anyone know why my eppies are not blooming. i have over a hundred of them right now and with the exception of a few cuttings that are trying to bloom all my older plants dont seem to want to bloom. I used both cactus fertilizer and fish emulsion. Here it is april already and nothing happening yet. My older ones are between 1-4 years old. any ideas anyone?
Newbygardner, are those the ones in the small containers that are not blooming for you? I think maybe they just need some growth and maturity. From rooting a cutting, you should get growth the first year, a couple of buds the second year, and a show the third and subsequent years. Some say that they need a little bit of winter chill to bloom so that may affect blooming as well.
I would give them all bigger pots this year with well-draining soil and plenty of water and some more fertilizer. Cactus fertilizer may not be strong enough. I would use a balanced fertilizer at least once a month until fall. I use regular MiracleGro fertilizer on mine. I have lots of buds this year but no flowers yet. Normal blooming time is May to June for most hybrids.
Here is a picture from last May to give you some idea about how big my pots are. The pots are very big, but there are many rooted plants in there, making the containers heavy and rootbound. The plants and pots are even bigger this year.
Newbtygardner-I like your little greenhouse. What zone are you in and do you keep stuff in it all winter? How do you heat it?
Very nice collection of plants! Don't worry, they'll bloom and then they'll be beautiful!
