I'm a plant murderer! You decide my punishment.

Due to the fact that Kalanchoes grow, multiply and do what
they do so quickly, I wasn't terribly upset to think I had to start over
after murdering a two year old plant. Yes, I realize these things are
a major invasive pest for some, but it has sentimental value.

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/141595/

I was just about to take pictures of it when stupidity
took over. My Kalanchoe was planted in the ground, with a six
foot rebar supporting it, with raffia tied along the stalk to keep it
growing beautifully straight, arched out and was very attractive.

Bragging about it the other day (http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/141595/)
I decided to photograph it. Instead, my other brain took over and decided we
should dig it up, pot it up and bring it into the house for winter. Right then. Now.

Needless to say my Kalanchoe is now an amputee. There are others
trying to catch up with such growth, but it will be a while. Sigh.

So, could anyone please help me? Here are the choices:

1.) Can I tape and secure the severed limb back on, hoping for healing?
2.) Shall I pluck off the leaves, pot them up and toss the stalk in the compost pile?
3.) Shall I stick the entire broken limb into soil and hope it will root?
4.) Toss everything away, winter is coming. Chalk it up to a mistake, start over indoors?
5.) Other, please specify.

Many thanks, KM

I learned while reading up on this plant (last week) that once it has babies, it dies. So why don't you take the babies and put them in some dirt, and hope that they will grow to a fine, wonderful specimens like the one you 'had'.

If they die after they have babies, mine are immortal. LOL

I've taken zillions of babies from many of my Kalanchoes, but
they live on. :-)

I'd take a chunk of it and put in a glass of water...... if it roots, it roots.

Yeah, I'd at least try it and see what happens.

I ordered some babies from Onalee's Seeds back in the early summer. Now mine are mature and I have many, many babies. I decided I'd take some of them and start a new pot, since 'they' said the mother plant would die after giving birth...

What gets into us plant lovers that we decide to do something RIGHT NOW, and it a totally spur of the moment thing? Don't feel bad, Wuvie, I've done that more times than can count. We all of a sudden get an itch to repot, divide, or whatever, and before we know it, its been done, and sometimes we're really sorry, and wonder what in the world were we thinking? I just wondered if others have this same problem.

Randi

Randi,

Indeed. I'm mad at myself because I knew I could not
do it well by myself, but in a moment of sheer lunacy
(or in this case, severe instant gratification syndrome)
hubby was on the lawnmower when I decided the plant
must be repotted right that moment.

Sigh. A lesson learned.

Wuvie,

I have plants out in the garden that fell off mine this year (actually I have tons of these). The ones in the garden will NEVER make it through our Maine winter. If you would like them for postage, I would be more than happy to send them to you :) along with a few from the pot to grow this winter :)

Kim

Hi Kim,

I truly appreciate your kind offer. However, a supply of babies
is what I definitely have. There are newly formed plantlets, newly
rooted plantlets, all ranges and sizes from itty bitty to getting too
long and needing support. It's the nearing six foot booger I'm
fretting about. LOL.

It's just a shame that the very first Kalanchoe I ever grew was a
fabulous specimen and quite large. My favorite sister in law gave
it to me a couple years ago and I'm often bragging to her about it.
I guess I'll have to tell her what I've done.

:-(

Did you keep it outside year round? I didn't realize these get that tall! I will NEVER have one that blooms then *lol*. Think I will just throw the pot of them away *lol*

Hi Kim,

It was growing in the house for quite some time. Then I saw
one planted outdoors at Tranquility Gardens and HAD to ask.
Armed with new knowledge, I ran home and planted mine. After
that, it took off like nobody's business, but I knew it had to come in
for the winter.

There are still tall plants which were not affected, so maybe they
will catch up by next spring, then I'll move them outdoors, too. This
time, though, I won't plant them in the ground. They will even have
pots with wheels, LOL.

I really love this plant. I'm getting ready to place some babies in some soil and have another pot here at work. They seem to grow really well directly under my fluorescent light.

Thanks all-another one for my want list-LOL :o)
Robbi

Robbi, you'll have to make yours a house plant, take it outside in the summer, and inside in the winter.

I have one that's not nearly as tall as yours but over the summer sometime the stem blew over and leaned into my tropical hibiscus's pot and rooted itself there (the roots grew right out of the stem.) I figured that I had to do something w/ it b/c I couldn't have the two pots hooked together lol so I hacked the kalanchoe off and left the rooted top in w/ the hibiscus and was left w/ just a stem in the other pot. Now the bare stem is sending out leaves from the top! Might work for yours too. :)

Thanks, Bec, I'll sure give it a try.

:-)

Wuvie, it sounds like that plant will do Anything for you, so I betcha that works.

Pat

No problem- I hope it works. :) They seem to be hard to kill lol- even in my care. ;)