Mysterious Night Blooming Cactus -
Epiphyllum. How to grow it?
Q:
My friend has a huge Queen of the Night Cactus, and the
blooms are so gorgeeous! She gave me a cutting but I am
not sure how do I plant it? How long will it take till it
starts blooming? Is it true that it has only one flower
once a year and only at night?
A:
Queen of the Night is a very popular and yet mysterious
plant. The flowers open once a year after sunset for one
night. However the flowering period can last a month or
two during the warm season. So each flower lasts only one
night, but there will be more flowers to come! In the
Nature, Epiphyllum oxypetalum - Queen of
the Night - grows on trees in the jungles of Central
and South America. It is actually very easy to grow as an
indoor plant in colder climates. Here is South Florida we
grow them outside in hanging baskets. This is how to start
Queen of the Night from a cutting:
1) Put the cutting in a dim, dry place for three days,
with no soil and its base exposed to the air, so it will
form a callus.
2) Fill a 4-6-inch pot with slightly damp potting soil or succulent mix. Insert the
cutting 1 or 2 inches into the soil and tamp the soil
around its base.
3) Place the pot where the cutting will get bright light,
but no direct sun. Spritz it occasionally with a spray
bottle of water to keep the soil only slightly moist. It
should root in couple weeks.
4) Keep the plant on an east- or west-facing windowsill
where it will receive direct sunlight only in early
morning or late afternoon. Water the cactus until water
runs out of the pot's drainage holes. Dump the excess out
of the pot's saucer immediately, and wait until the
surface of the soil is dry to the touch before watering
your cactus again.
5) Fertilize once a month from March through October with
a balanced plant food, and
apply micro-elements once a month
for a healthy vigorous growth. Refrain from feeding the
plant in December and January.
6) Position the cactus in partial shade under a porch roof
or tree, if you decide to move it outdoors during the
summer. This plant likes summer humidity!
7) Repot the cactus only once every two years or so, to
keep it slightly root bound. Wait until after it flowers
in summer, and repot it after it blooms. Prune off any
damaged growth at that time as well.
8) Move the plant to a cooler room over the winter months,
one that remains dark during the evening hours with
temperatures above 45 degrees. Reduce the frequency of
watering, waiting until its soil is dry. Resume regular
watering in March.
If grown from cutting, it may take 2-3 years until the
plant starts blooming, so if you don't want to wait that
long - just get a blooming size plant from our
store!
We only have a few plants...
if sold out, add to wish list and we will have more soon!
