Epiphyllum time again

[stonedragonfarms]

Originally Posted by stefpix

Great! I have some rooted cuttins. womder how many years may take. How much light do you give? Looks like a lot as it look reddish. What kind of growing comdotions compared to orchids? Cattleya-like?
thanks!

I have had a year old rooted cutting throw out a bloom, but this is an exception; it usually takes at least 2 years for cuttings to bloom for me--some of the cuttings that I potted up 3 years ago have yet to bloom, they are just sort of meandering along. I have found that they do best in a very free-draining soil-free mix (I use 1 part perlite:1 part composted peat moss: 1 part turface: 1 part tree fern fiber) with heavy fertilizer and water in the warm months and almost no water during the winter. I grow them with my cymbidiums, and have not had problems keeping them at 40F in the winter, provided they are near dry at the roots. As far as light goes, I keep rooted cuttings under 20% shade for the summer, but all the rest of my plants are grown under glass in full sun, I don't move them outside for the summer, I just water them daily and mist them in the afternoon, they grow like weeds for me (as do my desert cacti that I grow under the same conditions). I've not tried these in the house, but I think if they were provided with a cool dry winter rest and sufficient light in the summer they would probably do just fine.
Hope this helps,
Adam

[Hedge]

Originally Posted by stefpix

Great! I have some rooted cuttins. womder how many years may take. How much light do you give? Looks like a lot as it look reddish. What kind of growing comdotions compared to orchids? Cattleya-like?
thanks!

Hi Stefano, the rooted cuttings may flower at two or three years old, the trick is to give them the right conditions. They like semi shade, or bright but indirect light - mine spend a lot of time under the bench of the green house. They need a cooler winter rest with little or no water and food. Too much reddening indicates too much light and /or too cold. When the buds form you can increase food and water and treat as a normal house plant over the summer. They like being outside if you have space in the shade, but be warned they get very big and ungainly with a tendency to blow over IME. Reduce watering in autumn, swapping to a high potash feed and then wait!

Happy growing!

Heather

[stefpix]

Thanks. Mine are growing well. should i keep them in small pots? is rootbound OK? I use mostly coconut chips. Do you trim yours or do you let it grow freely?

[Hedge]

Originally Posted by stefpix

Thanks. Mine are growing well. should i keep them in small pots? is rootbound OK? I use mostly coconut chips. Do you trim yours or do you let it grow freely?

I tend to keep all cacti slightly potbound. I use normal potting compost because that is what they were given to me in, long before I started growing orchids, or had heard of Coconut husk! That said, as long as your plants are thriving they are epiphytes and I don't see a problem with coconut husk. It is a question as always of feeding and watering to achieve good growth.

As to trimming them, the leaves do getlong and sometimes then branch. I take segments as cuttings. I have never tried root trimming these plants. Hope that helps

Good growing

Heather

[stefpix]

Thanks so much. I have some in coconut and one or 2 in LECA. the one in coconut seems to be branching most,

when you trim what do you trim? Do they flower on old growth or new growth? can an old "branch" bloom again?

Just wondering. I keep some out on the fire escape and some hanging in my windowsill. Some are branching from the base some from the tip. Maybe should cut growth from branch tip and keep just basal branching... if it makes sense

[Hedge]

Hi, Stefano, I must admit I haven't ever analysed where I take cuttings but what you suggest makes sense. Looking at my old photographs they seem to flower on newer growth. I usually remove short end segments in active growth to propagate from, so now would be a good time!

[johnblagg]

I have read up in the past on these alot and some forms are funny about where they bloom from my old heirloom typ only blooms from old flat growth .....every node will bloom on old growth if in good shape I saw 50 blooms at once a couple of years ago....some I have had a old limb break off and fall on the ground and root and still make two or three blooms while it was rooting "buds were already forming when it dropped off onto the ground.BUT it will not bloom on growth less than a year old.

Another one is 4 years old thios year and no blooms at all yet but its in bad shape this year so my fault Im sure.

as for growth habit it does depoend on the plant since these are estensivly hybridized plants with diverse background just like chids....I have found a looser corser medium to encourage more basal growths than a heavier medium though for sure.

They grow in tree crotches in very loose soil in the wild and attach to trees to climb by the adventageous roots that form along the midribs.

[stonedragonfarms]

Here's another from the gh this am. This one is Waterlily
Enjoy!
Adam

[nenella]

Love the colour! Beautiful photo

[Hedge]

Very aptly named, the flower shape is definitely like a water lily - and a beautiful shade of pink.
Thank you, Adam