Aloha,

Just did all this once and then his the wrong button and deleted everything. So here we go again.

Difficult to keep the Epi thread going when the blooms stop. Here are a couple of late surprises. The first (now the last pic) is Vern Pettinger and the second (now the first pic) is one I unofficially named my self as Levincus. There is a long story behind that name. Maybe one day I will tell it.
Since August 23rd I've been able to get the roof on the new Epi greenhouse. Now have to install the rods that will hold the hanging pots and put in the benches. Hoping to get four rows of hanging pots long ways down the greenhouse with two or three tiers of pots from each rod. The strong metal frame should take the weight. The benches will be low for pots too large to hang and for 4 inch pots with 2 cuttings per pots for this years cuttings. Looking forward to pushing my way between the rows.
Whats everyone else doing. Must be planning for the winter housing of outdoor Epis.

Mike - THAT greenhouse is awesome!!! I think your epis are going to love their new home! Sounds like it will be able to house quite a few, too!

Your blooms are beautiful! How I would love to see some colorful blooms. Both of the cultivars I've had blooming were white. I have other cultivars, but they are starter plants and will take a long time to mature to blooming size.

That is indeed a lovely set-up and a lovely bloom Mike!

Well, my epis are just on leaf mode right now, done with the blooms. It is too hot here, we are on a week long heat wave. So had to water them nicely to survive this onerous dry heat. My epis stays outdoors year round, that is the only time they get some good rain even if it is rather cold.

I do not have blooms right now, but I am enjoying the pinkish blush on some new leaves:


This one, the main mother leaf almost died last winter, got severely rotted, thankfully rotten side dried off, so I was able to peel it away, now it looks like it got a big bite on the body But it is actively growing new leaves so life continues on.

It's been months since my epis have bloomed but I have a Nyctocereus serpentinus that is going to bloom out of season soon. It is a fragrant night-bloomer. (I know it isn't an epi.)

I was out in the new greenhouse this afternoon trying to decide on the bench layout and where the hanging pots will be most accessable.. I think there will be a six foot wide bench down the middle with two rows of hanging pots over the bench so I can access one from each side. Then one row of hanging pots along each side wall. Each row of hanging pots will be two rows one above the other. That should be about 120 hanging pots. Scary! Will post more pics as it comes together.
That pinkish blush and red edges to the leaves is a sure signal across my benches that the plants are growing like crazy. All the leaves get mixed in amongst each other, sometime difficult to separate. Some branches are 3 to 4 feet long.

That is/will be a lot of happy Epis!!

In the meanwhile - my Epiphyllum phyllanthus v. phyllanthus has been blooming all Summer and has lots of seed pods which will turn red when ripe. Didn't get a good close up last night, but here is the morning after. They were two blooms this time.

And Epiphyllum hookeri/ strictum also bloomed last night and was still open this morning for a while.

Now my oxypetalum better hurries up or it will be blooming inside.

I missed mine yesterday

Ursula - I have Epiphyllum hookeri/ strictum, too! I missed the blooms this year. Too much rain. But mine is finally starting to bloom more!

Always a bummer when one misses the night bloomers!

Nice pics Ursula.

I got lucky last night. Heavy rain almost stopped me going down to the greenhouse but it stopped at 9.15pm. Good job we are isolated, rubber boots, PJs and a blue and white umbrella and flash light. Just as I was taking pics two nice lightning flashes and rolling thunder made it all the more exciting. Raining hard by the time I walked back up the driveway. Storms still going off and on this morning. Storm centers about 10 -15 miles from us.

My Strictums (now finished for the year) usually keep their blooms in full glory until about 8am so don't have to go out in the middle of the night.


Mike

Those blooms never get old, right? just beautiful!

Mike - Well worth trudging down to the greenhouse in the rain to get those photos and see those blooms! Was the scent noticeable with the all the rain?

Becky - Yes the scent was pretty strong in the humid night air.

Just completed the new Epi greenhouse. I have two 6 ft x 8 ft pieces of aviary cage wire to lay on the benches. Looking forward to hanging all those pots from the new rails. The ropes holding the rails have a 250lb load rating so should be OK.

Now I can start cleaning up the larger plants and use the new bench to move things around.

Looking good! I see you are in Hawaii .... your climate must be perfect year round for all those epis!!!

Looks like this "Diva" is going to give me another chance!!! I'm just hoping that I can catch it in all it's glory! Looks like I may have a late night, or two ahead of me!

Tara - I had 1 single bud a couple of nights ago that looked JUST LIKE YOURS! I missed it. But another epi has several buds on it and will be blooming soon. It is a different epi. Won't know for sure until it blooms.....

Looks like tonight will be the night!

Last nights progress...about 10 pm, And then about 3am,


Today....2:45 pm


Looks like I'll be lucky this time! (So long as I don't sleep the night through, but I can't remember the last time that happened!) Can't wait to post tomorrow!

Oh yes!!

We are all glued to our computer screens!

And I'm glued to my camera!!!!

See you all in the AM!!!!!