My mother got this at New Years along with a small bamboo and poinsettia.

So far I treat it like the poinsettia - water every 3-4 days in drips, coating the leaves and flowers till the drips start coming out from the bottom of the pot.

But I’m wondering how do these plants gain nutrients? The soil stays the same? And do I remove the dead/dying leaves and stuff or let them be in the pot?

Plus for the bamboo I just change their water every week or so? Is that okay?

These are my first plants and I did not expect them in any way - my mother just bought them on an impulse and now I’m trying to take care of them lol. I’m sure if I tell her I don’t want to she’ll say okay and do it herself but I kinda find watering them relaxing and enjoyable.

Any help is appreciated.

  • LibsEatPoop3 [he/him]
    ·
    3 years ago

    This one is sunshine, the poinsettia is seashell (cuz it had bluish leaves at first which I later realised are just paint -_-) and the bamboo is bambi. I’m kinda proud that they lasted two weeks and now wanna do whatever I can to keep them alive.

  • Neckbeard_Prime [they/them,he/him]
    ·
    3 years ago

    Holy shit, that's a kalanchoe! I have a pink variety that has never bloomed for me. They're weird about watering -- they're technically a succulent, and are pretty common in the American southwest. Here are the links I compiled back when I first got the thing:

    • https://homeguides.sfgate.com/care-kalanchoe-blossfeldiana-plant-39946.html
    • https://www.joyusgarden.com/flowering-kalanchoes/
    • https://todayshomeowner.com/how-to-grow-flowering-kalanchoe/

    The most pertinent stuff:

    1. Watering.
      • Use a pot and soil blend with good drainage.
      • Water yours well, let it all drain out and then water again when dry. That might mean you water yours every 2 weeks. The frequency will vary depending on your temps, light situation, and the size pot your Kalanchoes are in.
      • Too much moisture can cause root rot.
    2. Fertilizer.
      • Fertilize kalanchoe during periods of new growth. Use one-half to one-quarter of the manufacturer's recommended amount of 20-8-20 fertilizer every two weeks. Fertilize sparingly and only during new growth periods.
      • The closest thing to 20-8-20 that I could find when I went looking was citrus tree fertilizer, which was 20-10-20 (J R Peters Inc. 52524, available from a bunch of online retailers).

    Also, worth mentioning that you can propagate them via cuttings just like any other succulent:

    • https://homeguides.sfgate.com/make-kalanchoe-cuttings-39405.html
    • https://www.doityourself.com/stry/2--ways-to-propagate-a-kalanchoe

    Re: the dead leaves/nodes, I will usually prune them off or discard them. Mine seems prone to some kind of blight/fungus. Kalanchoe are also fairly toxic to pets, so watch out if you have cats or dogs.