Here is a picture of my Night Blooming Cereus. Summer 07, it bloomed several times, with 4 or 5 buds at a time. This summer, I've only had 2 buds. I do think it needs a new pot.
Broken off Section-How to root?
And the Easter Cactus... it actually blooms around Mother's Day.
All these gorgeous blooms are gonna send me on another buying spree LOL!
Me too!!!!!! LOL I need to find a place to bet Easter Cactus.
Sandy the epi nut.
wren,
Look for them around Easter (dah...) in the Big Box stores. That's where I got mine...
This was in 2007. I have, since, lost it. I think it rotted out...but I saved 2 small portions of it and they are doing well. Don't know how long I will have to wait for them to bloom....
Did not see any around here. I have only seen one at a food store and the price was out of my price range at the time.
I haven't seen it at HD either the last 2 years......Maybe some large Nurseries?
Last three years was not able to go the rounds of the nurseries. Was helping take care of my DF. Will do the rounds this year. But most of the local nurseries are short on the cactus
GEese wizz....I just stated what I think I have learned and I ask no one to agree with me. I suggested if anyone was really interested in facts not hear say they should Google up some data to further their interest in any plant's growing pattern. The facts I stated are my facts based on information gleaned from professional growers. I expect but do not really think the growers web site would dare contain much if any variation from the known truths.
Guess we are getting into the short jittery days of winter when all manor of mankind seems to be more difficult to understand. I just noticed my neighbor's dog barking at the wind or his own shadow. Fortunately we come out of the winter with nicer "everythings" as the days grow longer.
Excuses me did I miss something. Docgipe I did not notice anyone strongely disagreeing with you.
We each have our own opinions. And what works for one of us in our part of the country may not work for others. I personally read as many sources as I can find and I find that there is even disagreement among the experts . Right now I am not really into Easter cactus. But lets all stay calm and respect each others opinions.
Sandy the epi nut
If you would like Holiday Cactus to boom from Thanksgiving through Easter there are now three specific types that should be the basis of your display. The following is a good clearing of the air on this subject.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CFREC-A Foliage Plant Research Note RH-91-20
R.T. Poole, L.S. Osborne and A.R. Chase University of Florida, IFAS Central Florida Research and Education Center - Apopka 2807 Binion Road., Apopka, FL 32703-8504
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HOLIDAY CACTUS
There is much confusion about the nomenclature of Holiday cacti, a popular seasonal plant native to Brazil. Many commercial growers now call the Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter cacti, Holiday cacti. The scientific as well as common names have also changed throughout the years. Currently, the Christmas cactus is identified as Schlumbergera bridgesii (Lem.) Lofgr., the Thanksgiving cactus, Schlumbergera truncata (Haw.) Moran, and the Easter cactus, Rhipsalidopsis gaertneri (Regel) Moran.
Christmas cacti have cladophylls, or joints, with 2 to 3 rounded teeth on margins, an ovary that is 4 to 5 angled, and purple anthers. Margins of the cladophylls of Thanksgiving cacti are 2 to 4 serrated, the ovary is cylindrical and anthers yellow. Grown under normal daylength, Thanksgiving cacti normally bloom near Thanksgiving, approximately a month before Christmas cacti. However, by manipulating daylength, growers can bring both species into bloom for the Christmas season. Easter cacti have cladophylls with crenate margins and bristles at the apex. Flowers have angled ovaries and spreading stigma lobes. They bloom primarily in the spring and sporadically throughout the year.
Holiday cacti are available in a range of flower colors including white, yellow, orange, pink, red, lavender and a few bicolors. Other characteristics which differ among cultivars are density of branching, stem texture shape of cladophylls, shape of flowers and time of bloom. Although flower color is the primary criterion which consumers evaluate when purchasing Holiday cacti, producers must evaluate performance, particularly the ability of specific cultivars to bloom in time for holiday sales. (unquote)
Since these plants are all relatively fool proof for anyone to probigate, feed and grow an endless supply is commonly available from growers and friends who trade cuttings and started plants. To achieve success one need only to hit an average of suggested management of the probigation and growing suggestions easily found on the net.
Also on the same search one can find commerical rooted cuttings for about five dollars per plug plus shipping. I ordered two of each type in all colors ranging from white to pink to go with the very common reds I allready had. The Thanksgiving types are now blooming. The Christmas types are showing small buds while the Easter types show no bud development presently in the middle of November.
I manage them all the same with the same light and potting mediums. Since they grow in nature on rainwater, high humidity and minimum amounts of all organic growing medium I use very weak fish oil and kelp fertilizers.........using just enough to tint the watering water. I would guess the strength to be about one tenth the label suggested use of the fertilizer. To look at the mix it would be likely called scant tea. I repot every three or four years to maintain great growing conditions. They like to be pot bound and need very little water.
This pix is of the Thanksgiving type. The first white showing this year on November 15th.
Thank you. For the info. Done to much damage (to may bangs on the old head)I have problems reading through all the long stuff.
Mine are starting to bud up now. I hung them all summer where they get a lot of light in the afternoon.
Fertilizer them only twice with the same 10-10-10 that my epis get. Last month I moved them into a very shaddy area. And bong they started to produced buds. this is the first blooming for mine as I only get them last year.
I just bought 2 bi-color ones. Have from last year 2 different reds, hot pink, light pink, salmon, yellow, orange and white. Looking for a lavender.
Sandy the epi nut
I do have a "Holiday" Christmas cactus that is of a totally different type than those sold now. The person who gave it to me get if form some one else. I will have to get a picture after it warms up.
Docgipe, that's a beautiful bloom. The white with a blush of pink has been one of my very favorites for many years. Please, please don't take offense from someone disagreeing in a friendly way with what you said about bloom triggers. I did try to say it very nicely and I did mean the smiley face I included. :^)
Your quote from the U of F was nice, but did not at all address bloom triggers in Rhipsalidopsis, and only vaguely alluded to it in Schlumbergera. It looks like the gentlemen who wrote that article don't know how to bring an Easter cactus into bloom any time of the year, but the recipe up above shows how to do just that. :^) :^)
- Tom
The article from which I only showed a clip out of, the three specifically different plants commonly called the Holiday or Christmas cactus went on to say specifically how to trigger all of this type based on light availble, light hours and house temperature to both hurry them up and slow them down as related to market growers having to have bloom for the market. The commercial market is the Holliday market for greatest sales. That is his object and the desire of most who purchase them.
There are three or four such articles all with common practices and management. None however aluded to the fact that mimicing the natural food and water sources where they grow involves allmost no fertilization and very little water. This is possibility due to the fact that commercial growers push the plants into the shortest grow to the bloom for retail markets. The public will not buy if they are not blooming.
There is still another cactus called commonly Christmas Cactus that looks similar but is entirely a different plant found in the American West and Mexico also dating perhaps even older than our latest parentage known facts of the three mentioned in the article. These were and remain pass me down plants from generation to generation without change from their original genetics. Most if not all of todays hybreds are from genetics found in Brazil. These have been crossed from seed and modern growing practices. I have seen no evidence that any practice above seed crossing and cuttings has transpired as of this date. The big box stores sell Holiday Cactus by the gazillions therefore major plant sources from cuttings is the common practice to fill the commercial need. The color red is the best seller and is why the others often are not even offered.
The only difference in growing performance would relate to where they are being grown which relates to light, amount of light, length of day and house or greenhouse temperature method of feeding and water management. The light zone best suited for normal management in the Northeast is about twenty inches into the room away from a Southeast facing window. Room temperature 66 degrees to 70 degrees is about right. Nothing else need be done unless you have a very dry house requiring humidification.
This light placement is precisely what violets and orchids like too.
I think I was given one of the antique "christms" cactus. It dose not have the points on the leave segments. Just round paddle shape leaves. All my plants are under plastic right now so I can not take a picture. I wander with one it is. Do you know where I can find a picture leave of the different types. (I know less about the computer that a 3 year old!!!!)
Bet you do have one of the older ones. All of the newer ones are derived from a single family type in Brazil. I may have seen the older variety but did not at that time realize it was different.
I wish I had gotten cuttings from my DGM she grow them for years. Plan old garden dirt and a little manure tea. Bloomed their little hearts out.
wren,
I have this link saved in my Favorites under gardening.
It is information on ALL Holiday Plants--has a lot of links you can click on and read up on. Might have some pictures in it too???
Gita
http://www.rochestergardening.com/spotlight/a/sl981119.html#CC
Page No Longer Available on Christmas cactus.
Trouble--
Only one of the links under X-mas cactus was not available--the first one. Did you try the others? They all worked for me!
Thanks but it did not help. The one I have has smooth edges not a tooth edge.
When it warms up and I can unwrap everything (I have two layers of plastic) I will take a picture. In a way it looks like a very small and skinny version of the easter cactus cutting I get not long ago .
I have found 2 new items for rooting cuttings. I am going to try them when it warms up. the first is a gel.
The other is the rocks that hold water, that there was talk about in another threat.
I've read about the gel on a thread, but no one has tried them. I'm curious to know how well it works.
As soon as the temp got back to normal I am going to try it. I have a couple of broken pieces that I will try with. And will also try with a couple of CC cuttings. The info says that it is for soft cuttings.
The rocks are said to keep a plant safe from root rot. We will see.
Wren, Let me know how they work for you. I am always looking for ideas.
I used that brug recipe diluted to 1/2 strength to water in some things I am trying to root now and I was amazed at how much they had perked up. They came in the mail and had spent at least 5 days wrapped and boxed before I got to them. I even mixed some in with my rooting water. So far so good.
great, I will need to get off my duff and mix some up.
I used the powdered stuff. The gel looks interesting. Yes, let us know if it works. 90% of the ones I am rooting are already rooted now. It only took between 2-3 wks. Hopefully it gets warm again soon and maybe the rest will root faster.
As soon as it warms up and I can unwrap the plant stands. I do know that I have at least two broken off pieces. At least with these two mediums there is not a chance to over water.
"The one I have has smooth edges not a tooth edge."---Wrenn
Wren: This is very likely a Easter Cactus if the segments are rounded with no horns on the ends of the segments. bob
The person who gave it to me said it bloomed around Christmas time. The segments are lot smaller than those on my Easter cactus. I will be able to get pictures probable tomorrow.
Segment size is unimportant in that their are many, many variations in the Easter Cactus. Looking much more like Epies, you'll find varying size of bloom and bloom characteristic. I had a beautiful one that was orange and bloomed with a starburst design. Some are miniature. bob
but what about it blooming around Christmas time?
I could not wait. I broke of a piece of each of my two new CC that I have in the house and stuck them in one of the containers of gel. Nice thing is the gel is clear so I can see what is happing. One I stock just the end in and the other I stuck down till the second join was under.
Sandy the impassioned epi njut
orchidman,
I am positive that the picture you posted above is the common Thanksgiving cactus..
Or---did you just post it for the fun of it?
Like--the other picture you posted, of an Orchid, but in the post you were talking about Epis. VERY confusing........
The Easter cactus (aka Star Cactus) is totally different. See my above post on Nov. 15th.
I posted a picture of the Easter cactus.
Gita
He was talking at me. I have cutting of something I was told was a CC but the segments are smooth but much smaller than my Easter cactus.
Sandy