You can be in zone 7a and have the plant blooming, not this time of the year, but yest in June and July and I will concur with wren and orchidman, quit cutting the long stem off. It's part of the plant and that is why your Night Blooming Cereus is not blooming. I would not feed the NBC right now, wait until the warm weather arrive and put it outside in the sun. Morning sun is good. In your climate, you might even be OK with afternoon sun. It will burn the leaves a little bit and make it more rough and red looking, but they will be OK. If they are turning brown then it's too much sun. In mid or late June, you can feed it bloom booster every 2 weeks and you might see some blooms.
What's This?
When those spike growths mature enough they will develop leaves and flowers buds will form on these leaves.
Are both of you saying that NO flower buds will form on the older, more mature leaves? Most of the plant is made up of these older, grad leaves....
From the pictures I have seen on the Forum--seems the buds all come from mature leaves hanging down.
The problem with the spikes is-- how to support them in an upright way--as that is how I have my plant--all tied to some trellises all over the place. But then--my plant is in a pot on the ground--NOT in a BIG HB--where, I suppose, all the leaves could just "hang out" any way they like.
The VERY tall spike I had last Summer had NO desire to "hang"! It just grew and grew straight up. See picture near top of this Post. How on earth can I allow all this and still maintain some kind of control of this plant????
Wren--and Lilli---May I please see some pictures of how your Epi Oxy. is growing? What does it look like?
Thanks, Gita
I will try to take some pictures,but mine done not have many spikes as it is happy, when they are happy they do not put out many spikes. But I will try to get a picture of one of the mature spikes.
Sandy
Sooooo---"HAPPY" means a lot of sunshine? And yummy food"????Will do my best this Summer.
I am not one to get hung up on plants not doing well. Been working half my life in Greenhouses and garden centers. If something does not thrive--I will give it away--or if it is just an every-day kind of a plant--i will throw it away.
Replacing a regular plant is so reasonable, that it is not worth it.
Here, in Baltimore, hardly anyone has ever heard of an Epi, or a Ric Rac cactus, or a Pregnant Onion, a Clivia or even of Brugmansias. I have had these all--for several years. Kind of hard to give or sell them for that same reason I stated above.
Thanks to DG--many people are more familiar with these. I have spread many of them around......
Gita
Yes remember that when they are not happy they send out VERY LONG spikes to reach a better site.
Sandy
Gitagal,
What is the "hairy"looking plant in between all of your epis?
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/p.php?pid=7452861
gitagal, my picture is posted above on this thread. scroll up and you will see. I have those long stem supported with tomato stakes. They will turn hard and new leaves will sprout out of them.
catz--
That "hairy" plant is my one and only "Climbing Onion". It is NOT an onion at all. Check PF....Not sure it is there--but everything seems to be here.
It is on a tiny windowsill right now--in my cool, darkish basement....totally dry! (reminds me--I should go water it...)
I pretty much ignore it all winter--but that is when it grows all these fronds. They are soft and succulent and very fragile. From a distance--they look like Asparagus fern.
If I had the support--these fronds would "climb" to 4-5 feet.
Last Summer--FINALLY--the big bulb started splitting off a new one.
I used to have a couple of these--but shared them when people were begging to have one.
Gere it is last winter . I "staged" it to show the fronds
Here's another picture of it.....see the big "onion" it grows a single stem out of than then makes all this "mess"...
edited to add the link to this plant in PF.
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/59921/
This message was edited Feb 21, 2010 9:49 AM
Oooo Thanks Gita,
I have to get one! Thanks for the PF link :)
Steph
Sorry I did not get a picture today, life get in the way!!!
I am in crocheting some baby things to be shipped to Italy for the DD of one of our DG members.
Sandy