I have three epi trades growing in a hanging pot; all three have leaves about 12-18" long, but no buds. What gives? I've GOT to see these infamous night blooms!!!
=) MKJ
Throw me a bone?! How do U get buds?
They generally like to be root bound to bloom. Also, you need to feed them. There's a thread somewhere in this forum about fertilizers.
Root bound and a swig of fish emulsion water just as the weather begins to warm up in early spring. That did it for mine.
:~D
I'm so heading off to feed mine some emulsion, right this minute.......=) Thanks, Kachina!
I only have one that blooms in the fall, a rick rack type. All my other Epis bloom in spring. My Epi oxypetalum didn't even bloom at all this year. Sometimes they rest I think.
K
Well, mine better bloom or it'll 'rest' permanently.......in the trash.....lol!
;-)
Ah, give it a reprieve til spring......a chance to pull itself together! It may be a spring bloomer and you don't want to junk it if it's just waiting for spring weather! :~D
MJK if you decide to junk it...just send it to me, I am the trash junkie! LOL It took years for me to see mine bloom....only the withered bloom the next day....because I dont get up that early in the morning! I must have given 100 pieces to other people from this plant. When some wild cats knocked mine off the fence in the cold of the winter I lost it and had to go back to a friend to get a piece of hers, so I am starting all over again. So please dont junk it! :( Here is a pic of the Cereaus my friend grew from what I gave her. :)
Sylvia
I'm TRYING to be patient. =) It's getting huge though....actually, three plants all stuck together in a little pot......they'll be GOOD and rebound by spring! lol
Anyone have a pic of what the buds look like? Mine has budding, but I think they're just making yet more branches.
Well, my Epi. oxypetalum is budding up now so I guess that makes it a late summer bloomer. All the colored ones I have bloom in spring. Here are some photos of my spring bloomers MKJ. They are DEFINITLY worth the wait!
K
That's a GREAT pink! Love it.
another.....
Thanks Darius. The color doesn't really come through right, it's actually peach colored but it sure looks pink here.
one more....
MKJ....note the hands in the photos. I am 5'10" and have large hands (I think one may be DH's hand, too). These flowers are HUGE!
K
WOW! Those things are HUGE! Good for you. =) Mine are flat leaves though......rather than the triangular shape yours seem to have. Does that make mine the night bloomer? Yours are clearly blooming in some lovely daylight. =D
Most of the leaves on mine are flat, day and night blooming. Once in a while they will sprout the 3 dimensional kind. I'm telling you....you'll be sorry if you don't wait for bloom! One day you'll thank me for my nagging. LOL
:~D
KACHINAGIRL ..... WOULD LOVE TO SEE THE LEAVES ON YOURS. I have never seen a pink one...we are talking Cereaus here...are we not? THE FLOWER THAT BLOOMS AT NIGHT?
SYLVIA@WORK
Here's photos of my night bloomer last month (cereus?). Daytime, earlier evening and finally on the bottom, full bloom.
They are gorgeous, all of them!!
Hey guys, do the leaves on your Cereaus look like these? I notice on other threads that some flowers are different. If they are I will trade cuttings. ;)
Sylvia
Sylvia --
I'd trade but how do you take cuttings? The segments on mine (photo posted above) are so long and huge. Does it need to include part of the segment below it?
My colored ones are un-named or seedling Epiphyllums and they bloom daily for a couple weeks or more in spring. My white one is Epiphyllum oxypetalum....common name = Night Blooming Cereus, blooms open about 10 p.m. and close with morning, it is budding up now, so in my area it's a late summer bloomer. My rick rack blooms in November. That's the mix up, common vs. botanical.
Sorry about that, K. :~)
Thanks for the clarification Kachin...its all so exciting! ;)
Sylvia
My Night Blooming Cereus has the same type of leaves as yours Sylvia, but the flowers are different. That's the beauty of gardening for a hobby, you never run out of material to learn! A lifetime isn't even long enough to learn part of it. The Plant Kingdom, pretty impressive.
K
Ah, Kachina..........I'll have to name the first bloomer after you! =) I'll be patient.......I'll have to admit, I AM excited at all of the new growth after following recommendations to feed fish emulsion......it's incredible! Just that is pretty cool. =D
BUT, I really, really would super love it if someone would post a bloom bud pic? Just to give a preview? Please!
=) MKJ
Hey guys,
Check this out ... saw it in the plant files! Isnt it awsome!!!
http://davesgarden.com/forums/fp.php?pid=1722423
Sylvia
Ok, my Epi oxy is just beginning to bud. I will take pics and show you how they look when small. I'll post them Monday when I get home from work. Generally MKJ, they start in the little indentations on the leaves. You'll see when I post my pic unless someone else beats me to it.
K
Oh I just envy you guys. I am just getting my plants started again. The plant that I am trading is from the plant I gave my girlfriend almost ten years ago. ie the pic above! LOL I got about five or six little pieces started... which I need to pot up. I have really taken this plant for granted and I have been growing it for the last fifteen or twenty years. Due to its rapid growth, I was always trying to find a place for it, giving it to friends or just leaving it outside and thats how I lost them. Being with you guys is an entire different adventure! I have learned so much here and I get to share your excitement and the beauty of your plants. About ten years ago I came across a article in Country Living gardener and realized what I had and that the darn plant bloomed at night ... then I remembered the smell of the drooping dead flower I discovered in previous mornings. lol ...and now you guys tell me I can actually watch the plant develop the flowers ...its just too exciting ...since I never seen the plant in bloom before ...its going to be awsome...
I will probaly send for the Press!
LOL!
Sylvia
Sylvia -- Wait til you see what's comin your way. :)
Y'know, I still say these are the ugliest plants ever... AND that they are worth the wait for the blooms!
I'm with you Darius. Mine live on my front porch. No one steals them because they are so ugly. But oh, when they bloom! Now that my oak tree is getting bigger I hope (one year soon) to hang them in pots under the tree so we can enjoy them from inside the house.
K
Am I glad to hear you guys call this plant ugly! I use to give so much of it away and friends would ask me what were they suppose to do with this ugly plant. At that time I didnt know the ugly thing bloomed and those I did tell were not about to look for something blooming in the night. My friend had it on her patio... happen to catch it in bloom and has been excited about it ever since.
Anyway My five or six little cuttings has taken root and I got them potted. I think I will start a new thread tommorrow so you guys can follow their growth with me.
I HEAR YA SUE! What a challange! Luv ya girl!
Sylvia
Oh, I SO agree with you all! U-G-L-Y! My husband saw the basket the other day and asked, "WHAT is THAT ugly thing??" Ah well......
Here is a pic of my Cereaus startings I potted up this weekend. if they look small to you guys its because I cut one long leaf into two and three inch pieces and root them in water. It make them more manageable to start off and its also more exciting to watch them take off....on three of them you can see the new sprouts. one little tiny leaf I just laid it in the pot. I read where someone said they just stick theirs in to the soil ... I want to see if that works. I told my girlfriend I needed more to trade...she went ballistic and asked me what is she supposed to trade..after all she did join the group! LOL BTW are these leaves on these plants? its not your regular leaf....What do you call them?
Sylvia
Sylvia, I call them leaves!
ditto, darius........lol
I had a huge leaf break off when the rain and winds came thru in the katrina backlash
Its broken right in the middle
Can I root it?
You sure can...cut it in three inch pieces and you have more plants. :) I have a little leaf laying in the soil. Someone said they just stick it in the soil and it roots...gonna try it.
Sylvia
This message was edited Sep 5, 2005 11:13 PM
I never do anything BUT stick the broken pieces/cuttings into mix and water. In fact, my entire basket is just one big conglomeration of stuck-in pieces! And, it's getting huge.........
This message was edited Sep 6, 2005 8:37 AM
Michelle what kind of mix do you use?
Sylvia
I've had mine for a few years and it is now getting it's sixth set of flowers for this year. I have decided that they must be root bound and think they are are near death to form buds and bloom. I have mine in a large cache pot and we have had heavey rains that would fill up the whole thing with water and I'm sure "Ugly Momma" as I call her, thought she was a goner each time. Each time I poured the water off of her (a couple days late) she immediately set buds. Hear is a pic of her and one close up.Lou
