FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

It’s been hot and dry in Michigan and I hate watering but luckily these don’t mind!

Ooh! Nice flowers you’ve got there. Mind if I put in some flowers too?

Cactus! what! Awesome! Thought I might put some corn flowers? heads? Whatever they are here too. (Despite what you may hear corn does great in pots!)

Camden M wrote: ↑Sat Jul 02, 2022 9:16 pm Cactus! what! Awesome! Thought I might put some corn flowers? heads? Whatever they are here too. (Despite what you may hear corn does great in pots!)

Asides from carnivores, I have plenty of cacti. I sort of began growing plants with them. Now I’m beginning my breeding projects with them (and Pinguicula too). Moving to Arizona just increased the amount of cacti in my immediate surroundings.

Nice Epiphyllums and Disocactus hybrids! Is the cactus in your previous post Peniocereus gregii?

thepitchergrower wrote: ↑Sat Jul 02, 2022 11:17 pm Nice Epiphyllums and Disocactus hybrids! Is the cactus in your previous post Peniocereus gregii?

I have no idea… we moved into a new house and it was just there in the driveway. We let it be.

Edit: that looks right. Probably what it is, thanks.

Gorgeous orchid cactus! I’ve only got one that I got as a cutting from a friend. It’s rather large and unruly now. I know that’s kinda normal for these. Any tips to make them look nice? Do they look better with specific light or substrate? It’s only flowered once but it was stunning- would love to figure out how to make it happy.

Bug_cemetery wrote: ↑Sun Jul 03, 2022 12:35 pm Gorgeous orchid cactus! I’ve only got one that I got as a cutting from a friend. It’s rather large and unruly now. I know that’s kinda normal for these. Any tips to make them look nice? Do they look better with specific light or substrate? It’s only flowered once but it was stunning- would love to figure out how to make it happy.
A6611C29-0E4B-41E4-AC90-9FF1005851F6.jpeg4F3D7014-6F5B-4F56-ABE1-23EB0D470ECB.jpeg

I pot them in half regular potting soil, half perlite. Terracotta pots. Water only when dry, tap works here.
I regularly chop them so they don’t become too unruly (like my massive dragon fruit plant that just snapped in half… it was maybe six+ feet long). They don’t like direct sunlight, a little shade is nice, and they need a clearly defined cooler winter to bloom in which they get less water and light as well. Don’t completely neglect them though.
Flooding them with fertilizer during the growing season also helps, especially flower encouraging fertilizer starting in early spring. They then bloom like clockwork from May-June for the most part (some species have it different, but all the hybrids seem to follow this pattern. I have a sample size of around 30).
From cuttings, it tends to take 2-4 years to bloom depending on how much you fertilize it.
Good luck, and contact me if you want any more advice or plants! I’ll try to be helpful but I am by no means an expert.

…contact me if you want any more advice or plants! I’ll try to be helpful but I am by no means an expert.

I’m a bit embarrassed to post this poor neglected epi but it needs your help. It has been under-watered and inside with low light for too long. I just moved it out to our east facing porch so it will get morning sun (Michigan, 70-90 f currently). Would you recommend any pruning right now or give it some recovery time first? M

Bug_cemetery wrote: ↑Sun Jul 03, 2022 11:53 pm

…contact me if you want any more advice or plants! I’ll try to be helpful but I am by no means an expert.

I’m a bit embarrassed to post this poor neglected epi but it needs your help. It has been under-watered and inside with low light for too long. I just moved it out to our east facing porch so it will get morning sun (Michigan, 70-90 f currently). Would you recommend any pruning right now or give it some recovery time first? M84796FAB-14E9-4A31-B248-63154C31B22F.jpeg

The plant shouldn’t mind whether or not you prune it, that’s more up to you. I reduced the size of one of my biggest cacti by about a third before we made a cross country move and it’s outside doing just fine. Hasn’t even dropped its fruit. If you feel nervous about it, just leave it be for a while. Let it start pushing out new growth. Mine get morning sun as well, seems to be okay so long as they have shade when the sun’s at its hottest (and brightest).

I would also like to note that the pot may not be doing your plant any favors… how long has it been there?

Interesting- it’s been in the black pot for about a year but the previous pot was similar. You mentioned using terracotta so I’m guessing that’s to either provide evaporative cooling or limit how long it stays wet.
What else do I need to keep in mind if I go look for a different pot? Thoughts on size? I’ve read that they like to be crowded- think the current pot is too big? I’m pretty sure it won’t be root bound so I could downsize a bit.

I always use terracotta to prevent root rot. That tends to be a concern with these, I’ve found some varieties to be way too sensitive to fungus. I would actually go bigger with your plant, sure there are some I’ve had in the same pot for years but I’m just about at the point where I repot them all. From experience, once the roots start coming out the bottom it’s time for a bigger pot. If yours isn’t sending roots out, then maybe a pot of the same size.