Epiphyllum - home care

Many people saw an unusual plant at home with friends, in which flowers of pink, white and red bloom from long fleshy stems. This exotic crop is called the epiphyllum cactus.

What does the epiphyllum look like, which family does it belong to

Epiphyllum - a flower that belongs to the cactus family, has 20 species. The name is of Greek origin, it is translated “on the sheet”. This combination of words was due to the similarity of the stem in shape to the leaf. The culture is found in the wild in the tropics of South America and the forests of Mexico.

Epiphyllum of Monstrose is sometimes called pink

Common varieties

There are hybrid and natural plant varieties. They differ in the shape of the leaves, the size of the flowers. Many can be grown on the windowsills of apartment buildings if properly cared for.

Epiphyllum Marniera is a forest cactus, represented by long, flat shoots, which are strongly dissected into leaf-shaped lobes. The average diameter of the white flower is 25 cm. In the center of the bud there are fluffy golden stamens with a pleasant smell. The plant blooms at night.
Epiphyllum Monstroza or Guatemalan is notable for its long wriggling stems. For all sorts of shades of light red flowers, this variety is also nicknamed the pink epiphyllum.
Epiphyllum Anguliger grows only in the vastness of Mexico. The angular epiphyllum got its nickname due to the ornate shape of the stems. The stems can grow up to 1 meter in height, the flowers are large - 15 cm in diameter, have a pleasant smell. The lower leaves of Epiphyllum anguliger become woody over time.
Epiphyllum Oxypetalum in nature can grow up to 3 meters long. The plant has flat, narrow stems hanging down, reaching a length of 10 cm. The snow-white flowers of Epiphyllum oxypetalum open at night and fill the room with a tart aroma.
Ackermann's epiphyllum is often found in apartments. The plant is represented by 3-sided hanging stems, along the edges of which there are rounded notches. The leaf plates are 5 cm wide, grow up to 60 cm long. At the tops of the peduncles, up to 15 buds can bloom simultaneously. The most common are the red flowers of the epiphyllum. Due to the ampelous shape, the bushes can be grown in pots, hanging them on the wall.
Epiphyllum Hollyleaf was named for its pointed stems, which are shaped like narrow, long leaves. The second name is Epiphyllum White, it bears for an exceptionally white shade of flowers, which in their shape resemble lotuses.

Attention! Many varieties of epiphyllum are suitable for home cultivation. The main thing is to know and follow the rules of flower care.

All varieties of crops need moderate watering and good lighting.

Epiphyllum anguliger has large flowers

Features of caring for a cactus at home

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The flower cannot be carried from a permanent place on a window or wall. The bush may begin shedding buds and flowers.

Temperature

The optimum summer temperature for a flower is 20-25 ° C. In the fall, the plant is moved to a cooler room. During the rest period, the heat level in the room should not exceed 15 ° C.

Lighting

From the bright sun, the stems of the plant begin to wrinkle and turn yellow.The pot can be placed on the east side, on the southern windowsill it is necessary to shade the direct rays of the sun. In the summer, it is recommended to take the flowerpot outside so that the plant receives more oxygen. But in open space, the risk of pest infestation increases.

Watering

Watering the bush should be moderate, otherwise it will rot. Before moistening the flower, check that the soil in the pot is completely dry. The plant is watered with melted or boiled water at room temperature. In winter, watering is halved; if the room is very cold, watering is stopped altogether.

Long drought leads to drying of shoots, leaf lethargy. To stimulate the growth of buds, the number of waterings is increased.

Humidity

The plant loves humid air, you need to irrigate the stems from a spray bottle every day. The need for humidity increases if it is hot in the room where the epiphyllum grows. But, a long stay in wet soil can lead to fungal diseases.

Excessive watering results in the appearance of fungus

Priming

The tropical plant prefers soil rich in minerals. You can make the substrate yourself by mixing sand and humus 4 to 1. The soil should be high acidity.

Top dressing

During the flowering period, the plant is fed with fertilizer for cacti once every 2 weeks. Favorably on the ovary of buds is influenced by feeding with a solution of manure in a ratio of 1: 4.

Features of care in winter, dormant period

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In winter, the air temperature should be lowered to 12-15 ° C, this will ensure flowering in the next season. Watering less frequently than in winter, at low room temperature, watering is extremely rare.

Important! It is not necessary to force the plant to bloom in winter, during this period the epiphyllum must rest in order to gain strength for further development.

Transplants and pruning of the epiphyllum are not carried out in the winter.

When and how it blooms

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At the end of February, buds are laid on leafy stems, which, under the right conditions, will open into large flowers. It is important at this time not to move or turn the pot with the epiphyllum, otherwise the ovaries will fall off.

Flowers appear twice a year - in spring and autumn, flowering continues for 5 days. But this only happens with good care. During the flowering period, the bush is watered abundantly, fertilized more strongly.

The plant has a variety of shapes and colors of flowers. What the inflorescence looks like depends on the variety. It can be small, up to 10 cm in diameter, funnel-shaped flowers or giant fluffy inflorescences, up to 25 cm in diameter.

The appearance of epiphilum flowers depends on the variety

Changes in care during flowering

When the plant is in bloom, it is fed twice as often as it normally would. Watering also increases, the flower needs more nutrition. Make sure that enough light enters the stems of the bush.

Flowers do not appear twice on the same stems. Peduncles are not cut off immediately after the flowers fall; green mass is needed for the development of the bush. You can carry out preventive pruning of old stems.

You should know! An excess of nitrogen fertilizers is one of the reasons why the epiphyllum does not bloom.

How epiphyllum multiplies

There are several ways to reproduce the epiphyllum.

Germinating seeds

To germinate seeds, you need to wait for the flowering of the epiphyllum, which gives the first flowers only by the 5th year of life. After successful pollination, fruits are formed in which the seed will ripen. It is sown in nutrient soil and covered with glass.

In order to get seedlings, the room is kept at a temperature of at least 23 ° C, the pot is placed near a window with good lighting. Every day the greenhouse is ventilated for several hours and watered if necessary. After the emergence of seedlings, the shelter is removed and the temperature regime is maintained for further growth of the stems.

Rooting cuttings

This is the easiest and most effective way to propagate a plant.Choose healthy stems of an adult bush and cut them into pieces 10 cm long. Put the cuttings in a dark place for 2 weeks until the slices begin to shrivel. Then the cuttings are planted in a shallow pan with a nutritious wet mixture. There should be a drain hole at the bottom. Cuttings can be rooted in light soil, which will be well blown with air.

Propagation by cuttings is the easiest way

By dividing the bush

An adult bush has shoots with its own roots, it can be divided into several parts. This procedure is carried out in the summer, after the flowers have fallen off. The bush is carefully removed from the pot, the rhizome is divided into segments and the bushes are transplanted into a prepared container with a nutrient mixture. At first, watering is moderate, you need to monitor how the seedlings take root in a new place.

Transfer

Many have seen bright lush cactus flowers on other people's windowsills. Hardly anyone does not know how beautiful the epiphyllum is in bloom, how to make this exotic bush bloom, if for a long time it does not want to give buds. Transplanting will help stimulate flowering.

You need to transplant a flower if the bush has grown enough and the old pot is no longer enough for it. The plant must be transferred to a new container before flowering in order to reduce the stress of the tree.

Interesting! Flowers appear in the buds of a stem only once during its growth cycle. In the future, the buds bloom on new peduncles.

After the soil in the flowerpot has dried out, carefully remove the roots and clean them from the ground. Rotten and damaged roots are removed, the sections are sprinkled with activated carbon. The flower is planted in a container not much larger than the previous one. The bottom of the pot is covered with drainage from expanded clay or pebbles, part of the earth is covered, and the rhizome is placed on it, the substrate is poured to the point of flower growth. Moisturize the soil abundantly.

Diseases

Epiphyllum without good care will become a target for disease. The plant is susceptible to fungal infection and viral mosaics.

Viral mosaic damage is very difficult to cure

When a flower is watered with cold water, over time it becomes covered with round spots - these are signs of a fungal infection. Darkening is clearly visible on the stems. It is necessary to dig out the bush, dry the roots, remove the damaged ones and treat the entire crown with roots with a fungicidal preparation. In the future, they try not to flood the flower.

If small white spots appear on the stems, it means that the plant has become infected with a viral mosaic. It is extremely difficult to save a sick epiphyllum; it is better to prevent the disease by protecting it from contact with diseased flowers.

Pests

A launched flower can be attacked by pests, among which the most common are aphids, scale insects, mealybugs, slugs, spider mites.

The scabbard pest is very fond of epiphyllum

Infected stems are washed with soapy water from traces of insect activity. To kill the larvae and spores, the crowns are irrigated with an insecticidal preparation.

Not recommended! The plant is susceptible to pests. No need to put it next to new flowers that have not been quarantined.

Care should be taken to keep the flowerpot on the terrace or balcony, as harmful insects often arrive from the street. They can attack the plant.

Signs and superstitions

There is a belief that if the epiphyllum blooms, you can soon expect a child in the family.

The cactus protects the home from uninvited guests, the evil eye and bad thoughts. But you cannot give it, it will lead to separation from your loved one.

Single girls are not recommended to have a tropical flower, it scares off grooms.

A variety of types allows you to choose the appropriate

Everyone has seen the epiphyllum plant, caring for it at home is simple. If you follow the rules of cultivation, you can make this tropical flower bloom and admire the falling flat leaves with large bright buds that will bloom at night.