Kalanchoe Daigremontiana, is commonly known as the Mother of Thousands Plant, Devil’s Backbone, Mexican Hat Plant, and Alligator Plant is native to the Madagascar region on the coast of Africa. This beautiful succulent plant grows little plantlets on its leaves in hundreds of numbers that is the reason this is called the Mother of Thousands plant. It is observed that if they are constantly kept inside then they rarely bloom but even inside they grow the plantlets on the leaves. These small plantlets on the plant make it look pleasing to the eyes.
- How to Water kalanchoe Daigremontiana (Mother of Thousands plant)
- Lighting and Temperature needs for kalanchoe Daigremontiana (Mother of Thousands plant)
- Soil needs for kalanchoe Daigremontiana (Mother of Thousands plant)
- Fertilizer for kalanchoe Daigremontiana (Mother of Thousands plant)
- How to Repot kalanchoe Daigremontiana (Mother of Thousands plant)
- How to Propagate kalanchoe Daigremontiana (Mother of Thousands plant)
- Frequently Asked Questions
The plant has exceptionally large leaves that are a little thick in the middle and thin on the sides and these sides contain the small plantlets on them. They are very easy to propagate but due to their invasive nature, they are grown in the containers. The Mother of Thousands plant can resist water shortages for a long time, which means if you don’t provide it water for a longer period or fail to care for it, the plant can survive longer than any other plant. If you want to see the beautiful small and pink colored flowers of the Kalanchoe, you need to place them outdoors. They mostly bloom during the winter.
How to Water kalanchoe Daigremontiana (Mother of Thousands plant)
The Mother of Thousands Plant is a succulent plant and its water requirements are like them. The Mother of Thousands Plant likes to dry out quickly and they need to be watered sparingly. But unlike the other succulent plants, they are unable to show the response that they need water. So, it is better to check them if the pot has some water left or it is completely dried. You can easily do it either by dipping your finger into the potting soil or by the weight of the pot. If the pot feels heavy that means, there is still some water inside otherwise you can water it.
- After checking that the soil has completely dried up you can water it, do not try to flood the water into the pot but instead give it water sparingly.
- Make sure that the water has reached the bottom of the soil in the pot, and then stop watering it.
- After watering it, you can place it at a saucer so that it can drain the extra water from the pot. Wait until the pot is dried up once again and then provide it the water.
Lighting and Temperature needs for kalanchoe Daigremontiana (Mother of Thousands plant)
The Mother of Thousands plant is a succulent plant from the hot regions Madagascar where it faces the sun almost all day long. This plant likes the sunlight for blooming. But during the hot summer days, when the temperature is high the plant needs a bit shade otherwise its leaves can get sunburned. During the cold temperatures such as spring and autumn days, the plant needs full sunlight and during the winter it needs full sunlight for the proper bloom. You should place it in a window that faces the east side.
The Mother of Thousands plant needs heat in between the 65 to 75° Fahrenheit (16 to 24° Celsius). If the plant is provided this temperature, the growth will be at an optimum rate. If you live in a cooler place where you need to warm the rooms, it is best to keep the plant away from the direct heat. The heat can cause the damage to leave and this will cause the pot to dry very early.
Soil needs for kalanchoe Daigremontiana (Mother of Thousands plant)
This is a succulent plant and has very delicate roots. It needs a bit sandier soil like all other succulents, a soil that is filled with sand can quickly drain the extra water and thus keep the roots of the plant healthy. You can create your own soil mixture as well.
You need soil and a proportion of sand, some fertilizer if you want and then create a mixture of crushed Perlite, Pumice rocks, Vermiculite for its ability to retain some moisture, to be added in the soil. Do not use the types of soil that is loamy or that can keep the water trapped inside for long, this type of soil harms the roots of the Mother of Thousands plant.
Fertilizer for kalanchoe Daigremontiana (Mother of Thousands plant)
Its fertilizer needs are also similar to the succulent plants especially the string of hearts, you can give it nitrogen-based fertilizers to boost its growth by mixing it with the sand and soil, and after the plantation, you can create a liquid solution of water and fertilizer and keep watering the plant with that fertilized water.
It can also grow without fertilizer but in that case, its growth will be extremely slow, and it might not survive for a long time. During the blossom, it is good to provide it more fertilizers.
How to Repot kalanchoe Daigremontiana (Mother of Thousands plant)
If the Mother of Thousands plant has grown into a bigger size then the pot it is in, it is better to simply transfer it into a bigger pot, and to do that you need to wait for the spring because the spring is the best time for repotting. During the spring you can fill the bigger pot with the soil that plant needs and then you repot the plant into the new pot.
How to Propagate kalanchoe Daigremontiana (Mother of Thousands plant)
This plant is easy to propagate because it grows a lot of small plantlets on its leaves that can be further propagated. You need these baby plantlets to propagate the Mother of Thousands plant. You can pluck these plantlets, then transfer them into a baby pot, after that cover the baby pot with the help of thin plastic. They need to be moist and placed under the sun for faster growth.
Frequently Asked Questions
Question: Can we grow the Mother of Thousands Plant from seeds?
Answer: No, this succulent plant does not produce any seeds that can be used for the plantation. This has a different system of reproduction through the plantlets.
Question: Is the Mother of Thousands Plant poisonous?
Answer: Yes, this plant contains poisonous chemicals that can be harmful to infants and some smaller insects as well.
Question: How do you propagate Mother of Thousands Plant?
Answer: This plant is easy to propagate, thanks to its smaller plantlets that grow on the sides of the leaves.
Question: What is the difference between the Mother of Thousands of Plants and Mother of Millions?
Answer: The Mother of Thousand has wider leaves and the leaves appear in the pairs, while the plantlets are on the sides of leaves. But the Mother of Millions have narrow leaves and the plantlets appear on the tips of the plant.
