RE: night blooming cereus

I like the staking idea, Marge.  That never occurred to me.  I'll have
to try it - you are so right about them growing in every direction.  I'm
thinking mine bloomed on both old and new growth.  I'll have to go back
and check out the pics we took, but there were so many blooms this year
some of them must have been on old growth.  

Lynda
Zone 7 - West TN

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-gardenchat@hort.net [o*@hort.net] On
Behalf Of Marge Talt
Sent: Saturday, August 30, 2003 2:47 AM
To: gardenchat@hort.net
Subject: Re: [CHAT] night blooming cereus


Well, I'm so glad you-all have enjoyed those pix...thanks!'

Richard, they don't tolerate temperatures below 35F without damage, so
would be a houseplant for you, as it is for me...it just lives outside
on the deck in summer.

I am jealous, Lynda, of all the blooms you get on yours, but think I
have discovered 2 reasons why mine has not produced many over the years
- the first being that I've been cutting back the new growth to control
size and the 2nd being that I haven't watered it enough in summer -
thinking it was a cactus, it didn't dawn on me that it wanted water:-)
I have found that they really like water in summer and think our
incredible rain this year is what has encouraged mine to be more
generous with flowers.

Now, a friend who grows them said they flower on new growth, but this
web site says old growth...what do you find, Lynda?  Frankly, I've never
been able to tell on my plants.

http://www.washjeff.edu/greenhouse/Eoxypetalum/#culture

This site will also show everyone who has not seen one of these what the
plant looks like - I note that the photos show neat staking - think I
shall have to do this as unstaked the stems go everywhere like a Medusa,
which is why I've always whacked the longest and most unruly ones off
when bringing it in for winter - so I could get the dad blamed thing
back in the house!

Marge Talt, zone 7 Maryland
mtalt@hort.net
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