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Epiphyllum Orchid Cactus, Right Size Pot?
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Posted by angeleyedcat PA 5 (My Page) on Tue, Sep 15, 09 at 15:20
| Sorry in advance for photo quality - This photo was taken in my very bright eastern living room with wall to wall upper and lower windows so it's almost impossible to get a picture without glare/odd colors. I also posted a question about pot size in the Hoya forum too :)
I purchased this EA Epiphyllum last winter. I didn't repot it because it seemed quite happy, well, until I put it outside this spring and it got to experience a hail storm which are what all the brown pock marks are from. It's been inside ever since in this eastern room (gets direct sun 4-5 hours a day) it's gotten much bigger and has many, many new leaves, and seems quite happy. I assume it's getting enough light/sun with all the new growth? It came in an 8 inch pot - is the pot too big? The roots are doing good but don't take up the entire pot, still a bit of growth room. If it is too big will it eventually bloom in this size pot? As with the Hoyas, I truly hate to repot something that is so happy (my experience is it then dies!)Thank you!
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Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Epiphyllum Orchid Cactus, Right Size Pot?
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| It really depends upon how large you want it to be. Epies are quite happy with tight toes, and bloom prolifically that way. I'd say it's getting to be blooming size and will bloom if you do not repot it. Repotting sets them back a couple years on the blooming. It also looks like it could use some more light, the thin growth tells that story. How far is it from the windows? |
RE: Epiphyllum Orchid Cactus, Right Size Pot?
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| I'm gonna take a guess and say, from the picture, that it's not so much too far from a window but too high up, and getting all it's light obscured by those curtains. Maybe put it on a chain so it'll hang lower? |
RE: Epiphyllum Orchid Cactus, Right Size Pot?
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| I am taking the picture looking down on the plant from the second floor, so the perspective is off since it's only a closeup of the plant. It was the only way I didn't get glare. Sorry not to explain that.
It doesn't look that way because of the angle but the plant is actually 3 feet above those curtains. The row of fabric triangles are at the bottom of the top window which is about 8 feet in height. It hangs in that top window area and gets direct sun for about 4-5 hours there. It's about 4 feet from the actual window hanging on a beam. I'm not able to put it any nearer to that window tho that would probably be the best spot. Room is incredibly bright all day. I can change it to the bottom window, it tends to get a bit chilly there during the winter next to the glass sliders. It would be closer to the sunlight there but it would only get direct sun for about 3 hours a day. The only other place I could put it is in a normal size south window. This area is taken up by orchids which need as much sun as they can get so I couldn't restrict any of the sun on it unless it was put back aways. I need more windows ;) Any ideas which area might be better? Oh, if it stays in the place it is in hanging on the beam it can get as big as it wants, otherwise size will be an issue so I might need to repot then if the area is successful. Thanks :) |
RE: Epiphyllum Orchid Cactus, Right Size Pot?
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| Hi, your epie can stay in that pot for a few years and do well, the bigger the pot the longer it takes to get them to bloom, mentha is right its not getting enough light, that's why the growth is long and thin they should be more flat and wide like the rest of the plant, if you can drop the plant down a few more inches it would help the new growth, I wouldn't worry too much about the light in the winter, most epie rest in the winter so the will bloom come spring.I use pots that range from 4inches to 10 inches, the larger pot are for older plants that will be there for a very long time. other than the thin growth its a very nice looking plant. Bear |
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