Yours should look something like this.....
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/fp.php?pid=8222947
What's still blooming end of October?
Gita ..............You certainly are confusing me. You gave me one of each Red Epi and NBC. I went over to that forum per your advisement the year you gave them to us and got fifteen different answers from about ten people. I printed and read the entire forum thing skipping of course the duplications. We also followed Google to all the information I believe that is out there at this time. I do not believe there is a whole lot of credible stuff available to read on these plants. The forum is so full of different ideas and claims one can not be sure if anything is right.
I read in one university report that these plants are acid loving plants. I have never been able to find this as a common line in other reports or studies.
Going back to nature's way these plants are tropical and running around through the trees putting their roots into little pockets of leaves or debris caught in the tree. I just wish someone would have a growing suggestion that somewhat duplicates the simplicity of their lifestyles where they grow wild. We learned souls always have way to much help in mind for most of the plants we grow.
I have a friend with a huge Red Epi in a five gallon bucket. He carries it into the house and into a rather dark room for winter. All spring, summer and fall it sits on his shaded front porch looking poorly. Yet that sucker blooms every summer without any care. He might give it a drink once in awhile. I never paid it any attention either but based on that experience I have been doing entirely to much for a plant that apparently needs little support to live and bloom.
doc--
I forgot that I gave you one of each.....I thought I only gave you the NBC.
Sorry.....
Sorry I am confusing you! I don't mean to....
I received "leaves" of 2 Red Epis and three of NBC from "kachinagirl" in CA back in 2005.
One of the red Epis has bloomed twice now (first set of red blooms above), the other has not yet.
The "leaves" on these two a just slightly different. The one that has bloomed--the "leaves"
are thick but kind of flat. The Epi that has not yet bloomed, it's "leaves" have a slightly triangular look.
A slight elevation along the spines.
I repotted both this Spring in 10" HB to give them a bit more room. They were in a very tight and dry
6" pottery pot. Re-potting was difficult, as there are very sharp, small thorns up and down the leaves.
Both grew very well during the summer. They are now hanging in front of my LR window in so-so light.
Are you still confused???
I am hoping to see what the other one looks like IF it blooms....
Here is where they live for the winter. The two straggly things in the HB's.
This message was edited Dec 2, 2010 7:45 AM
This is what they looked like in 2005--freshly potted up after i received them.
On the left are 3 "leaves" of the NBC, On the right are the two Red Epis.
Any leaf from any of these will root---just stick it into fresh mix and forget it.
Gita, I have NEVER been able to get my rick rack to bloom. Should I repot it? Maybe fertilizer would be in order (I have so many plants in the greenhouse, I usually stick jobes plant spikes in them or osmocote). I did FINALLY bloom a lovely red epi sent to me (in an envelope) from a dear friend in Czech Republic (yes, it was not kosher to do that) and that beaufy finally bloomed last year after about 10+ or more years. What should I do to try to get that rick rack to bloom? It is so huge anymore and if I break a piece off accidentally, I stick it in another pot. Here's the pix of the Czech red epi. Judy
p.s. It bloomed after I took a toothbrush & brushed all the scale off the leaves. I HATE scale! Just cleaned off two other epi's. The rick rack doesn't seem to get scale. The leaves are so touch.
This message was edited Dec 2, 2010 10:41 PM
Doc your epi above has adventitious roots growing out of the end and a new pad coming out. Doesn't look like a bud to me. I used a tiny makeup brush for the schlumbergia cross-pollenating. Time will tell, but my Christmas cactus have set seed on their own.
This message was edited Dec 2, 2010 10:46 PM
True the Christmas Cactus do set seed on their own. When in the house you are unlikely to get a cross because there seldom is a population of bugs and such to do the work for you. Outdoors for the summer I assume nature would take care of pollination. Unless bagged with good timing all pollination outside would be open pollination.
Buttoneer--
I am now on my second HUGE Ric Rac. The first one got so big--I donated it to the Rawlings Conservatory.
They re-potted it in a heavy clay pot and it resides, happily, in the Mediterranian House and blooms every year,
I saw it last Spring...to me it looked a bit pale--Too much bright light on it--I think.
It bloomed for me only twice--in several years.
The one I have now is in a 10"HB and I know it is getting pot bound.
Do not re-pot yours--I believe Epis like to be pot-bound to bloom.
Fertilizing?? I don't do much of it....Also--I think they appreciate a slightly dormant period for the Winter...
like--ignore it!
Mine hangs in a darkish corner of my LR--as I have nowhere else to hang it.
It does not get too much water--as if I pour even a cup on it--it all runs off. The soil is so hard and full of the plant.
I have hopes that all 3 of my Epis will bloom this summer--they are big and tight enough.
Here is my Ric Rac on my 4' diam. picnic table--before I brought it in.
Here it is hanging in a dim corner of my DR.
It is sooo heavy, I always worry that one day the hook will come out of the ceiling and this
whole pot will come crashing down..
I have a glass-topped serving card with all kinds of stuff on it--including all my el-cheapo glass vases I own on the bottom shelf. Better knock on wood!!!!
Doc--
This is just for you--to give you a chuckle...
Remember when we had those super high winds sometime back in beginning of October?
I even posted how my biggest X-mas cactus pot, along with 3 others, got blown off this tall
stand I have outside--under my patio?
I gathered up all the pile of broken off pieces and put them on a big plate and took it down in my shop.
They sat there forever--and still do. Way over a month now....
As they started blooming--I potted up some of the bigger chunks. The rest are still there...
Now THEY are blooming.....I just went down and took a picture....
I will cut these back and root up the better pieces when I get a chance.....
The blooms are NOT blue--they are the pink ones. Must be my camera.....
Diehards--aren't they? Shows that succulents have most of their energy for growing in their foliage--
not necessarily roots....
Gita
Gita, thanks for the advice on the Rick Rack. I will leave it completely potbound and in hard potting soil. It is in the greenhouse & we have propane (expensive) heat in there so we keep it at 50 degrees. Seems to work nicely for dormancy. Judy