Callisia gentlei, a succulent for hanging cultivation

To find out if your plant is thirsty, stick your finger in the soil. When the surface is dry (about three centimetres), then you need to water your Callisia gentlei. Callisia gentlei like moisture, but not stagnant water. Make sure that the potting soil remains moist, but that the rootlets are not drowned.

If you can, use non-calcareous water such as rainwater or filtered water.

Also make sure that water doesn't stagnate in the saucer or planter.

Callisia gentlei come from tropical regions. They appreciate high humidity. To recreate it, spray the foliage with non-calcareous water at room temperature.

Every spring, repot your Callisia gentlei to give it more space.

Choose a pierced container only slightly larger than the previous one. Opt for a ceramic or terracotta model: they promote evaporation and prevent moisture from lingering at the bottom. You can also place a bed of gravel or clay balls at the bottom of the pot.

Callisia gentlei cactus and succulents need a draining substrate, such as potting soil for cacti and succulents. Pour in a layer, plant your subject in the middle and fill in with potting soil. Pack gently to avoid damaging the root system.

After 30 days, the cutting has produced roots. You can repot it.

Once the first roots appear, you can transplant your stem with the mother plant, to densify it.

If you wish to create a new plant, prepare a perforated pot lined with a drainage layer (clay balls, gravel, pebbles). Then pour in potting soil for cacti and succulents. Make a pilot hole and plant your cutting. For a fuller specimen, you can place several stems in the pot. Water with non-calcareous water to facilitate rooting.

To promote the growth of your Callisia gentlei, apply fertilizer in spring and summer.

Callisia gentlei can thrive without fertilizer if repotted regularly. But you can still use a cactus and succulent fertilizer to encourage growth.

Remove dried or yellowed leaves.

Pinch your Callisia gentlei during its growing season.

To give your plant a compact habit, pinch back young shoots. This improves branching.

Cutting is carried out during the strong growth phase, generally in spring and early summer.

Using clean, sharp scissors, remove the tip of a branch. Remove a section at least fifteen centimetres long (five or six knots).

Soak your graft in a glass of clear water at room temperature. Remember to change the water when it becomes cloudy. You can also immerse a piece of charcoal to keep it clean.

Place your cutting in a bright spot away from direct sunlight, behind a window with a curtain for example.