cutting the new growth question

I have a Epi that is doing well with very long runners....can they be cut back to keep the plant compact?

another view...thank you for your guidance.....Deb

That looks like a Night Blooming Cereus and YES! They make these runners,.
especially while in the house for the winter...
I have NO idea why? Nor what is the appropriate thing to do!
I have had these "runners/stems" grow to be 4' tall!

The Southern diehards say to leave them alone. They are just reaching for a place
to anchor themselves to--as in the Rain Forests.....Dah!
I, myself, can't stand them--and have been known to cut them off.
Interesting thing--IF you root pieces of these cut-off stems--they will,
in time produce regular leaves.....

I think this has been discussed to no end--just look back in this Forum....
I still do not know what their purpose is!

Hang in there--until you get an answer that satisfies YOU!

Gita

Thank you, Gita.....I think I'm going to chop them just to have a more compact plant....this one is getting very large & running out of room for it.....The hoya that took over that window had to end up in the compost pile after it just blocked out the light coming into the bathroom....good curtain, tho...thanks again, Deb

Depsi:
http://www.theamateursdigest.com/epis.htm
Please go to the experts and find out the answers to questions like yours. If you were 6 ft. 7 and wanted to be 6 ft. you wouldn't just lop off your head. Plant growth has a purpose and a reason.

"Why do some stems put out long stringy things and others do not? Should I cut them off?
Those long stringy things are adventitious roots! Do not cut them off. It is quite natural for many epis to produce these roots. If they appear in large numbers, however, this may signal problems exist such as perhaps the plants may be too moist, too dry or in too much shade. The adventitious roots could be reaching for the moisture, light and even food that the plant is not receiving in sufficient quantities through watering, natural light and fertilizer.
When these adventitious roots appear, you should ask yourself if you are giving the plants enough water and/or fertilizer, if there is enough humidity around the plants and perhaps you should check the soil in the pot for signs of pest infestation which might be damaging the roots. Also, although I will tell you later that these plants do better if a little pot-bound, it is just as possible to underpot the plants which can also force roots to be produced along the stems."
A Southern Diehard

Boy, that is an informative link....Thank you very much.....I'd rather not lop off heads so will leave these fellas alone....Deb

I do lop off some of that growth, as those "runners" make the whole plant about 10 feet tall. The plants themselves have grown out of the 6 foot obleisk I have in the pot to support them. Had lots of blooms last summer,tho.

You want to see tall?

Here is may 6 yr. old NBC Epi. It was so big and uncontrolable--and had NEVER bloomed--
I gave it away last year.
Now--see that base of that tall stem on top? Will show you the end of it in the next picture....

Here is the rest of it-----about 4 feet higher....

And note also--that it IS making regular "leaves" at the top.....

Dealt with this in my LR for a couple of years--then gave it away FREE to another
DG'er here....

Gita

Here is another "strange" thing----
This is my Red Epi. It hangs by my big LR window--but it does not ger bright light.
That is all I have, though--and that is where they always hang.

These are interesting, spiny growths out of the tips of the "leaves".....

Any comments from anyone?

Gita

I would show you how tall mine is, but computer is on the fritz and I am working off mu iPad. I'll have to remember to post one when I get it back from the shop.

Gita, is that a browlia behind the Epi???? I have one but it is still small, the bulb is about the size of a softball.....DEb

Depsi--
Which picture are you referring to?
The one behind the BIG NBC on my Patio? The one with the fine fronds on top of the blocks?

That is a Climbing Onion.....This tome of year--it is amazingly full of green fronds...
Then they will die off as I put it outside and the fronds will die off.

Then--it will kidt "exist"--slowly nourishing the big Onion-like bulb throughout the summer season.
It really does ot do anything much in the summer....As th fronds die off--it MAY cause the
Moma Onion to start splitting....

By the way--This is NOT an onion at all!!!!! Do not ever think you can EAT IT!!!
'

At this time of year--you should see all thr fronds it has on it!!! Like a waterfall of green!!!

Gita

That's what I was looking at: The climbing onion.....I have one too....he's still a baby 'bout 2yrs old....I love it and the frothy leaves......Deb

Depsi--
Here is my Climbing Onion in April of last year....
Probably just out from the basement.....as it makes the most fronds in the late winter....

After about 3 years--the mother bulb had, finally, split....

Gita

Mine is 3yrs old now too.....got it from Logee's catalogue....I cut the fronds back 'cause it sits against a window....Your's is just beautiful.....

another pic

Depsi--

Mine spends the winter on a tiny, cramped window in my Laundry room.
The fronds are everywhere! All pressed up against the window.....

In front of the are pots and 2 W-Boxes of the Pregnant Onion--also sleeping (??)
for the winter.....Maybe they are Cousins? And happy to share the "bed"????

Oh, the pots of pregnant onions I've had over the years.....the climbing onion is my favorite tho....it dropped off a bulblet but nothing became of it....I'm waiting for more....I entered it into the fair this year and got a first prize.....it was very full then.....

Gita: I don't know what the growths are but I really like the looks of the plant. I enjoy Epis because of all the unusual stem, leaf, and spine growths that you encounter. It just makes working with them so much more interesting. I would guess that your growths are spiny air roots, but don't know for sure. I'll see what I can find out. bob

Thanks Bob!

I have one by my kitchen door--a well rooted and growing cutting--
now in a 6" pot....
Geez! You should see the spike growing out of this one!!!!!
It is overwhelming!

Take a look! Gita

That's what I assumed mine were....I've got big ones all along the sprouts.....these plants are really interesting....

an update from a year ago....same plant moved to a different window where again I'm running out of space

another

Depsi--

Yes! That is pretty bizarre!
I think if they do not get natural. bright light, they tend to grow these things.

Mine is now close to 4' tall.

In the past--I have cut them off. These spikes do not produce flower buds.
So--why put up with them?

Gita

Thanks for your response, I looked at your pictures again too.....I was thinking of you last week 'cause my climbing onion is waking up & has put out two runners...I love that plant!! have you been able to get any babies off of yours? I just can't cut those runners off on the epi, it's so bizarre but I do love it....it will go to the shop this summer where it will have plenty of room to run (as long as the deer don't find it) and debate this again next fall when it has to come inside.....it's only bloomed once.....but it was a big white beauty!!!! Thanks again....Deb

Depsi:
Love your plant and how you have arranged your decor to accommodate it. Those stems provide strength to the plant and character, I know growers who cut spikes and those who don't. I have read experts who encourage growers to keep all top growth cut to encourage compact growth. I believe nature usually does the right thing for plants. I have trimmed heavy growth when it makes a plant too off balance. I don't think it is a real good idea but has not hurt any plant that I've cut for cuttings or for "balance". bob

Bob, I'm using your winter maintenance guidelines & apply the info from the link you provided.....I certainly respect your experience.....Thank you for responding.....This plant has a way to go before it becomes unbalanced and this is our guest room (unheated) so I can tie it up all over the place.....when it goes outside to the east facing lean too off the shop it will have all the room in the world to sprout where ever it wants to go!!!

Cool pictures Depsi.

I really like your Climbing Onion as well.

This is my baby ones.
They grow from the old cracked-off skins.

And this is MUM and DAD.

Wow, your's have really made babies!!! beautiful plant.....mine has only put out one baby so far & that turned into nothing....

Sometimes I think people try too hard.
The skin-peel just lay on the damp charcoal mix for about 6 seeks before these babies came.
And all three lived on to grow into Xmas presents for my family.

ginger---

Just to clarify-----you ARE talking about the "Climbing Onion" here. Right?
I never knew these made babies????

I was getting all mixed up, as the PREGNANT onion makes a zillion babies
under the flaky skin. Then you posted the picture, and was like--Hmmmm----
that does not look like my Pregnant Onion......

Here is the way my Pregnant Onion looks like--pregnant.....

Ginger----

Google "Pregnant Onion" and when it comes up--click on "images" on the left side of your upper tool bar.
You will get pages and pages of pictures of whatever it is you Googled....this works for anything!

It is an amazing feature! Gita

Thanks Gitagal,

I guess Yahoo works the same way ?
I don't use Goggle. ^_^
My server has barred them. ;o)

Your first picture looks a little like my Scorpions all hanging on.

EEEWWWWW........................

I agree with you Anna.

But you have to agree there is a similarity.

ginger---

If I Googled it and sent you the link--do you think you could open that?

Lets try it. This is to the "images of" page.

http://www.google.com/search?q=pregnant+onion&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=4mY-T-7LKdDh0wGsv7jYBw&biw=1280&bih=830&sei=52Y-T5z3LcfL0QG1z8GuBw

I got it to show up on Yahoo.

I opened your link and got this.