Kalanchoes are beautiful succulent plants that can bring a variety of bright and vibrant colors to your home.
Aside from being a marvelous sight, these hardy plants are low maintenance and won’t need a ton of care. After all, they’re a popular choice for ornamental house plants for a reason!
Yet, it’s always a shame when their pretty foliage wilts and becomes mushy.
In this article, we go over a guide on how to deal with kalanchoe leaves turning soft with a detailed review of the common reasons and remedies.
Kalanchoe Leaves Turning Soft: Common Reasons
As we’ve mentioned, kalanchoe plants are hardy succulents. All in all, they don’t need that much effort to stay healthy, but unfortunately, they’re not entirely immune!
One of the common problems that owners, especially beginners, might come across is Kalanchoe leaves turning soft and soggy.
Many reasons cause the foliage to soften. Most of which are indicators that the succulent is in a bad condition and might die if you don’t deal with it soon enough.
Here are some of the reasons why your kalanchoe leaves are becoming softer:
1 – Overwatering:
If you’re new to gardening, you might be under the impression the water can’t possibly harm a succulent plant.
However, when a kalanchoe plant is overwatered, you’ll notice that leaves start to soften. The foliage can change to more of a mushy texture.
2 – Underwatering:
Underwatering the kalanchoe plant will also cause the plant to soften, but not in the same way as it does when it’s overwatered.
Unlike other types of plants, kalanchoe’s leaf tissue can retain moisture inside them. This is why their leaves are firm.
When the plant isn’t getting enough irrigation, these tissues start to lose the locked-in moisture. As a result, they lose their firm shape.
3 – Low Temperatures:
If your kalanchoe is kept at a temperature under 60℉ and you notice that blooms or leaves are starting to soften, odds are that it’s the cold weather that’s affecting it.
Kalanchoes are quite sensitive to colder temperatures. That’s why placing the plant in drafty rooms can be harmful to the plant.
What Symptoms Is Your Kalanchoe Plant Showing?
Before we tell you how to save your kalanchoe, you first need to look for the underlying reason behind this condition.
So, here’s how to tell what’s wrong with it:
Signs that Your Kalanchoe is Overwatered
- Soft and mushy leaves
- Some parts of the leaves are darker, wet-looking, or translucent
- Leaves and roots are starting to rot or grow fungus
Signs that Your Kalanchoe is Underwatered
- Leaves are losing their firm shape
- Some parts are wrinkled
Signs that Your Kalanchoe is Freezing
- Foliage underparts show frost burns
- Leaves start bending downwards
How Do You Save a Dying Kalanchoe?
You might think that your kalanchoe’s condition is too far gone. However, more often than not, that’s not true.
These resilient plants can survive some hard times. If you’re patient enough to give them the necessary care and treatments, you’ll likely be able to revive them.
After determining the reason making your kalanchoe sick, the following tips walk you through a quick fix to help you revive the succulent:
- Prune away all the sick parts such as rotten or translucent leaves
- If the soil is too wet, stop watering it until it dries completely
- You can unpot the kalanchoe to check the roots and remove any rotten parts
- Make sure the pot you’re using has enough drainage and is wide enough for spreading roots
- Don’t use fertilizing products until the plant is fully recovered since the chemicals can damage the roots
Tips on Providing Proper Care for a Kalanchoe Plant
After saving the kalanchoe, it’s only a matter of time before the plant gets back to its healthy condition.
Yet, that won’t stay long unless you maintain all the necessary circumstances:
1 – Maintain a Balanced Watering Schedule:
Excessive watering can kill kalanchoes just as much as drought. That’s why you need to make sure to avoid both over and underwatering the plant.
- Water outdoor kalanchoes once weekly and once every 2-3 weeks for indoor plants
- Fully soak the soil with each watering
- Wait until there are about two inches of dry soil at the top before you water it again
2 – Keep the Temperature Moderate
Kalanchoes prefer USDA Hardiness Zones 10-12. If kalanchoes are exposed to extremely cold temperatures, they might die within hours!
That’s why it’s recommended to keep it somewhere between 65-85℉.
3 – Some Bright Light Is a Must
Although Kalanchoes can survive indoors in a shady area, they’ll still need some time in the bright light to thrive.
If it’s too cold to keep the succulent outdoors for a few hours, make sure you put it near a window so it could get enough direct sunlight every day.
4 – Choose the Proper Soil Mix
Kalanchoes need well-aerated soil with sufficient draining. Any excess water can accumulate and affect the roots’ health.
Try to look for a soil mix that’s suitable for succulents. Usually, blends of peat moss and perlite can provide adequate drainage.
5 – Get a Porous Potting Medium
Just like soil, the potting medium for kalanchoes needs to be porous to keep the air and moisture inside it constantly regulated.
You can use clay, terracotta, or ceramic pots. Just keep in mind that the soil in these pots might need more watering than it would in plastic pots.
6 – Watch Out for Any Warning Signs
Since kalanchoes are known to be hardy plants, some owners might think it’s fine to ignore minor symptoms and only look for the big ones!
However, you must check regularly for any signs of sickness, remove the sick parts, and treat the plant as soon as you can.
Final Thoughts
Kalanchoes are beautiful plants, and they’re a beginner-friendly choice for new plant owners as well.
These succulent plants are really easy to keep alive as long as you provide proper nutrition and weather conditions.
Now that you know the causes behind kalanchoe leaves turning soft, keeping your succulent beauties plants healthy and thriving should be a piece of cake!
Growing up with a mom who filled her home (inside and out) with all sorts of plants, Lisa got her start in gardening at a young age. Living now on her own with a home and yard full of plants (including an indoor greenhouse), she shares all the gardening tips she’s gained over the years.