VENTURA EPIPHYLLUM GARDENS 
31 
CULTURAL INSTRUCTIONS 
° 
It is important to remember that al- 
though epiphyllums belong to the cactus 
family, their cultural needs more nearly 
resemble those of Begonia plants than those 
of the spiny desert types. They need fil- 
tered light, adequate moisture and rich 
nutriment to grow strong and put forth 
good crops of rich and prolific flowers. 
All epiphytes require a free movement 
of air. They stand temperatures down to 
32° and have survived lower than that. 
When kept in glasshouses, best temperature 
is between 45° and 70°. They will not do 
as well in a hot, dry atmosphere. Do not 
place plants too near furnace or radiator. 
Weather permitting, keep plants outdoors 
in cool, semi-shaded location. Avoid sud- 
den changes of temperatures, particularly 
when in bud. Epiphyllums are very easy to 
grow if you follow certain, simple instruc- 
tions and the profusion of rainbow-colored 
blooms will reward your efforts. 
CONTAINERS: Clay or glazed pots, 
wooden containers or dipped cans. These 
plants do not like rust. When planting, 
place broken crockery or small rocks on 
bottom of container for good drainage, fol- 
low with slightly moist soil mixture. 
REGULAR SOIL MIXTURE: 3 parts 
well decomposed leafmold (may be supple- 
mented by good garden loam); 1 part 
coarse. sand, spongerock or decomposed 
granite; 1 part peatmoss; 1 part WELL- 
ROTTED steer or sheep manure. Soil must 
be porous at all times. Avoid soggy soil 
that packs. 
The use of peatmoss in the soil mixture 
is optional, although our own soil mixture 
always contains it. We find it helps to hold 
moisture and lessens the frequency of 
watering. When growing plants indoors, 
however, cut down on the amount of peat- 
moss used. We have found it beneficial to 
add a complete commercial fertilizer in dry 
form to the potting soil when you mix it. 
You may secure this in any nursery supply 
store. Use 1 teaspoon to a 6-inch pot; 2 
teaspoons to an 8-inch pot. This will be ab- 
sorbed slowly and give your plant a well 
balanced feeding over a longer period of 
time. 
WATERING: Frequency of watering de- 
pends on weather conditions and the con- 
tainer they are planted in. Clay pots re- 
quire more watering. Once or twice a week 
is the general rule. When weather is ex- 
tremely hot and dry, a light overhead spray 
once a day is beneficial, even when in bud. 
After heavy flowering, cut down on water 
for about a month but do not allow plants 
to become completely dry at any time. 
POTTING: Plants needing repotting 
should be taken care. of after this rest 
period. They do not like to be over-potted 
nor do they flourish as well if pot-bound. 
We advise a 6-inch pot for a cutting; a 7- 
to 8-inch pot for small sized plant. In re- 
potting larger plants it is not necessary to 
remove all soil from roots. If necessary, cut 
off straggly roots. Withhold water for 3 
or 4 days, then keep gently moist until re- 
established. Plants must be well established 
before given additional fertilizer. 
FERTILIZING: Any _ good, complete 
commercial liquid fertilizer. Amount de- 
pends on the brand. Give several applica- 
tions a month apart in late summer and 
fall. Resume fertilizing in late February, 
or when danger of frost is over. Discon- 
tinue as soon as buds start to form. When 
buds are well set, fertilize at least once 
more before coming into flower or even 
while in flower, particularly on the larger 
sized plants. . 
DROPPING OF BUDS. Excessive fertil- 
izing, over-watering and insufficient light 
may cause buds to drop. Large flowers 
take more vitality from plant than small 
ones, consequently the latter bear more 
flowers. Also, plants often form more buds 
than they can support and nature will take 
care of the balancing. 
MAKING CUTTINGS: In moderate cli- 
mates, such as California, cuttings may be 
made at any time if plants are in good con- 
dition, although they will not root as 
quickly during cold months without extra 
protection. A good time is about a month 
after flowering. Second year, mature 
growth is best. Allow cuttings to callus 2 
weeks in a cool, dry place (give more time 
to very succulent ones). Plant no deeper 
than 1% inch. Do not water until roots 
have started to form. Young plants will be 
sturdier if not allowed to flower the first 
year. ; 
GENERAL INFORMATION: Culture, 
fertilizer, location and temperature have 
great influence in the modification of colors. 
A plant rarely produces blooms of full size 
and color until its second years. 
PESTS: Epiphyllums are remarkably 
free from diseases as a general rule, and 
to further insure freedom from pests, we 
sterilize all soil and grow all plants in our 
own nursery. However, if there are pests 
on other plants in your garden, they are 
likely to become infected. Following are 
brief suggestions for control: 
