How and When to Prune a Kalanchoe Plant

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Plus, how to propagate the cuttings

Co-authored by Amy Bobinger, BA Reviewed by Harmony Corelitz

Last Updated: March 4, 2026 Fact Checked

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During the Blooming Season

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After the Blooming Cycle

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Propagation

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Video

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Q&A

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Tips

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Warnings

Kalanchoe is a genus of plants with 125 species. This vibrant flowering plant requires minimal maintenance and can be grown indoors or out. Both indoor and outdoor kalanchoes may benefit from a little extra pruning to help keep them bushy. We’ll show you how to lightly prune your plant during the blooming season to keep it flowering longer and how to shape it after the growing season to encourage healthy growth—plus, tips on how to propagate the cuttings to get new kalanchoe plants!

How do you prune kalanchoe?

During the blooming season, pinch off spent blooms immediately and cut back flower stalks as soon as the blooms are gone. After the blooming season has finished, cut tall, leggy stalks back to about ⅓ of their original length. Remove dead, damaged, or diseased leaves as soon as you see them throughout the year.

Section 1 of 3:

Kalanchoe Pruning During the Blooming Season

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1
Remove spent blooms immediately. Pinch off dead or dying blooms as soon as you notice them. Leaving dead blooms on the plant not only looks bad, but it also keeps the plant from growing new flowers.^{[1]
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- You can pinch off dead blooms with your fingers, or snip them off just below the base using standard pruning shears.
2
Cut back flower stalks after removing spent blooms. Once all the blooms on a stalk have died off, use standard pruning shears to trim the flower stalk back to the second or third leaf. This encourages branching so that your plant will grow fuller with wider leaf coverage.
- Make sure your pruning shears are sharp and clean so that you don't injure your plant or introduce disease.
- Disinfect your pruning shears with rubbing alcohol or bleach diluted in water. This helps prevent the spread of infection between plants.
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3
Take out dead or damaged leaves and shoots. Cut off yellow, brown, or decaying leaves and stems at the base, slightly above where the branch meets the stem. Broken or damaged leaves and stems should be removed using the same procedure.^{[2]
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- Inspect the plant carefully to make sure you've removed all signs of decay or disease, or it may continue to spread throughout your plant.
- It’s okay to remove dead or damaged leaves any time you see them, throughout the year. Removing dead and damaged foliage keeps your plant healthy and attractive.

Section 2 of 3:

Pruning Kalanchoe After the Blooming Cycle

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1
Cut back tall growth when the kalanchoe finishes blooming. Wait to shape your kalanchoe until the spring, after it has finished blooming for the year—then, prune your kalanchoe down to encourage strong, healthy growth next season. Start by trimming the longest branches around the outside of the plant, as well as any leaves or stems that are dead or dying.^{[3]
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Research source} Then, work your way toward the inside of the plant, making cuts to ensure the kalanchoe has an even, balanced shape.^{[4]
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- Pruning is a great way to correct a kalanchoe that’s gotten leggy (long, lanky stems with sparse leaves). This usually happens if a plant isn’t getting enough sunlight, so after you prune, consider moving it to a brighter spot.
- Pruning will also encourage your kalanchoe to put out new blooms next year.^{[5]
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Cut within ¹⁄₂ in (13 mm) of a leaf node to shape the plant. Find a leaf node that is pointed in the direction you want the stem to grow. Cut the stem at a 45-degree angle using sharp, clean pruning shears. New growth will branch in the direction of that leaf node.^{[6]
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- The lower side of your angled cut should be at roughly the same height as the leaf node, on the other side of the stem.
- If a stem isn’t very long but you’d like to encourage the kalanchoe to branch out, pinch back just the top set of leaves on that stem.
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Remove up to a third of each stem's length. As you’re cutting, try to leave at least ⅓ of the length of each stem that you cut. This will ensure that you have plenty of healthy leaves left so the kalanchoe can continue to grow.
- Pause as you go and step back, keeping an eye on the overall shape of the plant.
- If a stem is dead or damaged, cut it down to the base, just above where the branch meets the stem.
- For really leggy stems, cut them back to a set of leaves right at the point where the stem gets bare or starts to bend.^{[7]
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Repot or root-prune as necessary. Succulents, including kalanchoes, grow slowly. Because of this, they typically can live in the same pot for several years. However, if you succeed in getting your kalanchoe to rebloom for several seasons, you may need to move it to a larger pot eventually.
- If you see roots above the soil or growing out of the drainage holes in the pot, that's a sign that your kalanchoe may be root-bound. Transferring it to a larger pot will allow it to continue to grow.
- If you want to keep your kalanchoe roughly the same size, remove it from the pot and carefully prune its roots.

Section 3 of 3:

Propagating Kalanchoe Cuttings

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Place kalanchoe cuttings in a sandy soil mix to grow new plants. After you prune your kalanchoe, let the cuttings sit out for 1–2 days to dry out. Then, place them cut-side down into a well-draining pot filled with a sandy succulent mix. Keep the soil lightly moist and put the pot in a sunny location. If the propagation is successful, the cuttings will grow roots, and eventually you’ll start to see new growth.^{[8]
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- Plant specialist Harmony Corelitz recommends keeping your kalanchoe no more than 3 ft (0.91 m) from the nearest window to ensure it gets plenty of light.^{[9]
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- Corelitz also recommends avoiding getting the leaves of a kalanchoe wet. Water the plant by placing the pot in a shallow tray full of water, letting it soak until the soil is moist at the top.^{[10]
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Community Q&A

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I inherited a kalanchoe that has about 10-12 inch long stems before the first leaves appear. Will it regrow correctly if I cut the stems down near the soil?

Community Answer

You can cut the stems. Wait a few days for the ends to callous and then plant in soil. Water after a few days. They should grow well after that. I did that with many of my succulents. Don't throw away the part of the stem with roots. Plant it and it might grow new kalanchoe babies.

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Kalanchoe requires 14–16 hours of complete darkness for 6 weeks during the fall and winter in order to bloom the following season.^{[11]
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Kalanchoe blooms will last longer in cooler conditions. For best results, keep your kalanchoe in temperatures of 45 to 65 °F (7 to 18 °C) at night, and 50 to 70 °F (10 to 21 °C) during the day.

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Avoid overwatering kalanchoe plants, as this can make them vulnerable to aphids and gray mold.

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Warnings

Kalanchoes are poisonous to animals. If you have kalanchoes indoors, keep them away from any pets that might be tempted to eat them.^{[12]
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