Epiphyllum Cultivation

Propagation

• Because domestic epiphyllums are usually hybrids, the only way to reproduce the same plant exactly is via cuttings. Cal Peterson of Oregon State University's Douglas County Extension recommends hardening cuttings for a week before potting; for the planting medium, mix one part pumice (small to medium grain) with three parts ordinary potting soil. The pumice helps the soil drain well. Place the cuttings upside down, with two leaf serrations below the level of the potting mix.

Water Needs

• The most obvious way that caring for epiphyllums differs from other cacti is its water needs, although overwatering is a danger. For adult plants, let the top third of the soil dry out before you water; young cuttings, however, need to stay moist. Water as soon as you pot them and at least weekly thereafter, ensuring that the soil does not dry out. These plants need less water during their dormant winter cycle.

Light Needs

• Epiphyllums also differ from other cacti in their light requirements. Bright, direct sunlight can actually damage them, according to the Clemson University Extension. Peterson recommends filtered light, ideally with a few hours of morning sunlight. Look for slightly reddish edges to the fresh, green growth, an indicator of sufficient light. Plants with too much light can wilt; those with too little become leggy, with weak growth.

Fertilizer Needs

• To encourage healthy growth, epiphyllums should receive a well-balanced fertilizer monthly during the growing season, usually spring and fall. Look for fertilizers labeled 10-10-10, denoting a content of 10 percent each of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Use a product with a lower nitrogen percentage--the first number on the fertilizer label--in late February and October, which will encourage flowering.

Encourage Blooming

• In addition to strategic fertilizing, you can encourage epiphyllums to bloom by manipulating their light, temperature and water conditions. Expose them to cooler temperatures--always above 40 degrees Fahrenheit--and keep them in the dark for 12 hours or so, turning off lamps if necessary. In general, keep epiphyllums cooler, darker and drier for four to six weeks starting in September.

Hybrids

• Serious epiphyllum gardeners can breed their own hybrid varieties by hand-pollinating two parent plants. Using a cotton swab, transfer the pollen from one plant to the stigma of another. Find pollen on the delicate anthers in a blossom; the stigma is located at the center of a flower. You'll know the stigma is ready for pollination when it becomes sticky. If pollination is successful, the base of the flower will expand into a pod, sometimes called an "apple." When the swelling apple becomes reddish, you can cut it open to extract the seeds of your new hybrid.