Tropicals & Tender Perennials: Epi Issues, 0 by kimskreations

kimskreations wrote:
Hello Chantell My Friend :)

Well...once again, I am NO expert here so if I give bad advice would someone who knows more about these plants please correct me.

I have recently taken an interest in growing Epi's myself so have rooted quite a few cuttings recently. And from what I learned about these is:

1. It's better to let them callous over for a few days (even up to a week or more)
2. They grow in the crevices of trees so I mix their soil with ALOT of orchid mix and ALOT of perlite.
3. They don't like BRIGHT beating sun, seem to prefer bright light with partial shade. Again, this is because they have the canopy of the tree over them but the light still gets through.
4. It was suggested to me to hold off watering for a bit but I always feel so guilty not watering and I figured these babies could use a little water so I keep them moist, not wet not dry but moist.

The cuttings in this picture had actually survived a freak freeze in my friends (you know who you are ;) and thank you again) greenhouse. I have had them about a week or so and already they have turned a completely different shade of green and are perking up and putting on new growth.

I noticed you "rocked" the top of your soil like a cactus. I don't "rock" these as they are more of a succulent than a cactus and in my opinion "rocking" them compacts the soil and keeps necessary air out. In fact, if I water mine from above a few days later I take a butter knife and "fluff" the soil all around the plant to be sure it stays light and airy.

I'm thinking yours might be suffucating and rotting under there. Here again though, I am no expert I can only give you hints on what I have been doing which so far...."knocks on wood" seems to make these happy. It's almost like the WANT to grow. I have not had 1 cutting perish (although I am worried about 1 that was really leathery but she seems to be staying the same....not getting worse so I'm sure she's resting and not dying *lol*).

Anyways, I hope this helps in some way and I hope that if I'm wrong in anything I tried to say here that someone with more expertise will guide you and correct me :)

Kim