Author Topic: Epi Time! (Read 3592 times)

miguynmkoi · « **on:** April 20, 2011, 11:55:49 AM »

Last week only little buds were showing on my epiphyllums. This always happens when I'm out of the garden, maybe it's their way of saying "leave me alone!" I'm welcomed home with a beautiful display of red flowers! Nice.

How are the cousins doing?!

water_sprite · « **Reply #1 on:** April 20, 2011, 12:38:28 PM »

Beautiful.....I love Epis, even if they don't love me! :'(

Kittyzee · « **Reply #2 on:** April 20, 2011, 04:31:24 PM »

Oh wow, those are gorgeous Annette!! I'll try and get some pics of mine--they have grown leaps and bounds and have bunches of new shoots. I am thinking of repotting them into baskets now that the leaves are getting so long. I haven't noticed any buds yet, but I don't know when they will do that. It's still been pretty cool here and I can't really put them outside. It's just like a wind tunnel here. I am proud of them, I will post pics soon!

Indiana Karen · « **Reply #3 on:** April 20, 2011, 04:37:25 PM »

Wow those are gorgeous.

I'm not familiar with them, not even sure I have ever seen one.....................I lead a sheltered life.

SueSTx · « **Reply #4 on:** April 20, 2011, 05:45:31 PM »

Pretty

miguynmkoi · « **Reply #5 on:** April 20, 2011, 08:17:26 PM »

Thanks! These are very easy to care for plants. Mine stay outdoors year-round, mostly in the shade, in small pots with well draining soil. I fertilize once in the spring and water only when it's hot/dry.

LuAnn I'm thinking that yours should be blooming this year when the weather warms up. I can't remember if I sent these red flowering epi's or another color to you. The red ones always come first in my garden.

Kat · « **Reply #6 on:** April 21, 2011, 04:41:57 AM »

Beautiful blooms

Kittyzee · « **Reply #7 on:** April 21, 2011, 12:33:29 PM »

Annette, you sent me the red ones and the magenta ones. Should I repot them or do they like to be crowded and maybe I should wait?

miguynmkoi · « **Reply #8 on:** April 21, 2011, 02:04:17 PM »

LuAnn, I'd leave them alone until they've bloomed or past Spring before repotting.

Kittyzee · « **Reply #9 on:** April 21, 2011, 07:32:24 PM »

Ok, I'll wait. Thanks for the tip. That's one less thing for me to do soon...

I'll just keep nurturing them. The red one is a faster grower than the magenta one, but they are both doing very well!

Mikey · « **Reply #10 on:** April 22, 2011, 11:01:24 PM »

Jerry · « **Reply #11 on:** April 22, 2011, 11:55:42 PM »

this was last year, No blooms yet.

miguynmkoi · « **Reply #12 on:** May 24, 2011, 12:59:34 PM »

These guys are blooming all over now.

SueSTx · « **Reply #13 on:** May 24, 2011, 01:43:49 PM »

I love that color

Kittyzee · « **Reply #14 on:** May 24, 2011, 03:06:16 PM »

Mine are growing like crazy, maybe not warm enough here to bloom... plus it's raining all the time!!!!!

miguynmkoi · « **Reply #15 on:** May 24, 2011, 08:20:57 PM »

The color is pretty close to the lily in your icon, Sue.

Worry ye not, LuAnn. If your epi doesn't bloom this year with all the growth you can probably bet on a very colorful mass next year.

Jerry · « **Reply #16 on:** May 25, 2011, 06:49:00 PM »

Took this today!

LynneNY · « **Reply #17 on:** May 26, 2011, 06:59:34 AM »

GORGEOUS!!!

miguynmkoi · « **Reply #18 on:** May 26, 2011, 02:47:06 PM »

I love the two tone colors! Beautiful, Jerry!

Kittyzee · « **Reply #19 on:** May 26, 2011, 05:52:24 PM »

Both of you have stunning blooms! I can't wait for mine to do that!

LynneNY · « **Reply #20 on:** May 27, 2011, 06:28:51 AM »

How old do these plants need to be before they flower? A friend from Texas sent me a piece of her Cereus 2 years ago. They were barely limping along, til I fed them with some Superthrive last month, and now they are finally putting out some new growth - slowly.

What should I be doing for these plants?

miguynmkoi · « **Reply #21 on:** May 27, 2011, 05:21:18 PM »

They need lots of heat with some humidity when it gets real hot. But no direct hot afternoon sun. Feed with a balanced fertilizer for best results. I use mostly regular all purpose plant food because I'm lazy.

My young cuttings are growing slower this year because of our unseasonal cool weather. I do notice that when we do have a few warmer days they seem to fatten up. Grow babies, grow! I'm usually good about getting them to flower after the second year. The pros can get them to grow flowers the next year.

Forgot to say keep them in small containers for a few years before moving them into the next size. Maybe crowding the roots make them flower more?

magoo · « **Reply #22 on:** June 08, 2011, 11:26:09 PM »

Is begging for cuttings allowed here? After a green house failure in the '10 winter, I lost all my epi's (15-20) and similar plants except E. oxypetlum and E. strictum. A E. strictum with 20 flowers open is an impressive site. Thanks for the beautiful photos.

miguynmkoi · « **Reply #23 on:** June 09, 2011, 09:41:27 AM »

Does it get very cold in the winter where you live, Magoo? My epi stay outdoors year round. It's the heat in the summer that get them unhappy here. They also get shade all day except for a few of my baskets get the late afternoon setting sun.

I bought a few new colors the past couple of years and hope most of them will bloom next year on this years big growth. It's the waiting that is hard to bear.

PM me Magoo.

frogman3 · « **Reply #24 on:** June 14, 2011, 12:12:40 PM »

Wow those are jaw dropping beautiful folks. I showed my daughter your Epi photos and she decided I should have some for Fathers day. Received Alchemy, Phesant and Indochine in the mail this week.

miguynmkoi · « **Reply #25 on:** June 15, 2011, 12:20:55 PM »

Fantastic! Lucky you. When yours flowers we expect nothing but photos! I don't know epi names but they sure pretty.

Jerry · « **Reply #26 on:** June 15, 2011, 02:56:03 PM »

They are from the tropics. Natural habitat is in the crotches of trees, plenty of dappled shade.

frogman3 · « **Reply #27 on:** June 16, 2011, 08:58:51 AM »

Interesting Jerry if that's the case then they must be able to flourish with little to no soil but high humidity.

Jerry · « **Reply #28 on:** June 16, 2011, 09:06:24 AM »

I don't recall where I read it, but I remember that debris collected in the tree crotches too.
So they do have a growing medium