Why does the Epiphyllum wither so quickly? How can we plant Epiphyllum so that it blooms more?

There is an idiom called "a flash in the pan", which describes delicious food that appears for a while and then disappears quickly. And the blooming time of Epiphyllum is indeed very short, and it is at night. Many people raise Epiphyllum just to see what it looks like. So why does Epiphyllum fade so quickly?

Why does the night-blooming cereus wither so quickly?

Epiphyllum blooms very quickly, from opening to withering, it only takes four or five hours, and it always blooms in the middle of the night. In fact, this is a habit inherited by this plant in the long process of evolution in order to survive better.

Epiphyllum belongs to the cactus family. It is native to the hot and dry regions of Central and South America (such as Mexico) and has developed a habit of drought tolerance. This region is very hot during the day and cool at night. If it blooms under the strong sunlight during the day, it will be sunburned. After long-term adaptation to the environment, Epiphyllum chooses to bloom from 8 pm to 12 am to avoid the exposure to the tropical sun. The short flowering period is to reduce water evaporation.

How to plant Epiphyllum to make it bloom more

fertilizer

In order for the Epiphyllum to bloom, sufficient nutrient supply is essential. If nitrogen fertilizer is applied mainly on a regular basis, it will result in only branches growing but no flowers blooming. Because the Epiphyllum blooms from June to October every year, after entering May, more phosphorus and potassium fertilizers should be applied, or potassium dihydrogen phosphate should be used for leaf spraying. In other seasons, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium compound fertilizers can be applied once in February or March.

Soil replacement

After the plant grows to a certain size, the root system will fill the flowerpot. If the root system fills the flowerpot, it will affect the normal growth of the plant and the flowering of the plant. Under normal circumstances, the Epiphyllum needs to be repotted and the soil changed every 2 years or so. When repotting, the old roots should be properly trimmed, and leaf mold should be added with perlite to prepare a transparent and fertile soil.

illumination

Epiphyllum prefers sufficient light. Except for maintaining scattered light in the hot summer, it should be placed in a south-facing position with sufficient light in the other three seasons, because the plant cannot do without light when it blooms.

Water Control

As long as the epiphyllum is not a very small plant, the larger plants should be watered. Watering can cause the leaves of the plant to age further. Generally, watering is only provided once or twice a month to avoid the invasion of a large amount of rain during the rainy season. At the same time, some weaker, thinner, smaller and deformed leaves should be cut off, so that nutrients will be concentrated on the more beautiful and upright leaves, which will be more conducive to the differentiation of flower buds.

Is it good for Epiphyllum to grow a long stem?

It is a good thing that Epiphyllum grows a stem, as the stem is where leaves and flowers will grow in the future.

If the stem is green and growing well, it is because of lack of light. If there is too much light, the stem will turn red and will not grow so thin and long. Don't cut the stem. When the weather gets hot, the leaves of Epiphyllum will grow on the stem. As long as there is enough fertilizer, flower buds will grow on it.

Epiphyllum likes fertilizer, and summer is its vigorous growth period, which makes the plant shape beautiful. However, nitrogen fertilizer should not be applied too much. Improper watering will cause the plant to grow too long without blooming. It needs to be cultivated in humus-rich soil that is easy to ventilate and light-permeable. If there is insufficient light, fix its modified stems evenly on it to concentrate nutrients. In autumn, it should be placed in a sunny place indoors for maintenance.