why it feels very comfortable in a bright place on the windowsill. In the summer months you can cultivate the plant on the balcony and bring it back inside before the first frosts.
watering and fertilizing
Always water the Flaming Katy with lime-free water and only when the substrate feels completely dry. During flowering you should always water from below.
However, the very robust plant is sensitive to waterlogging. Therefore, throw away any liquid that remains in the coaster after a while.
If you repot the succulent once a year, you do not have to fertilize the frugal plant. Otherwise, it is sufficient to administer a commercially available fertilizer at intervals of three weeks.
Remove faded
Carefully pinch out single faded flowers. As a result, new buds form from the panicles. These are only cut off when everything has faded.
diseases and pests
The Kalanchoe is extremely robust, diseases and pest infestation hardly occur. However, the plant reacts quickly to too much moisture with root rot, so it should be watered with care. If the humidity is too high, powdery mildew will appear, which you can combat with a spray from the garden trade.
The Madagascar bell is rarely attacked by aphids and mites. You can take action against these using one of the well-known means.
tips
The Kalanchoe can be propagated very well by cuttings. For this purpose, cut off healthy shoot tips of about ten centimeters in length and let the cut surface dry briefly. Then place them in a pot filled with a soil-sand mixture and water sparingly.