First Epiphyllum Flower!

I have been monitoring the Epiphyllum cuttings outside my kitchen window lately. Remarkably, two of the rooted cuttings had sprouted buds, while the others were all setting new branches. I'm somewhat stunned that a single cutting without any new growth will bloom, but when I woke this morning, raised the curtain, and looked out, there it was!

Impromptu Up Pot 2

I evacuated the greenhouse today. It was scorching hot for March weather, so I decided it was a good day to up-pot all the plants. Originally, I had planned to make do with my ceramic pots, but I found some moderately attractive, light-weight, and inexpensive plastic pots that were perfectly sized for my needs. I bought 10 of those and was able to spread out my collection a bit. I ran out of soil before my ad hoc plan was finished, so I'll come back and update this post after I purchase more. I was also able to move my epiphyllum out of the greenhouse and into their planters which cap the cinder block wall behind my house. They look good so far. Hopefully the environment is good for them there.

Container 1:

• P. holosericea 
• P. 'Manta' (xiikzodz × coriacea) 
• P. foetida 'urbaniana' 

Container 2: 

• P. × belotii (alata x caerulea) 

Container 3: 

• P. x 'exoniensis' (antioquiensis × tripartita var. mollissima) 

Container 4: 

• P. 'Sunburst' (gilbertiana × jorullensis) 

Container 5: 

• P. trisecta 

Container 6: 

• P. cirrhiflora 

Container 7: 

• P. membranacea 

Container 8: 

• P. serrato-digitata
• P. glandulosa 

Container 9: 

• P. macrocarpa
• P. 'Mission Dolores' x P. anioquiensis

Container 10: 

• P. 'Erl' (P. 'Blue-Eyed Susan' x P. 'Blue Bouquet')
• P. luzmarina x (? x ?)
• P. actinia x (? x ?)

Container 11: 

• P. lindeniana

Container 12: 

• P. gritensis

Container 13: 

• P. New Hybrid 2

Container 14: 

• P. tarminiana 'alba'

Container 15: 

• P. x decaisneana  (alata × quadrangularis)
• P. nigradenia

Container 16: 

• P. caerulea
• P. nephrodes

Container 17: 

• P. umbilicata

Container 18: 

• P. tulae

Container 19: 

• P. racemosa 'buzios' 

Container 20: 

• P. bogotoensis 
• P. discophora 

Container 21: 

• P. stipulata 
• P. palmerii

Container 22: 

• P. loefgrenii

Container 23: 

• P. pittieri

In the Ground:

• P. edulis 'flavicarpa'
• P. racemosa 'buzios'
• P. umbilicata
• P. 'Cherry Tart' (cupraea x (yucatanensis and biflora))
• P. subrotunda

Seedlings and back-up plants: 

• P. New Hybrid 2
• P. gritensis 
• P. tarminiana 'alba' 
• P. lindeniana  
• P. morifolia
• P. membranacea "Strybing Variegated"
• P. sidifolia x (miersii x kermensia) 
• P. pinnastipula
• P. nephrodes
• P. 'Sapphire' (edulis × caerulea)
• P. 'Raspberries and Cream'
• P. umbilicata
• P. tulae
• P. caerulea

The March of Progress

It is a rainy day here in Redondo Beach and the LA basin as a whole. The region desperately needed the water, though it will cause some flooding and mud slides in the burn areas from recent fires. Nevertheless, it's a quick change from the sunny and warm weather than has caused my greenhouse to bulge with overgrowth. I've even taken to cutting some of the 4" pots back, which I almost never do for fear of hurting the juvenile plants. But today, as I noted, it is gray and cloudy. A day that I can't poke the flowers and do the rounds. So, instead I'm taking inventory and plotting my scheme for Spring.

In doing so, I recently pulled up a pot that just couldn't sustain its four original inhabitants. A more foolish and younger version of myself didn't realize how stunted the adult plants would become in this pot. So, with cuttings taken, rooted, and thriving in the greenhouse, I start from scratch on that pot and three others. One from the recently deceased P. parritae (which keeled over quite literally and suddenly), one from P. Raspberries and Cream which despite some flowers and fruit also met a composted fate, and one from P. Donna Brigham, which just didn't thrive where I had positioned it and wasn't a favorite to begin with. So, I have four empty pots...Oh, I have 5 if I count the small one.

There are a few jewels in my collection. I have a P. cirrhiflora doing quite well in the greenhouse. I have a P. membranacea doing just fine outdoors in a little pot. And, I have a couple of P. gritensis and P. lindeniana seedlings that are slowly maturing. With loefgrenii on the way (again) and a few other nice plants on the horizon, I need to strategize. First, what do I have occupied...

Oh wait, I recently put a few plants in the ground in the front yard. P. racemosa 'buzios', P. umbilicata, P. tulae, and P. caerulea are all enjoying the rain today. OK, back to the pots...

Container 1:

• P. holosericea 
• P. 'Manta' (xiikzodz × coriacea) 
• P. foetida 'urbaniana' 

Container 2: 

• P. racemosa 'buzios' 
• P. × belotii (alata x caerulea) 

Container 3: 

• P. x 'exoniensis' (antioquiensis × tripartita var. mollissima) 

Container 4: 

• P. 'Sunburst' (gilbertiana × jorullensis) 

Container 5: 

• P. trisecta 

Container 6: 

• P. cirrhiflora 

Container 7: 

• P. membranacea 

Container 8: 

• P. serrato-digitata
• P. glandulosa 

Container 9: 

• P. macrocarpa
• P. 'Mission Dolores' x P. anioquiensis

Container 10: 

• P. Erl (P. 'Blue-Eyed Susan' x P. 'Blue Bouquet')
• P. luzmarina x (? x ?)
• P. actinia x (? x ?)

In the Ground:

• P. edulis 'flavicarpa'
• P. racemosa 'buzios'
• P. umbilicata
• P. tulae
• P. caerulea
• P. 'Cherry Tart' (cupraea x (yucatanensis and biflora))
• P. subrotunda

Plants in 4" Pots: 

• P. New Hybrid 2
• P. gritensis 
• P. tarminiana 'alba' 
• P. lindeniana  
• P. morifolia
• P. membranacea "Strybing Variegated"
• P. sidifolia x (miersii x kermensia) 
• P. pinnastipula
• P. stipulata (April)
• P. loefgrenii (April)
• P. discophora (April)
• P. nephrodes
• P. x decaisneana (alata × quadrangularis)
• P. 'Blue-Eyed Susan' (incarnata × edulis) × (incarnata × cincinnata)
• P. 'Sapphire' (edulis × caerulea)
• P. 'Raspberries and Cream'
• P. nigradenia
• P. palmeri
• P. bogotoensis
• P. umbilicata
• P. tulae
• P. caerulea

That's a bunch of plants needing space to root. So here's the plan:

1. P. membranacea gets up-potted to the largest pot which formerly house P. parritae.
2. P. lindeniana gets P. membranacea's old pot and some black bamboo stakes.
3. P. gritensis and P. loefgrenii share one pot.
4. P. decaisneana and P. nigradenia share one pot.
5. P. bogotoensis, P. discophra and, P. morifolia share the last pot.
6. P. Blue-Eyed Susan and P. nephrodes will join P. Erl in its pot (extricating the other two).
7. P. tarminiana 'alba' and P. New Hybrid 2 will need a brand new pot

Undead Orchid

A coworker of mine had an orchid at her desk last year. It was in bloom when she acquired it of course, but then it became little more than a few waxy leaves in some potting mix. Then, it lost its appeal and was neglected a bit, so it turned yellow and came close to death. So, after the greenhouse was built I offered to adopt the little plant with the understanding that I would bring it back to work if it should ever bloom again. I up-potted it, left it on the ground in the greenhouse where the filtered light would reach it (though I did give one of its leaves a nasty sunburn), and hoped the humidity would coax it back to life. And so it did rise with a few more leaves and eventually a little spike! The spike sprouted buds, and the buds opened with snow white blossoms.

The only thing is...I think it was pink last time it bloomed. I have a few things to learn about orchids evidently.

Tillandsia and More

One of the gifted plants that I received from a local Epiphyllum friend was a Tillandsia aka air plant. I don't know the species, but since it didn't need a pot or much space, I let it hang out in the green house since I acquired it. It has been growing rather quickly. What's more is that today it began blooming. It's a cute little thing with a single flower spike. I suspect that with warmer weather, that this little plant is going to explode with growth. We will see.

The Epiphyllums that I attempted to root will be investigated today. They'll either be moved to a more soily substrate or need a recutting so that I can try to root them again. Doing all of this now will hopefully mean that by Spring I can plant them into some containers that I bought for the cinder block wall behind my house. I think they'll get the right amount of sunlight there.

I updated on the Passiflora in the greenhouse in my last post. But I failed to mention that I began some P. membranacea and P. cirrhiflora cuttings in the cloner. They're in the garage with a LED grow light on them. Last time, they were in the greenhouse with all of the other cuttings, and when they were, P. cirrhiflora took root and P. membranacea quickly died. I checked on the cuttings today in the garage and the P. cirrhiflora cuttings were all expired while there were little roots appearing on P. membranacea. The most significant factor is evidently heat. I've determined that P. cirrhiflora likes approximately 80°F water/air and P. membranacea likes approximately 65°F water/air. When one considers the normal growing environment for both species, the correlation isn't difficult to understand. Hopefully the new P. membranacea cuttings will take once I pot them. And, hopefully I can generate some more P. cirrhiflora cuttings in the greenhouse when the weather warms up a bit more.

New Year: A New Hope

The new year has come. The garden has been largely stagnant except for a showering of leaves from P. holosericia, which did the same last year, but regrew them and many flowers following last Winter. In the greenhouse, where I installed a large, new, bright light there are many plants. Some are well established like P. cirrhiflora (which just finished its second bloom), P. antioquiensis, P. nephrodes, and P. macrocarpa. Others are cuttings, or back-up plants, if you will. I have P. Raspberries and Cream, P. x decaisneana, P. Blue-Eyed Susan, P. racemosa buzios, P. Manta and a few others just hanging around. There are some seedlings that have been growing for a long time like P. gritensis, P. lindeniana, P. umbilicata, and some guest hybrids. And finally, there are the new seedlings like P. caerulea and my new cross! Hopefully, I'll have another beauty to claim and name in 2014 to compliment P. Erl.

With all of these plants, I need a solid Spring strategy. And here, Spring comes early. In March it will be time to start pulling out the Tacsonias. Soon after I'll pull out the rest. And will that, I think I need to cull some of the older plants in Pergolatory. Some will be reincarnated with their cutting backups. Others, well...they had a good run.

It will be another exciting growing season. I'm quite confident of that. My only concern now is that P. cirrhiflora will run out of steam before the sun returns from it's Winter solstice zenith. It survived last Winter with the spot lights directly on it. Now it's sharing the light with the rest of my brood. I hope it's strong enough to survive. I've sent away all of my viable back-ups. Taking cuttings now would be certain vegicide, and unlikely rooting. So, we wait, as the theme of Pergolatory continues in 2014.

December Lights

It's amazing that the neighbors are cool with the glowing 8 ft obelisk behind my house. Maybe it's just Christmas cheer. Or, maybe they assume it's cannibis and the cops are going to show up. For the record, they're all Passiflora!