How often should I water a kalanchoe?

Water thoroughly when the soil has dried most of the way down, usually every 2 to 3 weeks indoors and less in winter. Kalanchoe is a succulent and rots quickly in wet soil.

How do I get my kalanchoe to bloom again?

After flowering, cut off spent stems and let it rest. In autumn, give it about 14 hours of complete darkness each night for six weeks, with bright light during the day. Flower buds form under these short days.

How much light does a kalanchoe need?

Bright light with some direct sun, such as a south or west window. In low light it stretches and won't rebloom.

Is kalanchoe toxic to cats and dogs?

Yes. The ASPCA lists kalanchoe as toxic to cats and dogs. It contains bufadienolides that cause vomiting and diarrhoea and, rarely, abnormal heart rhythm.

Should I deadhead kalanchoe?

Yes. Removing faded flowers keeps the plant tidy and can encourage more blooms. Once a whole flower stalk has finished, cut it back to the leaves.

Kalanchoe Care: Light, Watering and Reblooming

Kalanchoe care is simple once you remember that the cheerful, long-flowering pot plant sold in supermarkets is a succulent. Kalanchoe blossfeldiana, from Madagascar, has thick, glossy leaves and clusters of small red, orange, yellow, pink or white flowers that last for weeks. Most are treated as temporary, but with bright light, sparing water and a little help with day length, a kalanchoe will flower again for years.

Kalanchoe care at a glance

Need	What works	Avoid
Light	Bright, with some direct sun	Low light
Water	When soil is mostly dry	Frequent watering, soggy soil
Soil	Cactus or succulent mix	Moisture-retentive compost
Pot	Terracotta with drainage	Pots without holes
Temperature	15–27°C	Below 10°C
Humidity	Average or dry	Very humid, still air
Feeding	Half-strength monthly, spring–summer	Feeding in rest periods
Pets	Toxic to cats and dogs	Within reach

The NC State Extension profile notes it's a short-day plant, meaning it flowers when nights are long.

Light

Give kalanchoe bright light with a few hours of direct sun. A south, west or east window works well. In flower, it lasts longer with bright, indirect light rather than hot afternoon sun. Out of flower, more sun keeps it compact and builds energy for the next bloom. In low light, stems stretch, leaves spread apart and the plant won't rebloom.

Check your window with the plant light meter converter.

Watering

Water like a succulent: soak thoroughly, then let it dry. Wait until the soil has dried most of the way down, which indoors is often every two to three weeks, then water until it drains and empty the saucer. In winter, water even less.

Symptom	Likely cause
Soft, mushy stems or black base	Overwatering, rot
Yellow, translucent leaves	Overwatering
Wrinkled, thin leaves	Underwatering
Leaves dropping	Cold, overwatering or very low light

Bottom watering works well for kalanchoe; see bottom watering plants. For more on succulent watering, read succulent care indoors.

Soil and pots

Use a gritty cactus or succulent mix, or blend houseplant compost with about half perlite or grit. Terracotta pots help the soil dry faster. Repot every couple of years in spring, after flowering, one size up. The soil mix calculator helps with quantities.

Temperature and humidity

Kalanchoe likes normal room temperatures of 15 to 27°C and is fine in average or dry indoor air. Keep it above 10°C. High humidity with poor air flow can encourage powdery mildew and rot.

Feeding

Feed once a month in spring and summer with a balanced or cactus fertiliser at half strength. Stop feeding while you're encouraging reblooming in autumn. Use the fertilizer dilution calculator.

How to make kalanchoe rebloom

Kalanchoe is a short-day plant: it forms flower buds when nights are long. Nursery plants are timed with controlled lighting, which is why they're in flower when you buy them. To rebloom at home:

After flowering, cut spent flower stems back to the leaves.
Rest and grow: through spring and summer, give bright light, water sparingly and feed monthly.
Pinch leggy stems in early summer to keep it bushy.
Start short days in autumn: for about six weeks, give it 14 hours of complete darkness every night, such as in a cupboard from 6 pm to 8 am, or under a box. Even short bursts of lamp light can interrupt this.
Bright light by day: return it to its sunny spot each morning.
Stop feeding and water sparingly during this period.
When buds appear, return it to normal care. Flowers open over the next few weeks.

In many homes, the natural short days of autumn and winter are enough if the plant sits in a room that isn't lit in the evening. The same principle applies to Christmas cactus.

Deadheading and pruning

Pinch off faded flowers to keep the plant tidy.
Cut finished flower stalks back to the first pair of leaves.
After flowering, trim leggy stems to keep a compact shape.
Use the trimmings for propagation.

Propagation

Method	How	Time
Stem cuttings	5–8 cm tips; let cut end dry for a day; insert into gritty mix	Roots in 2–4 weeks
Leaf cuttings	Whole leaf pressed into moist mix	Slower; 4–8 weeks

Keep cuttings in bright, indirect light and water lightly until rooted. More in how to propagate houseplants.

Other kalanchoes

Species	Common name	Grown for	Notes
K. blossfeldiana	Flaming Katy	Flowers	The common pot plant
K. tomentosa	Panda plant	Fuzzy leaves	Very easy
K. daigremontiana	Mother of thousands	Plantlets on leaf edges	Spreads aggressively
K. thyrsiflora	Paddle plant	Large round leaves	Colours red in sun
K. luciae	Flapjack	Stacked paddles	Very similar to paddle plant
K. fedtschenkoi	Lavender scallops	Blue-grey scalloped leaves	Easy, trailing

All need similar succulent care: bright light and sparing water. Mother of thousands drops plantlets into nearby pots, so keep it apart from other plants.

Buying and caring for a kalanchoe in flower

Choose a plant with lots of tight buds and only a few open flowers, so it blooms for longer at home. Check the leaves are firm and glossy, with no soft stems or white fluff underneath. Once home:

Remove decorative foil or plastic sleeves so water can drain.
Put it in bright, indirect light while in flower; flowers last longer out of hot sun.
Water only when the soil is mostly dry.
Pick off faded flowers every few days.

Most kalanchoes flower for six to eight weeks. When the last flowers fade, move it into full sun and start the regrowth routine above.

Why is my kalanchoe leggy?

Long, bare stems with leaves only at the tips almost always mean too little light, sometimes combined with age. Cut the stems back to 5 cm in spring, move the plant to the sunniest window you have, and root the tips. Several rooted tips in one pot make a fuller plant than a single stretched stem.

Common problems

Problem	Cause	What to do
No flowers	Too little light, no short days	More sun; six weeks of long nights
Leggy growth	Low light	Brighter spot; prune and replant tips
Powdery white coating	Powdery mildew	Better air flow; remove affected leaves
Stem rot	Overwatering	Take healthy cuttings, use gritty mix
White fluffy clusters	Mealybugs	See mealybugs on plants
Small green or black insects on buds	Aphids	Rinse off, treat with insecticidal soap

Pet safety

The ASPCA lists kalanchoe as toxic to cats and dogs. It contains bufadienolides, compounds that cause vomiting and diarrhoea and, rarely, heart rhythm problems. Keep it out of reach of pets, and contact your vet if a pet chews it. Check other plants with the plant toxicity checker or choose from pet-safe houseplants. For a similar flowering plant that's safe for pets, consider an African violet.

Kalanchoe outdoors

In summer, kalanchoe can go outside in a sunny, sheltered spot. Acclimatise it gradually over a week to avoid sunburn, protect it from heavy rain, and bring it in before nights fall below 10°C. In frost-free climates it grows outdoors all year as a bedding or rockery plant.

Seasonal care

Season	Focus
Spring	Repot if needed, start feeding, take cuttings
Summer	Bright sun, water when dry, pinch for bushiness
Autumn	Six weeks of long nights, stop feeding
Winter	Flowers; water sparingly, keep above 10°C

Bottom line

Kalanchoe needs bright light, gritty soil, infrequent watering and, for reblooming, about six weeks of long, dark nights in autumn. Treat it like a succulent rather than a typical flowering pot plant, keep it away from pets, and it'll flower year after year.

Sources: NC State Extension Plant Toolbox, Kalanchoe blossfeldiana; ASPCA, Kalanchoe.