Ever since the hail storm, my mysterious Kalanchoe has been on a steady decline. I had seen some growth towards the base of the plant, and that made me hope that the plant was on its way to a full recovery. Over the past weeks however, it has shed all its leaves and today I was greeted with a sad discovery.
Two of the three branches coming out of the main stem have broken off. This has left with all but one miserable branch which is already broken but is still hanging on there.
I am uncertain about the future of this plant now. The main stem has lost its rich green colouring and is now slightly reddish in colour. I still have small bunches of flowers and small leaves on the stem, but without any leaves I don't know how much longer it can survive.
The plant is a little over 1 meter tall now, however the only growth now is at the bottom of the plant. The fact that the stems are falling off like this is not a good sign I think. The flowers as you can see are somewhat shrivelled, but since it has been flowering since January, it's possibly time for it to stop now. I read that some Kalanchoes flower in Winter and then stop in Spring so this type might be just one of them.
It is also possible however, that this one is an annual. It grew from a couple of inches to over a meter in no time at all. It flowered in Winter just as it reached its maximum height and now it's time has come. One other possibility is that the hail storm has defeated it after all. It is definitely a far cry from what it was a few months ago in October.
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| Kalanchoe October 2011 |
Perhaps it's time to say goodbye. It's sad though, it was such a beautiful plant with lush foliage. It's a shame I never got to know what the plant is. I had even asked the nursery and they had no idea :|
I will leave it where it is for the time being. Just monitoring it, seeing what comes next. I might just end up with one lonely stalk, tied to a bamboo stick which makes no real sense now. Well not completely lonely, there is one leaf left, hanging on, telling me that its not over yet.
Hi GRA! I think kalanchoe is a pretty strong plant. If it was my plant, I would cut it down and see if it gives a new growth. I also would poke the broken stem in soil and hope that it'll give roots. How about watering? I don't think these plants like too much water. Also, they like shade during hot months.
ReplyDeleteGood luck!
Hi Tatyana, thanks for the comment. It's true they don't like alot of water, I only water them when they are completely dry. I did notice however that the soil is taking longer to dry than previous months, even though the temperature is getting hotter. I will certainly try your suggestions, thanks again :)
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