Beautiful succulent plants, kalanchoes can provide a splash of color and a splash of life to any room. These resilient plants are not only a pleasure to behold, but they also require little care and upkeep.
There must be a good reason why these plants are so commonly used as decorations within the home. It’s a real shame, too, when their lovely foliage shrivels and turns soft.
In this piece, we provide a guide on what to do if the leaves on your kalanchoe plant begin to get soft, including a discussion of the most prevalent causes and solutions.
What Causes Kalanchoe Leaves to Turn Soft?
Kalanchoe plants, as we’ve established, are tenacious succulents. They don’t require a lot of care to be healthy, but they aren’t completely proven either.
If you’re a new plant owner, you may have noticed that your Kalanchoe’s leaves have become soft and moist. There are several factors that contribute to the leaves becoming softer.
Most of which suggest the succulent is in poor health and may soon perish if you don’t take action.
The following are some potential causes for the softening of your kalanchoe leaves:
Underwatering The Kalanchoe
The kalanchoe plant will soften in response to underwatering as well as overwatering but to a lesser extent. In contrast to most other plants, kalanchoes are able to store water in their leaves.
Because of this, their leaves are very sturdy. These tissues begin to dry out when the plant isn’t getting enough water. Consequently, they become less rigid.
Overwatering The Kalanchoe
A novice gardener may think that watering a succulent plant cannot possibly hurt it.
But if you overwater a kalanchoe plant, the leaves will get mushy. Leaves can become more pliable if the weather is humid enough.
Temperatures that are low
The cold weather is probably to blame if your kalanchoe’s blossoms or leaves begin to soften when maintained at temperatures below 60°F.
Kalanchoes, on the other hand, are severely chilled. As a result, it’s not ideal for keeping the plant in a room with a lot of drafts.
Is Your Kalanchoe Plant Showing Any Symptoms?
Find out what’s wrong with your kalanchoe before we give you any advice on how to save it.
This is how you may identify the problem:
How to tell if your Kalanchoe is overwatered
- Those leaves are so squishy and soft.
- Variations in leaf color, transparency, and moisture content have been observed.
- The plant’s leaves and roots have developed fungal or bacterial growth.
How to tell if your Kalanchoe is underwatered
- Loss of leaf rigidity
- There are creases in certain areas.
How to tell if your Kalanchoe is Freezing
- Frost damage is seen on the undersides of the leaves.
- The leaves begin to droop.
Kalanchoes: How Do You Save Them?
It’s possible that you’re worried that your kalanchoe is too far gone to save. However, in most cases, such is not the case.
Such tough vegetation can weather even the most trying conditions. With time and effort, you can probably bring them back to life if they’ve been given the right care and treatment.
Once you’ve identified the ailment plaguing your kalanchoe, you may follow these steps to quickly and easily restore its health:
- Remove any decayed or transparent leaves, stems, or branches.
- Avoid further watering until the soil has dried out entirely if it is already saturated.
- Unpotting the kalanchoe allows you to inspect the roots and cut away any diseased or damaged areas.
- The container must be deep enough for water to drain and broad enough to accommodate the plant’s root system.
- Fertilizers include chemicals that might harm a plant’s roots, so wait to apply them until after the plant has fully healed.
Conclusion
Gorgeous in appearance, kalanchoes are also a good option for those who are just getting started with plant care. As long as you give these succulents the right food and water, they won’t have any trouble surviving.
Keeping your succulent beauties alive and healthy should be a breeze now that you know what causes kalanchoe leaves to get soft.