Ultimate Guide to Harvesting & Growing Kalanchoe Seeds

Do you know that Kalanchoe is a source of good luck in the Chinese New Year? Kalanchoe is also known as wan zi qian hong, which means thousands of red and purple or more in reference to its small flowers. 

Growing through seeds is a relatively safe method if you want to populate Kalanchoe in your garden. 

In general, Kalanchoe seeds are tiny, dust-like particles, barely about 1 mm long, with a rusty brown appearance. To germinate, these seeds require a moist environment with 75% humidity, a temperature of 60-70 degrees Fahrenheit, and well-draining warm, moist soil.

Once you provide these requirements, your Kalanchoe seeds are ready to sprout! In this article, I will hook you into the best ways to extract kalanchoe seeds and grow them into adult plants.

Read more to find out how you can germinate healthy Kalanchoe seeds from your garden and how to take care of the seedlings.

Overview of Kalanchoe Seeds 

The Kalanchoe plant originates from Madagascar and tropical Africa. It has names including flaming Katy, Christmas kalanchoe, florist kalanchoe, and Madagascar widow’s-thrill.

There are several cultivars of Kalanchoe, including Mother of Millions, Fuzzies, and Paddles. And all Kalanchoe cultivars have tiny seeds that you can easily mistake for dust or pollen grains.

Here is a brief guide to identifying Kalanchoe seeds!

How do You Harvest Kalanchoe Seeds?

Kalanchoe represents a slow-growing plant that can take 2-5 years to reach mature size. 

It blooms almost throughout the year but produces flowers in late winter to late spring when grown in a pot.

After the first bloom, Kalanchoe flowers can last up to eight weeks.

You can take two Kalanchoe plants of different colors and crossbreed and transfer pollen from the flowers of one plant to another.

After the flowers wilt, they develop the seed pods. Make sure the seed pods are brown, as fleshy green seed pods indicate that the seeds are not ready for harvesting.

Here are some useful tools for seed harvest!

Steps to Harvest the Seeds from the Kalanchoe Plant

• Take a plant pot with dried flowers, take one flower and pull the petals apart.
• If the seed pod inside is still green, let it dry for a week or more, as it is impossible to extract seeds from a fresh seed pod.

• If the seed pod has dried enough, cut the whole branch off. This way, the plant can grow new branches and flowers.
• Take another dried flower and pull the entire petal off gently. This way, you can now see a dried seed pod.
• After pressing gently on the seed pod with your thumb, you can get dust-like seeds.
• Otherwise, take a tea strainer and put all the dried flowers in the sieve. Press the flowers against the strainer, and the seeds will easily fall out.
• Place the seeds in a paper towel with the help of forceps for later use.

Kalanchoe Seeds for Sale

There are several shops across the internet for you to buy Kalanchoe seeds. You can find various varieties of this plant that give off different rare-colored flowers, including icy blue and pale pink.

Here are some stores for you to shop for the Kalanchoe seeds!

How to Grow Kalanchoe from Seeds?

It is better to sow the Kalanchoe seeds during summer as they will get sunlight for a long time. The seeds have a minimal to no chance of germinating if you sow them during dark, cold months.

Propagation from the seeds is useful, especially if you want a variety of flowers with different colors, while propagation by cutting does not provide that advantage.

Materials Required for Germinating Kalanchoe Seeds

Here are some must-have tools and equipment for germinating the seeds.

After collecting the required materials, you can jump into the sowing seeds, and here is the beginning to ending guide. 

Step 1: Preparation of the Seeds and Planting Medium

The first step is to prepare the seeds and growth substrate for planting.

• Although the seeds do not require much preparation, removing husks, flowers, and seed pod parts is always a good idea before sowing.
• Likewise, for efficient growth, put the seeds in a Ziploc bag under the sun for a whole day.
• To prepare the pot, take a well-draining pot or a seed tray with three parts potting soil, two parts coarse sand (surface or poultry grit), and 1 part perlite (or pumice). Or, you can buy a succulent soil mix.
• Lightly water the soil to make it moist enough for planting seeds.

If you are still confused, here is the visual guide.

Step 2: Sowing the Seeds

• Now, it’s time to plant the seeds. Take some seeds and spread them on the surface but you need not bury them or press hard.
• Cover the pot or tray with a plastic bag or glass as soon as seedlings appear to ensure no moisture loss. The bag will maintain humidity.
• Water the pot or tray if the soil is dry and leave it if the soil feels moist.
• Keep the pot or seed tray in a place under bright indirect light.

Step 3: Care for Kalanchoe Seeds During Germination

Kalanchoe seeds do not require much care during propagation like any other succulents. However, you need to mimic the following condition to ensure the surviving habits. 

• Kalanchoes plants need the high light intensity of a lighting source (3500 to 4500-foot candles) to grow compact and control
  height.
• If you live in colder regions or are trying to grow the plant in winter, you can opt for artificial heating.

• Make sure to provide enough moisture to the soil and let it have a pH of 6.0 to 6.5. 
• Protect the growing seeds from birds and other pests. Cover the pot with plastic wrap for protection, which also seals moisture.
• Wait for germination, which may take about ten days in light at 70F. As a result, seeds sown in mid-March can develop 4-inch flowering plants by December.
• As Kalanchoe has a brief juvenility period (up to eight pairs of leaves), it is wise to provide seedlings with night-breaking lighting until the end of March.
• The Kalanchoe seedlings need to transplant into 2-inch pots seven weeks from sowing.
   

Tips to Take Care of Kalanchoe after Germination

Congratulations! You have made it, and now you need to care for dearly Kalanchoe seedlings.

Insects such as aphids, mealybugs, and scale are the primary pests of Kalanchoe so you need to check your plant regularly to get rid of them.

Besides, you need to treat and prevent some common diseases such as Powdery Mildew, Phytophthora, and Pythium for the Kalanchoe plant. 

Conclusion

Though harvesting and growing Kalanchoe seeds may cost some patience, it feels amazing when you jump yourself into the act.

I have driven you through the entire process hoping that you will get some help if you plant ever to grow Kalanchoe from the seeds. 

If you have already grown Kalanchoe but need some help with the care required, you need to look for soil, and fertilizer for Kalanchoe. 

Till then, keep bugging Plantscraze!