The Epiphyllum bonanza is still going on here in 9b. It's been a great year for them, probably due to hot temps during Spring and continued good weather since. Once a year is enough for these otherwise fairly dull looking plants.
Color Jolt
And looking it right in the eye.
That is gorgeous.. that's great.. I love that color.
That's a great color.
killin' me!
Stunning!!!
My cutting rooted Candy! And the neighbor across the street gave me cuttings of hers, almost the same in color and just as big. Can't wait to get them in a large plant full of blooms!
That's great news Sue!
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lilypon - you crack me up.....just trying to keep you in the Epi-loop. :-)
Just a few more buds to go and today this one showed up for the first time in several years. After awhile these all tend to look a lot alike, but unlike all the others I have, these are very small. Most of mine run 7-10 inches across, while this one is 2 1/2" across.
Such beautiful colors!
And you are doing an excellent job!! ;) Mine is still sitting out in the porch and is being shown your pictures often...I expect it to bloom floriferously and in multiple colors now!
Happenstance, I'm new to these epiphyllums. I have rooted some cuttings which I have in hanging baskets, and I just moved them to an area which gets mostly shade until about 4:00 p.m., and then they get direct sun until the sun goes down, which is around 8:00 p.m. now and 9:00 in the summer. Is this too much direct sun? It looks like, in your last picture, your epi is getting some direct sun.
lilypon - threaten them with the "deep-freeze" or the compost heap if they don't do as they are told. :-)
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Clare - I think if you read advice from 10 people about Epis you will get 10 different recipes for success. The last shot was taken in full sun (but for purposes of the image and because red/fuschia drives my camera crazy, I use a photography umbrella to provide filtered shade/light to take pictures).
There are some additional images of my Epis here:
http://davesgarden.com/t/426034/
http://davesgarden.com/fp.php?pid=861383
All of these Epis are in full Zone 9b sun from about 10AM til sunset. Not much different than your 10a, with average summer temps here from 85-110F daytime and the usual cooling off to around 50-55 at night. They spend the winter months outside against a south facing set of sliders, again full sun from 10AM - sunset. Our lows are generally around 38-39F, haven't had frost in the 6 years we've been here.
Everyone has a different idea of how to raise these, here's mine. The information below reflects only my experience and may not be what the professionals/experts advise.
The more direct sun the better (assuming they have been acclimated to it slowly if they were previously growing in lower light levels).
They must get "cold" in the winter. How cold for how long.....I don't know, but these all survived the several days in the teens here in the Bay Area during the winter of 90-91.
They aren't picky about what kind of soil, any commercial planting, potting, cactus mix......whatever happens to be around is what I use.
I feed them with diluted (1/2 strength) fish emulsion every two weeks from the time it warms up until about late October. SNAILS & SLUGS love these things so I bait for them religiously all year long....especially during the rainy season. Even so there is some snail damage done each year.
I haven't found that "age" has anything to do with them blooming. I bought a small bedraggled cutting on sale last fall and got 3 blooms on it this year, plus 3 new long fronds. I used the same regimen for the cutting that I do for the big guys.
Last year was a below average year for my Epis. It was still in the 40's in mid May and was still cold and wet. This year with highs in the 90's in Feb/Mar/April/May they have bloomed beautifully. I think the total time from first to last bloom this year will be about 7 weeks. That's good in my experience.
Having said all that, these are one of the homliest plants on earth, except when they bloom Ugly ducklings can become swans if you just believe!
Here's a not so great image of the three large tubs of Epis in the eveing sun. I'm guessing, but these are approximately 15 years old and started out as a few small cuttings.
Wow, Happenstance! Thanks so much for your valuable insight and instructions. Your pictures on that first thread are amazing! I don't know how I missed watching that thread, but I am watching it now. I will have to go back and take a closer look at those pictures. I am especially drawn to the fragrant ones. Well, I think you are an expert, and I plan to do exactly what you are doing with the hope that I will get the same results. Thanks again:-)
All I can say is WOW!!!!!! I want one.
I'm moving SOUTH!
Happenstance, one of my rooted cuttings, which had just put on a bunch of new growth, started to turn brown just above the soil line. It felt soft and squishy so I cut it off just above the brown and just below the brown, below the soil line. I stuck the top part with the new growth back into the soil in a different place in the hanging basket. This basket has four other rooted cuttings growing in it. None of the others showed any brown. Should I have let the end heal a bit first? How long does it take to heal it properly? Will the roots of the bottom part send up a new shoot, or should I dig it up out of the soil? Thanks for your help:-)
When I have pieces that break off, I just stick them in the soil and don't worry about letting it harden off. If you want to harden it first it can be left to dry for weeks or in cool weather months at a time.
The most common reason for the browning/rotting at the soil line or below is too much water or more precisely poor drainage. I have some of mine in baskets right now and when I get some time I'll be putting them in pots. Baskets are hard to manage, hard to water and hard to keep an eye on when hanging up high.
Sometimes in this situation you will get new leaves coming up from below soil level; I find this most often happens when a leaf is dried out, stressed or damaged severely.
Thanks so much for your help:-) I was a little surprised to see the brown at and above the soil line especially since this cutting had developed a good root system over this past spring. I'll really have to pay better attention to the moisture levels and drainage. Thanks again.