Think there can only be one queen ? mean again !
When you be intimate how to circulate epiphyllums from cuttings , you may rise your own unexampled plant and create a throng of beautiful orchid cactus world-beater to ring you !
We link to trafficker to aid you find relevant products . If you buy from one of our link , we may earn a commission .
E. oxypetalum, an epiphyllum species known as “night-blooming cereus” and “queen of the night.” Photo by Gon Ksg, Wikimedia Commons, viaCC BY-SA 4.0.
Growing epiphyllums from cuttings is not a difficult task , but there are a fewnot - so - obvioustricks involve that you ’ll desire to know about before you get started .
I ’ve boil down the epiphyllum propagation cognitive operation to five easy - to - follow step . Here ’s a stool pigeon peep at what ’s need :
How to Propagate Epiphyllums from Cuttings
I ’m drop dead to take the air you through the extension unconscious process using queen of the night ( Epiphyllum oxypetalum ) .
Before we start propagating , let me make up some potential confusion around the vulgar names of the subject of our article .
As sometimes happens in the botanic world , there is a bit of mix-up as to which plant life is the lawful owner of the rough-cut name of this plant , “ queen of the Nox . ”
( I have to say , I ’m not certain that the plant really care what we call them anyway , but we indoor gardener have to have some room to make certain we ’re all on the same pageboy when growing these various plants ! )
So for us humankind , let me point out that there are ( at least ) two species that go by the common name “ queen of the Nox ” – as well as another name , “ nighttime - bloom genus Cereus . ”
One of the plants is a forest cactus , and that ’s the one we ’re going to use to describe the propagation process in this article . This queen of the dark is known botanically by the metal money nameEpiphyllum oxypetalum .
Another contender for these two common names , class asCereus repandusorC. peruvianus , looks more like what you might wait from a cactus , the type you ’d find spring up in a desert landscape painting .
Sometimes this other cactus is promise “ Peruvian Malus pumila cactus , ” but it is most well - make love by the public figure “ night - blooming cereus ” and “ queen of the Nox . ” Of course it is !
( This should give you an inkling as to why botanical name are so crucial . )
What these two unlike species of plants have in rough-cut , besides both being cacti , is that they blossom at night , and their blossom are quite similar looking for . Herein lies the disarray , no question .
However , therearesome notable dispute .
One of these plants – the orchid cactus – produce as an epiphytein humid forests , while the other is a terrestrial flora that grow in arid comeuppance .
The desert cactus has large , columnar stem with sharp sticker . The forest cactus , on the other mitt , grow long , flat stem that are vine - like , and have no sharp spine .
Because of these differences , generation will be a moment dissimilar between the two plant .
In this article we wo n’t be talking about the Peruvian orchard apple tree cactus . or else we ’ll rivet on propagating the epiphyllum – which is also called “ Dutchman ’s pipe cactus , ” by the way .
And although we ’re going to focalise on propagating new specimen of this peculiar metal money of orchid cactus , the proficiency is also the same forother types of epiphyllums .
Not certain how to take care of your newfangled plants once they ’ve steady down ? Be certain toreview the grow and care requirements for epiphyllum in our guide , or bookmark it to read afterwards !
1. Gather Your Supplies
There are a few things you ’ll need for propagating epiphyllum . I ’m going to let you know what these supplies are and offer a few suggestions of where you might buy them .
First , you ’ll need some epiphyllum clipping , of form !
ensure the cuttings are six to nine inch long , because part of the stem is going to be lapse into the raise medium . You want to make certain there ’s still plenty of root word left above the soil line after planting .
I commend you take more than one carving to pass around if potential , because this will increase your prospect of succeeder . And nothing ’s in effect for horticulture morale than propagating new flora successfully !
Wondering where to source epiphyllum cutting for this multiplication project ?
take for granted you do n’t already have a industrial plant to take propagation material from , you may be able to acquire them from a booster , a neighbor , or a fellow fellow member of a houseplant forum – or you may purchase them online as well .
8 - 10”E. OxypetalumCutting
For instance , you’re able to see eight- to 10 - inch foliage cuttings ofE. oxypetalumavailable for purchasevia Amazon .
If growing the precise speciesE. oxypetalumis significant to you , be vigilant in choosing a vendor – not all vendors that betray “ queen of the dark ” orchid cactus cuttings for generation are selling this species .
You might be interested in propagating a plant from a cutting in parliamentary procedure to save money – as well as for the fun of it , of course !
But if you ’re concerned in practicing yoursucculent propagationskills and don’tmindbuying a matured orchid cactus to use , one alternative is these live one- to two - footE. oxypetalumplants that are useable for purchasevia Walmart .
1 - 2 ’ LiveE. OyxpetalumPlant
In add-on to poove of the night cuttings for circularize , you ’ll also want a worthy growing medium .
While some houseplant nurseryman care to practice virtuous perlite for rooting epiphyllums , I tend to apply the same growing medium to root cuttings as I do for my mature forest cacti .
My personal dearie is Tank ’s Pro Cactus and Succulent Mix , a grow medium that ispeat - liberal , and includes compost , cocoanut husk , and pumice stone , providing splendid aeration .
Tank ’s Pro Cactus and Succulent Mix
You ’ll find Tank ’s Pro Cactus and Succulent Mix in one- , eight- , or 16 - quart bags from Tank ’s Green Stuffvia Arbico Organics .
Next on your supply list is a plate or shallow box , a pair of scissors ( if you are live on to be acquire a cutting from a alive plant ) , and some atomic number 1 peroxide to sterilise the scissors with .
You ’ll also need some minor greenhouse pot – one for each newfangled orchid cactus plant . Four - in pots are a well size for this projection .
It ’s hunky-dory to recycle nursery pots from other garden plants , but I extremely recommend cleaning them well with oleaginous water , and then fix them by wipe them down with hydrogen hydrogen peroxide first .
Finally , there ’s one more optional particular that you may desire to include on your inclination , and that is root hormone , also be intimate as cloning internal secretion .
Using this product is n’t absolutely necessary – itispossible to root orchid cactus stems without it , but a rooting hormone such as Olivia ’s Cloning Gel will increase your chances of success and may speed up up the rooting process .
Olivia ’s Cloning Gel
Olivia ’s Cloning Gel is available for purchase in two- , four- , or eight - ounce jarsfrom Arbico Organics .
2. Take Cuttings
Now that you have gather all of your propagation supplies , rent me pull the rug out from under you and tell you to put apart that growing medium and those nursery pots for now – you wo n’t need them for another 10 days .
If you have n’t done it yet , now ’s the time to take slip from a parent plant – rent ’s call her Mama Queen of the Night .
utilize a yoke of sharp scissor grip for this , and wipe them down with hydrogen peroxide first to sterilize them . The long blades of scissor hold are better suitable to cutting across the wide fore of epiphyllums than garden pruning hook .
Now , before you employ your scissor grip , regard this : the dependable stems for propagating arelast year’sstems , ones that still have executable areoles .
This class ’s radical will be more semitransparent , and a lighter green color . They are n’t ready for multiplication yet , while stems from two years ago may not have viable areoles , so those are n’t become to extension either .
Look for shank that are darker green , then inspect the areoles .
An areole is a modest indention in the side of the shank where new stems and flowers get .
Areoles that are no longer feasible for raise raw stems or flowers will have a brownish color .
In addition to choosing a stem from last twelvemonth ’s growth with viable areoles , prefer stems that are strong and healthy for propagating .
Once you have identified the leaves you ’d like to reap , take stem section that are six to nine inches long , keeping in mind that this length is needed because part of the stem will be inserted deeply into the growing culture medium .
Now , lop off the top third of an inch of the cut to promote basal growth .
3. Let Cuttings Heal
Grab a denture or select some other categorical open that you ’re fine with depart your cutting on for 10 days .
Now that you have taken your queer of the night cuttings , you arenotgoing to insert them into the growing medium right forth . Nope , not yet !
Instead , you ’ll allow the cutting to heal for 10 twenty-four hours in a cool , dark location . This is a standard pace whenpropagating cacti .
If you ’re project to use rooting hormone , this is the time to apply it – beforeyou set the clipped stems away to heal .
practice root hormone to the stem turn wound as well as the bottom two to four inches of the shank – the part you ’ll be placing in the soil , up to the bottom three or four areoles .
Once you ’ve finished applying rooting endocrine , pose the cut short epiphyllum staunch on a dental plate or perhaps in a shallow box , and situation in a cool , dark location , allowing them to mend for 10 mean solar day .
If , like most of us , you ’re prone to forgetting about things that are stored out of the way in cool , blue locations , be sure to typeset yourself some sort of reminder on a calendar or make a note in yourgardening contriver .
4. Plant Cuttings
Once a callus has formed on the bottom of the clip epiphyllum stems , it ’s time to plant them !
You ’ll need the glasshouse pots and growing medium for this step in the operation .
When considering how deep to plant the stems , you ’ll want to situate three to four areoles below the soil .
With one hand , hold the orchid cactus cutting in the glasshouse pot – it ’s fine if the floor of the stem rests on the bottom of the grass – and with the other hand , scoop growing mass medium into the pot .
invest enough turn metier in the nursery locoweed so that the stem will stay upright by itself , but do n’t pack the soil in too tightly .
And as you ’re fill the greenhouse pot , be certain to leave an column inch of space between the land aerofoil and the rim of the pot to prevent any growing metier from disgorge out when you water – though it ’s not time for that yet !
5. Wait Before Watering
Did you think it was time to give your new plant a boozing ? Not quite !
For best results , it ’s preferable to deduct water system for two workweek .
Yes , this is in all likelihood the most counterintuitive and difficult part of the whole process .
Again , here ’s another hazard to put that on-line calendar or gardening planner to ripe use , and schedule a fourth dimension for watering .
If the thought of not pop the question this propagated plant a drink from your favoritehouseplant watering canmakes you cringe , here ’s something that might make you feel in force : you may befog the queen of the night press cutting ( but not the soil ) daily to help keep them hydrous .
Keep these babe queens out of lineal sun if temperatures are very hot – collateral bright brightness level is a heavy choice .
And if you ’re propagating during the wintertime , make certain to keep temperature above 65 ° F .
Within two weeks the epiphyllum cuttings should be rooted , and should be starting to put out new development .
At this power point , you’re able to set about to water normally , keeping the growing medium from ever give way pearl dry .
Easy as Pie Epiphyllum Propagation
And that ’s it ! You ’re now ready to care for your propagated epiphyllum as you would a ripe flora .
The method described for propagating epiphyllums in this article is just one way to tackle this project , though Eysenck Personality Inventory pro tend to consider it the good way .
or else , you might opt to root several nance of the night cut in one larger pile , for instance .
Also , some indoor gardener choose to root their EPI in body of water rather than maturate average – though rout in grow medium is good training for solution than water .
require tokeep fertilise your cacti and succulent making love ? We have provisions for you right here :
© Ask the Experts , LLC . ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.See our TOSfor more details . Product picture via Amazon , Arbico Organics , Tank ’s Green Stuff , and Walmart . Uncredited photos : Shutterstock .
About
Kristina Hicks - Hamblin
