Drop

WOW - That's beautiful! I don't know the variety. How did you get it to bloom? I've had an epi for 3 years now that I got at the swap. I haven't seen a bloom yet - just growth. Is there a trick to getting these these things to bloom? Mine was inside my house all winter long and recently I put it on my front porch. Waiting for a bloom. . .

lovely

Thank you both. As far as how to get them to bloom. I haven't the foggiest. I can tell you the conditions they were under but as to if that is the right thing to do I don't know. I do know that some varieties have to reach a level of maturity before they bloom and outside of my strictum, none of the others (out of over a dozen varieties) have bloomed before this year. Now I am seeing them bloom one after another. I think I have seven, including the strictum that have bloomed or are about to bloom.

First, I did have them in a heated greenhouse all winter. My aim was mostly to keep them over freezing, not to give them warmer growing conditions. I did not water them much but every time I did water them, I did with the addition of miracle grow until it got warm then I quit feeding them. I have also left them in the greenhouse (which it is VERY hot in there now) even after it got warm. Usually I move them directly outside as soon as it gets warm enough for them to stay out there and I haven't fed them through the winter, only in the Fall. Like I said though.. Not sure what combination of that actually made them bloom.

Thanks for the info and for sharing your photos. I'm not sure what I'm doing for these epis is right. I got 3 or 4 small epi a couple of years ago at one of the swaps (G-boro-H.P., I think). I put all of them in the same big hanging container. They've grown to be about 16" - 20" in length. But no blooms. In the Spring or when temp get warmer I take them outside and bring them inside the house when the temperatures get cooler. But still no blooms. I think this is the 3rd Spring that I've had them. Any suggestions on how to get them to bloom?

Not really. I don't know what combination of things made them bloom. I know they grow in the crotches of trees so their natural habitat is in filtered sun and they don't require a lot of water. Mine are really pot-bound too. Seems the more I neglect them, the better they do. I'm not using any special fertilizers either, just miracle grow.

Ok - thanks for the info. I'm going to try some Miracle Grow on them and see what happens.