Plenty of people are now becoming more enthusiastic about home gardening, and it has become one of the top hobbies of different people who would rather stay at home. The copper spoon or the Kalanchoe orygalis has become one of the favorite plants for garden enthusiasts. This succulent is increasingly becoming more popular, especially when it comes to different American gardens. But what is the best way for you to take care of copper spoons?
The most important thing you need to remember is that Copper Spoons plants need plenty of sunlight, but you shouldn’t leave them out in full sunlight if you live in a particularly sunny area. The cooper spoons plant is actually an easy succulent to take care of as it requires minimal care on your part.
That said, you shouldn’t have a lot of problems taking care of copper spoons because it doesn’t take an expert to get around to taking care of this plant. But you still have to learn more about how to properly care for this succulent so that you can make the most out of it when it comes to making your garden look at its best.
Sunlight Requirements
Like most succulents, the Kalanchoe orygalis is a full-sun plant that likes to be kept under the sunlight for as much as possible because it really needs only the sun to survive and produce all of the necessary nutrients the plant requires.
They should be placed in a south-facing window for best results, where they’ll receive six or more hours of direct light each day. If you can’t give them this much sun exposure, try supplementing with an artificial grow lamp that emits full-spectrum light. You don’t want your kalanchoes to get too little light – it’ll cause their leaves to become pale and spindly.
These steps will create the perfect environment for your kalanchoe to thrive! Keep in mind that if the potting mix dries out quickly, then adding more compost may help retain moisture. On the other hand, if it stays wet for long periods, then add more perlite or pumice to ensure proper drainage.
One thing you need to know about the copper spoons plant is that it doesn’t do well when exposed to the sun if you live in a particularly hot place or whenever it is summer. The reason is that the tips can easily burn if the plant is exposed to the sun in a really hot environment. As such, you should keep the Kalanchoe orygalis in a lightly shaded area if you live in a warm and sunny region.
However, for those living in moderately sunny places, you can allow the Kalanchoe to enjoy the full extent of the sun without having to look for a lightly shaded area, even whenever it’s summer. Of course, you can still leave the copper spoons plant under the sun if you live in a hot region, but you may have to understand that the tips of the leaves won’t end up looking their best if they burn.
Soil Type
Now that you know how much sunlight your kalanchoe needs, the next step is to understand what type of soil it requires. The ideal soil for a kalanchoe plant is one that drains well and contains organic matter. Here’s what you should do:
- Use a potting mix specially formulated for cacti and succulents.
- Mix in some perlite or pumice to improve drainage.
- Add a handful of compost as an additional source of nutrients.
- Avoid using regular garden dirt; it will be too heavy and won’t drain properly.
These steps will create the perfect environment for your kalanchoe to thrive! Keep in mind that if the potting mix dries out quickly, then adding more compost may help retain moisture. On the other hand, if it stays wet for long periods, then add more perlite or pumice to ensure proper drainage.
Watering Schedule
Watering your Kalanchoe plant is an important part of its care. A drip irrigation system or a watering can with a long spout works best for this type of houseplant. The key to success lies in the soil: it should be kept lightly moist at all times, like a damp sponge that has been allowed to dry out slightly between waterings. To ensure adequate moisture levels, give your plant enough water so that liquid flows evenly through the potting mix and any excess runs out of the drainage holes at the bottom of the container.
Watering schedules vary from plant to plant and are affected by elements such as temperature, light intensity, time of year, and how recently the plant was watered. Summer’s high temperatures necessitate more frequent watering; winter’s low temperatures call for far less. That way, you can make sure the soil is getting just the right amount of water without risking root rot or any of the other issues that can arise when the soil is overly saturated with water.
To check if your Kalanchoe needs more water simply insert your finger into the top few inches of soil—if it feels dry then it’s time for another drink! If there’s still moisture present then wait until later before giving it more H2O.
Fertilizer Requirements
Kalanchoe is a relatively undemanding plant and therefore does not require much fertilizer. However, it benefits from regular feedings in the spring and summer months to promote healthy flowering and growth.
When fertilizing your Kalanchoe:
- Use a liquid or water-soluble fertilizer that is specifically formulated for succulents – this will help ensure that you are providing adequate nutrition without overfeeding the plant.
- Apply the fertilizer at half strength every two weeks during the growing season.
- Take care not to get any of the fertilizer on the leaves as this can cause them to burn.
Remember that while regular feeding of your kalanchoe is beneficial, excessive fertilizer can be harmful. Due to an excess of nitrogen in the soil, overfertilization can cause leaf discoloration and reduced blooming. Reduce the amount of fertilizer applied at each session or stop fertilizing completely if you see symptoms of excessive nutrient uptake, such as yellowing leaves or withering foliage.
Temperature Considerations
Kalanchoes are like humans in many ways; they thrive when given the right environmental conditions. Temperature is a significant factor in keeping kalanchoe plants healthy and happy. An ideal temperature range for these tropical natives is between 65°F (18°C) and 80°F (27°C). In cooler climates, it’s best to keep them indoors during winter months as temperatures below 50°F (10°C) can damage their delicate leaves. On the other hand, too much heat will cause leaf scorch or even death of your plant. If you know that your home tends to get quite warm in summer, be sure to place kalanchoes away from any direct sunlight or air conditioning vents.
It’s also important to note that sudden changes in temperature can shock your plant, so try not to move it around too often during different seasons. Make sure there is enough humidity present by misting your plant occasionally or using a pebble tray filled with water on its saucer – this simple trick should help provide adequate moisture levels for optimal growth.
Pests And Diseases
Pests and diseases can be a problem for kalanchoe plants. Aphids, mealybugs, mites, thrips, scale insects, and whiteflies are common pests that attack the leaves of this plant. If these pests become a problem, use insecticidal soap or an insecticide to remove them from your plant.
Diseases such as leaf spots, powdery mildew, and root rot can also affect kalanchoes. To prevent these problems, water your plant at its base instead of spraying it with water on the leaves; make sure there is enough airflow around the foliage; and avoid wetting the leaves when watering. It’s also important to keep other houseplants away from your kalanchoe because some diseases are contagious between different plants.
Fortunately, if you take proper care of your kalanchoe by providing optimal growing conditions and watching out for possible pests or diseases, then you should have healthy and vibrant-looking plants all year round.
Pruning Guidelines
Now that you know how to identify and treat pests and diseases, it’s time to discuss pruning guidelines for your kalanchoe plant. Pruning is a great way to keep plants looking neat and healthy. It helps maintain their size as well as encourages new growth.
Kalanchoe should be pruned in the spring or early summer when the weather is warm and there is plenty of sunlight. Avoid damaging the existing stems and leaves by only using clean, sharp scissors or shears. First, get rid of the wilted blooms, yellowed foliage, and faulty branches. Doing so can assist keep your plant healthy and stop the spread of disease.
Once all the dead leaves have been stripped away, you can begin cutting back the remaining branches to shape the plant into a more dense bush and stimulate robust flowering in the next year. It’s important to prune carefully, as removing too many branches at once might put undue strain on the plant and compromise its health.
Potting And Repotting
Unlike some other houseplants, kalanchoes rarely need to be repotted and have a low maintenance lifespan overall. Now, here’s the lowdown:
- Locate a container that is 1-2 inches bigger in diameter than the one you now use.
- Use a cactus and succulent mixture of soil that drains effectively.
- Remove your plant carefully from its current container, and gently shake off any extra soil, before placing it in its new home.
- Plant it where you want it, making sure it’s secure by lightly pressing the soil around it, and then water it well.
When looking for signs that your Kalanchoe needs repotting pay attention to how quickly water drains through the soil – if there’s no drainage at all then it may be time for a bigger planter! In addition, check if roots have come out of the bottom holes which would indicate they’ve run out of space and need more room to grow. If so, give them some extra love by transferring into something bigger within 2-3 years max, depending on the variety or size of root system development over time.
To keep up optimum health for your plant, fertilize monthly when actively growing during spring/summer months but reduce this frequency during fall/winter season when growth slows down significantly – just enough nutrients will do!
How To Propagate Copper Spoons?
One of the best features of the Kalanchoe orygalis is that you don’t have to buy a lot of this plant to have a garden full of copper spoons. Like a lot of different plants, you can propagate copper spoons out of one single Kalanchoe plant.
The best way for you to propagate a Kalanchoe orygalis is by looking at the base of this succulent. You will see and notice that it has small offsets that are actually easy to remove. Once removed, you can plant these offsets to produce new copper spoons. But remember here that offsets are exact replicas or clones of the original mother plant and that whatever health problems the mother plant has will be carried over by the planted offsets.
Another option for you to produce clones of the mother Kalanchoe orygalis is by cutting off leaves and stems, similar to how you clone other types of plants. Make sure that you use garden shears or scissors that are clean and sharp enough to cut off leaves or stems without stressing the mother plant too much.
Regardless of whether you are using offsets or the leaves and stems, the planting process is similar to propagating a new copper spoons plant. After cutting the parts, you want to propagate, allow them to rest in a place with enough warmth for about a couple of days. Moisten is a pot that is filled with potting mix specifically made for succulents.
From there, you can place the cuttings on the soil while making sure that you mist them with water as many times as needed (up to six times a day) because cuttings actually need a lot of water. Keep doing this while keeping the potted cuttings under indirect sunlight until they start to grow roots. After that, you can keep the new Kalanchoe orygalis in the same pots, or you can transport them into newer and bigger pots.
How To Keep a Kalanchoe Blooming?
One reason why the Kalanchoe plant is becoming more popular in many different gardens is that, when it is in bloom, it can instantly brighten an entire garden up, especially if you cluster the plants together.
The plant will produce blooms that are yellowish and bell-shaped whenever it is flowering. As such, it really is a treat to the eyes to watch the Kalanchoe in full bloom. And the best part is that the yellow flowers tend to last for a long time whenever the Kalanchoe orygalis is in bloom, sometime during the latter part of winter up to the height of the spring season.
While the Kalanchoe orygalis naturally blooms during the latter part of the winter season and is still a great-looking plant even whenever it is not blooming, you can actually make the most out of its bloom by giving it a “second bloom” even whenever it is not winter.
You can do so by tricking it into believing that it is already winter. It will be easier to forcefully let the copper spoons plant bloom during the early portions of March and October because the days are naturally shorter. You can make the plant think that it has already experienced winter due to the shortened light hours it gets.
However, at any other time, you can place the Kalanchoe in a dark spot to forcefully make it bloom but make sure that you let it out for a few hours in the morning for some sunlight before bringing it back in the dark area once again. Of course, making the Kalanchoe bloom requires that you drop the temperatures to about 40 to 45 degrees whenever it’s nighttime, but you can have the temperatures somewhere close to 60 degrees during the day.
Is Kalanchoe an Indoor or Outdoor Plant?
The Kalanchoe plant can be both an indoor and an outdoor plant, depending on the conditions of your region and the climate of the place in which you live. That’s because it is heavily dependent on the sun and how warm it is.
If you live in a quite hot place where the days can easily go over 100 degrees from time to time, you may want to keep the Kalanchoe plant indoors or in a lightly shaded area outside to ensure that you don’t burn the tip of its leaves. You can keep it indoors but close to a window where it can still get a lot of sunlight. Meanwhile, consider providing a bit of shade to it when you are keeping it outdoors.
For those living in moderately warm climates, you can keep the copper spoons outdoors even in the summer because the Kalanchoe loves the sunlight. But, during the winter, whenever it gets too cold, consider keeping it indoors near a window so that it still gets ample sunlight without getting exposed to the cold air outdoors.
How Long will a Kalanchoe Live?
The Kalanchoe has an interesting lifespan because there is no certainty as to how long it can live as the lifespan of this plant generally depends on the way you take care of it and the environmental conditions in which it lives. But what you need to understand about the Kalanchoe orygalis is that it is a perennial plant that will continue to propagate as many times as possible.
A lot of people tend to believe that the Kalanchoe orygalis is merely an annual plant that won’t be able to live long after it has already bloomed. That’s why they will most likely get rid of the plant right after its blooming period.
However, even though the copper spoons may act as an annual plant, it is more like a perennial plant in the sense that it can reproduce indefinitely thanks to how it has tiny offsets that you can use to clone or propagate the plant by yourself.
But the Kalanchoe orygalis can naturally propagate on its own, especially when the leaves of the original mother plant fall to the ground allowing the offsets to grow on their own as new plants.
In short, the Kalanchoe orygalis can live indefinitely depending on how well you take care of it. Still, it can also propagate and grow more clones or copies of itself indefinitely, making it a perennial plant that can have a long and rewarding life.
Common Complaints And Solutions
With the right care, Kalanchoe plants can bring beautiful blossoms and bright foliage to any space. Unfortunately, improper treatment can lead to a number of common complaints from these lovely plants. To ensure your Kalanchoe is in top form, understanding and addressing these issues is important.
The first issue that may arise is leaf drop or wilting leaves. This typically occurs when too little light has been provided for the plant – it’s like an overeager sunbather trying to get all their golden rays at once! Providing more direct sunlight should help this situation improve quickly. If you find yourself with leggy growth on your Kalanchoe, however, you know there’s been too much light given; try moving it further away from windows and providing less frequent waterings as well.
If you notice yellowing leaves or brown spots appearing, those are usually signs of either underwatering or overwatering – both equally detrimental! Make sure to check soil moisture regularly by sticking your finger into the soil before giving additional water – if it feels moist already then wait until it dries out slightly before watering again. With regular attention to detail and proper care each day, your vibrant Kalanchoe will be healthy and happy in no time!
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