Succulents, gender to which it belongs the kalanchoe, is characterized by having fleshy and normally hard leaves. However, when you have a kalanchoe with soft leaves, you worry because you know that something may be happening to it that, right now, you don't really know what it is.
If it has happened to you, or you have just realized that your kalanchoe has soft leaves, we are going to give you a list of possible reasons why this happens, and everything you should do to try to save it and make it look the same again always. Read on to find out.
Why does the kalanchoe have soft leaves?
When a plant that is supposed to have hard, fleshy leaves appears with the opposite, it is cause for concern. And it is that there is something that is affecting it in a negative way and for which it is not right.
However, if you do not have much idea, it is normal that you can go a little blind. That's why, try these options that may be just what is hurting your plant.
Lack of lighting
The kalanchoe is a plant that needs to receive a lot of light. When that doesn't happen, the lower leaves tend to bend downwards, a symptom of lack of light that your plant warns you about.
If you don't pay attention to it, and time passes, it is most likely that it will begin to thin its leaves and, finally, they will be soft.
What to do in this case? If you have just bought your kalanchoe, it is possible that you did not want to put it in direct sun for fear that it would not acclimatize well (Going from a nursery or store to direct sun can be stressful and you can get burned).
But it is convenient to give it more and more hours of direct sunlight. At first, you can put it only 1-2 hours of sun a day in the morning or in the afternoon. But then we advise you to have at least 2-3 hours.
Now, if your succulent is already bent, and also has soft leaves, sometimes it is better to cut it and start over because that way it can acclimatize better. But be careful, if you want to do that it is better that you read a little about the subject so as not to do it wrong.
Pests
Another reason why you have the kalanchoe with soft leaves is due to the pests that can affect it. And believe it or not, they can be very, very problematic.
If you notice that the kalanchoe leaves are soft, we recommend that you check the leaves, both from the front and from the back. In fact, if you have a magnifying glass, it is much better to use it because that way you will see better if there are pests. Normally the one that can affect you the most is the mealybug, but you can also suffer from powdery mildew.
If you come across the first case, it is best to take 70º alcohol and a cotton ball or similar and clean each of the leaves, stem, etc. to completely eliminate mealybugs. You may have to repeat after 5-6 days, but that way you will eliminate it forever.
In the case of powdery mildew you can try milk. That's right, milk is one of the elements that you have at home and that can help to end this problem.
Humidity
As you know, the kalanchoe is a plant that likes the sun and heat. In addition, it does not need very high humidity to be good. So if it has an excess of humidity, what you are going to achieve with it is that the plant will suffocate.
And how can you know? Well to begin with, you will notice that the leaves are soft, but also that the plant itself is also sad and dull.
You must be careful because your loss can be very fast. Normally the humidity attacks not only the leaves, but directly in the substrate, and that will affect the roots and it will end up rotting.
To solve this, you could locate the kalanchoe in an area that is sunnier so that there is less humidity around it. If this is caused by irrigation, then it is best to change the pot and substrate for a dry one, so you can make sure that it has more possibilities.
Inadequate substrate
succulents like the kalanchoe need a substrate that is not only rich in nutrients, but also has good drainage so that the roots can breathe and perform their functions. But if the soil is too packed, the only thing you are going to achieve is that it prevents the roots from absorbing nutrients and water, or from growing.
When that happens, you'll notice the leaves curl downward, and over time the leaves may start to get soft.
Excess irrigation
We start from the basis that the kalanchoe is not a plant that requires a lot of water. In fact, its risks are rather spaced out in time. AND that makes them suitable plants for those who have little time.
However, it is not only necessary to take into account the times that it is watered, but also the amount of water they need. If you go too far and the soil remains too waterlogged, or you pour a lot of water on it frequently, you will end up having a plant with soft leaves, which can fall off when touched, or when touched, it is as if you were crushing something that leaves your fingers sticky
If you don't want it to reach that extreme, control the water you pour into it.
extra fertilizer
With this we are not saying that you cannot (or should) pay the plant. Actually yes you should. The problem is that nitrogen fertilizer, as well as salt, can cause the roots to burn and not absorb moisture. It's more, it will also cause the leaves to burn and, obviously, the soft leaves to appear.
Therefore, try to choose a suitable fertilizer for succulents.
With this data they can make your kalanchoe with soft leaves recover. Although we already warned you that you will not always get it. Has it ever happened to you?