Kalanchoes are grown from seed and can be raised quite easily; and should you wish to retain a particular plant it is possible to take cuttings, which are not particularly difficult to root. Sow seed in spring in any type of sowing compost, covering the seed very lightly, in a temperature of 6 0 - 6 5 ° F ( 1 5 - 18°C) and enclose in a plastic bag or cover the seed pan with a sheet of glass, and remove these coverings at the first signs of germination. As soon as the seedlings are large enough to handle, pot in 2'/2-in (6-cm) pots; they are slow-growing plants and this size of pot will probably suffice until the end of the summer or even the following spring. Dwarf varieties never require more than a З'/г-in (9-cm) pot and will grow for two years in this size, after which it is usually better to discard them.
Cuttings can be taken during the summer months. If left in the cutting medium for six to seven weeks, they should be well rooted and ready for potting in 2'/2-in (6-cm) pots.
For cuttings, select strong shoots about 2 in (5 cm) long, and cut below a node. Remove all the leaves except the top five, and, after dipping in a hormone rooting powder, insert about Чг in (13 mm) deep in a cutting compost. Keep the cuttings enclosed inside a plastic dome or a plastic bag for about three weeks and then expose them to the air for another three or four weeks before potting.
Kalanchoes tend to grow a single stem, and to obtain bushy plants it is necessary to stop the growth by removing the tip of the stem. This should not be done until the cuttings have made at least 1 in (2.5 cm) of growth. Side shoots will appear in due course, and when these have made sufficient growth remove the growing points of these as well. If you only wish to grow a few kalanchoes it is probably better to buy the plants and propagate your requirements by cuttings, which are very easily raised, rather than grow them from seed, particularly as it takes about eighteen months to grow a good flowering plant.
Kalanchoes require a minimum temperature of 45°F (7°C) during the winter but they w i l l not thrive if kept at this temperature. To make satisfactory growth they require a temperature of 6 0 - 6 5 ° F ( 1 5 - 18°C); consequently they need to be kept in a propagator in the greenhouse if they are to flower satisfactorily during the winter months. Once they have been brought into flower they can be put in a cooler temperature to retard growth and prolong the flowering period.
