Flaming Katy captivates with brilliant colors—here’s how to care for it and help it bloom again
Flaming Katy is available in flower shops nearly all year. It’s fairly easy to care for, but reblooming requires some effort.
Caring for flaming Katy—here’s how to help it thrive
Lighting conditions
Flaming Katy (Kalanchoe Blossfeldiana Group) needs plenty of light, but it can handle direct sunlight only in fall and winter.
Watering flaming Katy
Water flaming Katy thoroughly, then let the soil dry out before watering again.
Fertilizing flaming Katy
A blooming flaming Katy doesn’t need fertilizer.
Getting flaming Katy to bloom again
Flaming Katy is often sold as a disposable plant that’s discarded after blooming. It’s not difficult to grow, but getting it to bloom again can take quite a bit of effort.
Flaming Katy is a short-day plant. While varieties differ slightly, it usually won’t bloom unless it spends at least 14 hours a day in complete darkness for about a month. You can do this by, for example, putting a thick black trash bag over it or moving it to a dark closet each day, then bringing it back into the light for fewer than ten hours. Even one missed day or opening the closet during the dark period can affect its ability to bloom.
You can apply the darkness treatment any time of year, and flaming Katy will typically bloom in about two or three months.
Even without the darkness treatment, it makes a lovely houseplant that stays attractive for a few years. Prune the shoots once or twice a year to keep it as full as possible.
