From: jhb@calmasd.prime.com (Jim Bishop)
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Re: getting Kalanchoe to bloom
Date: 2 Oct 92 07:23:34 GMT
Article-I.D.: calmasd.1992Oct1.232335.826
Organization: -

In article <10292274.69920.6071@kcbbs.gen.nz>, 
Dawn_Scotting@kcbbs.gen.nz (Dawn Scotting) writes:
> mma@bellcore.com (Mary M Lau) writes:   
>>I brought a kalanchoe back in April and it bloomed  
>>for a couple of weeks indoor.  During the summer......  
>>dry out a bit to rest?  Is there anyway for me  
>>to get it to bloom like crazy again?  Do I need to  
>   
> Kalanchoe's only flower for a couple of weeks a year, sometime between  
> late winter and late spring. Either keep it indoors or plant it outside,  
> I wouldn't keep moving it back and forth if I was you, you could be  
> confusing it *8-)....   They are extremely hardy and very easy to  
> propagate from cuttings.  
>    

Well, the blooming time and the length of bloom depends on the variety
of kalanchoe.  Generally the blooming time is late winter to late
spring (as stated above), but I have one that is just now coming into
bloom.  I imagine the bloom won't be very interesting since this
particular Kalanchoe is grown for it's large leaves (8 in diameter,
hence the nickname disco) that grow somewhat like dinner plates placed
on their sides.  The leaves have a light green to gray color and are
blushed with red where they get a lot of sun.

I'm assuming your kalanchoe is one of the florist hybirds.  They've
really expanded the color range and blooming time of these compared to
the kalanchoes I used to grow in the 70's.  I haven't had much luck
getting a good rebloom (This is entirely my fault since after the
plants are done blooming, I've stuck them out in the yard and not paid
much attention to water or fertilizer).  Most kalanchoes set blooms
based on changes in day length.  I recommend keeping the plant as
healthy as possible and keeping it away from artificial light sources. 
My guess is it would then start to bloom somewhere between late fall
and early spring.  Of course this would vary greatly depending on
where you are located and the exact type of plant you have.  I also
agree with the advice about not moving it around between indoors and
outdoors.

And since we are on the topic of Kalanchoes, I thought I'd post the
description of K. Beharensis from Sunset WGB.  I saw several of these
this weekend.  They are fairly common in older southern Cal.
neighborhoods.  I used to have one, but it froze several winters ago
(and I'm in sunset zone 23/24!).  This isn't a beautiful plant, but it
is quite striking as a pot specimen or in the back of a drought
tolerant planting.

K. beharensis (often sold as Kitchingia mandrakensis.  FELT PLANT. 
Outdoors Zones 21-24, house plant anywhere.  Stems usually unbranched, 
to 4-5 ft', possibly 10 ft.  Thick, triangular to lance-shaped leaves
--usually 6-8 pairs of them--at stem tips.  Each leaf 4-8 or more in.
long and half as wide,  covered with dense, feltlike coating of white
to brown hairs.  Flowers not showy; foliage stikingly waved and
crimped at edges....

The individual leaves are very thick and heavy.  Underneath the felt
cover is very big succulent leaf.

Jim
Newsgroups: rec.gardens