The Kalanchoe plant, a popular flowering succulent, is prized for its long-lasting blooms and vibrant foliage. When grown indoors, this plant can develop “legginess,” which diminishes its naturally compact and bushy appearance. Legginess is characterized by stems that become thin, pale, and overly stretched, creating an undesirable, scraggly look. Successfully managing this issue requires corrective pruning to restore the plant’s shape, followed by adjustments to its care routine to prevent recurrence.
Why Kalanchoe Become Leggy
The primary cause for a Kalanchoe developing a leggy appearance is etiolation, the plant’s physiological response to insufficient light. The Kalanchoe begins stretching its stems aggressively toward the nearest light source. This leads to elongated stems with greater space between the leaves, known as internodes, as the plant sacrifices compact form for vertical reach. Once etiolation occurs, the stretched growth cannot revert to its original form, making pruning the only way to correct the shape. Secondary factors, such as improper watering or nutrient imbalance, can contribute to weak growth, but inadequate light is the main driver. Kalanchoe plants thrive with a minimum of five to six hours of bright, indirect sunlight daily.
Gathering the Necessary Supplies
Preparation for pruning involves ensuring clean and sharp tools to minimize damage and the risk of infection. You will need clean, sharp pruning shears, scissors, or a knife, depending on the thickness of the stems. Using a sharp tool ensures a clean cut that heals quickly, rather than a crushed stem end susceptible to disease. Sterilizing your cutting tool before use prevents the transmission of fungal or bacterial pathogens. Sterilize the blade by wiping it down thoroughly with a cloth soaked in rubbing alcohol.
The Step-by-Step Pruning Method
Pruning a leggy Kalanchoe is a strategic removal of stretched growth to force the plant to branch out lower down the stem. Identify the most elongated and spindly stems, focusing on those with the greatest distance between leaf sets. The goal is to encourage new, compact growth from dormant buds below the cut.
To make the cut, locate a leaf node—the small bump on the stem where a leaf or new shoot emerges. Make a clean cut with your sterilized tool just above this node, typically about a quarter to a half-inch above it. Cutting above a node activates the dormant buds, resulting in two or more new stems that grow laterally, leading to a bushier shape.
For severely leggy plants, you can safely remove up to one-third of the plant’s total mass. Pruning back to a lower, healthy leaf node redirects the plant’s energy into new side growth. The healthy, upper portions of the stem can be saved for propagation.
Aftercare and Using the Cuttings
Immediately following the pruning, the Kalanchoe requires a short period of recovery to allow the cut wounds to heal. The fresh cuts should be left exposed to the air for several days to allow a protective, dry layer, called a callous, to form. This callousing prevents moisture loss and blocks pathogens from entering the plant tissue.
During this recovery phase, temporarily reduce watering frequency, as the plant has fewer leaves to process moisture. To ensure the new growth is compact, immediately address the underlying light deficiency by moving the Kalanchoe to a brighter location. An ideal spot receives several hours of bright, indirect light, such as near a south or west-facing window, to prevent etiolation from recurring.
The healthy stem segments removed can be used to propagate new Kalanchoe plants. Lay the cut stems aside in a dry, well-ventilated area for two to three days until a callous forms on the severed end. Once the wound is dry, the cuttings can be planted directly into a well-draining succulent soil mix, burying the bottom node.
Keep the newly potted cuttings in a warm location with bright, indirect light, and mist the soil lightly until roots begin to form. New growth on both the mother plant and the cuttings will be compact and vibrant, provided the light requirements are met.