Food-Gardening Lessons From A Wartime Victory Garden

Flapjack Kalanchoe Renewal

Blooming Flapjacks Flapjacks are so popular because of their strange, pancake-like leaves that grow in a “head” much like lettuce. By the end of summer each Kalanchoe thyrsifolia will bolt into a tall bloom stalk. This destroys its original tidy form, but don’t throw it away. This signals time for you to switch gears. Cut the plant back to just a few of inches of stem, then set in an out of the way location. Water and feed like normal until new sprouts appear. Each of these can be plucked and rooted in Black Gold Cactus Mix and washed sand for many new free individuals to populate much more of your garden next year.

About Maureen Gilmer

Maureen Gilmer is celebrating her 40th year in California horticulture and photojournalism as the most widely published professional in the state. She is the author of 21 books on gardening, design and the environment, is a widely published photographer, and syndicated with Tribune Content Agency. She is the weekly horticultural columnist for the Desert Sun newspaper in Palm Springs and contributes to Desert Magazine, specializing on arid zone plants and practices for a changing climate. She works and lives in the remote high desert for firsthand observations of native species. Her latest book is The Colorful Dry Garden published by Sasquatch Books. When not writing or photographing she is out exploring the desert on her Arabian horse. She lives in Morongo Valley with her husband Jim and two rescue pit bulls. When not writing or photographing she is usually out riding her quarter horse.

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