The Kalanchoe, often recognized as Florist Kalanchoe (Kalanchoe blossfeldiana), is a popular succulent houseplant valued for its thick, waxy foliage and long-lasting clusters of vibrant flowers. While these plants are generally low-maintenance, they naturally tend to become leggy and less vigorous over time without intervention. Trimming is necessary to manage the plant’s size, encourage the development of dense, new foliage, and stimulate a robust cycle of future flowering. This practice ensures the Kalanchoe maintains the compact, attractive shape that makes it such a desirable indoor specimen.
Essential Timing and Tool Preparation
The most opportune moment for significant structural pruning is immediately after the plant has completed its main blooming cycle, typically during the late spring or early summer months. This timing allows the Kalanchoe to recover and redirect its energy toward vegetative growth rather than bloom production during its active growing season. While major shape-altering cuts are seasonal, the simpler task of removing spent flowers should be performed continuously throughout the year as soon as they fade.
Effective trimming relies on using the appropriate tools, such as a small pair of bypass pruners or clean household scissors. Because succulents are susceptible to various fungal and bacterial pathogens, tool sanitation is an important preventative measure. Before making any cuts, the blades should be wiped down with a disinfectant like rubbing alcohol or a 10% bleach solution to eliminate any disease-causing organisms.
Technique for Deadheading Spent Flowers
Deadheading, the process of removing faded flowers, is distinct from structural pruning and serves to redirect the plant’s energy away from seed production. Allowing a Kalanchoe to set seed is metabolically expensive and signals to the plant that its reproductive cycle is complete, often delaying the next flush of blooms.
To properly deadhead, follow the spent flower stalk, which emerges from the main foliage, down to the nearest healthy leaf or branching point. Make a precise cut just above this node, as this is where dormant buds are located that will be stimulated into activity. This action prevents the formation of unsightly dried flower heads and promotes a tidier overall appearance for the plant.
Pruning for Size and Bushier Shape
Structural pruning targets the main vegetative stems and is performed primarily to control the plant’s size and encourage a denser growth habit. Kalanchoes that are allowed to grow unchecked often become “leggy,” characterized by long, bare stems with sparse foliage at the tips. This leggy appearance is corrected by strategically cutting back the stem to promote lateral branching.
The physiological goal of this pruning is to activate the axillary buds, which are the dormant growth points located just above where a leaf joins the stem (the node). When the apical meristem—the actively growing tip of the stem—is removed, the plant releases the inhibitory hormone that suppresses these lower buds. To achieve this effect, trim the stem back by up to one-third of its length, always making the cut just a few millimeters above a healthy leaf node.
Making the cut above a node ensures that the new growth will emerge from a predetermined point, resulting in two new lateral stems where there was previously only one. This effectively doubles the density of the foliage and contributes to the desired compact, mounding shape. For severely overgrown or stretched plants, a more substantial rejuvenation pruning may be necessary.
Immediate Care and Using Cuttings
After performing any significant structural pruning, it is important to adjust the plant’s immediate environment to prevent disease and encourage healing. Kalanchoes, like most succulents, are highly susceptible to rot if moisture enters an open wound. Therefore, withhold watering for at least three to five days following the cuts to allow the trimmed surfaces to dry out and form a protective, corky layer known as a callus.
The healthy stem segments removed during pruning should not be discarded, as they offer an excellent opportunity for propagation. These cuttings can be transformed into new plants, extending the life of the parent Kalanchoe. Lay the cuttings in a dry, shaded place for several days until the cut end has fully calloused over, which seals the wound against fungal infections.
Once the cut surface is dry and hardened, the stem segment can be planted directly into a well-draining succulent potting mix. New roots will typically begin to form within several weeks, establishing a new, genetically identical plant. Refrain from applying any fertilizer to the pruned plant or the new cuttings until active new growth is clearly visible.