Question 1

I'VE RECEIVED A NEW CUTTING, WHAT DO I DO NOW?

Accepted Answer

When you receive a new Epicactus cutting from Tropical Treasure:
Inspect to be sure the cut end is ‘calloused’ or dried and hardened. It is always wise to let the ‘cut’ callous over by placing it in a cool, dry place for about 7-10 days. The callous reduces the chance of bacteria attacking the cutting which can cause it to rot.
If you see a brown dust on the cutting you receive from us, it is Cinnamon dust, which I use to help the cut to dry and to protect the cut from bacterial infection.
When placing the cutting in a pot, hold the cutting in place and add SLIGHTLY DAMP (not wet) mix until the cutting stands up. Plant to the depth of the 'SOIL' mark on the cutting.  Stake and tie if necessary. Do not compress the potting mix.
Keep the cutting in a cool, dimly lit location for about 3-4 weeks and DO NOT ADD WATER. Adding water before the roots have started can cause the cutting to rot. The cutting must grow roots in search of water for it to survive. If you water the cutting in this time, you may cause it to rot.
After 3-4 weeks or so, you can tell if the cutting is taking root by gently tugging on it. If there is resistance Its roots are taking hold and you can give it some water. Do not water again until potting mix is dry or almost dry. Use a moisture meter to detect when it is dry. You can buy them for less than $15 from Bunnings or a local plant nursery.
After the cutting has taken root, locate the pot in a semi-shaded area, preferably receiving morning sun. If the cutting is in the open it can experience frost or too much sun, it may . It may then burn and die so for best results, keep it out of direct sunlight.

Question 2

HOW OFTEN SHOULD I WATER MY EPICACTUS?

Accepted Answer

Your epiphyllum or aporophyllum should only be watered when the soil is dry to the touch.
 
 If in doubt, use a moisture meter and probe the soil.  
(You can buy one from your local nursery or hardware store for less than $15.)

If the needle is in the 'dry' area - WATER your plant.. 
If the needle is in the 'moist' or 'wet' area - DO NOT WATER.

In the summer months, this often means around once a week.
In the winter months, it is more likely that I will only water once every three to four weeks.

Considering this, you should ensure that your potting mix is going to allow the water to pass through and not cause the root systems to remain moist for long periods of time.

The standard mix used by most experienced growers is 1/3 each of good quality potting mix, orchid bark and coarse perlite. This mixture will allow the water to pass through and not remain in the lower part of the pot for too long.

Remember: OVERWATERING or allowing the roots to constantly be wet, will cause root rot and WILL KILL YOUR PLANT.

Question 3

WHAT SUNLIGHT IS BEST FOR MY EPICACTUS?

Accepted Answer

WHAT SUNLIGHT IS BEST FOR MY EPIES?

Reprinted with the generous permission from:
MICHAEL GUILLOT·MONDAY, 24 FEBRUARY 2020

An often-asked question and a good one. What is the best position for my epies? Let’s look at this question from the point of view of collectors in Australia.

In general, morning sunlight is considered the most suitable, and during hotter months we should consider filtering the sun, either by placing the plants in the shade of trees, or by using shade cloth.

Australia is a largish island with climates and conditions that vary from North to South and East to West. Some areas have humid summers, while others suffer a dry heat. Certain varieties of plants will flourish in Cairns, but never flower in Hobart. We need to consider where we are, and where our friends are before offering advice.

When you are looking for just the right spot to place that new Epiphyllum, maybe your first ever, please consider some of the following points:
Where does the Sun rise in relation to my yard?
Is there protection from the Sun in the afternoon?
If I place my epi in this spot, will there be any reflected heat? Heat reflecting off colorbond fences, white walls, brick walls and glass can increase the temperature being radiated on your plant.
Are my plants going to be subjected to hot Northerly winds?
Is there going to be sufficient air movement?
Which epi hybrids have more resistance to sustained sunlight?

We will now look at each point separately.
The Sun rises in the East and sets in the West. We should try to position our epies on the Eastern side of our property so that they benefit from the morning sun.
Ideally there will be some form of protection from the hotter afternoon sun. After the Sun reaches its zenith, it will produce much greater heat and can cause damage to the older growth. New growth tends to be more resilient. Placing your epies where there will be shade from trees, or installing shade cloth, will help prevent them from suffering damage.
Radiant heat can be a definite killer. Try not to place your plants where they will have reflected heat. You will be able to feel heat radiating from certain materials in your yard or on your house. Sometimes you will find such things as colorbond fences too hot to touch.
Hot Northerly winds will burn your plants and also dry out the potting mix. Try to provide suitable protection.
Air movement is important and can prevent plants suffering from fungal infections. So try not to place them in a corner where there will be little or no air flow.
Yes, some hybrids and species can withstand the heat better than others. The best way to find out? Don’t. Treat them all the same. Whilst some may handle the heat better than others you need to consider that in their natural environment they were not subjected to direct and burning sunlight.

Certainly ask for advice when in doubt, but take into consideration, if you can, where the person offering the advice lives. Are they experiencing the same conditions you are? Are their plants positioned on the Eastern side of their yard?  Is their climate dry or humid?

The same goes for those offering advice. Take all the above points into consideration. Many of the people asking these questions are new to Epiphyllum. Giving them the wrong advice, even with the best of intentions, might cause their plants to suffer and die, and these new collectors might subsequently be disheartened and give up.

Question 4

WHAT IS THE BEST POTTING MIX FOR MY EPICACTUS?

Accepted Answer

The best potting mix for Epicactus is a well-draining mix that is high in organic matter.

At Tropical Treasure, we use a mix of 1/3 coarse perlite, 1/3 premium orchid mix and 1/3 premium potting mix. This combination creates an ideal environment for Epicactus to thrive in, providing the best balance of moisture and aeration.

The most important factor is the the water content -  It is important to keep the soil evenly moist, but not soggy. Epicacti roots will rot and your plant will die if your potting mix is too wet all the time.  Overwatering can kill.

Only water when your moisture meter indicates your potting mix is dry. Use your fingers if you like to penetrate to the first knuckle. If it's all dry then water.

As you become more experienced, you can tell how wet your plant is by the weight of the pot. A heavy pot indicates it is wet and should not be watered.

Question 5

IS RED GROWTH ON MY EPICACTUS NORMAL?:

Accepted Answer

What you see in this picture is completely normal new growth.

New growth can appear as either reds or green, or a combination of the two. As the new growth matures it will turn to a more solid green colour.

If your cladodes are older and are turning red, it is because of two reasons:
Too much sun
Too much cold
In either case, you should more them to a more protected area. Epicacti prefer dappled morning sun and do not fare well completely exposed to the elements.

Question 6

HOW DO I GET MY EPICACTUS TO FLOWER?

Accepted Answer

Epicacti typically flower in Australia from late spring to early summer, usually between October to December.  This will happen naturally, with buds starting to set in the Winter months around June, July and August, although some may be later than others.

That being said, some epicacti will also flower in the 'off-season' as well. This includes hybrids such as Georges Favourite, Natasha Paetz, Gold Coin and Harald Knebel.

Most epiphyllum plants will not flower for at least 2-3 years after being planted as a cutting. Some can take even longer. To give your plant the best chance at flowering, be sure to give it plenty of natural morning sunlight or semi-shade during the day and water sparingly during the winter months. (only water when your moisture meter approaches 'dry'.)  Remember, over watering can cause your epicactus to rot.

Lastly, as flowering season approaches, fertilise with a high potassium - low nitrogen fertiliser such as Manutec Bloom Booster.

Duration of flowering may be from 2-3 days or extend as long as a week to 10 days, depending on the bybrid. Some .. such as  Epiphyllum Oxypetalum will only flower at night and by early to mid morning, the flower will be spent and drooping.

Question 7

HOW LONG DO EPICACTI FLOWERS LAST?

Accepted Answer

Epicactus flowers typically last 2-5 days, depending on the variety and exposure to direct sun. To extend the life of your Epicactus flowers, keep them in a cool spot away from direct sunlight.

Some species of epicactus are 'night flowering' such as epiphyllum oxypetalum. These flower at night time and the bloom may be well be finished by dawn.

Question 8

IS MY EPICACTUS BETTER IN A HANGING POT OR PLANTED IN THE GROUND?

Accepted Answer

We recommend that you keep your Epicactus in a hanging pot, or elevated above the ground on some kind of elevated shelving system.  This will help avoid many of the problems ground based plants encounter such as slugs and snails eating your precious plants!

Hanging your pots or having an elevated shelving system above the ground will help to ensure that the plant remains healthy by allowing water to drain freely and the plant can enjoy plenty of air movement, such as they would enjoy in the tropical jungles of their origin.

Epicactus plants can grow very large - so you should make sure that you have enough space for them to grow and spread out, while giving them plenty of sunlight. If you have plants packed tight together, they can prevent others from receiving the sunlight which is critical for supporting new growth.

Question 9

HOW DO I PROTECT MY EPICACTUS FROM ROT OR FUNGUS?

Accepted Answer

To protect your Epicacti from fungus and rot:

Keep your Epicacti in a well-ventilated area that receives plenty of sunlight;
Regularly inspect your Epicacti for signs of fungus or rot;
Prune any dead or diseased branches;
Wask your hands with soap and water and disinfect your secateurs after pruning affected plant material
Water your Epicactus only when required, as overwatering can lead to rot;
Water only at the base of the plant, directly into the pot. Try to avoid watering the cladodes;
Spray at least twice per year with a plant insecticide as sucking insects, slugs and snails will cause and spread infection and rot;
Spray at least twice a year with a fungicide such as Yates AntiRot.

Any sign of rot or fungus MUST be addressed as it will only spread if you do not attend to it.

After pruning or cutting away diseased plant material, coat the raw cut or exposed tissue with powdered cinnamon - this will help the exposed plant tissue to dry (or callous) and helps to prevent bacteria penetrating into the plant.

Question 10

WHAT CAUSES BROWN SPOTS OR ROT ON MY EPICACTUS?

Accepted Answer

There are many reasons why the cladodes on your epicactus may be developing 'brown spots'.
Some of these are as follows:

Brown spots often indicate a fungal or bacterial infections which may have entered via damage caused in the membrane by sucking pests and insects,
Fungal spots can vary in size, shape, and color just as bacterial spots and they can be hard to tell apart. If left untreated, it can progress to developing a hole in the leaf. 
Bacteria mainly spread by touching affected leaves and then handling other plants so after handling an affected plant, disinfect your secateurs and wash your hands.
Bacteria can also spread by water droplets hitting affected leaves, scattering them. Fungi can spread in a similar fashion or by sending out spores, so it is always best to trim off affected cladodes and bin them.
Slugs and snails will cause major damage to a plant so use an insecticide 2-3 x per year to prevent their ingress and keep pots and plants off the ground.
The membrane of the plant is damaged due to excess water sitting on the cladodes. This particularly infects some hybrids more than others. Water at the base of the plant and keep water off the cladodes where possible.
Some epi hybrids are just prone to rot with the rot in their DNA. No matter what you do ... they just continue to exhibit rot and brown spot. Personally I won't persist with a bad hybrid .. I'll bin it and move on. Many times I've tried to re-grow from a 'clean' cutting for the rot to re-emerge down the track. There are some hybrids which should never have been registered.
 
Half circles or pieces missing at the edges is likely due to caterpillars.  See the incredible damage from one tiny caterpillar in the space of a couple of days on one of my plants. Banish those white butterflies from your garden (sorry)
Large holes in the cladodes are likely due to rats, mice, possums or other vermin.

What to DO if you have brown spot or rot in your cladodes ..
Trim off the affected areas with disinfected secateurs
Sprinkle cinnamon powder on the exposed areas of the trimmed cladode that you are retaining
Bin the rotten parts
Treat the plant with an anti-fungal spray such as Yates Anti-Rot
Spray your plants with a plant insecticide 2-3 times per year.

Question 11

WHAT IS 'RUST' AND WHY IS IT SO DANGEROUS ON MY EPICACTUS?

Accepted Answer

'RUST' is a plant disease caused by pathogenic fungi. Three Facts:

There is NO CURE for rust. 
Cut-off any affected tissue and destroy it. 
Clean any tools with alcohol thoroughly.
Fungicides can help prevent future infections

The signature symptom of rust is the orange, yellow, brown, or red spore masses on the outside of the plant. This color gives the rust fungus its name.

Rust may appear as a solid areas or as spots. Left alone, the spots will get bigger and turn into bumpy-looking pustules. Eventually, the pustules break open and release spores that are spread by wind or splashing water. As they land on other plants, the spores infect them too.

Infections begin when a spore lands on the plant surface, germinates, and invades its host. The spores of rust fungi may be dispersed by wind, water or insects.

Rust will cause stunted or deformed growth, yellowing of cladodes and reduced vigour in the plant. Affected cladodes can wilt and die off prematurely.

To prevent rust in your epicactus collection:
Rust needs a wet surface, so water the base of the plant and avoid wetting the leaves. 
Do not 'mist' your epicactus as the wet surface makes it susceptible to fungal infestation.
Regularly use a fungicide with the active ingredient Myclobutanil or Azoxystrobin 
Dust with copper sulphate (or use a broad spectrum fungicide such as Mancozeb which is 47% copper sulphate or Liquid Copper)

Question 12

CAN OVERWATERING KILL MY EPICACTUS?

Accepted Answer

YES! WATER CAN BE A KILLER ...
Epicactus plants are epiphytic – which means they grow on other plants, such as in the trees of South American jungle. They derive their nutrients and other vitals from the air, water, dust, and debris around them. They do not need a lot of water.

Watering before a root system has started to develop can also cause the cuttings to rot below the soil. After you have planted a new cutting, wait three or four weeks, then gently tug on the cutting and see if there is any refusal as this is a good indication of root growth. Once you can tell that the roots have started to grow, then you can water.

Once established, only water when the soil is dry. In the summer, I water no more than once a week. In the winter I water perhaps once every 3-4 weeks. If the root systems are continually sitting in a wet medium they will rot along with the base of the plant.

A plant sitting in wet potting mix may also send too much water towards the end of the cladodes, causing the delicate membranes of the cladode to swell, blister and the ends to rot. So if your epicactus is showing signs of rot at the base or the ends, check if you are overwatering.

Try to water at the base of the plant. Try not to spray the cladodes or mist them. This can cause water to sit and gradually weaken the surface membrane, which can allow bacteria or fungus to penetrate and rot the cladodes. Brown spots and rot are a common symptom of water sitting on the cladodes. Also, watering in the morning can help as any water on the cladodes will hopefully be dry by evening.

Question 13

WHY USE CINNAMON POWDER ON EXPOSED EPICACTUS TISSUE?

Accepted Answer

CINNAMON possesses potent antibacterial, antifungal, antitermitic, larvicidal, nematicidal, and insecticidal properties.

It is a natural fungicide that helps most plants root, while inhibiting the spores that cause rot in stem cuttings.

If you take a cutting from a mature plant, dip the exposed end of the cutting in cinnamon powder before planting.

Whenever I cut away rotted or spotty areas on a plant, or if I trim a cladode, I pour cinnamon powder over the area where sap is exposed.

Exposed sap is the ideal entry point for bacteria, viruses or fungus to enter into the plants, so coating with Cinnamon powder is the best way to prevent rot and infection.

Question 14

WHEN SHOULD I FERTILISE MY EPICACTUS?

Accepted Answer

Yes, it is important to fertilise your epicactus to ensure that it stays healthy and thriving. We recommend using a water-soluble fertilizer with a balanced ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.   The balance depends on the time of the year.

Some very experience hybridisers will only feed their plants twice a year. They will give them a feed of a well-balanced fertiliser at the beginning of Spring and will not feed again until the plants have finished flowering. At this stage they will feed them with some 90-day slow release fertiliser and also perhaps some blood and bone (bone meal).

If you decide that your plants need to be fertilised more than twice a year you should consider the following:
When your plants are producing new growth, they require a well-balanced fertiliser,
When your plants are producing flowers, they require a low or zero nitrogen fertiliser.
Nitrogen is beneficial for new growth, so use a high nitrogen fertiliser after flowering to support new growth
Potassium is beneficial for flowering, so increase potassium as flowering season approaches (September - December)
Too much nitrogen can stop plants from producing flowers.

We use the following products:

Question 15

DO EPICACTI HAVE FRUIT?  CAN I EAT THEM?

Accepted Answer

Yes! Once pollination occurs by hand or by mother nature's buzzing bees, the pollen (now stuck to the stigma) grows a pollen tube down through the style to the ovary. The nucleus of the pollen grain travels down the pollen tube and fertilises the nucleus in the ovary. Once pollen gets to the ovary within the flower, the ovary develops into a fruit. The ovules inside the ovary develop into seeds inside of this fruit.

Epicactus fruit is somewhat like Dragonfruit, only a bit smaller.

Can epicactus fruit be eaten? YES! 
Many types are quite sweet and tasty, some can be a little bland, it depends on the particular hybrid and degree of maturity.
Generally pick the fruit when it has become moderately soft to touch. Some fruit will turn a pinkish purple colour as they ripen, while others will ripen without changing from their green colour.

Question 16

WILL BANANA PEELS HELP MY EPICACTUS?

Accepted Answer

Some people believe that adding banana peels to soil encourages plant growth, increases flower and fruit production, and gives a healthy boost to your garden.

Whilst this is true, it may not be particularly useful for epiphyllum as it takes 2 years for banana peel to break down, which means all that potassium may be dumping into your soil when you really want nitrogen for growth, rather than potassium for flowering. You have no way of controlling it.

Furthermore, rotting organic matter such as banana peel can attract pests such as fruit flies, fungus gnats, and other sucking pests which you really don’t want anywhere near your epicactus plants.

The short answer is you would be much better off using a store-bought fertiliser with the balance of nutrients your palnts need.

Question 17

WILL USED OR MOULDY COFFEE GROUNDS HELP MY EPICACTI?

Accepted Answer

Coffee grounds are rich in minerals such as magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, nitrogen, and potassium. 
Phosphorus and potassium improve flowering, and nitrogen is required for photosynthesis, which helps plants grow faster. 
What if the coffee grounds are mouldy?

Green fungus or mould that appears on coffee grounds called Trichoderma, is very beneficial to the soil. 
Blue-green fungus or mould is likely a safe strain of Aspergillus or Penicillium which is moderately beneficial. 
White feathery mold on your coffee grounds is most likely Aspergillus and will not harm your plants.
but coffee grounds with brown, black, or reddish pink mould belong in the bin! They are toxic to you and your plants.
 
Coffee grounds also have an added benefit of repelling pests such as snails and mosquitoes, so sprinkling them around the top of your plant pots is not a bad idea. All things in moderation though, so use sparingly (perhaps no more than 5% of your potting mix), as it can inhibit the free draining potting mix that epicacti need.

Question 18

DO YOU SELL INTERNATIONALLY?

Accepted Answer

We only sell in Australia to Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia. 
Due to interstate quarantine restriction on importation of plant products, we cannot directly supply into Western Australia, Northern Territory or Tasmania.
If you are from WA, NT or TAS and wish to import bare cuttings (no roots) from us, you can avail yourself of a Concierge service by Paradise Distributers who will receive the cuttings from us and complete the required Quarantine Protocol of the receiving state and forward the plants on to you. This process can take up to 30 days and will incur additional costs for the import permit, the cost of spraying and inspection and extra delivery cost.
See https://www.rareplants.net.au/quarantine-concierge-service/

We do not sell to any country outside of Australia.

Tropical Treasure

Your Australian Epicactus home

Frequently Asked Questions