How to top and pinch the longevity flower

Pinching and topping is a means

How to pinch the longevity flower

Pinching is generally done early, usually after the cuttings have taken root ( about a month or so ) . The first pinching can be done when the plant grows to 4-6 cm in height and has 4 or 5 pairs of leaves.

Judging from the varieties I have raised, plants with longer "internodes" are often "strong apical dominance" varieties. After pinching, there are almost fewer lateral buds, and the new buds at the top still grow upward. The length of the "internodes" can reach more than 4cm . Pinching 2-3 times may not necessarily achieve the purpose of limiting the height of the apical buds. After flowering, the plant height can reach 40-50cm . This type of variety can be topped earlier.

How to top the Kalanchoe

Topping is the method used when backup is needed for seedlings. Compared with late pinching, when the plant grows to 10 cm, retain 3 to 5 pairs of leaves, cut off the tender buds at the top, and re-graft it.

Correction of Kalanchoe

Current year plants

When growing Kalanchoe at home, there is no temperature and light control like in a greenhouse. It relies entirely on natural light for growth. The plants sometimes grow unevenly and appear crooked. If the plant is leaning to one side due to lack of light, you should use the topping method to remove the branches that are too high, and at the same time increase the light to allow it to slowly recover.

However, the growing plants are already tilted, and it is difficult to restore them simply by adjusting the direction of light. You can use a thinner "aluminum wire core" and gradually increase the curvature of the wire to slowly restore the plant to an upright state.

Perennial plants

Strictly speaking, it is best to use branches grown in the current year when growing Kalanchoe at home, and plant them once a year. However, some people have been raising Kalanchoe at home for many years, but its own aging will affect the differentiation of flower buds and the quality of flowering.

Therefore, it is best to renew old plants by cuttings at least once every 2-3 years. However, perennial plants can still be shaped, but do not use the shaving method directly. Treat them differently according to their specific morphology. For varieties with short branches and dense flowers, it is generally necessary to retain 1 to 2 leaf scars on the branches of the current year after flowering and wait for new buds to sprout; for varieties with long branches and fewer flower buds, it is best to renew them once a year.