Pruning is what all tree planters must do regularly to let the plant grow healthily into desired shape. However, this is a difficult task for people who do not know well about plants and Kalanchoe. If you are having trouble getting started with this work, check this article out for full instructions on “how to prune Kalanchoe correctly.”
Contents
Why Do You Need to Prune Kalanchoe
Get rid of old, withered branches.
After a while, without pruning the density of old leaves, they will become overly dense for ornamental plants. And this can interfere with the lower leaf layers absorption of light. Hence, that is why you need to cut off old leaves so that the growing ones have a chance to absorb more light and nutrients.
Eliminate Excess Sprouts
After a while, the stalks of the Kalanchoe branch will produce a lot of small leaf buds. These sprouts will lose the shape of the bonsai while consuming a large amount of nutrients; this is why pruning excess sprouts helps plants grow well and have a better shape.
Create And Remove Long Branches
Ornamental plants are different from conventional plants because the tree pruning methods are different based on the characteristics of the plant. If the planner does not prune periodically after a while, the tree will lose its beauty. Therefore, that is why pruning the bonsai periodically helps them regain the original shape.
Create An Airy Space
Be mindful that even the carefully pruned bonsai trees in the garden still can make the garden overcrowded and dense after a period of development. And many diseases will affect plants with weak resistance. Therefore, taking care of ornamental plants periodically helps plants grow, eliminate pests and diseases, and bring vitality to the garden.
How To Prune Kalanchoe?
So, How do you prune a leggy Kalanchoe? Here are some notes for you :
Pruning During The Blooming Season
Before the kalanchoe starts flowering for about 1 to 2 months, growers need to pay attention not to fertilize, water them too much. Instead, you should slow down the growth process and give it some time to rest. However, the resting time of Kalanchoe depends on many factors like weather conditions. Healthy flower buds normally need 50-60 days of sleep.
After accumulating sufficient nutrition, they will enter the differentiation of flower buds and develop flower buds. During this period, gardeners have to actively prevent pests and diseases (silkworms, measuring worms, fruit borer, spiders, aphids), spray before flowering.
First of all, it is necessary to cut the flower buds that are about to bloom first. Usually, about 40 – 50 days after pruning, Kalanchoe will produce a new batch of flowers. The more diligent you are, the more flowers you will get. Creating a new seed will also mean creating a new flower.
Besides, it is also important to combine with pruning the excess branches around.
While Pruning bonsai, you should start to take care of the main stem of the tree, as it will decide the tree shape. Thus, it is necessary to observe from many different angles and combine with your creative imagination to choose the best side before cutting.
At the same time, it is vital to consider the mutual relationship between the main trunk and the branches to determine the growth position of the tree. The pruning sequence should be from the main stem to the main branch, then from the main branch to the small branch.
Prune as carefully as possible, remove useless and dry branches. Each branch should only have 1-2 buds, depending on the growth of that branch. Besides, pruning is an extremely important measure after each harvest, which decides the yield and quality of flowers in the future.
Trimming is an important step to get the plant to focus on nourishing flower buds. Moreover, it also helps to make flower pots more neat and beautiful.
Pruning After The Blooming Cycle
After 2-3 weeks of harvesting the orange orchard, it is time to start caring for Kalanchoe after harvest. The first step to do is pruning branches, creating a canopy. In particular, the tree gives flowers to the buds; if you do not prune the tree, it will not form new buds for the next flower season.
So, How do you prune a leggy Kalanchoe?
Choose sunny days to prune, do not trim on rainy or wet days, and avoid spreading disease from tree to tree through the cut.
Branch is the basic support frame of bonsai. Hence, the first canopy branch is usually in the position of 1/3 of the main body. The space between the upper branches is longer than the one below to meet the requirement of dwarfing the tree.
It would help if you also made a Y-shaped trim to let the light in. For small branches, people can use specialized small scissors and saws to cut big branches.
While cutting branches off, it would be best to cut close to the body. The cut must be neat, definitive, and smooth. Additionally, keep in mind that you should not cut branches too long because it can affect the tree’s growth. After removing the branches, collect and throw them in the trash can.
Besides, gardeners must apply fertilizer to supplement nutrients to develop the root system and for the trunk to store energy to produce new young leaves.
How Do I Get My Kalanchoe To Bloom Again?
In order to let Kalanchoe give beautiful flowers, you need to take good care of the plant first.
Add Nutrients In The Soil To The Plant.
Growers should note that whether growing the plants in pots or nylon bags, you all need to use 15 x 25cm bags. The initial planting material mixture can be used as follows: 1 part soil + 1 part decomposed manure (cow manure) + 7 parts rice husk ash or coir + 1 kg Lan + 1 kg of lime powder.
Gardeners should also fill the soil for 2/3 of the height of the bags to plant, arrange bags in the direction of North-South, on top of the bags with a nylon layer to limit weeds and pests. It is also great to combine with the prevention of soil-borne diseases (using formol for soil treatment).
You should use fertilizing plants many times. More specifically, the first time will take place after planting five days and then once a week: 0.5 – 1 cup of decomposed manure.
Water The Plants
The water temperature for watering the flowers needs to be higher or equal to that of the soil (or the air temperature). It is best to water the Kalanchoe outdoors to increase the temperature of the water.
If you use low-temperature tap water to rinse kalanchoe flowers, the soil temperature will change suddenly; eventually, the plants will drop flowers and lose their leaves. Besides, the difference between temperature in the water and the soil should be within 5 ° C.
In spring, autumn, and winter, the ideal watering time for plants is around 10 am and after 4 pm. At noon in the summer, the temperature on the leaf surface is often as high as 40 ° C, which causes the evaporation process to happen faster. Therefore, it is best to water in the early morning, about before 8 o’clock in the summer.
Do Kalanchoe Come Back Every Year?
The answer is YES.
Every plant has a period of full bloom, and Kalanchoe is no exception. Although Kalanchoe can be fresh all year round, it also has a period of growth in preparation for the next year’s flowering season.
This plant is easy to grow and live in many different weather conditions, but the ideal temperature for the growth of plants is 20oC – 32oC. Also, quality soil will help avoid waterlogging and must drain water quickly. The flowers of the plant can be red or yellow, falling from the branches. Besides, the tree will flower around spring, from February to May.
Keep the plant dry enough, not too watery, and look forward to the next flowering season.
Conclusion
Many people think that taking care or pruning ornamental plants is very simple, as all you have to do is remove dry, withered leaves or long branches. But to keep the growth of the kalanchoe tree, the worker must have a careful ingenuity and a scientific way of doing it. Through this article, we hope you now understand how to prune Kalanchoe properly. Thank you for reading.