Kalanchoe thyrsiflora 30 cm
Paddle plant
- Form
- open
- Water
- 14 d
- Zone
- 9b–11 (damaged below 0 °C)
- Mix
- 2 pumice : 1 akadama : 1 bark fines, by volume
- Rest
- Winter grower; the red margins peak December to March and fade in summer
Species file
Genus · Kalanchoe
Kalanchoe
large paddle leaves, highest light demand here. One file in the collection so far — Kalanchoe thyrsiflora. Dormancy for the whole genus falls in July, August.
| Month | State | What the plant wants |
|---|---|---|
| January | Growth | Deepest rest. Water only if the lowest leaf ring softens; keep the room as bright as you can. |
| February | Growth | Late rest. Daylight is returning — begin adding an hour of supplementary light every two weeks. |
| March | Growth | Repotting window opens for summer growers. Trim roots, refresh the mineral fraction, dry for a week. |
| April | Growth | Growth restarts. First full watering at the rim, then resume the published interval. |
| May | Growth | Peak growth and the offset season. Feed at quarter strength every third watering. |
| June | Growth | Lengthening days, rising heat. Watch the leaf turgor test rather than the calendar. |
| July | Rest | Out of action for this genus — no water unless the plant visibly shrinks, and no repotting. |
| August | Rest | Out of action for this genus — no water unless the plant visibly shrinks, and no repotting. |
| September | Growth | Autumn window for winter growers. Root-prune and repot while the soil is still warm. |
| October | Growth | Peak autumn growth. This is the season when most colour work should be done. |
| November | Growth | Daylight falls fast. Taper watering by a quarter and stop feeding entirely. |
| December | Growth | Slow, dry and bright. This is the colour peak for most genera in the collection. |
Tinted rows are the months this genus is genuinely out of action: no repotting, no feeding, and water only if the plant visibly shrinks.
Other genera
Echeveria Echeveria
Sedum Sedum
Haworthia Haworthia
Crassula Crassula
Graptopetalum Graptopetalum
Sempervivum Sempervivum
Aeonium Aeonium
Pachyphytum Pachyphytum
Adromischus Adromischus
Senecio Senecio