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Night Blooming Cyrus

Gardening Reference » Gardening in 2005
by kitt3ny on May 17, 2005 06:03 AM
About 7 months ago I received a potted night blooming cyrus from a friend of mine. This was my first plant ever. It was in a very tiny pot. So, I transplanted it into a 10" pot using miracle grow potting soil. It is an inside plant because I live in Virginia (the winters are cold and it rains every other day in the summer).

Since then I have read: do not replant, use sandy soil, keep in a very sunny spot, and it only needs water after the soil is completely dry. I have done the oppitsite of all these. And... not a big surprise...my plant is almost 5 ft tall in random spurts, has 6 leaves and now the tips of the "vine things" and leaves are turning brown.

When I look at my plant I am pretty sure it is dying. I really want to bring it back around, and on the road to "recovery". If you can give me detailed instruction as to what this poor thing needs (other than a new owner,lol)....Please help!
by Cricket on May 17, 2005 07:11 AM
Hi Kitt, [wayey]

Recently one of our other forum members, Will Creed, an indoor plant expert, advised me on the same plant. This was his response to my query:

Will Creed:
quote:
Epiphyllum oxypetalum is also known as night blooming cereus and orchid cactus. This is an epiphytic plant that should be potted in a loose porous potting mix, kept very potbound, and given mucho bright indirect light. It must be in the same pot for several years before it will bloom. This is a difficult plant to bloom outside the controlled greenhouse environment because it has a semi-dormant winter period and fairly strict temperature requirements that are difficult to achieve in most homes. For now keep it potbound and let it grow vigorously. Be patient for a while and then you can try to cope with the special requirements needed to get it to bloom.

To get your Epiphyllum to bloom, typically in the fall, keep it potbound; provide cool temps in the low fifties (nights) and mid 60's (days)in the fall and winter months. Consider leaving it outside, in a place protected from direct sun and rain, in the fall as long as temps stay above freezing. Then move it inside to a cool windowsill.

During this semi-dormant period allow the potting mix to become quite dry between waterings - just enough to keep leaves from withering. Bright light is not so essential.
In February or perhaps a bit earlier, you may see signs of new growth. Then it is time to increase the light to bright indirect and gradually increase the water and fertilizer frequency.

Good luck with your Epiphyllum and if you are fortunate enough to get it to bloom, please post pictures!

Cricket
by njoynit on June 10, 2005 12:21 AM
I rember when Will posted that.....I had mine in a quart pot& was on porch out of direct light.I repotted it in cactus mix in a hanging basket(10 in)& it gets half day full sun till around noonish& it has really leafed out.Also added some time release fert in its hanger pot also.I have another night bloomer plant(looks like a cacti type,not the flat leafed)and left it in same pot,but moved to brighter light and has started growing now.maybe check your soil.mines more airy if compared it to miricle grow type.it has a gritty feel to it.I don't recall the brand,but was pink on the bag.my kalchoe is happy with it also.It bloomed.

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I will age ungracefully until I become an old woman in a small garden..doing whatever the Hell I want!

http://community.webshots.com/user/njoynit03
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by Cricket on June 10, 2005 07:05 AM
Njoynit, has yours bloomed yet? I have a feeling mine is going to bloom this year for the first time.

Great idea to start a cereus hanging basket! I'll do that with the starters.
by Will Creed on June 11, 2005 07:04 PM
Be careful, Ladies. This is the most erotic plant known to man....and built like a man!

Interesting Kitt, that you gave it a man's name! LOL!

Will
by Cricket on June 12, 2005 10:50 AM
quote:
This is the most erotic plant known to man....and built like a man!

Keep it up, Will, you'll have all us gals swoonin' [Cool] ...over a plant! [grin]
by Troy on July 10, 2005 09:34 PM
Hi. I'm new and found this forum doing a Google for my cyrus. Apparently, I've done everything wrong, yet it bloomed. I got a cutting 2 years ago and rooted it, put in a small pot and then placed it in a southern window with direct light. I thought I killed it because the leaves would rest on the window and some of them got burned. I forgot to water it a lot so I got really dry between waterings. This spring, I decided I didn't like the pot, so I repotted it using regular potting soil and put it outside into a northern exposure so it only gets morning sun.

This sad little plant is only 3 feet tall and looks pretty beaten up. The wind blew it over a couple times, broke off a branch, so now I've started a 3rd one.

A couple weeks later, I noticed a little growth on one of the leaves -- and it keep growing about 6 inches before the bud developed. My son called it my alien plant because the bud was so huge. And then one night, it bloomed and was absolutely magnificent. The blossum was at least 6 inches in diameter and you could smell the fragrance from 5 feet away. I sat on my porch until 1:00 am just smelling my flower.

Talk about beginner's dumb luck!!! I'm going to try to be so dumb next year!

I would attach pictures but I don't know how

Troy
by weezie13 on July 11, 2005 10:38 AM
Troy,
Welcome to The Garden Helper's Forum,
We're very glad you found us....

If you go to one of these sites, *and there is other's too, just can't remember the names*....

WebShots
PhotoBucket
Imagestation

It's FREE to download your pictures too....
Then you can attach the URL from the place you choose, copy and paste the URL, then click on the IMAGE botton, and insert the URL into there.
*there will be a highlighted blue http:/ thing there, either delete it or click your backspace button to get rid of it

I hope this helps..
I personally use the PHOTOBUCKET, it's really
user friendly and all can view the pictures..
*(Imagestation, you have to be a member to view t
the pictures and if you're not a member you can't view them*)

P/S There's some other gardener's that do use pictures alot and maybe able to help you alot better than I did, Afgreyparrot/Cindy, Loz, Meg, Jiffy, G~mom, Plants~n~Pots, Carly....tons of them know how and can give you a hand if you need it....

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Weezie

Don't forget to be kind to strangers. For some who have
done this have entertained angels without realizing it.
- Bible - Hebrews 13:2

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http://photobucket.com/albums/y250/weezie13/
by OHFlowergal on July 18, 2005 10:21 PM
Hi Kitt!
I'm also new here! I was doing a search for night blooming cereus growers and forums and this popped up!

Anyway, I've had mine (night blooming cereus) for about 15 years now. This past friday we had a blooming party to watch my first bloom of 2005. I also have 29 buds, so this will be a great summer. Usually mine doesn't bloom until about Labor Day weekend, but the weather this year has been really strange here in Ohio so I'm assuming that's the reason for the early bloom.

My very first bud was 3 years ago and my granddaughter picked it as we walked past the plant and said, "Look Grandma, here's a funny flower for you!" I about fainted!!! It took so long for mine to bloom because I kept repotting it when it would get rootbound and finally found out online that you weren't suppose to do that! So, places like this are a dream come true for helping us! Good luck with your cereus! They are strange looking plants, but the blooms are sooooooo worth it! Their fragrance is what I would imagine Heaven to smell like! LOL!
T

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