Flaming Käthchen: location, care & Co.

With the Flammenden Käthchen you bring a very easy-care and yet particularly decorative plant into your home. Here's everything you need to know about succulents.

During the flowering period, caring for the Flaming Käthchen is quite uncomplicated. In winter, however, the plant needs a little special treatment so that a rich bloom appears again next year. We show what needs to be considered.

Flaming Katy: origin and characteristics

The Flaming Katie (Kalanchoë blossfeldiana) is originally 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 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 Katy is an evergreen subshrub and belongs to the genus Kalanchoe within the Crassulacea family. The rather slow growth usually ends at a size of about 30 cm. The dark green, rounded leaves are slightly succulent, so the Flaming Katy can also survive dry periods.

It is interesting that the Flaming Käthchen is a so-called short-day plant. So that flowering can begin, the Kalanchoë blossfeldiana a period of rest when she sees little daylight. This is the only way for flowers to form again next year.

The most beautiful varieties of Kalanchoë blossfeldiana

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

• Kalanchoë blossfeldiana 'Calandiva': This variety produces double flowers, making it look particularly rich and eye-catching. They come in almost every color, from yellow to pink to orange or white.
• Kalanchoë blossfeldiana 'Tom Thumb': This Flaming Katie does not grow tall, but stops growing at about 15 cm. The flower color is red.
• Kalanchoë blossfeldiana 'gold rim': A flaming Katy in yellow can be found with the cultivar 'Goldrand'. It does not belong to the small plants, but also reaches heights of 30 cm.
• Kalanchoë blossfeldiana 'Orange Triumph': As the name suggests, this Flaming Katie has orange flowers.

tip: Flaming Käthchen fresh from the shop are often squat. This is because the plants are inhibited in their growth in length during production with special hormones, sprays or other methods. After some time in your home, Flaming Katy will develop back to normal, less compact and instead looser. This has nothing to do with incorrect care, but is the natural growth type of the plants. If you prefer a more compact form, you can encourage this with annual pruning, low nitrogen fertilization and low humidity.

Planting Flaming Katy: Location and procedure

The right location for the Kalanchoë

The Flaming Katy prefers a bright place, direct sunlight at midday should be avoided. The ideal temperature is between 18 and 22 °C. Above 25°C the plants become long and light, below 15°C the growth is very stunted. From May to August you can put the Flammende Käthchen in a bright and rain-protected place in the garden. Staying outside is good for houseplants as long as temperatures remain in the double digits. If it gets too cold, you should Kalanchoë blossfeldiana definitely bring it back home. For a compact growth and a long flowering period, it is best to keep the humidity low.

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

tip: The Flaming Katy does not tolerate ethylene gases emitted by exhaust fumes, cigarette smoke and ripening fruit. It 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.

Procedure for planting

After purchase, you should plant the Flammende Käthchen directly in a suitable pot. In any case, it should have a drainage hole. As is usual for succulents, the substrate for the Flaming Katy must be permeable so that no water can accumulate. It is best to use a special succulent or cactus soil, as this is 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 plant them Kalanchoe into fresh soil. A layer of potsherds or similar material on the bottom of the pot is suitable to help the water drain.

Plant Flaming Katy 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 during the warm summer months. Put the plant in a bucket and place it in a bright spot in the garden. A rain-protected location ensures that the substrate does not become waterlogged. 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

The Flammende Käthchen feels comfortable in the apartment all year round. However, a short stay outdoors can support the vitality of the plant. Too sunny or too shady a spot in the room can lead to pale flowers or damage to the leaves from sun exposure. A window facing east or west is usually best for Flaming Katie.

Caring for the Flaming Katy

Like most succulents, the Flaming Katy is very easy to care for. The most important thing is not to give the plant too much water.

Cut, water and fertilize Flaming Katy

Due to its succulent leaves, the Flaming Katy is able to store water. It tolerates drought better than wet. Therefore, when casting, less is more. Pour the Kalanchoë blossfeldiana whenever the substrate feels dry again at a depth of 2 – 3 cm. Use low-lime water or stagnant tap water. Irrigation 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 amounts of nutrients. Since the Flaming Katy is a flowering succulent, however, a fertilizer can support flowering. Potassium in particular is an important nutrient that should be supplied during flowering. For example, ours is suitable Plantura organic indoor and green plant fertilizer, which 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 Katy, 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 shoots above a leaf axis or thickened area. Then she can Kalanchoe can sprout again at this point. Dried leaves or single flowers should be removed regularly. Cut shoots and leaves can also be used to multiply Flaming Katy.

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

Flaming Katy fades: care after flowering

After flowering, all dried flower umbels should first be cut off. The Flammende Käthchen should soon be given a rest period so that flowers will appear again next year. A reduced light supply is then important. This also includes artificial light sources such as lamps or televisions. Therefore, it can 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 also be a bit cooler with temperatures between 15 and 18 °C. In the 6 to 8 week long dormant phase, less water is poured and no fertilizer is given at all. More than 10 hours of light per day will result in greening and no flower buds will be formed.

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

The Flaming Katy is usually not susceptible to disease. Nevertheless, it can happen that the Kalanchoe not thriving as desired.

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

Multiply Flaming Katy

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

Cut for that shoot cuttings 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 cuttings are then placed in potting soil or cactus soil enriched with sand. A plastic bag pulled 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 fully grown leaves are cut off with a sharp knife. Here, too, you need moist growing substrate and a bright and warm location. Carefully score 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 scratched leaf veins.

wintering

The Flaming Katy is not hardy and must therefore be overwintered indoors. The cold season is used by short-day plants to flower next year. Here's what you should be aware of for about 6 to 8 weeks in winter:

• At least 14 hours of darkness per day
• Water less
• Don't fertilize
• Cool temperatures between 15 and 18 °C

Is the Flaming Katie poisonous?

The Flaming Katy poses no danger to humans. However, the plant is poisonous to cats.

In addition to the Flaming Käthchen, there are other blooming succulents. We provide you with the most beautiful types in our overview Succulents with flowers in front.