Help! Why am I dying

by Shelly Douglas
(Paola, kansas)

I can not make this plant happy and do not know what I am doing wrong

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Sideways pics
by: Jacki Cammidge, Certified Horticulturist

With your pictures being sideways, it's really hard to see what is going on, but from what I can see, this is normal or typical behaviour for this type of plant, which looks like Kalanchoe blossfeldiana or Flaming Katie.

If you buy it from the supermarket, or get it as a gift, they look great, they're shiny leaved, probably in full bloom and all is well.

Then, they go downhill, lose their leaves and generally look really bad, eventually kicking the bucket.

The trick is to realize that when they are being grown in the greenhouses which supply the supermarket, they have ideal conditions; really bright light, lots of warmth, and prime fertilizer and watering regimes.

Under your care, probably not so much unless you have a climate controlled greenhouse.

The biggest of all these is the light levels - however, the best thing you can do now is to cut off the parts that are still green, let them callous, then propagate them and make new plants.

The original is garbage, so get rid of it so it doesn't depress you any more than it has. I would be willing to bet if you take it out of the pot that the soil would be completely wrong for succulents to be happy in. Peat based, with manure or compost in it. This is not what these plants need. Find out more about succulent soil.
Help! Why am I dying
by: Shelly

Thank you for the advise. This plant was gifted for my sons best friend (called me momma) who passed. I am helping his mother with all of the plants received and this is the only one giving me trouble. I will definitely reevaluate the area I have the plant. My home is only kept at 68 degrees during the winter. It is in the brightest room of the house. I certainly have other pots and will look in to getting appropriate soil and a new pot. Wish me luck!

Thank you kindly from the heart!

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