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Tom thumb in your garden
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Easy to grow, Kalanchoe adds colour and variety to gardens
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Kalanchoe can survive even in the toughest of conditions
BELONGING TO the Crassulaceae family, the Kalanchoe has many varieties. Their beauty is that they can survive anywhere in the toughest of conditions. Basically, these plants like short winter days to bloom well. High humidity does not suit them, nor does excess watering.
Bunches of flowers
The dwarf hybrid Kalanchoe blossfeldiana or `Tom Thumb' has fleshy, reddish-green leaves. About one foot high, these plants give big bunches of bright red flowers, each flower actually being very small. There is also a bright yellow variety.
Over-watering makes the fleshy stems rot and die rapidly. A well-drained sandy soil and a semi-sunny position are ideal.
Cuttings root easily, and the flowers also produce thousands of small seeds.
There is a larger K. blossfeldiana too. K. pumila has pink flowers, K. tomentosa has grey-green leaves, K. uniflora has pinkish-orange bell-like flowers that bloom throughout the year. This type has large grey leaves, and rapidly spreads all over the garden. It has small plantlets at the tip of its leaves, which can be detached for fresh plants.
The Kalanchoe is an easy plant to grow and adds delightful colour, be it to a small garden filled with potted plants or to a large one with plenty of variety.
RUPA GOPAL
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Metro Plus
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Chennai
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