Kalanchoe

Cleaned and Quarantined

| Flower Roberts

I was excited to spot some orange on the kalanchoe buds.

Upon closer inspection, the color came from bugs not blooms.

img_8489

Aphids had stowed away and were happily sucking sap from the young stems.

I pulled out my mean weapons from my arsenal to do battle.   Q-tips, along with a dish of alcohol.

img_8495

The aphid army was soon obliterated and floating in the dish-of-death.

img_8496

Do not pity these parasites. They are itty bitty, yet ugly and vicious.

20170109_112501.jpg

The plant is now recovering nicely in the plant hospital, along side the sick Lemon Button Fern.

img_8497

FLOWER the Warrior

Mother-of-Thousands? Not this Mama!

| Flower Roberts

I am so glad that I am NOT a Kalanchoe daigremontiana.

This plant reproduces both sexually, by flowers, and asexually.

The ends of its leaves are covered with tiny “plantlets” with needy, draping roots.

IMG_7485

Can you imagine trying to live with little”adultlets” hanging off of your arms?

Mother of thousands?  Two progeny has about done me in.

The Kalanchoe babies do eventually drop off, but to where?

The same pot, that’s where.

IMG_7755

So now,  Mama Kalanchoe has to share her soil and water with all those “independent” plantlets.

Talk about “Not far from the tree.”

Next time you are feeling overwhelmed by motherhood, consider yourself lucky not to be a Kalanchoe daigremontiana.

Think how it would be to drop little clones of yourself all around your house and yard.

Now, there’s my next nightmare!

IMG_7762

The “Old Woman in the Shoe” had it way easier than this mama.

Plantlets available…by the thousands.

IMG_7751

 

 

 

Orange Kalanchoe

| Flower Roberts

I need bright colors when the weather is dark and dull.

What can be brighter than this Kalanchoe blossfeldiana?

Cultivars may also have flower colors of pink, yellow and red.

IMG_7588

The deep orange bloom clusters just keep on coming for weeks in the winter.

Kalanchoes want sunshine. They need a window to sit in to get this happy.

Let them dry between waterings.

IMG_7632

 

This plant is a fireball of a bloomer.

 

IMG_7607