Epiphyllum - home care, photo species, reproduction

Blooming photo

Epiphyllum (Epiphyllum) - a beautifully flowering succulent from the cactus family. In room culture, it is grown as an ampel plant. It is characterized by long, branched stems with flat or trihedral edges. The flowers are large, funnel-shaped. It is also called phyllocactus.

At the base are covered with small scales and spines. In nature, it develops as an epiphyte; in indoor conditions it grows well on a substrate. The birthplace of the epiphyllum is tropical and subtropical regions of South America.

Also be sure to look at how to grow prickly pear in indoor conditions.

	Average growth rate.
	It blooms in spring and summer.
	The plant is easy to grow indoors.
	Perennial.

Beneficial features

Epiphyllum oxypetalum. A photo

The meaty fruits of phyllocactus can be eaten. Their healing properties were known even to the native Indians. In folk medicine, Dreamland juice and leaves of the Dreamland variety are used to treat psoriasis and as a bowel cleanser.

Features of growing at home. Briefly

Epiphyllum at home is grown quite simply:

Temperature mode	In the summer, indoor, in winter within + 13-15 °.
Air humidity	Needs periodic spraying.
Lighting	Bright, scattered, without direct sunlight.
Watering	It is plentiful in the summer, in the winter 1-2 times a month.
Priming	Light, fertile with the obligatory arrangement of drainage.
Fertilizer and fertilizer	During the period of intensive growth 1 time in 2 weeks.
Transfer	As it grows in the spring.
Breeding	Cutting and sowing seeds.
Growing Features	During flowering, the plant cannot be rotated.

Epiphyllum: home care. In detail

Care for the epiphyllum at home should be subject to certain rules.

Bloom

The flowering period of leaf cactus falls at the end of spring - the beginning of summer. Adult, well-developed plants are abundantly covered with large, fragrant flowers of white, red or pink. In addition, each of the flowers lasts about 5 days.

How to stimulate flowering

To stimulate the flowering of epiphyllum, in the autumn all old shoots are cut out on the plant. If in winter it was kept at high temperatures, another pruning is carried out in spring.

During trimming, all thin and elongated shoots are removed.

Temperature mode

Epiphyllum is grown at a temperature of + 23-25 ​​°. With the beginning of autumn, the temperature must be reduced to + 15 °. It also winters well at + 5 °, so if there is a warmed loggia or veranda it can be taken out there.

Spraying

Home epiphyllum perfectly adapts to ambient air humidity. But if the temperature in the room rises above + 26 °, the plant must be sprayed daily. Spraying is also necessary during the period of intensive growth of leaf mass and during flowering.

Lighting

Bright but diffused lighting is needed. For its cultivation, windows of eastern or western orientation are best suited. You can grow succulents from the north side, but flowering in this case will be weak.

So that the bush develops evenly, the pot with the plant must be rotated periodically. However, with the onset of bud formation and during flowering, this cannot be done. All flowers can just crumble.

Watering

In the summer, watered regularly and plentifully. But at the same time, the surface of the soil between irrigations should dry out a little. In winter, the plant is watered very rarely. Usually, 1-2 times a month is enough. When the temperature drops to + 5 °, watering is completely stopped.

Pot

The epiphyllum plant is grown indoors in spacious plastic or ceramic containers. The main thing is that drainage holes are made in their bottom. Despite the fact that he is hygrophilous, stagnation of moisture is fatal for him.

Priming

For growing epiphyllum, light, fertile soil is used. To compile the soil mixture, humus, sod land and sand are used, they are taken in equal proportions. An industrial substrate for cacti is also suitable for growing. Before use, it is mixed with peat in a ratio of 1: 1.

Fertilizer and fertilizer

During the period of intensive growth and during flowering, they are fed every 2 weeks.

For top dressing, fertilizers with a high content of phosphorus and potassium are chosen, nitrogen is harmful to it.

Transfer

Epiphyllum transplantation is carried out after the end of the flowering period. The plant is first allowed to rest for a month and only then proceed to transplant. Young, intensively growing specimens are transplanted annually. Older plants as they grow, every 2-3 years.

Pruning

Epiphyllum needs constant pruning. It is carried out in the fall, before the beginning of the rest period. On the plant, all lignified, crooked and damaged shoots are removed. When trimming, moderation should be observed. Buds are laid only on last year's shoots.

Rest period

For abundant flowering, the epiphyllum needs a dormant period. Plants contained in heat also bloom, but not so long and plentifully. The rest period lasts from late October to February.

During this period they are kept at + 10-12 °.

Growing Epiphyllum from Seeds

Like the vast majority of other succulents, it is easy to grow from seeds. They are sown in the soil mixture without subsequent incorporation. Planting containers to maintain high humidity are covered with a film and kept at a temperature of + 25 °. Crops must be periodically ventilated while removing accumulated condensate.

Shoots appear after 2-3 weeks. After that, the film is immediately removed. First, seedlings acquire a faceted shape not characteristic of the epiphyllum, they will become flat after 3-4 months of cultivation. Plants grown from seeds bloom after 4-5 years.

Epiphyllum propagation by cuttings

The tops of last year's well-developed shoots are suitable for breeding. Cuttings of 10-15 cm long are cut from them. Their base is necessarily wedge-shaped. After this, the cuttings are dried for 2-3 days until a characteristic glassy crust forms on the cut. Pure sand or soil for succulents is used for planting.

Cuttings are planted vertically to a depth of 1 cm. A plant grown from cuttings bloom the very next year.

Also, cuttings can be rooted above the water. For this, after drying, they are fixed in a container so that their lower part is as close to the surface of the water as possible. After the formation of root primordia, the cuttings are immediately planted in the substrate.

Epiphyllum propagation by division of the bush

Adult, overgrown phyllocactus bushes during transplantation can be divided into several parts. Each of the delenoks is already an adult, well-formed plant. After dividing, the bush blooms the next year.

Diseases and Pests

Florists are often faced with a number of problems:

• Epiphyllum does not bloom. The flowering period may be absent due to non-compliance with wintering conditions, lack of lighting, excess nitrogen in the soil. It is necessary to adjust the conditions of detention, providing the plant with the correct wintering at a sufficient level of illumination.
• The buds have fallen. The problem arises when turning or moving the plant.
• Black spots on the leaves appear as a result of the development of black rot. The affected plant must be treated with a fungicide, such as Fundazole.
• Light brown spots on the leaves indicate the development of fungal infection. Fungicides are also used for treatment.
• Yellow-red spots on the leaves are the result of water when irrigating in the sun.
• The roots rot. The problem occurs with excessive watering and lack of drainage. To save the plant, an emergency transplant is performed with the removal of rotten roots.
• Shoots shrink and lose turgor with a lack of moisture and sun exposure. The plant needs to provide sufficient watering by moving the pot to a place with diffused lighting.
• Cracked leaves epiphyllum. When using top dressing with nitrogen, the leaf plates may crack. Fertilizing must be temporarily stopped.

Of the pests most often found: mealybug, spider mite, thrips. To combat them, special insecticides are used.

Types of epiphyllum home with photos and names

In indoor floriculture, the following types are most often used:

Epiphyllum anguliger or angular Epiphyllum anguliger

Strongly branching species with rounded or trihedral stems lignified at the base. The length of the stems can reach 1 meter or more. The flowers are medium sized in bright red.

Epiphyllum oxypetalum, acute-flaccid Epiphyllum oxypetalum

The species is characterized by large plants up to 3 meters high. The stems are flat with wavy edges. The flowers are very large, their average diameter is 15 cm or more.

Epiphyllum Hooker Epiphyllum hookeri

It is characterized by long flowing stems and white flowers. In vivo grows in Cuba.

Epiphyllum serrated Epiphyllum crenatum

Stems of bluish-green color up to 80 cm long, with carved edges. The diameter of the flowers is about 15 cm. Their color varies depending on the variety.

Epiphyllum phyllanthus Epiphyllum phyllanthus

In vivo grows in South America. The length of the shoots reaches 1 meter. The flowers are pink, very large.

Epiphyllum Guatemalan Epiphyllum guatemalense

The stems consist of parts resembling oak leaves in shape. The size of each individual link is about 5 cm. The flowers can be pink, red or white.

Epiphyllum ackerman Epiphyllum ackermanii

The stems are flat, drooping with serrated processes at the base. Flowers are bright red in color, sitting on a characteristic thin peduncle.

Epiphyllum lau Epiphyllum laui

View with large stems covered with very thin needles up to 4 mm long. Flowers are dairy or cream, open only in the evening. The plant lasts about 2 days.

Watch the video: How to care for and grow Epiphyllum Cacti Orchid Cactus Epiphytic cactus (May 2024).