Epiphyllum

Family. Cactaceae.

Origin. Central and South America. 

Description: Epiphyllum is a small genus consisting of several epiphytic, less commonly lithophytic cacti.

Characterized by numerous, drooping, flat, green stems.  Stems can be segmented or like long ribbons.

Large teeth are sometimes located along the edges of the stems, in which there are rare areoles with short spines. With age, the stems become woody, become round in cross-section and are covered with brown bark at the base.

Flowers are very bright, large, appear at the ends of shoots - white, pink, lilac, orange, yellow or red. Buds reach 15 cm in diameter. During the flowering period, cacti often fill the room with a wonderful aroma.

The plants are closely related to phyllocactus and easily form hybrid specimens with them.

Height. The shoots can reach 1-3 m in length.

Care at home

When it blooms 

It flowers in late spring or early summer, although individual buds may appear on larger specimens at any other time of year.

Each areole produces only one flower, which remains open and attractive for 5 days.

Most often, buds appear on flat shoots - leaves. With proper care and suitable conditions, repeated flowering may occur during the season.

Growing, pruning 

This species is unpretentious and is content with modest feeding and rare watering. Provide it with enough space for development and periodically shorten too long shoots.

Adult cacti should be periodically thinned out, removing old and diseased shoots. Since flowers are formed on flat young branches, triangular adult stems can be removed without regret.

For pruning, you can use pruning shears with a sharp blade, and sprinkle the cut areas with charcoal powder.

Do not move the pot during the budding and flowering period - cacti can shed flowers.

In late spring and summer, take the flower outside. Do not leave the pot outside for a day at once - harden the cacti gradually, leaving them for only a few hours during the day. Make sure that the plants are protected from strong gusts of wind and rain. Place the pots in the shade from direct sunlight.

During the dormant period, which lasts from October to March, the epiphyllum does not grow and this is quite normal - new shoots will form in the spring and summer. In some cases, young shoots begin to form already at the end of winter - in February.

If desired, you can use it for vertical gardening - for this you should provide support for long stems or plant it in a hanging pot and use it as an ampelous flower, the long stems of which will hang in a beautiful cascade along the edges of the pot.

Reproduction

It is quite easy to propagate by stem or apical cuttings about 15 cm long, rooted in wet peat with sand. For cuttings, do not take rounded lignified or triangular shoots - use only flat, young branches.

The base of the cutting is cut so that it forms an obtuse angle. The cut site is dried to avoid rotting for 2-3 days in the open air. 

1. For rooting, use small pots up to 7 cm in diameter, filled with nutritious soil based on peat and river sand.
2. Sprinkle the soil with river sand on top - its layer should be about 2 cm thick. The sand will help remove excess moisture from the plants and they will not rot.
3. The cuttings are immersed in the substrate to a depth of 1 - 1.5 cm at a slight angle.
4. Young seedlings are placed in a warm, shaded place, protected from sunlight.
5. You should not water the cuttings immediately - the first watering is done 2 - 4 days after planting.

The successful completion of the rooting process will be indicated by the appearance of young shoots. 

Rooting of cuttings can also be done above water - make sure that the bases of the cuttings do not come into direct contact with moisture, but are in close proximity to its surface.

For such rooting, a glass of water is covered with a piece of cardboard in which a small slit is made. The cutting is inserted into the slit so that its base is a few millimeters above the surface of the water.

When roots up to 1–2 cm long appear at the base, the cutting is ready for planting in the substrate.

For some time, such cacti will not show any signs of new growth - but below the soil surface, their roots will be exploring new space.

Epphyllum also reproduces by seeds, sown in spring in a very loose and porous substrate.

1. Before sowing, the seeds are soaked for several hours in water at room temperature with the addition of growth hormones.
2. For planting, prepare a container with drainage holes and a plastic lid.
3. A small drainage layer is placed on the bottom of the container - for example, fine expanded clay.
4. Fill the container with very loose and well-drained soil based on peat and river sand with the addition of a small amount of leaf humus or turf soil.
5.  The planting material is spread over the surface of the substrate.
6. The seeds are covered with a very thin layer of sand on top or simply lightly pressed into the surface of the soil with your fingertips.
7. The crops are covered with transparent plastic or glass to create a greenhouse effect.
8. The crops are occasionally moistened with water at room temperature from a spray bottle.
9. The seedlings are regularly aired by lifting the lid for a few minutes a day and removing the accumulated condensate. The airing time is gradually increased daily.
10. For successful germination, the container is placed in a warm (20 - 25° C) and well-lit place without exposure to direct sunlight.

The first shoots appear within 2-3 weeks after sowing - at this time it is better to completely remove the covering from them. 

The first picking is done when the sprouts are about 2 months old - they are planted in separate small pots, trying to disturb the young, fragile roots as little as possible.  

Specimens obtained from seeds develop slowly and at first do not resemble their adult copies.

Young seedlings have thick, juicy, branched, rounded in cross-section shoots, covered with white, straight, thin needles. Over time, the thorns die off, and the shoots become increasingly flat - at the age of 3 - 4 months.

Epiphyllums are distinguished by early flowering periods - if the basic rules of agricultural technology are observed, the first buds will adorn cacti grown from seeds already in the fourth or fifth year of life.

Adult plants can be divided when replanting. Make sure that each bush obtained as a result of division has its own root system and above-ground green part.

If a wound surface is formed during division, it must be sprinkled with crushed charcoal - this will dry and disinfect the wound.

The cuttings are planted in separate pots and left for 3-5 days without watering in a bright place without direct sunlight.

The first buds on such cacti will appear next year.

It reproduces well by air layering.

Aerial roots appear on long stems with good air humidity. Such shoots are pinned to the surface of the ground and dug into a small pot, which is placed next to the container with the mother plant. The upper part of the shoot should remain above the soil surface.

Within a month, new young stems may appear at the site of the digging. They are finally separated from the mother bush a couple of months after the appearance of new growth.

Transplantation 

Epiphyllum is replanted when it is necessary to change the soil or if the pot becomes too small for the plant. The flower does not like frequent replanting and suffers for a long time after the integrity of the earthen lump is violated and the root system is damaged.

Transplantation is carried out in the spring - young specimens are planted in slightly larger pots every year, and adults are replanted every 2-3 years. The need for another transplant will be indicated by the tips of the roots appearing in the drainage holes of the pot.

The most suitable time for transplantation is considered to be the moment from the appearance of the first signs of new growth to the formation of flower buds.

If the cactus has flowers and buds, you should wait until flowering ends and only then replant the plant.

1. To plant a cactus, you can use shallow pots with large drainage holes. 
2. A drainage layer in the form of expanded clay, broken bricks, clay shards or river pebbles is placed at the bottom of the pots.
3. A small layer of soil mixture is poured onto the drainage layer. 
4. The cactus, together with the lump of soil, is transferred to a new pot and placed at the same depth at which it was previously located.
5. Along the perimeter, the space between the walls of the pot and the soil lump is filled with fresh soil mixture and tamped with your fingertips to remove air pockets. 

This type of movement is called transshipment - during transshipment the root system is not damaged and the cacti adapt more quickly and begin to grow. 

After replanting, the pots are placed in a place shaded from the scorching rays of the sun for 7-10 days, and watering is stopped for 5-6 days. During this time, the root system will get used to the new conditions of existence, and the cactus will heal all damage.

There is no need to rush with the application of fertilizers - the fresh substrate contains a sufficient amount of nutrients, which will be enough for the bushes to develop during the first month after transplantation.

If there are even minor signs of decay, the epiphyllum is replanted with a complete replacement of the soil. When replanting, the root system is carefully shaken off and carefully examined. If rotten areas of the roots are found, they are cut off to healthy tissue with a sharp and sterile knife.

If the soil ball is too wet, the roots are additionally blotted with a paper towel and left to dry for several hours in the open air.

Cacti affected by rot are planted only in fresh soil, since pathogens may have remained in the old soil.

You should not plant in too large pots - the plants develop relatively slowly and will occupy the pot space for a long time. The soil, not used by the roots, will accumulate excess moisture and during this time will turn sour, and the roots will rot.

Soil 

Unlike most cacti, it requires fairly nutritious, porous soil with a high organic content and an acidic pH in the range from 5.0 to 6.0.

To prepare the mixture, you can use a substrate for succulents and cacti, to which you add leaf humus and turf soil, which will enrich the soil with nutrients and make it loose. 

For additional nutrition and as a loosening agent, a small amount of charcoal is mixed into the soil. And of course, the soil must have excellent drainage - for this, coarse-grained river sand, perlite or vermiculite are mixed into the soil. 

The older the plants, the more acidic the pH should be and the substrate should contain more and more peat.

Diseases and pests 

• Cacti rot when there is stagnant water, especially in autumn and winter.
• Moving to another location after bud formation and during flowering will cause the epiphyllum to shed buds and flowers.
• Among viral diseases, plants may be susceptible to mosaic - cacti affected by this virus cannot be treated and are destroyed.
• Fungal diseases on the flower include fusarium, rust, and anthracnose. Fungal diseases appear when there is insufficient ventilation and when the plant is kept in a room that is too cold and damp - for example, black rot appears. 
• With an excess of nitrogen in the substrate, plants abundantly grow green mass, but rarely form buds.
• The leaf shoots may become too fleshy and juicy and then burst if you feed the cactus with nitrogen fertilizers.
• Epiphyllum does not bloom if there is not enough light or if there is no cool and dry dormant period.
• Shoots can get burned by direct sunlight if there are droplets of moisture on the surface after watering.
• Chlorosis in the form of yellow spots on the surface of the stems appears in the case of watering with unsettled tap water containing traces of chlorine. 

Insect pests sometimes include mealybugs, spider mites, aphids, and scale insects. In the summer months, when cacti are taken outside, they can become a favorite of slugs and snails. 

Watering 

Water regularly during the warm season. Epiphyllum comes from forested areas and, unlike most cacti, requires a significant amount of moisture.

In spring and summer, the soil should dry out to a depth of 2-3 cm between waterings. In winter, if kept in a cool place, reduce watering to a minimum. Just try not to overdry the soil at this time. The need for watering in the cold season can be judged by small wrinkles that may appear on the surface of the leaves.

Watering is resumed gradually in the spring, as soon as the first signs of new growth appear.

For watering, it is advisable to use soft bottled water at room temperature; you can also water with softened filtered or simply well-settled tap water.

Feeding

Feed monthly during warmer months with cactus and succulent fertilizer at half strength.

Some species grow throughout the year, depending on temperature conditions, in which case they need to be fed in winter as well. 

If a cool dormant period is observed in the fall, the frequency of fertilizing is reduced.

Mineral fertilizers are added to the soil after abundant watering - the soil must be moist so that the root system does not get a chemical burn when exposed to a too concentrated solution.

Epiphyllum responds positively to the introduction of organic fertilizers in the form of well-rotted cow or horse manure, humus, and also a weak solution of bird droppings.

Temperature

Normal room temperature during the growing season and coolness in winter - no higher than 10° C. This plant will endure the strongest heat without problems, provided that there is an adequate increase in watering and air humidity.

During growth, the most suitable temperature range is between 20 and 25 ° C.

Some species can tolerate short-term frosts, but it is better not to expose cacti to danger. A cool winter will promote the formation of flower buds, but also slow down the growth of the cactus, and in conditions of insufficient light, new shoots will be weak and sickly.

Lighting

Place the pot in a brightly lit place. The flower can take sun baths in the morning and evening, during the day, organize shading from the scorching rays.

If there is a lack of natural light, you can provide additional lighting using fluorescent lamps.

When grown in partial shade, flowering will be less abundant or will not occur at all, and the cactus will stretch out.

The most suitable for growing epiphyllum are considered to be windowsills facing the southeast or southwest. When kept on the south side, the cactus should be slightly deepened into the room or use light shading from the scorching rays with a tulle curtain. When growing in the north, artificial lighting is required.

To prevent the shoots from stretching towards the light source, the pot is turned a quarter turn every week. You should not do such manipulations with specimens that have formed buds - they are left in place throughout the flowering period.

Spraying 

When the air in the room becomes too dry and the temperature is high enough, the epiphyllum will need to be sprayed with warm and soft water.

When spraying, make sure that water does not get on the buds and flowers. Spraying is carried out only in the first half of the day, so that the water has time to evaporate from the surface of the shoots before darkness sets in.

To increase air humidity, it is best to use a room humidifier or any container with water left next to the pot.

A tray with wet pebbles or grouping several plants in a small space also increases air humidity well.

A decorative fountain or pond will decorate the interior and increase humidity. 

In autumn and winter, the air around the cactus should remain dry, especially if the epiphyllum overwinters in a cool room. It is also worth taking care of good air circulation. 

Purpose

A large cactus with huge, very showy flowers. A great plant for hanging pots.

Note

This species flowers easily and abundantly indoors, and when cross-pollinated can produce edible and tasty fruits that turn pink or red when ripe.

The juice is used in folk medicine as a diuretic and is believed to help relieve pain and inflammation in rheumatism.

Varieties:

Epiphyllum Oxypetalum

A large epiphytic or lithophytic cactus, reaching a length of 3 m or more, has abundantly branching stems on which aerial roots are located. Secondary shoots, which are often mistaken for leaves, are green, glossy, with a slightly corrugated, wavy edge. The flowers are very large, begin to open in the evening hours and remain open all night. The flowers reach 20 cm in diameter, have a large number of white petals and many bright yellow stamens. 

Epiphyllum Anguliger

Large epiphytic cacti with abundantly branched primary stems. Secondary stems are green, flat, glossy, 20-30 cm long and 3-5 cm wide, deeply cut. Flowers are fragrant, open at night, pale yellow, greenish, or pink, on long flower tubes. The flowering period is at the end of summer. The flowers reach 8 cm in diameter. 

Epiphyllum phyllanthus

Large epiphytic cacti with thin, rounded, abundantly branched primary shoots. Secondary shoots are long, flat, ribbon-like, green, with protrusions along the edges. When grown as an ampelous plant, secondary stems hang down in a beautiful cascade over the edges of pots. The edges of the secondary stems are often corrugated. Flowers on long flower tubes with many narrow, thin petals in shades of white, greenish or yellow. Flowers open at night and emit a very pleasant aroma. 

Epiphyllum ackermanii, Disocactus ackermannii

In recent years, the correct name is considered to be Ackerman's disocactus. A relatively small epiphytic cactus. The plant has abundantly branching rounded stems at the base. In the upper part, the stems become ribbon-like, flat and reach a length of 30 cm, but sometimes there are plants with stems up to 1 m long. The flowers are bright, crimson, funnel-shaped, reaching a diameter of 14 cm. In the central part, the flowers can be colored yellow or greenish.