Brood sheet ∗ The 10 best planting and care tips

the essentials in brief

• brood leaf is a species-rich houseplant from the genus Kalanchoe with beautiful flowers and succulent ornamental leaves, the edges of which have numerous brood buds.
• Plant a brood leaf in cactus soil or a mix of potting soil, sand and lava granules(€14.00 at Amazon*) for a sunny, warm location.
• Care tips: water sparingly with rainwater, rarely fertilize, for the purpose of propagation plant children of the leaf edges, cut if necessary.
• Beautiful varieties: Kalanchoe daigremontiana (brood leaf), Kalanchoe laetivirens (elephant ear), Kalanchoe pinnata (Goethe plant), Kalanchoe tubiflora syn. Kalanchoe delagoensis (Tube-flowered brood).

Characteristics

• Scientific name: Bryophyllum
• Family: Crassulaceae
• Genus: Kalanchoe
• Origin: Madagascar
• Growth type: succulent
• Growth height: 10 to 150 cm
• Flower: tubular-bell-shaped, simple
• Leaf: simple, pinnate, lobed
• Toxicity: toxic or non-toxic
• Root: terrestrial, on brood bud
• Hardiness: not hardy
• Use: houseplant, medicinal plant

blossom

Blossoms that are worth seeing adorn brood leaf species in decorative shapes and picturesque colors. The following properties characterize a brood leaf flower:

• Structure: terminal, stalked umbrella raceme, umbel or panicle
• Composition: four to fivefold, mostly fused, rarely free
• Shape: simple cup, hanging bell or tube
• Colours: white, red, pink, yellow, orange (also two-tone varieties)

Some brood leaves do without a flower dress, such as cat's ear, also known as panda plant (Kalanchoe tomentosa). To compensate, artistically shaped, velvety leaves with colorful hairs along the edges adorn the exotic room beauties.

toxicity

The venom content of Broodleaf species is a double-edged sword. The classifications range from non-toxic and healing to toxic. Scientific studies and findings on the toxicity of Bryophyllum are far from over. The following table gives examples of harmless and problematic Kalanchoe varieties:

root

Bryophyllum don't stop at spreading their roots in potting soil. Numerous brood buds with their own roots sprout along the edges of the leaves. The result of this ingenious, vegetative and asexual propagation are tiny clones of the mother plant. A breath of wind is enough and the little plants fall to the ground to take root there. The name brood leaf refers to this ingenious propagation strategy, as the following video demonstrates:

Ingenious usage strategy - Broodleaf clones itself

hardiness

Brood leaves are not hardy. A look at the origin and distribution area reveals why this is so. Broodleaf species are native to the tropical island nation of Madagascar. Since their discovery in the early 19th Since the beginning of the 20th century, the most beautiful Kalanchoe varieties have enjoyed worldwide recognition and have now become wild in many tropical regions. Of course, on their journey around the world, the succulent plants did not learn to survive at temperatures below 10° Celsius.

Plant brood leaf - instructions

Garden centers usually sell young brood leaves in pots 6 to 15 cm in diameter. Buy a matching flower pot with a diameter that is about 2 cm larger. Reach for a shallow pot or planter to suit the shallow root system. How to properly plant a brood leaf:

Location

The brood leaf feels well cared for in a sunny, warm location at room temperatures of 18° to 25° Celsius. Ideally, reserve a spot on the south-facing window sill for the tropical houseplant. Bright, warm locations at the west or east window, in the conservatory and in a hallway flooded with light are also possible.

From May to September, a brood leaf will be happy to keep you company on the sunny balcony. A two-week hardening phase in a partially shaded location effectively prevents leaf damage from sunburn. If the night-time temperatures fall below 12° Celsius, please put the Kalanchoe back in.

substrate

In their home regions, brood leaves thrive in sandy-drained, calcareous soil. The pot substrate should be made accordingly. Commercial cactus soil is well suited. Alternatively, mix your own according to this recipe:

• Potting soil (permeable without peat): 50%
• Sand (fine grain): 20%
• lava granules or expanded clay: 30 %

Plant

Please put on gloves to protect yourself from direct skin contact with the slightly toxic plant sap. How to properly pot a brood leaf:

1. Drainage on the bottom of the pot lava granules or place a shard of pottery over the water drain
2. Fill in the substrate up to half to three quarters of the pot height
3. Make a small well in the substrate
4. Pull the brood leaf out of the breeding pot
5. Place in the middle of the hollow
6. Fill in the remaining soil and press down

Plant a brood leaf just as deep as in the nursery pot. Finally, water the plant with rainwater or stagnant tap water. To prevent waterlogging, check the coaster after 10 minutes and pour off any accumulated water.

digression

Goethe's green muse - Kalanchoe pinnata

Caring for the brood leaf – tips & tricks

As thick-leaf plants, brood leaves are among the succulent species. This results in care on the back burner, which you can successfully master even without a green thumb. Read here the best tips and tricks for magnificent Kalanchoe as houseplants:

• Pour: Water sparingly rainwater, Allow the substrate to dry noticeably before each watering (finger test).
• Fertilize: Fertilize every 4 weeks from May to August with liquid succulent fertilizer at half concentration.
• hibernate: Light and cool-temperate overwinter at 12° to 15° Celsius, rarely water, do not fertilize.
• To cut: Thin out the brood leaf in spring, cut back excessively long shoots (do not forget gloves).
• repot: Repot into fresh substrate at the end of February/beginning of March.

You will rarely have to complain about diseases and pests. The most common maintenance problem is waterlogging. Especially during the winter, wet feet bring everyone succulent houseplant reliably on the track. A safe method against overwatering is a watering indicator, on the scale of which the water requirement can be read. Occasionally a brood leaf will be attacked by aphids. An effective home remedy against the pests is the classic soap solution.

propagation

Hobby gardeners take advantage of the phenomenon of rooted buds on the leaf edges for propagation. In order for the little plants to turn into lush brood beauties, proceed as follows:

1. Fill flat plant bowl with unfertilized coconut soil or peat-free pricking soil
2. Drill small holes in the substrate with a pricking stick
3. Pluck rooted, at least 2 cm large children from the edge of the leaf
4. insert plantlets
5. Push the substrate with the pricking stick over the roots to just below the leaf base
6. Pour in a fine spray of lime-free water

Spray offshoots and dried soil sparingly with room-warm water in a bright location that is not in full sun at temperatures of 15° to 20° Celsius.

Popular Varieties

Attractive brood leaf species and representative varieties for the windowsill and the summer balcony gather under the umbrella of the genus Kalanchoe:

• Kalanchoe daigremontiana: red or pink tubular flowers from December to February, 30 to 150 cm in size.
• Kalanchoe laetivirens: elephant ear, heart-shaped leaves, serrated margins, green-white or pink flower-tubes, 20 cm small.
• Kalanchoe pinnata: Goethe plant, 50 to 100 cm tall, violet-red, hanging tubular flowers from July to September.
• Kalanchoe tubiflora: orange, tubular flowers from January to May, 75 to 90 cm high.
• Kalanchoe delagoensis: Synonym for Kalanchoe tubiflora, tubular-flowered bract.

FAQ

Is a brood leaf poisonous to cats?

All Broodblatt species are poisonous to cats. Veterinarians warn against popular houseplants in particular, such as Flaming Katy (Kalanchoe blossfeldiana), Goethe plant (Kalanchoe pinnata) and Kalanchoe daigremontiana (broodleaf). There is no point in placing succulents out of your cat's reach. The poisonous plants fall unnoticed from the leaf edges of a mother plant and are destroyed. Your house cat has to pay for the small snack with severe nausea, painful vomiting and even life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias.

What ailments does brood leaf tincture work against?

In pharmacies you can buy brood leaf tincture as a homeopathic medicine. When used externally, the concentrated plant sap works against skin problems such as herpes and inflammation. Used internally, the natural remedy is said to have a soothing effect on sleep disorders, restlessness, coughs, sore throats or irritable bladder. Furthermore, naturopaths use brood leaf tincture as an anti-labor to prevent premature birth.

When is a brood leaf repotted?

If the brood leaf pot is tight, we recommend changing to a larger container with fresh potting soil. You should repot Kalanchoe at the latest when the roots grow out from under the bottom of the pot. The best time is in early spring, preferably in March.

How hardy is an outdoor Kalanchoe?

Plants declared as outdoor Kalanchoe are not hardy. In most cases, it is the well-known variety 'Flammendes Käthchen', which you can plant in the bed in May. After all, the tropical succulent plant is quite robust and inspires with colorful flowers well into autumn. If the temperatures fall below 5° Celsius, the outdoor Kalanchoe will die. In the pot on the balcony, thickly wrapped in winter fleece in a wind-protected location, the plant lasts until the first frost.

My brood leaf is losing leaves. What to do?

When succulent plants lose their leaves, waterlogging is the most common cause. Repot the brood leaf promptly in cactus soil over a drainage expanded clay.(€19.00 at Amazon*) From now on you water more sparingly, always after a finger test. Brood leaves tolerate drought without any problems, because the fleshy leaves store plenty of water as a natural cistern.