If you are looking for a succulent that is both captivating and durable, you should never pass by the Kalanchoe succulents. One example of this is the wonderful Marnier’s Kalanchoe (Kalanchoe Marnierana) which is, up until now, one of the best choices to grow either in a garden or as a houseplant.
The leaves of Marnier’s Kalanchoe (Kalanchoe Marnierana) come in beautiful shades of blue-green or grey-tone. Unlike other succulents, the leaves of this one are flat and thin and don’t form a rosette, but arranged themselves in opposite directions forming like pages of a book. All you need to know about planting, growing, and maintaining is below.
How to Plant Marnier’s Kalanchoe (Kalanchoe Marnierana)
For starters, the optimal way to grow a Marnier’s Kalanchoe (Kalanchoe Marnierana) is through propagation because they are effective and easy to perform.
If you don’t have a mother plant to get your cuttings, you can buy from another grower and start your way from there.
Once you have grown your own Marnier’s Kalanchoe (Kalanchoe Marnierana), you can now have your own cuttings to propagate.
There are two ways to propagate a Marnier’s Kalanchoe (Kalanchoe Marnierana): leaf cuttings or stem cuttings. Do not worry if you are inexperienced, just follow these easy steps and you’ll be fine.
But before that, prepare a sterilized scissor or sharp knife, pair of gloves, and a growing pot.
For Leaf Cuttings:
• Remove A Leaf from A Healthy Mother Plant
This process does not need any cutting object because you can do it with your bare hands. Gently hold the healthy and disease-free leaf while applying little pressure to hold it and twist slowly.
Make sure the leaf does not snap in two pieces otherwise you have to repeat it.
The goal is to remove the leaf from where it joins the stem. Do not be afraid to fail, there’s always room for improvement. You’ll get used to it soon enough.
• Allow The Leaf Cuttings to Dry or Callous
The next important step is for the leaf cuttings to dry or callous for a few days. This process will help them have successful growth when planted in the soil.
If you plant them directly after cutting, the wounded part will become infected leading to the decay of the leaf cuttings.
Just forget about them for a while and return to them after a few days but make sure you place them in an area with partial shade and good aeration.
By that time, they should have dried or been calloused perfectly. After that, they are now ready for planting.
• Ready Your Growing Pot
Fill your growing pot with well-draining soil and place the dried or calloused leaf cuttings in it. Do not plant too deep because the leaf cuttings should receive enough amount of sunlight.
Add a little water to help set everything and wait for the soil to dry before putting water again.
For Stem Cuttings:
• Cut A Stem or Offsets from Your Mother Plant
You need to use a sterilized scissor or sharp knife in this process and do not forget to wear your gloves for safety.
Look for a healthy stem or offsets from your mother plant and make a precise cut to remove it. Make sure you do not wound the other parts of the plant.
• Allow The Stem Cuttings or Offsets To Dry Or Callous
The process of drying or callousing of cuttings is required for propagation. Let the stem cuttings or offsets dry or callous for a few days. Place them in an area with partial shade and proper aeration.
• Ready Your Growing Pot
Once the stem cuttings or offsets are dried or calloused, they are ready to be planted in individual pots. Use well-draining soil and place the stem cuttings or offsets in it.
Do not plant too deep because the cuttings need to be exposed to sunlight.
Apply a little amount of water just to set everything up and use your fingers to arrange the cuttings in an upright position. Let the soil dry thoroughly before watering them again.
How to Grow and Care for Marnier’s Kalanchoe (Kalanchoe Marnierana)
Marnier’s Kalanchoe (Kalanchoe Marnierana) is a low-maintenance succulent and if the right conditions are met, this succulent will continue to live in your garden.
Here Are the Things to Remember When Growing And Caring For Marnier’s Kalanchoe (Kalanchoe Marnierana):
1. Light Requirements
Marnier’s Kalanchoe (Kalanchoe Marnierana) needs partial sun to partial shade to survive. However, it may differ from places especially during summer.
Normally, the Marnier’s Kalanchoe (Kalanchoe Marnierana) needs to be exposed to full sun in the morning and should be a move to partial shade in the afternoon because of its intense temperature.
Now, it might be different to places with extreme heat conditions or places with little sunlight. Hence, it is best to plant them in individual containers to easily transfer them.
For example, when the temperature gets extremely high, you can transfer the plant to an area with partial shade to prevent sunburn.
Moreover, when grown indoors, the Marnier’s Kalanchoe (Kalanchoe Marnierana) should be exposed to sunlight for 5 to 6 hours every day near a south-facing window, especially during the winter season.
If not, the succulent will etiolate or the process of spreading in search of light. Although it is only a cosmetic issue, some growers find it unattractive.
In severe cases where sunlight is scarce, you have to provide artificial light by using grow light to supplement the lighting demands of Marnier’s Kalanchoe (Kalanchoe Marnierana).
2. Temperature Requirements
Surprisingly, Marnier’s Kalanchoe (Kalanchoe Marnierana) prefers to grow in a warm environment compared to other succulents that love the heat of the sun. This succulent is best grown with temperatures ranging from 20 degrees Celsius to 29 degrees Celsius.
The Marnier’s Kalanchoe (Kalanchoe Marnierana) is not a cold-hardy plant, and they cannot thrive in temperatures below 0 degrees Celsius. Exposing the plant to such a temperature means death.
However, if you live in an area belonging to USDA hardiness zones 9a to 11b, you are in the right environment to grow Marnier’s Kalanchoe (Kalanchoe Marnierana).
If the temperature drops under 0 degrees Celsius in summer, immediately transfer the succulent indoors. If you have too many succulents, it is best to install a greenhouse to protect all of them under severe winter conditions.
3. Watering Requirements
Marnier’s Kalanchoe (Kalanchoe Marnierana) is like other succulents, they hate wet environments. They prefer moist soil and tolerates a drought environment. If you overwater them, they will die of root rot.
Since Marnier’s Kalanchoe (Kalanchoe Marnierana) goes dormant in summer because of extreme heat conditions, they don’t need watering that much.
However, since the heat conditions in summer dry the moisture in the soil quickly, they should be watered more often.
In winter, you might not need to water them for shorter periods compared to summer because the cold temperatures prolong the moisture in the soil.
Before watering, you must check the moisture of the soil first by using a stick or your bare hands. If the soil is dry 2 inches from the surface, that is a sign to rehydrate the succulent.
Make sure that the water drains freely at the bottom of the pot otherwise there could be a problem with the soil and should be changed immediately.
4. Soil Requirements
The soil needed to grow Marnier’s Kalanchoe (Kalanchoe Marnierana) is the same as other succulents, a well-draining soil.
You can use a cactus potting mix from any garden store and mix it with perlite or coarse sand to improve drainage.
If you can’t find a cactus potting mix, you can use regular soil in your garden. Mix it with perlite or coarse sand until it feels crumbly because that is a sign of good drainage.
Test the mixture by pouring water to see if it drains effectively and adjust the mixture if needed.
Marnier’s Kalanchoe (Kalanchoe Marnierana) Names and Origin
The Marnier’s Kalanchoe (Kalanchoe Marnierana) also goes in its alternate name “Marnier’s Kalanchoe”.
This subshrub succulent is native to Madagascar’s moist rocky places in the northeast and can grow up to 12 to 18 inches tall and 2 to 3 ft. in diameter.
They belong to the family of Crassulaceae and the Marnierana variety is one of the many species of the Kalanchoe genus.
Final Thoughts
This amazing succulent has a robust-looking appearance with an upright spread growth habit making it a dense plant as time goes by.
Those leaves of Marnier’s Kalanchoe (Kalanchoe Marnierana) turn red in the winter season if provided with proper sunlight. The plant can produce large, coral, and bell-shaped flowers with colors ranging from rose-pink to red that usually emerge throughout the year.
That’s why we had to have some in our garden – we just couldn’t resist how beautifully unusual they are!
Interestingly, Marnier’s Kalanchoe (Kalanchoe Marnierana) blooms in winter and goes dormant in summer, which is quite the opposite when we think of other succulents.
Although this succulent produces offsets by occasion, and when it does, they will grow to be a new succulent. The Marnier’s Kalanchoe (Kalanchoe Marnierana) is indeed an amazing plant to have and continue reading to know how you can grow one of them.
Ours get so many great comments from visitors because they’re so lovely and unusual!
Jenny Marie
Tribal Writer
Edited By
Patricia Godwin
