Plant Doctor Archive

Succulent won’t flower

Question A COUPLE of years ago I bought a Kalanchoe ‘Elves Bells’. So far it hasn’t flowered and I’m wondering how I can give it a jog along. Perhaps I haven’t fed it enough but I’m not sure what to use. It’s on a north-western facing deck in a terracotta pot and gets a reasonable amount of sun.

Answer  IT sounds as if you’re doing everything right. If it’s growing steadily then it should eventually flower. Most kalanchoes tend to flower around spring and early summer, so I’d be very surprised if you don’t get a good show of flowers soon.

Hold back on any fertiliser, as that could encourage vegetative growth rather than flowers. Expose it to as much sun as possible and don’t water too often — allow the mix to dry out between waterings.

Once it starts flowering you can move it to a better spot to admire the show. After that it should flower every year, as long as you don’t cut it back hard or feed with too much nitrogen. Use potting mix and fertiliser specifically formulated for cacti and succulents, which should have a good balance of nutrients for kalanchoes.

Weekend Gardener, Issue 184, 2005, Page 33