Epiphyllum: home care and breeding examples

Epiphyllum, or forest cactus, is a succulent plant native to the tropical zone, Mexico and Central America. The plant belongs to the Epiphytic cactus family, but differs from the usual cacti in the form of a bush with leaf-shaped stems.

Epiphyllum is a flower that easily takes root at home. Lovers of home plants, it pleases with abundant flowering 1-2 times a year. The stems of the plant are similar to yellow-green leaves with a serrated edge and spines at the edges.

Red flower

The color scheme is extensive, including shades: cream, pink, white, red, yellow, orange.

Anguliger

Epifillum variety Anguliger means "angular", its stems have a yellow-green color, branching abundantly at the base. It is distinguished by deep divisions that divide the stems into segments of rounded shape. Both in the wild and at home, the plant often forms aerial roots. Flowers reach 10-20 cm in length and 5-8 cm in width, have a white color, open in the evening and at night, have a pleasant aroma.

Ackerman

Ackerman's Epiphyllum is distinguished by its decorative effect, has a trihedral stem shape with teeth on the edges. At home, the size of the stem can reach 5 cm in width and 60 cm in length. The flower grows up to 15 cm in diameter, the epiphyllum has a red tint, can be painted white or yellow.

Ackerman variety

Oxypetalum

Epiphyllum cultivar Oxypetalum, or acutifolia - the most commonly cultivated species. His other name is Queen of the Night. Has a wavy stem edge without spikes, can reach 2-3 meters in height. The size of the flower in diameter reaches 17-19 cm, bloom at night, have a strong sweet aroma.

Guatemalan

Guatemalan Epiphyllum is a cactus that differs from other varieties in the structure of its stem. It either consists of links up to 5 cm long, the shape of which resembles an oak leaf, or has an arbitrary shape. The flowers are small, the epiphyllum has a pink hue.

Other

At home, cacti are grown of natural origin, there are about 20 varieties or hybrid species, of which there are about 200. Among indoor plants are often found:

• Epiphyllum cultivar Marniera. Has a wavy stem edge on which buds appear. Flowering begins at the end of winter, buds are painted in yellow, red, orange, white and pink;
• A variety called Lau, on its stems needles grow up to 5 mm in length. Cream-colored buds open in the evenings and bloom for up to 2 days, have a fragrant aroma;
• Epiphyllum Paul de Lonpre - a variety that has a small root system, you can choose a small pot for planting it;
• Cactus Just Pru is a hybrid variety that is propagated by cuttings. The bright pink color of the flower with a dark edge is the hallmark of this variety;
• Epiphyllum cultivars Phyllanthus can produce both single and multiple buds of a delicate pink hue with a yellow-white core;
• The jagged cactus epifillum is distinguished by a large number of shoots, its buds open in the dark.

Sort Lau

Plant care from the moment of planting is divided into the rooting period of the plant and the maintenance of the necessary growth conditions. For a cactus, the availability of sufficient lighting and maintaining the temperature within 20-25 ° C are important.

In the summer, the epiphyllum can be outdoors. After flowering, the flowerpot with the plant can be taken outside and dug in the ground, you should choose a place without strong drafts for this.

On open air

Cactus rooting

Initially, the plant is placed in a small pot, as it grows, it is transplanted into a larger vessel. In order for the cactus to take root and take root, it is important to follow all the rules of planting. It needs a substrate for cacti, drainage and a plant with roots. How to plant:

1. Place a drainage layer 4-5 cm thick at the bottom of the pot;
2. Pour 6-7 cm of substrate on top of the drainage and place the plant in the middle, spread the roots;
3. Fill the voids on the sides of the cactus with soil. You need to tap on the pot with your palm so that excess air comes out, and the earth crumpled.

Soil and fertilizing

Cacti need a neutral or slightly acidic environment, the soil must be loose to allow air exchange. Epiphyllums are planted in a special substrate for cacti, which is sold in the store. You can also make a suitable composition yourself, this requires:

• Fibrous soddy soil - 200 g;
• Sheet soil - 200 g.;
• Fine charcoal - 50 g;
• Coarse sand, preferably river - 50 g;
• Peat - 50 g.

In spring and summer, the plant is fed every 2 weeks with fertilizer for cacti. It is necessary to reduce the dosage indicated on the package by 2 times. After the buds are formed, a mixture of water and mullein in a ratio of 4: 1 is used for feeding. After the plant has flowered, you can alternate feeding with mullein and fertilizers until the end of summer.

Air humidity

For the content of epiphyllum, it is not necessary to maintain a certain air humidity. Additional humidification is required in the hot season, when the air temperature exceeds 25 ° C. To do this, you can spray the stems of the plant or wipe them with a damp cloth, if their shape allows. In the cold season, the amount of irrigation is reduced to 1 time per month or completely stopped.

Flower on a dark background

Watering

Despite the fact that the epiphyllum belongs to the Cactus family, it requires abundant watering. It is necessary to water it when the top layer of soil in a pot dries up, no more than 2-3 times during a month.

You can use only the settled water, without chlorine impurities, it should be at room temperature. The flower pot should stand on a pallet into which excess water will drain.

If the plant is in a cool place, in the autumn-winter period, watering can be suspended or reduced to 1 time per month. At the beginning of spring, watering is gradually resuming, one cannot abruptly return to the previous schedule, the amount of water is gradually increasing. You can start with 1 watering every 2-3 weeks.

Each variety of plants blooms differently, has its own time for flowering. Epiphyllum white and red can differ not only in color, but also in shape, smell and size of the flower. In order for the plant to bloom, the pot must stand on the windowsill on the east or west side. In the summer, the cactus can be outdoors, but direct sunlight should be avoided.

Flowers bloom in turn, each blooms from a few days to a week. Flowering begins in spring, usually in mid-April, but some species of phylloctactus bloom repeatedly in autumn.

Plentiful flowering

Reasons why it does not bloom

If a plant is improperly looked after, it may stop flowering. Non-compliance with temperature conditions, lack or excess of moisture affect the forest cactus. Why the epiphyllum has not bloomed for a long time:

• Excessively high air temperature during wintering;
• An excess of nitrogen in the planting ground;
• Insufficient watering in the hot season;
• Excessive watering in the winter;
• Lack of lighting;
• The presence of fungal diseases in the plant.

Ways to make bloom

A cactus can only bloom if it grows in a favorable environment. It makes no sense to make a plant bloom if it is in the wrong conditions. If there were no flowers long enough, the rules for caring for the plant were most likely violated.

How to make the epiphyllum begin to bloom:

• Check the amount of moisture. Humidity should not be increased, nor should the plant be in dry land;
• Provide sufficiently bright diffused lighting. If the flower is on the windowsill on the north side, and there is no possibility to place it in the west or east, it is necessary to move it as close to the window as possible;
• Introduce dressing if this has not been done for a long time;
• Check the composition of the fertilizer used for nitrogen. Fertilizers may interfere with flowering;
• Provide the plant with a dormant period, put it in a cool room during the winter;
• Trim the woody old shoots and stems;
• Remove shoots of a trihedral shape, flowers are rarely formed on them;
• In early spring, you can irrigate the cactus with warm water from a spray bottle. Many gardeners use this method to help the plant "wake up", soon thickenings appear on the stems - future buds;
• Check the stems of the plant for inclusions or growths. Perhaps the cactus is susceptible to fungus, which slows its growth and interferes with flowering.

Epiphyllum is characterized by propagation by cuttings and seeds, each method has advantages and disadvantages.

Potted cuttings

Seeds

Epiphyllum can be grown from seeds, which will require:

• Seeds
• Pot with low sides;
• Substrate for cacti and succulents;
• Glass or polyethylene;
• Drainage (pebbles, polystyrene);
• Shovel.

How to grow:

1. At the bottom of the pot in 1 layer drainage is laid out, 3-4 cm of substrate is poured over it. Everything is abundantly irrigated with water;
2. Seeds are spread evenly on top, they need to be sprinkled with a small amount of substrate. They should be deepened by 5-6 mm;
3. The pot is tightened with plastic wrap or covered with glass. It should stand in a well-lit place at a temperature of 20-25 ° C;
4. Every day, the crops must be aired by opening glass or film for 45-50 minutes. After 2-3 weeks, the protective layer is removed;
5. Sprouts can be transplanted into separate pots when they reach a size of 4-5 mm in length.

The substrate with seeds should always be wet, for this it is irrigated with water from a spray bottle. Over time, the stems acquire a flat shape, plants grown from seeds will bloom only after 5 years.

Cuttings

Cactus epiphyllum is propagated by cuttings from mid-April to early May, what should be done:

1. Cut off the end of any stem 5-10 cm long. If the width of the stem is more than 5 cm, it must be made already to the base. Its width should be within 3-5 cm;
2. The shank should dry at room temperature, for this it is placed on a blank sheet of paper and left for 1-2 days;
3. A drainage layer is laid at the bottom of the pot, the earth is falling asleep from above;
4. The shoot is planted in prepared wet soil to a depth of 5-7 mm. If it is unstable, you should tie the handle to a peg.

The first day after planting, the process is not watered, it should be in the shade. After 2-3 weeks, roots form, all this time the soil should be moist, without excess moisture. The cuttings are taken care of as an adult flower, after 1-2 years the epiphyllum will bloom.

Many plant lovers choose epiphyllum for their home, care at home for this plant does not require a lot of time and resources. It is called the "Cactus Orchid", the flowers of the epiphyllum have a different shape and size, different colors. If the cactus is properly looked after, every year it will delight with abundant flowering.