If you are a fan of this beautiful flowering cacti this article might be useful for you. As a succulent lover you know the importance of repotting. Therefore as other succulents Epiphyllum Repotting is an essential requirement is their growth cycle.
Keep in mind they need different repoting requirements than other succulents. Read more to find more about those special requirements.
Does epiphyllum need repotting?
You do not have to repot Epiphyllum often. In fact, they can thrive in the same pot for many years.
With that being said, you can consider repotting them occasionally. Once you repot it would allow the Epiphyllum to form new growth of them.
Besides, it will help to grow healthily. You should not repot the young Epiphyllum till they produce flowers. Usually, you can let the plants be pot bound as they prefer to grow like that.
However, in case your plants stopped flowering at once, the best thing would be to repot them.
Besides, if you spot your plant’s roots forming out of the pot and if it has overgrown , you need to repot them at that time too.
Apart from that, if you wish to grow them in a fresh pot , you can consider repotting them too.
When should you report an epiphyllum?
You need to repot the Epiphyllum once every seven years approximately.
Further before you repot, you need to wait for about one month once they complete flowering. When repotting, ensure that you do not remove the soil around the root ball.
Signs epiphyllum needs repotting
Even though they need to prefer to stay pot bound, you could look out for a few signs they send out when they need repotting.
If the Epiphyllum plants stop flowering suddenly and if the roots start to come out of the pot through the base, you need to consider repotting them.
Besides, if the top growth of plants is taller , it would unbalance the plant. Further it would make the plants misshapen too. In this circumstance, reporting would be quite handy here.
How to report epiphyllum
You need to wait for the best time to start reporting. Best is to do it after one month of flowering. Before you start repotting, ensure that you are wearing gloves and then do it.
First you need to select the right pot to repot the Epiphyllum plants. Ideally you need to select a terracotta pot as they would be quite effective in establishing the plants well and there will be less chance for the plant to fall in.
If not, you can place a plastic pot in the terracotta pot.
The new pot you repot them should be one which is at least one iche larger than the plant size. Further it has to have sufficient draining holes as well.
Next you need to remove the cactus from the pot. To remove it, you need to remove the plant from the pot whilst squeezing the pot sizes given that if you had grown them in a plastic pot.
If you want to make it easier, you can soak the plant so that it will be easy to remove the plants. Consider using a blunt knife to remove the plants from the pot edges.
Thirdly, you can knock away any soil around the plants. In the meantime, prepare your potting mix. To make the potting mix you can add one inorganic part and one organic part.
You may use elements such as perlite, orchid bark, or grit as the inorganic elements. When you use horticultural grit , it will help the plant to weigh better.
Furthermore, you may use ordinary potting compost as the organic component. However, you might have to change the recipe depending on where you live.
After that you can place your plants in the new pot. Add the potting medium without burying the plants. Skip watering the plants during the first week and leave the pot in a spot where they can gain shade and not direct sunlight.
Reporting kit
The proper repotting kit should include, all purpose classic mini bag, slot pot, rainwater or tap water which was filled in the watering can for 24 hours, and flower clips.
Best soil to repot epiphyllum
Never grow the Epiphyllum in regular cactus potting mix as they usually grow on the decaying organic matter whilst exposed to air when they grow in the wild.
However, the most recommended soil type would be a soil mix which is porous, humus and light. They can retain moisture in the pot and drain faster too. Furthermore, it has to be a coarse sand mixed soil mix as well.
The ideal soil mix ph should be slightly acidic. If you wish to enhance the air circulation in the soil mix , you can consider adding crushed charcoal. Refrain from applying fertilizers which have a high percentage of Nitrogen.
Epiphyllum care after repotting
How to water
The most important factor when watering the Epiphyllum is not to let their roots become bone dry. Ideally you need to make sure that the top quarter of the soil layer is dry before you water the plants.
if you provide excess water for these plants, it would be the biggest fault you do when taking care of them.
Epiphyllum grows well in spring and in fall. Once they complete flowering, your Epiphyllum plants may look wilted. However, you should not water them as it is normal.
Sunlight requirements
Filtered sunlight would suit these plants the best. I recommend exposing them to morning sunlight for a few hours.
On the other hand, they can thrive well in the semi shade. However, do not ever expose them to midday sunlight as it could be harsh.
If you are wintering the Epiphyllum in your house, you need to leave them in a room where there is a temperature of 40 plus degrees Fahrenheit.
When you do this, refrain from switching on the lights in the room when the sun sets. In any case, if you do so it will delay the flowering of them in the next year.
Keep an eye on your plants where they are sunburned or whether they have turned yellow due to excess sunlight exposure.
In case you could spot your plants have become leggy it literally means the plants are lacking adequate sunlight levels.
If there is fresh green growth of the plants along with red edges , that literally means the plants have fulfilled their sunlight requirements adequately.
Temperature requirement
A temperature range of 40-90 degrees Fahrenheit would suit them the best during summer. The exposure for temperature levels below 32 degrees Fahrenheit would be lethal on them.
Fertilizing requirement
You can go ahead with a fertilizer of 10-10-10 to feed the Epiphyllum. Never use fertilizers which have a high percentage of Nitrogen to feed the Epiphyllum.
Ideally the best Nitrogen percentage should be below 10 %. That will be useful to encourage the flowering and for the healthy growth of the plants.
Problems after epiphyllum repotting
Should you water the epiphyllum after repotting?
I recommend skipping watering the Epiphyllum plants for one week when you repot them. That will allow the Epiphyllum plants to settle in the new growing conditions.
You need to water them lightly for about one months’ time and then continue with the regular watering cycle.
Epiphyllum dying after repotting
The excess moisture in the soil could be one of the major reasons for the Epiphyllum plants to die after repotting.
In fact it could result in root rot and that could make fatal repercussions on the plants. In addition to that transplant shock could also be fatal for them. However, you can always make new plants from them by propagating them.
Epiphyllum drooping after repotting
Lack of water is what causes the Epiphyllum plants to droop after repotting.
Despite how well you water them after you repot, it is important that they have fine roots also so that they can absorb water well.
Epiphyllum leaning after repotting
If you fail to expose the Epiphyllum plants to adequate sunlight levels, it could make the plants lean towards the best possible sunlight source they can absorb. Ultimately, they will get taller as well.
Repotting overwatered epiphyllum
When repotting overwatered Epiphyllum plants, you need to first take the plant out and see whether there are any rotten plant parts of the plants. If you find any, you need to trim them off and then transplant.
Repotting epiphyllum after root rot
First you need to check how severe the root rot is. If the root rot has occurred on a minor level, you can snip off the damaged part and transplant it.
However, if the root rot has been spread on a severe level, I encourage you to propagate the plants.
Repotting big epiphyllum
You can go ahead with the same steps as above when repotting the big Epiphyllum plants. However, I recommend pruning the overgrown parts of the plants and then transplanting them.
How to report indoor epiphyllum
As aforesaid, first you need to select the right pot type to grow the Epiphyllum plants.
The new pot you are using should be slightly larger than what you had used before. Next you can follow the same tips as explained in the above.
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