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?'s on Night Blooming Cacti cutting.
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Posted by disneynut1977 5A Syracuse NY (My Page) on Wed, Jul 1, 09 at 23:27
| I bought this off Ebay. It's 20 inches long not including the roots. I was wondering if I could cut it 2 more times, to give me a total of 3 cuttings since it's so long.......or should I just let it be and pot this long piece up.
Melissa1977 |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: ?'s on Night Blooming Cacti cutting.
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| Also what size of pot should I start it out in if single or 3 pieces? Would prefer to use a clay pot. Melissa1977 |
RE: ?'s on Night Blooming Cacti cutting.
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I'd plant the whole piece.
Why stress it more by cutting it up, you'll only dry it out as cuts always loose moisture. Let it root, establish itself, then take cuttings. Wazungy |
RE: ?'s on Night Blooming Cacti cutting.
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| While you could cut it in half, I wouldn't right now. I'd be afraid you'd lose the cutting. It looks stressed and doesn't have much to survive on while making roots. May I ask what species of Epiphyllum it is? It looks like either crenatum (day bloomer) or a hybrid (usually day bloomer). There aren't any night bloomers with stems that look like that, that I know of. |
RE: ?'s on Night Blooming Cacti cutting.
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| Melissa, Like the other posters, I suggest you don't cut it - in the long run, you'lll have a happier plant. I'd get a 6" pot (terra-cotta or plastic) and put it in rich, porous soil and give it indirect/a little direct light and lots of water now (in the summer). As you may have guessed, this comes from a tropical area. |
RE: ?'s on Night Blooming Cacti cutting.
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| Thank you everybody for your answer's. I'm so glad I asked first instead of assuming. I will let it be and pot it up. I actually have a really nice cacti potting mix left over from last year, that should be fine for this right? It was listed as being an Epiphyllum Oxypetalum. Here is a pic of the mother plant it came from: 
For fertilizer. I use Neptune's Harvest seaweed/fish. Should I give it a light feeding now since it's summer or wait? Again thank you so much for your help. I know it will take some years to see it bloom, but it should be worth the wait from what I've read:) Melissa1977 |
How deep to bury it in potting mix?
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| Oh also, so sorry for all the ?'s. When I pot the cutting I just bury the roots right? If I bury the cutting deep it would rot wouldn't it, from what I read that's what I was understanding. Melissa1977 |
RE: ?'s on Night Blooming Cacti cutting.
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| Melissa, While most cacti don't care for most premade C&S mixes (they're not porous enough) this particular plant should be fine in it. Yes, give it a diluted (1/4 is very commonly used) fertilizer dose during the spring/summer growth period. And you may see flowers as early as next year, though I think it's more likely at least two years from now. |
RE: ?'s on Night Blooming Cacti cutting.
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| I would say that that cutting did not come from the oxy pictured. Oxy's do not scallop like that, they ripple at the edge. I would go ahead and plant it with at least one node on either side, maybe two. This is where your growth should come from, you want it under ground. Keep the soil dry for a week before watering lightly, then water every other week or so until you see new growth, then treat it like an adult plant. I'm going to have to disagree with Jeff on the cactus & succulent soil. For my epies, I use up to 1/2 half perlite, 1/4 prepared peat free soil, and something chunky, like pumice, crushed red lava, or LECA. My plants are really happy in this soil. If you can't find that, use an azalea soil with added perlite. I've never used seaweed, but I have use Fish Emulsion. They really like azalea, or tomato fertilizer. |
RE: ?'s on Night Blooming Cacti cutting.
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| Rhonda, You grow them more (and better, right?) than I do, so she's better off with your advice. I never got as interested in jungle cacti as I might have - your Disocactus, Epiphyllum, Hylocereus, et.al. are pretty unfamiliar to me, cultivation-wise. |
RE: ?'s on Night Blooming Cacti cutting.
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Rhonda,
I never would have noticed the difference in the pictures. The auction clearly stated Epiphyllum Oxypetalum, but after reading the care sheet she sent me; she printed a link for the pink orchid cactus at the bottom of it for add. info. I wonder if that's what I have. I didn't pay much for it, so I'm not too upset, but I really did want to get a White Night Blooming Cactus/Queen of the Night. Where is a good place to pick up 1 of these? I went through my pots and the smallest I could come up with was a terra cotta 8 inch. I did have a bit of perlite left, but not enough to mix halfway with the cacti-mix, more like a third. I do have some medium orchid chips/mix left over I could have added, but I wan't sure if that would be ok. I was able to bury the cutting roots and 3 nodes deep. I put it outside (during the summer my house doesn't get much light, too many surrounding Maples). Since it will need to stay dry for a bit, I put it up against my house. My roof over hangs just about 2 1/2 feet from the house. With all the rain we have been getting here, I wanted to make sure it should mostly stay dry unless I water it. My front porch (where I hope it eventually ends up) and my back deck only get a few late morning hours direct sun than dappled sun. Our temps for now have been in the high 70's. I hope that's ok. I have a perfect spot for it during the winter inside, I guess I just have to try to keep it alive till than :) What would the new growth look like for it? Melissa1977 |
RE: ?'s on Night Blooming Cacti cutting.
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| I could send you some cutting's off one of mine for postage if you'd like. I have way more than I need. |
Here is a link that might be useful: one of two large plants I have
RE: ?'s on Night Blooming Cacti cutting.
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| Thanks so much for the offer. I'll email you. Melissa1977 |
RE: ?'s on Night Blooming Cacti cutting.
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| Mentha is right about it not being a Oxy it looks more like an epie and might be a stictum (sp).I would plant the whole plant at this time and wait until it starts to grow before taking any cuttings, when I repot a new plant, I give it a little water for the first few weeks the as it start to grow then I will feed it about half the amount called for than you would give a older plant, until it really takes off with new growth. I use a mix for all house hold plants and add perlite to it so it will drain faster. My Oxy are in 5 gal buckets and most of my epies are in plastic I start them out in 6" pots then move them up to larger pots as needed Bear |
RE: ?'s on Night Blooming Cacti cutting.
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| I'm glad you didn't cut them into piece. Your plant would be probably happier with your decision. |
RE: ?'s on Night Blooming Cacti cutting.
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| Jeff, I wouldn't really say better. As you know, California is an ideal place to grow epies. They just grow well for me so I stick to growing them. Anyone can look like they have a green thumb if they find plants suited for their climate ;) Epiphytic cacti, Sansevieria, and Opuntias are about all I can grow. Everything else melts, or burns to a crisp in our heat. |
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