Re: schlumbergia
> Yoel Kortick wrote:
>
> I recieved the most beautiful schlumbergia recently, and it is just
> beginning to bloom. I want to repot it but am hesitant. Perhaps I
> should wait till it has fully bloomed? Any suggestions?
You would be well advised to let your Schlumbergia finish its blooming
in peace before repotting. Though the plants are generally very tolerent
of interference, the flowers are not, and unopened buds are sometimes
shed if there is any great change in circumstances during blooming. Even
suddenly subjecting small buds to light from a different angle can
sometimes cause them to try and turn themselves towards it, and may
actually lead to them falling, but this is not very likely to happen in
late buds and mature flowers.
I have also found a few varieties are inclined to suddenly shed whole
branches, especially in cold weather. I have presumed this is because of
sudden draughts. These branches appear perfectly healthy and can be used
as cuttings, rooting readily. Only a very small number of varieties seem
susceptible to this, but one at least is a very desirable colour, being
a mix of lilac and orange which is both unusual and subtile (It came to
me without a name).
When you do repot, beware of increasing the size of container very much.
In nature these plants grow in small amounts of detritus in the crotches
of trees and consequently have only limited root systems. Sometimes this
makes it difficult as the little pot does not balance the vigorous top
growth very well. In such cases I use a larger pot than necessary but
fill most of it with small stones to give the requisite weight and good
drainage without excessive unoccupied mix.
Moira Ryan
--
Tony & Moira Ryan <theryans@xtra.co.nz>
Wainuiomata, New Zealand. (on the "Ring of Fire" in the SW Pacific).
Lat. 41:16S Long. 174:58E. Climate: Mediterranean/Temperate
