Help! my Kalanchoe hurts!

Hello all!
I have a question that some of you much more experienced indoor plant people might know. My mother has a Kalanchoe that she is desperately trying to keep alive (my Dad bought it for her, they've been married 41 years :-)). It has already flowered for her in Dec. She cut off the spent blooms. She has watered it sparingly because the soil seemed moist. Right now some of the leaves look like they are soft and yellow like they are dying and 2 leaves have a white substance on them. She wasn't sure if it could be a mildew or scale insect or something. She is getting some new growth on top where she cut the flowers off but she is worried that if there is a problem with the plant and if she doesn't do something about it, she will lose it. She doesn't have much of a green thumb with indoor plants. If you could give me some insight, It would be greatly appreciated.:-) Thanks, Andrea

If the plant has white stuff on it, it's probably mealy bugs. Spray with 100% isopropyl alcohol or if just a small area use a Qtip dipped in alcohol. You could also use an insecticidal soap. The more sun it gets the better (like a west or south window), and keep on the dry side. Kalanchoes can last for years. If it's showing new growth, you can fertilize it with half-strength fertilizer.

Oh, great! Thank you for all that information :-) I had no idea how to help her. I knew someone here would! Thanks, Andrea

I agree, the white stuff sounds like mealies. The yellowing leaves could also be a watering issue...over and under-watering can have similar symptoms, but kalanchoes don't need a ton of water and overwatering in general is much more common than underwatering, so I'd tend to suspect too much water. I'd have her check by sticking her finger down a couple inches into the pot--if it's feeling really sopping wet then she's probably best off repotting it into some fresh soil. If it's just a bit damp then it's probably OK to leave it, but she shouldn't water again until it's feeling dry a couple inches down. I'd also hold off a bit on the fertilizer--the plant is under stress right now so it's best to get it healthy again before you fertilize it.

Thanks ecrane! I told her about the mealy bugs and the alcohol to take care of it. She (or I ) didn't realize that it was a succulant. So, I think she will feel better about not giving it as much water as most plants get. I told her that if it was too moist that maybe she should repot it too. And to hold off a little on the fertilizer until she sees solid growth. She told me to Thank all of you that have helped her. "Thank You!!" :-) I talk to her all the time about this website and the swaps that I do or the information that I find,the plants or seeds I trade, the people here.... It just amazes her how far technology has come in a short amount of time. Thanks again! Andrea

Hi!
Thought I would add Superthrive to your list of things to try. It is basically plant vitamins. Good for them if they are stressed or newly transplanted and are not able to handle fertilizer yet. I have been using it for a bit now & it seems to work. :) Not sure if you have Fred Meyer where you are but they have it. Otherwise you could check with a local garden store or online.

Also to add to the isopropyl alcohol, I mix it with water & put it in a spray bottle so you can really soak the little buggers! I would say if it's a small spray bottle fill it up about a 1/2" with isopropyl alcohol, possibly 2 drops dish soap (I don't do it but some people do) and the balance water. I agree with ecrane3, the soil may be too damp as well, absolutely repot if too wet. Good luck!

Thanks! I'll let her know about the Superthrive. She has a really big Walmart there and I know I bought some one time at one. Maybe they'll have it on marked down this time of year. I'll have her go check. I didn't even think to suggest that. Thanks for the great tips! Andrea

Andrea -
not sure if your mom ever found superthrive, but you can buy it at that growers co-op on rt 206 in tabernacle (just go south on 206 at the red lion circle, its a few miles down on the left)

Also, if Kalanchoes get really good light, they will just keep blooming for years. Mealy bugs are a definite problem though. If alcohol doesn;t work, try insecticidal soap by Safer's.

Hello neighbor! I didn't know about a growers co-op in the area. I live around here, my mom lives in NC. But I'm newer to the area and haven't ventured out much to find out all the good nooks and crannies. This seems like something I'd like to check out. Thank you! Is the red lion circle where 206 and 70 cross or is it further south? I have taken 206 to go down to the Atlantic City Expressway before, so I'm sure I've passed it. I'm always bending that neck trying to check things out while driving places that I haven't been before ;-)

Andrea

http://www.coopgrowers.com/

if you go west on 70 you will come to where it intersects 206, and yes, that is Red Lion Circle. Take 206 south, its a few miles down on the left. Above is the link so you can read more about the place. They sell outside plants, houseplants (have a great supply of big ones), and pond plants, plus lots of supplies.

If you like hostas (outdoor shade lovers) let me know, theres a grower in medford who carries over 100 varieties. And this weekend I am going further down 206 south to Hammonton to check out an african violet grower...lotsa good stuff in the area!

Ooooh. Thanks! :-)

And yes, I just got into Hosta's a couple of years ago. Though, now I found out this year that I have voles because they ate the roots of some of them ;-P

This message was edited Jun 4, 2009 7:20 PM

oh yeah, I hear voles like them. We don't have any in our yard, probably because we feed a few stray cats! People with vole problems use wire mesh or something like that set into the hole for the hosta, then set the hosta into the mesh surrounding...the moles can't get to the part of the plant they like. You'd have to ask on the hosta forum, I don't know the details. Now if you wanna talk about the deer, I got plenty to say about them in my garden!!

lol, I got deer too! I just bought this fertalizer that someone said that kept them away and I got to say.... They haven't been around... It's called milo..something. I'll check out the name tomarrow. It's all organic. Don't mind the spelling today lol!

There is also something else I have heard of called "Liquid Fence" its a spray, supposed to really work. I had a bunch of hostas eaten this week. So depressing!

I just caught 3 deer in my back yard. I didn't put this fert. there. I put it all in my front yard where most of my plants are and they always go. I've never seen them in my back yard. I couldn't believe it. It's time to throw it all over my beds there! The product is called Milorganite. It's about $12.00 for a 36lb bag. I've got to say. I have all kinds of daylilies and other lilies and loads of other plants that they like to eat in the front yard where I put a new application the other day because I saw that they came back and nibbled on my plants after maybe 6 weeks. So I threw some more down. They came to my yard and went to the back. I don't know if it's working, but I've seen them demolish my front yard and eat just about every plant before and since I've put this down, they haven't touched it until the other day and that was minimal compared to what I had out there. I think I will get that spray that you mentioned also. I was just afraid that something would wear off after a rain and we had a lot of rain here. This stuff at least stays put. Maybe the both of them together will deter them all together! When I came out and yelled at them they ran to the side of my property about 30 feet away and just stared at me. Like I was going to go back in my house so that they could go back and finish! They actually know who I am because they have watched me before, so I had to shoo them away! :-P

I know, it is so funny the way they look at you like YOU don't belong there!! Though I know they are out there at night, it always amazes me to catch them in broad daylight. I'd imagine you have more where you are. Let me know if the stuff works.

Well.... I went away for 2 weeks on vacation to visit family. "The Deer" always know when I'm away. The last 2 years they had themselves a nice buffet. I can see that they came by because they ate a few bites off the top of my lily heads but that's it. I caught one today at 11am on the side of my yard. Apparently she didn't get the notice that I was back. She was eating the weeds around that bed before I opened the door and yelled at her... she jumped back about 10 feet and stood there staring at me like usual, ??!!!. So, I have A LOT more of my garden at this time than last year... so I'd say it's working for me.... for now :-)

Wow, she was eating WEEDS??? Where did she come from? Someone needs to catch that deer and start a breeding program with her!

Ha ha - I noticed this morning that all the lily flowers were gone and all I had was hundreds of stems in the big lily bed in the ivy out front....oh well. Things have not been so bad this summer, really only 2 or 3 disastrous visits from them, the one where it looked as if they were here eating all night, and another where they just ate a few hostas. What can you do, right??

hhrmpf! Well... I'm starting to have thoughts like the guy on Caddyshack . The Deer ate my potted plants.... Night vision goggles and a paintball gun with a lovely shade of blue or pretty lavendar.... ;-)

The otherthing about Kalanchoes is that they root easily. If you want some insurance, you might want to take some cuttings and root them in soil.