Flaming Käthchen: location, care & Co.

With the Flaming Käthchen you bring a very easy-care and yet particularly decorative plant into your home. Here you can find out everything you need to know about succulents.

During the flowering period, the care of the Flaming Käthchen is quite uncomplicated. In winter, however, the plant needs a little special treatment so that it will bloom again in the next year. We show what needs to be considered.

Flaming Käthchen: Origin and Characteristics

The Flaming Käthchen (Kalanchoë blossfeldiana) originally comes from Madagascar and owes its name to the scarlet flowers. However, through breeding, the flowers of this perennial plant can have many other colors and can even be double. The long flowering period of the perennial Kalanchoë blossfeldiana extends from February to June. With proper care, you can enjoy flowering for several years. The Flaming Käthchen is an evergreen subshrub and belongs to the genus Kalanchoe within the thick-leaf family (Crassulacea). The rather slow growth usually ends at a size of around 30 cm. The dark green, round leaves are weakly succulent, so that the Flaming Käthchen can also survive dry periods.
It is interesting that the Flaming Käthchen is a so-called short-day plant. In order for flower formation to begin, the Kalanchoë blossfeldiana a period of rest in which she sees little daylight. This is the only way to produce flowers again next year.

The most beautiful varieties of Kalanchoë blossfeldiana

Although the name Flammendes Käthchen refers to the originally red-flowered species, there are also varieties in other colors today. The Flaming Käthchen is available in pink or white, but also in orange, yellow and purple.

• Kalanchoë blossfeldiana ‘Calandiva’: This variety produces double flowers and thus looks particularly gorgeous and eye-catching. They are available in almost all colors, from yellow to pink to orange or white.
• Kalanchoë blossfeldiana ‘Tom Thumb’: This Flaming Katy does not grow large, but stops growing at a size of about 15 cm. The flower color is red.
• Kalanchoë blossfeldiana ‘Gold rim’: A Flaming Käthchen in yellow can be found with the ‘Goldrand’ variety. It is not one of the small-growing plants, but also reaches heights of 30 cm.
• Kalanchoë blossfeldiana ‘Orange Triumph’: As the name suggests, this Flaming Käthchen blooms orange.

tip: Flaming Käthchen fresh from the shop have often grown squat. This is because the plants are inhibited in their growth during production with special hormones, sprays or other processes. After a while at home, the Flaming Katy will develop normally again, less compact and instead looser. This has nothing to do with improper care, but is the natural growth type of the plants. If you prefer a more compact form, you can encourage it by annual pruning, low nitrogen fertilization, and low humidity.

Planting Flaming Käthchen: Location and Procedure

The right location for the Kalanchoë

Flaming Käthchen prefers a bright place, direct sunlight at lunchtime should be avoided. The temperature should ideally be between 18 and 22 ° C. At over 25 ° C the plants become long and light, at below 15 ° C growth is very inhibited. From May to August you can place the Flaming Käthchen in a light and rain-protected place in the garden. Staying outdoors is good for the houseplant as long as the temperatures stay in the double digits. If it gets too cold you should Kalanchoë blossfeldiana be sure to bring them back into the house. It is best to keep the humidity low for compact growth and a long flowering period.

In winter the Kalanchoe special conditions for flower induction, which we present below.

tip: The Flaming Käthchen does not tolerate ethylene gases from exhaust fumes, cigarette smoke and ripening fruit. She reacts to this with prematurely wilting flowers. Therefore, never place the Kalanchoë next to a fruit bowl, in the smoking room or in the garage. A regularly ventilated room is more suitable.

Approach to planting

After buying it, you should plant the Flaming Käthchen directly in a suitable pot. This should definitely have a drainage hole. As is usual for succulents, the substrate for the Flaming Cathy must be permeable so that no water can build up. It is best to use a special succulent or cactus soil, as this is precisely tailored to the requirements of the water-storing plants. The comparatively low nutrient requirement is also taken into account here. Remove the old, often unsuitable substrate from the roots and place the Kalanchoe in fresh earth. A layer of potsherds or similar material on the bottom of the pot is suitable to support the drainage of water.

Plant a flaming cat in the garden

The Flaming Katy is actually a houseplant that is sensitive to cool temperatures. It should therefore not be planted permanently in the garden. However, it is possible that Kalanchoë blossfeldiana to keep outside in the warm summer months. Put the plant in a bucket and place it in a bright spot in the garden. A location protected from rain ensures that the substrate does not get wet. As soon as it gets colder than 10 ° C, the Flaming Katy should be brought back into the house from the balcony or garden.

Flaming Katy as a houseplant

Flaming Käthchen feels at home all year round in the apartment. However, a short stay outside can support the vitality of the plant. A room that is too sunny or too shady can lead to pale flowers or damage to the leaves from exposure to sunlight. A window facing east or west is usually best for the Flaming Käthchen.

Care of the Flaming Katy

Like most succulents, the Flaming Käthchen is very easy to care for. Above all, it is important not to give the plant too much water.

Cut, water and fertilize the flaming cat

Thanks to its succulent leaves, the Flaming Katy is able to store water. It can withstand dryness better than wetness. Therefore, when it comes to casting, less is more. Pour the Kalanchoë blossfeldiana whenever the substrate feels dry again, even at a depth of 2 - 3 cm. Use lime-free water or stale tap water. Water that is still in the saucer after about 15 minutes should be poured off. Even less water is needed in winter than in summer, but the root area should not dry out completely.

Succulents usually do not need high levels of nutrients. Since the Flaming Käthchen is a flowering succulent plant, a fertilizer can support the flower formation. Potassium in particular is an important nutrient that should be consumed during flowering. For example, ours is suitable Plantura organic indoor & green plant fertilizerthat strengthens the plant and supports its growth. The production of the organic fertilizer is also resource-saving. From March to August - i.e. during the flowering period - you can add some fertilizer to the substrate with the irrigation water every four weeks.

If you want to cut the Flaming Käthchen, always use a sharp knife. A generous pruning can be done after the flowering period and only makes sense if the plant looks bare in the lower area. You can cut off shoots above a leaf axis or thickened point. Then the Kalanchoe can sprout again at this point. Dried leaves or single flowers should be removed regularly. Cut off shoots and leaves can also be used in the best possible way to multiply the Flaming Käthchen.

You can repot the Flaming Käthchen to support the growth. At least every two to three years the Kalanchoe be supplied with fresh substrate in spring. Before repotting, you can cut back the flaming cat.

Flaming Cathy fades: Care after flowering

After flowering, all dried-up flower umbels should first be cut off. The Flaming Käthchen should soon be given a rest phase so that flowers appear again in the next year. A reduced amount of light is then important. This also includes artificial light sources such as lamps or the television. It can therefore make sense to put a cardboard box over the plant for the remaining 14 hours or simply put it in a cupboard. At this time it can be a little cooler with temperatures between 15 and 18 ° C. During the 6 to 8 week resting phase, there is less watering and no fertilization at all. More than 10 hours of light per day will result in greening and no flower buds will be formed.

What to do about yellow leaves, leaf loss and diseases?

The Flaming Käthchen is usually not susceptible to disease. However, it can happen that the Kalanchoe does not thrive as expected.

• There is no bloom: The location is right and you care for it regularly, but the Flaming Käthchen is not in bloom? Make sure to keep the dark period in the winter months for 6 - 8 weeks. Otherwise no new flower buds will be formed. An excess of water or fertilizer can also lead to a lack of flowering.
• Yellow leaves: When the Flaming Käthchen gets yellow leaves, waterlogging is usually the problem. Is the Kalanchoe too wet, it should definitely be repotted and watered less in the future. The root rot caused by waterlogging can also lead to the flaming cat hanging and appearing limp and weak.
• White coating: Even if pests are usually not a problem, it can happen that the Flaming Käthchen is attacked by powdery mildew. You can tell by the white, wipeable coating on the leaves. Infested parts of the plant must now be cut back. Since drought usually favors an infestation, it should definitely be watered regularly.

Increase Flaming Käthchen

Both shoot and leaf cuttings are ideal for propagating the Kalanchoë blossfeldiana. These are incurred during pruning and are best obtained after flowering in spring.

Cut for that Shoot cuttings cut a shoot at an angle with a sharp knife. It should have at least two pairs of leaves. The lower pair of leaves is removed and the cutting is then placed in potting soil or cactus soil enriched with sand. A plastic bag placed over it creates a humid climate and indirectly supports the growth of the young plants by reducing evaporation. The bag should be aired about once a day to prevent mold from forming. Place the pot with the cuttings in a light and warm place at around 20 to 22 ° C.

For Leaf cuttings mature leaves are cut off with a sharp knife. Here, too, you need a moist growing medium and a bright and warm location. Carefully scratch the veins of the leaves with a knife and place the leaves on the substrate. The incisions should point upwards. Now the leaves are weighed down, for example with a small stone, and moistened regularly. Cling film should also be used here to increase the humidity. New plants will soon form from the incised leaf veins.

wintering

The Flaming Käthchen is not hardy and must therefore be overwintered in the apartment. The cold season of the year is used for the short-day plants to create flowers in the next year. Here are some things to look out for for around 6 to 8 weeks in winter:

• At least 14 hours of darkness per day
• Pour less
• Do not fertilize
• Cool temperatures between 15 and 18 ° C

Is the Flaming Katy poisonous?

The Flaming Käthchen does not pose a threat to humans. However, the plant is poisonous to cats.

In addition to the Flaming Käthchen there are other blooming succulents. We provide you with our overview of the most beautiful species Succulents with flowers before.