BEAHM GARDENS 21 
CULTURE OF 
Epiphyllums prefer filtered light, that is, 
conditions suitable for ordinary ferns or be- 
gonias but must not have excessive moisture 
at their roots. They can withstand cold a de- 
gree or two below freezing. 
Remember their culture is simple but entire- 
ly distinct from that of the desert cacti. Lack 
of this knowledge may have caused many fail- 
ures by those who tried to treat them as ordi- 
nary cactus. 
A good POTTING SOIL formula is one-half 
well decomposed leafmold with the other half 
made up of equal parts of coarse gravel, garden 
loam and well rotted steer manure with a 
small amount of bone meal (about the equi- 
valent of a teaspoonful for each four-inch pot). 
This mixture can be made up and kept ready 
for use. 
There are many SOIL FORMULAS, all may 
be good but they must have a few things in 
common—for one thing—excess water should 
drain away fairly rapidly leaving the roots to 
grow in only a moist mixture. Remember the 
epiphyllum hybrids receive part of their in- 
heritance from an epiphytic type of cactus 
which lives in trees with roots having free 
access to moist air so they should not be 
smothered in a compact soil. 
Oak-leafmold partially decomposed is ex- 
cellent but so is the humus you often make in 
your compost heap from leaves, grass trim- 
mings and other vegetation. Such material 
should never be finely screened. The roots are 
capable of selecting their own food from coarse 
material. Our experience is to avoid, in your 
mixture, all materials or fertilizers with a very 
high nitrogen content such as_ blood-meal. 
There are many milder items to use in your 
potting-mix such as slow-acting bone-meal, well 
cured steer manure—sheep or rabbit manure. 
Chicken manure is far too rich in nitrogen 
unless it has been composted down with other 
materials. 
BROKEN BITS of clay pots or porous bricks 
—sponge rock—and crushed rock helps to 
aerate the potting mix. 
When you receive ROOTED CUTTINGS 
plant them in SLIGHTLY MOIST potting soil 
then withhold water for several days. This 
applies whenever roots have been disturbed as 
some roots may have become broken and might 
start to rot if watered too soon. 
When potting allow an inch or more room 
between the soil line and the top of the con- 
tainer. This will permit the addition of a little 
fresh potting mixture or light fertilizer each 
year without having to repot thus not disturb- 
ing the roots nor yet getting the pot too full 
to permit proper watering. 
UNROOTED CUTTINGS should be planted 
EPIPHYLLUMS 
to the depth of one inch or more in SLIGHT- 
LY moist peat and sand, half and half. Keep 
in a shady place, if possible, in a moist at- 
mosphere. Start light watering after the third 
week. The cuttings may remain for as long as 
a year in the peat and sand without injury. 
But in any case don’t disturb for the first 6 
months. They do not require excessive root 
feeding. 
Avoid repotting while in bud. 
Epiphyllum Hybrids (Phyllocactus) fill a 
definite need in all plant collections. Many 
make wonderful hanging baskets, others can 
be trained in an espalier effect while still others 
are best as simple pot plants. See recommenda- 
tions elsewhere. 
DON’T 
DON’T repot epiphyllums when they are in 
bud or bloom. 
DON’T sift potting soil for Epiphyllum—leave 
it sO coarse it can never pack. 
DON’T water until one week has elapsed after 
transplanting. 
DON’T allow your Epiphyllums to remain 
bone dry for weeks at a time. At least spray 
the foliage. 
DON’T allow them to stay soaking wet for 
weeks at a time. 
DON’T neglect to use rain water when avail- 
able as this helps to leach out excess alkalies 
from the soil. 
DON’T force your plants with fertilizers too 
high in nitrogen. It tends to produce growth 
instead of flowers (and may cause spotting 
on foliage). Let the growth come naturally. 
DON’T imagine that a rank-growing luscious 
plant must produce superior flowers. 
DON’T use too large a container—Epiphyllums 
do not have as heavy a root system as most 
plants, they obtain much of their food from 
the air. 
DON’T try to discourage new growth in the 
(early) fall—it is their normal growing sea- 
son. 
DON’T worry about frost damage if tempera- 
ture stays above 30 degrees except on species 
such as E. oxypetalum and E., strictum. 
DON’T disbud—the benefits obtained are not 
worth it. 
DON’T worry when some of the quarter-grown 
buds drop off—nature will permit only 
those buds to mature that the plant can 
support. 
DON’T believe that allowing the fruit to de- 
velop, in moderate quantity, will kill or 
damage your plant. 
DON’T think that to soak a plant which has 
become leathery or wrinkled is the proper 
