Epiphyllopsis

Origin: Brazil.

Description. An attractive flowering plant with abundantly branching drooping stems. The stems are green, consist of flat oblong-oval segments, with age they become woody and covered with brown bark at the base. The edges of the leaf segments bear areoles with small light spines. In late winter - early spring, funnel-shaped flowers appear at the ends of the shoots - white, pink or red, about 4 - 5 cm in diameter.

Height. Epiphyllopsis grows quickly, does not exceed 10 cm in height, and shoots grow up to 40 - 60 cm in length.

Care at home

Temperature conditions

It tolerates a wide range of temperatures, but for abundant flowering it is necessary to maintain a certain temperature regime. The cactus requires cool conditions at a temperature of 16 - 18 °C during the day and 7 - 13 °C at night. After the buds appear, the temperature is increased to 21 - 24 °C during the day and 16 - 21 °C at night.

Lighting

In late autumn and throughout the winter, keep in direct sunlight. In spring and summer, direct sunlight should only fall on the stems in the morning and evening hours.

Care

After flowering, the cactus enters a period of rest, which lasts about a month. During this time, place the pot in a cool place, reduce watering and stop fertilizing until new shoots appear in the spring. As soon as buds begin to form, the epiphyllopsis is kept in the same conditions. Changing the lighting and temperature, moving to a new place will lead to the shedding of buds. This species is a short-day plant. For flowering, daylight should be 8-10 hours. Long daylight causes abundant growth of green mass.

Substrate

Well-drained soil consisting of pine bark, coarse river sand or perlite. Epiphyllopsis requires more nutritious soil than most cacti. The substrate should have a slightly acidic pH.

Feeding

Feed every 2 weeks with liquid fertilizer at half concentration. Do not feed during the dormant period. Fertilizers with increased magnesium content are suitable.

Flowering time

February - March. If the plant is kept in a cool room with a temperature of about 20 ° C - flowering will continue for about 2 months. Flowering can be very abundant with good care.

Air humidity

Moderate - about 50 - 60%. Place the pot on a tray with wet pebbles or use a room humidifier. The cactus does not like drafts, keep it away from heating devices.

Soil moisture

Keep the soil evenly moist but not soggy during the active growth period. After flowering, reduce the frequency of watering until new growth appears in the spring. During the flowering period, the soil should dry out between waterings.

Transplantation

Transplantation is carried out in spring, after flowering, once every 2-3 years. The plant prefers to be slightly constrained by the pot. Do not transplant flowering specimens.

Reproduction

Epiphyllopsis is propagated by stem cuttings in early summer. The cut site is dried for 3-4 days. The cuttings are rooted in wet peat with sand, deepening them to a depth of about 2-3 cm. Young seedlings are covered with a polyethylene cap or glass to maintain humidity. Rooting lasts 3-8 weeks.

Pests and diseases

Shriveled, limp stems are a sign of overdrying of the soil. Abundance of light during flowering will make the plant turn yellow, in addition, the cactus will not bloom next season. Buds fall off when the conditions of maintenance change. Flowering does not occur due to too long daylight hours - more than 14 hours. Root rot with over-watering and stagnant water. Always remove excess water from the tray.

Red spider mites, mealybugs, thrips and aphids sometimes appear.

Note

Has been successfully grown indoors for many years.