I need expert advice on an old neglected epi!

I got my epi back from my sis (got it in 1989). It has really been neglected. Kept in the kitchen and unevenly watered not sure when it was repotted if ever in the last five years. It is pale and the branches are a mess of holes and splits. There are one or two that aren't that bad. It has alot of longgggggg rooty thin branches (advantagous roots?) more than the flat ones some four feet long. If this was given to you how would you go about fixing it up and improving it's life? I have read up on the care and soil so I don't really need that advice, just how to reclaim the plant itself or trim it etc. Thanks! I feel so bad for the poor thing, but what a will to live! All the pictures I have seen of epis aren't a tangle of these long skinny rooty branches. I think the poor thing was trying to make a run for it!

Hello Lavender, Take it from one who has just revitalised epis that would have made yours look like a prizewinner.
Cut it.
Don't be afraid to cut off what you don't want including those long unsightly bits. I had some growing into each other and making new plants where they got into other pots. I simply cut them right back to a near shape and let them get on with what they do best. Grow.
They do like plenty of light but not direct , hot sun. If you want flowers next season, you could leave a couple of mature branches as I did, then trim them off after flowering . I have been spraying mine with the recipe from Brugmansia forum. Also mist on hot days.
I'm only learning as i go myself and am no expert but what I have done so far has worked well.
Good luck.

ps....Plant the bits you cut off don't throw them away. Lots more plants then.
Pic of some of mine when I bought them What a mess..

wow they certainly looked neglected too! Thanks for the advice. When I cut it back, how long will it take to make new blooming branches? I felt so bad for the poor thing it looks like those huge long rooty branches were trying to drag itself to safety!

Oh I have another question/comment too! Do I need to root prune this when I drastically cut it back when the weather warms? Also I will have several cuttings available if anyone wants to try growing this one. When it was given to me in 1989, the epi lover who gifted it told me the variety name was Hawaiian Belle. I would be more than willing to trade some cuttings of it for something else if anyone is game to try it.

Hello again lavender. Glad to help, after all isn't that why we all come to DG.
Not knowing your climate, I can't say about the growth for sure. I can tell you that when I cut mine back it was a case of doing it while I could no matter the season. Our climate here is probably mild compared to what you have in US. I cut mine in our August / September, which is late winter / early spring. They didn't do much until the warmer weather around our November / December, ( mid summer ) when they went mad. Yours should make new growth as soon as weather is warm. You would be in spring now I think, so it's a good time to do this. Just use your eyes and cut off what doesn't look good. The plant will thank you.
I cut off a lot of the old roots and some poor things that had fallen out of pots long before I got them had very few roots. Some of mine were over 6 feet long where they had clawed their way towards light and one had sent roots down and made new plants in 3 other pots. . I threw a lot of the rubbish cut off, down the back and I have found bits just laying on the ground that are sending up new shoots. They are survivors and being epiphytes certainly helps them.
I hope to see a pic of your lovely epi after it regrows. I have posted this pic on the forum before but here are some of mine just 2 weeks ago. and another 'before' picture.
Pity I live way over here and can't import plants or we could trade.

Before

wow what a difference! I see some of those long rooty branches on your before picture. I never knew an epi had those in any groomed picture I had seen of them. Amazing the change on your epis.

Hello again lavender. You should see them now even just a few weeks later. I had to build an extension onto the shade house we built for them so I now have a shadehouse about 30 feet long full of epis.
There were upteen zygos, rhipsalis, aporos and rhipsalidopsis in with the epis so I had to give them houses of their own. . It's all great fun as I make the plants buy their own timber etc by selling at markets and on eBay.
I hope you are able to get more. I can tell you are going to be another epiholic.
Our plants are real not groomed show ponies.
Pic is one of my flowers from last year.
Good luck .

Lavender, I've never really done a trade before, but Id be interested in a cutting. What were you looking for? I have a bunch of different Rhipsalis, and a few epi's. Im not really sure of the names of my epis. I think one was called black light. For some reason flamingo or something is popping in my head too, but I cant be positive offhand. None of my plants are very large yet, so I dont think Im willing to do any large cuttings, but maybe more then one small cutting of my rhipsalis or something?

Sounds great dmail me your address and as soon as I give my plant it's big haircut I will send you some cuttings! That will be probably end of April when it is warm enough to go outside.