A few suggestions:
DON'T repot epiphyillulms when they are in bud or bloom.
DON'T sift potting soil for epiphyillums-leave it so coarse it can never pack.
DON'T water until one week has elapsed after transplanting.
DON'T allow your epiphyllums to remain bone dry for months at a time during hot weather-at least spray the foliage.
DON'T allow them to stay SOAKING wet for days at a time..
DON'T NEGLECT TO USE RAIN WATER WHENEVER AVAILABLE. a RAIN STORM WILL HELP TO LEACH OUT EXcess alkalies from the soil.
DON'T force you plants with fertilizers too high in nitrogen. It tends to produce growth instead of flowers and somethimes causes spotting on foliage. Let the growth come naturally.
DON'T imagine that a rank-growing luscious plant must necessarily produce superior flowers. ...... a FEW MORE DON'TS LATER
EPIIIPHYLLLUMS SUGGESTIONS
excellent norma.......i have lots of eppis....some of them have growth from the soil line but others have new growth from the top of the stems....but it seems rather scrawny........they are fairly close to a south facing window.......whatcha think?....these are cuttings and they are growing but...like i said i above.......:)
cindy
Remember I don't grow this species any more. I did 35 yrs ago having about 60. Now the I grow them at the Huntington Gardens. We grow them outside under shade cloth, on a north facing wall.
DON'T use too lkage a container. Epi do not have a heavy root system as most plants, they obtain much of their food and water from the air. '
DON'T try to discourage new growth in the (early) fall---it is their norlmlal growing season.
DON'T worry about frost damage if temperature stays above 35 degrees except o;n species sucdh as E. oxypetallulm and
E. strictum.
DON'T disbud--the benefits obtained are not worth it.
DON'T worry when some of the quarter-grown buds fall off--nature will permit only enough buds to mature that the plant an support.
DON'T think that allowing the fruit to develop o;n a plant, in moderate quantity, will kill it.
DON'T imagine that soaking a plalnt whicfh has become leathery or wrinkled is the proper thing to do. It probably needs to be transplanted and placed in a cool spot for some months with only the slightest spraying through the foliage. You may find that most of the roots have rotted off earlier and it will take time for the plant to deveslopo new ones. ]
DON'T allow aphis, scale or mealybug to sap the vitality of your buds and plants.
DON'T neglect your epi's when not in bloom. They can stand some neglect but they appreciate attention and will reward you when they are kept nicely groomed.
DON'T forget to see that hanging baskets get sufficient water.
DON'T remove more than 1/5 of lthe growth of and eip plalnt at one time or 1/4 of the plant during the year.
DO enjoy your plant
Do shre with other
Do smell the flowers
Do make jam from the fruit. Norma
cool. Thanks.
Norma, hi..with all these DON'Ts, what DO's are left? Elaine
Hi Elaine, good to meet you, I have a column on seed growing. Soil formulas, What a good potting soil is comprised of. What to do with rooted cuttings, and unrooted cuttings. If needed I'll do this paragraph by paragraph.
I only have one or two Epi's left. Rainbow gardens does not ship anymore, and can hardly recommend who does. I'll leave that up to the rest of you.