Kalanchoe thyrsiflora

El Kalanchoe thyrsiflora it is a non-cactus succulent plant that looks great in gardens. It grows fast, it is also a good size, so you can put it anywhere because it will be very visible, which is just what is most often desired from the elements that are part of a field: that it be seen and stand out for some reason.

To keep it healthy it is important to take into account a series of things that we will explain below. But from the outset we already warn you that it is very easy to care  .

Origin and characteristics of Kalanchoe thyrsiflora

It is a non-cactus succulent plant native to South Africa and Lesotho whose scientific name is Kalanchoe thyrsiflora. It has a diameter of about 40 centimeters and a height of 20-30 centimeters. It develops fleshy, large, rounded leaves, green with a red margin, covered by a whitish fluff that makes them feel very soft to the touch.

Blooms only once, sometime from fall to spring, producing a flower stalk up to 1 meter tall. The flowers are waxy, yellow in color. It is, then, a Hapaxanthic plant, like the agave for example.

What are the care it requires?

Having a specimen of this species is especially recommended when you have a garden of succulents or plants resistant to drought, since it looks great on rockeries, or growing together with yuccas, Beaucarnea, or the like, in addition to cacti like echinopsis, Espostoa or myrtillocactus. Although they do not share origin, the Kalanchoe thyrsiflora it will look great between them.

But if you don't have a garden, don't worry. If you can get a large pot, about 50 centimetres in diameter, it will do; and if you can't find one either, get an old tyre and make a homemade pot with wire mesh and substrate  . Then, you just have to take care of it, taking into account our instructions:

Location

It is a plant that needs to be outside, in full sun. It does not live well in semi-shade, much less in shade.

Earth

• Garden: grows in all types of soils as long as they have good drainage. It tolerates limestone well.
• Flower pot: it is not very demanding, it can be filled with universal substrate mixed with perlite in equal parts. However, to minimize the risk of rot, it is preferable to use mineral substrates such as pumice or akadama.

Irrigation

Irrigation must be low. During the summer it will be watered about twice a week, while the rest of the year it will be once a week or every fifteen days. During the winter it will be watered little to nothing, depending on the climatic conditions of the area and how the substrate or soil is (if it is very dry, do not hesitate to water).

If you have it in a pot, do not put a plate under it so that its roots do not rot.

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From the beginning of spring to the end of summer, it must be fertilized with a fertilizer for succulents., be it liquid, powder or granular. Of course, it is necessary to read the indications specified on the product packaging, since otherwise you could add more than the required amount and, as a consequence, the roots would burn and die.

Multiplication

Do you want to get new copies of Kalanchoe thyrsiflora? For this you have to sow their seeds or separate the suckers in spring or summer. Let's see how to proceed in each case:

Seeds

The step by step to follow is as follows:

1. The first thing you have to do is fill a pot -with holes- with universal substrate mixed with perlite in equal parts.
2. Then, water thoroughly, moistening the entire substrate well.
3. Then, pour the seeds on the surface, making sure they are as far apart as possible.
4. Then cover them with a thin layer of quartz sand.
5. Finally, place the seedbed outside, in full sun.

Now you just have to keep the substrate moist (not flooded) so that they germinate in about 10-15 days.

Separation of suckers

Separating the suckers is the fastest method of obtaining new specimens. You just have to scratch a little around the son that you want to separate, and with the help of a knife cut it.

Then, you plant it in an individual pot with pumice or fine gravel, water it, and leave it outside in semi-shade. After about two weeks it will emit its own roots.

Plagues and diseases

It is quite resistant in general, but if the environment is very hot and dry it can be affected by mealybugs y aphids. Likewise, in the rainy season the snails y slugs they tend to eat their leaves.

To avoid this, it should be treated with diatomaceous earth, potassium soap, ... or removing the insects with a small brush soaked in pharmacy alcohol.

Rusticity

From my own experience, I can tell you that it resists frosts down to -2ºC provided they are punctual and of short duration. But it is better to have it protected since its leaves are damaged by hail.

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