Oh thanks Annette, that was half an hour or so ago. I'm loading new photos ....
How Long Does It Take from buds forming to Flowers?
This is fully open finally. It's worth the wait. The fragrant is terrific. I wished I could bottle its lovely scent.
A close up;
So pretty. Mine tried to open even in the rain. It didn't make it though. Still waiting on some others to open. I have 1 that I thought for sure was an oxypetalum, but it now has a "red" bud. I can't wait to see what it is.
Have a great day everyone.
Lisa, if yours were a 'strictum' or a whatchumacallit 'hookerii' they do bloom in the early morning hours (instead of night blooms). So keep watching for them.
Beautiful!!!!! You can't describe the fragrance, but once you've smelled them, you're intoxicated! When we had three nights of blooms this summer, the fragrance lingered in the sunroom (that is if I didn't open the door too much!) for about a day and it was wonderful. Do you have any more buds?
There are two more buds left remained to be seen...maybe tonight Jean. Abosolutely, the fragrant is one that you'll be longing for a long long time.
It's over cast. This photo was taken this early morning.
One more chance to view a miracle! BTW, a couple of years ago, I cut two flowers off when they were fully open and put them into a plastic container with a tight top and set them in the refrigerator. I happened to be having neighbors in for lunch the next day, so brought them out and used them on the two tables. They don't last too long in water, but they lasted through lunch!
That's a great tip. Thanks Jeank. I was busy last evening and missed out on the last two blooms. Well, to conclude the thread. How long does it take from buds to flowers? One MONTH, roughly. I hope everyone has enjoyed the journey with me. It's time for Fall clean up, and maybe I'll try to take some cuttings of these beautiful sprawling plant and make it more tidy for next year show.
Happy Gardening,
Kim
Thanks for the show Kim. I hope next year is bigger and better forall epi lovers!
Jean
Thank you Jean, I hope everyone has enjoyed. I has a friend that came by and said, my cereus just 'sits' there for couple of years... I asked her how she cares for her. Her reply was she kept it indoor all year round. I took her around my garden. Show her how I kept mine under canope shade. And that's where these epi. flourishes. Oh yes, and keep it on the dried side. Avoid standing water.
Kim
This message was edited Oct 15, 2011 4:49 PM
Since mine are so big, I keep them in the sunroom, but it is all glass. Some of the leaves even get sunburned! My cousin has one that hasn't bloomed either. I told her to quit repotting it as I do know they like to be rootbound. I also have some Christmas cactus, and they are beginning to bud now. When we lived in Illinois, they bloomed at Christmas, however, since moving they have always bloomed earlier. Apparently they set buds according to the natural light that they get.
Jean
Good tips on caring for these plants. Thanks Jean. See you next year. :))
I must say I have really enjoyed this thread. I am now waiting on 3 buds. I had a red one ( noid) but the rain knocked it off and a white (oxypetalum) that tried to open during a heavy rain. Now there are 3 left and i cannot wait for them to open. I am re- potting mine so that i can trim them up and get them ready for winter. I don't have that much space in the greenhouse this year. Besides a couple of them are close to 5 feet in diameter. If anyone wants oxypetalum cuttings, let me know.
Linda
Linda, can't wait to see your pics. Enjoyed our "conversation" this year and will look forward to next year!
Hah, hubby and I are working our fingers to the bones trying to get ready for winter here too. Happy gardening Linda, Jean. 'Til next season of blooms. Take good care. Thank you all for your participation on this thread.
Kim
Just brought in our agapanthus and sangria crinums today, which finishes us up for the winter. Have been potting up some epis that needed repotting for a long time. Now the sunroom looks like a jungle.
After we get to FL we will have to bring in our epi along with a bunch of nuns orchids which we repotted last spring. Last winter we had very few nuns orchid blooms due to the fact that we had two cold spells before we got there and I thought I had lost them -- leaves were black, however, bulbs were still firm.
Jean
Jean, I too have some Nun Orchids, apparently we do like/enjoy many similar exotic plants. Those Nun Orchids are quite tough. I'm thinking of trying to to plant them outdoor in my zone, and test their winter resistance here.
Don't know how cold your winters get, but know that a frost in Central FL turned the leaves of mine black. You would probably have to cover them in the event of frost, but as you know -- we like to experiment. The picture was taken several years ago.
They're Gorgeous! I'm still working on getting them to rebloom properly for me. More often than not, I'll get more of them from local favorite nursery. lol
I killed two of them in AR before buying one in FL with two spikes on it, then taking it outside in the shade for the summer. This is the one that I divided this spring and got enough bulbs for 12 pots, and after repotting 10 of them, gave the other two to the neighbor as I was exhausted from repotting! You can also cut off the spent spikes and wrap them up in damp spaghnum moss and if you're lucky, you will get new plants.
Well, I turned 1 of my cacti because the rains were torrential and what do ya know? The bud fell off anyway. I have 1 bud left. maybe tonight it will open. I will post pics if it does.
I trimmed some dragon fruit hylocereus undatus, ( vietnamese red and purple star,) if you want cuttings, send me a dmail and I will be happy to share.
It finally bloomed! after having 5 buds at once and 4 falling prey to the rain, the last one bloomed this morning. I crashed late last night and was just lucky to see it in all it's glory this morning. I will post pics as soon as I get them downloaded. This 1 wasn't fragrant for some reason. It looks like an oxypetalum, but I wonder if maybe it really isn't something else.
Hello friends. It's that time of year where our QOTN's blooms are about to ...Currently I've but a handful of buds. Will return tomorrow with update photos.
The buds are taking on the "pipe" curves signalling they will open soon.
The anticipation builds and builds....no sign that it would be open up this evening....not just yet.
Tonight is going to be it! Will be back as the flowers open gradually this evening.
As the sun is getting ready to set. The flowers are about to open ....
Long after the lovely sunset. The flowers were making their grand entrance;
I brought one indoor to take a closer look;
An hour later; by this time the lovely fragrant is being emitted. If only there were some night pollinators present, I'd have fruits in the near future. Hope you've enjoyed the photos.
After missing five earlier blooms earlier this summer, I have two Queens and two Strictums getting ready to open. I hope I'm more vigilant and catch these when they open. All my plants are showing nice new growth and looking very healthy. It's time to take inventory of what I have.
Wow! I really like that last one!
orchidman1, those are breath taking beauties! Yes, they are easy to be missed. Thank you for sharing the pictures. OCCAROL, aren't they gorgeous? Love 'em all.
Tonight I got to see 5 Oxypetallum blooms and the smell was unbelievable. I missed 7 last night. My strictum will be in bloom in a few days and it s full of buds I put three plants up in the grapevine and they have boomed several times this summer.
Such a fine, fine collection you've got!!! Please keep those photo coming.
Lovely, lovely, and lovely!!!.
I wish I could grow them. I have an apartment without sunlight so I can only watch your beautiful buds and flowers. Thank you.
torriesmom, these plants grow well with indrect sunlight. I'm glad you've enjoyed the photos. A couple of days ago, I discovered another halfe a dozen newly formed buds. Here is one. In roughly 4 weeks to full flower.
Wonderful news.
Hi Lily, Love the pictures. I am not getting many blooms this year, I can't think of anything I have done different. Four of my big NBC plants that usually have dozens of blooms each haven't set a bud. We are starting to get cold here at night and I have maybe 8 buds a couple of weeks from bloom, they may end up blooming in the GH.
This is from last year.
