Kalanchoe Mirabella is a captivating succulent known for its vibrant, long-lasting blooms and fleshy, deep green leaves. Its resilience and simple care make it a popular choice for indoor gardeners, even those new to plant care.
Kalanchoe Mirabella Care
Kalanchoe Mirabella thrives with specific environmental conditions, including proper light, water, soil, temperature, and nutrition, ensuring healthy growth and abundant flowering.
Light Needs
Kalanchoe Mirabella prefers bright, indirect light, ideally near a south-facing window. While it tolerates some direct morning sun, intense afternoon sunlight can scorch its leaves. Insufficient light leads to leggy growth, brittle tissues, and a faded appearance, diminishing the plant’s natural color and vigor.
Watering Practices
As a succulent, Kalanchoe Mirabella tolerates drought by storing water in its fleshy leaves and stems. Allow the soil to dry completely between waterings to prevent root rot. Typically, water every two to three weeks, adjusting for temperature and humidity. Ensure water drains thoroughly from the pot, avoiding standing water in saucers.
Soil Requirements
A well-draining soil mix is important for Kalanchoe Mirabella, preventing waterlogging and providing support. A succulent or cactus mix works well, or a blend of peat moss, perlite, and coarse sand. A common DIY mix is one part potting soil, one part perlite, and one part coarse sand for aeration and drainage.
Temperature and Humidity
Kalanchoe Mirabella thrives in typical indoor temperatures, ideally 16°C to 38°C (60°F to 85°F). Higher temperatures are tolerated, but growth may slow above 33°C (91°F). Protect the plant from temperatures below 5°C (41°F) in winter to prevent frost damage. Kalanchoes are not sensitive to humidity and handle dry indoor air well.
Fertilizing
Kalanchoe Mirabella requires minimal fertilization. During its active growing season (spring to early fall), apply a balanced liquid fertilizer diluted to half strength every two to four weeks. These plants, accustomed to nutrient-poor wild environments, may not require much fertilization. Avoid fertilizing during fall and winter dormancy, as excess nutrients can harm growth.
Promoting and Maintaining Blooms
Encouraging Kalanchoe Mirabella to re-bloom involves specific light manipulation, as these photoperiodic plants are triggered by darkness. To stimulate blooming, provide 14-16 hours of complete darkness daily for six to eight weeks. Ensure no artificial light disrupts this cycle, which prevents flower bud formation.
Once flower buds appear, return the plant to normal bright light. Deadheading, the removal of spent flowers, maintains appearance and encourages new blooms. Snip flower stems near their base, above the first set of large leaves, to direct energy towards more flowers.
Propagating Kalanchoe Mirabella
Propagating Kalanchoe Mirabella is straightforward, typically done through stem or leaf cuttings. The ideal time is during the plant’s vegetative state, in late spring and summer after flowering, allowing energy for new growth and quicker healing.
For stem cuttings, select a healthy, non-flowering stem 2-3 inches long with two to five leaves. Make a clean cut above a leaf node, then allow the end to callus for two to three days to prevent rot. Insert the callused cutting into a well-draining succulent or cactus mix, ensuring 0.5-2 inches of stem are in the soil.
Lightly water, then place in bright, indirect light, keeping the soil slightly moist until roots develop. Leaf cuttings can also be used, but may have a lower success rate or take longer to root.