Cecelia - Wow! Those are amazing! I hope to one day have some that look as good as yours and bloom that much, too! What do you fertilize yours with?

Cecilia, Stunning!! I love 'Summer Carnival' and the mislabeled one ... really, really beautiful!!

Thank you all ! I'm glad you liked my blooms.
Tarev, My epis stay outdoors all year long simply because I don't have a proper place inside and we have mild Winters here.
Becky, I don't use too much fertilizer. When I do I use a 7-3-7,5, but I give my epis a small amount of it. Just as I do with my orchids.

That's same with my epis Cecilia, not too much fertilizer, treating them like I grow my orchids. But watering them more often when it is very hot and dry here.
We have similar growing conditions, not much space inside, mild winters, but very dry here during summer since we are more inland.

Thank you, ceci!

Hi Cecelia, I've been looking at your blooms and they are wonderful. Here in Hawaii epis grow all year round but the blooms are mostly limited from April thru Sept. We are having an unusually hot and clear January which seems to be causing extra growth and certainly a high need for water. I grow mine in opensided greenhouses to keep off the rain. We get about 200 inches a year in the rainforest. That's just too much.

Wow Cecilia, Those are really gorgeous. I hate to hear about your flood. My plants endured 24 inches of rain in a time span of 2-3 days this past October. I lost a few babies, but most of my larger. Mine spend the winter in a dark cold frame. They struggle for light during the winter but seem to thrive in my hot winters. I am hoping for more blooms this spring. I have 1 bud now and I am watching it like a hawk.

So tempting to move my Epis out of the growcamp..I see nice 70's next week and just low 40's. But then I see the mid 30's again the following week... I guess got to wait patiently for March. I don't want to waste the effort of keeping them cool and dry most of winter only to lose or damage them for some one more cold dip!

I have dealt with that same dilemma this past week. I ended up not moving mine.

I caved in..brought my epis out...sun is shining so nicely. Okay fingers crossed, as long as there is no sudden rain, should be okay even if it gets into the low 40's. But it is nice to see they really did good sheltered in the growcamp since late Nov. Will just watch how it adjusts now.

Hi Tarev,

Curious to know why you are concerned about "no sudden rain". Are you concerned about cold rain or heavy rain? I don't think a small amount of light rain would do them any harm. Or are you more concerned about them being sensitive to rain after the winter rest. I don't have that concern here in Hawaii so just interested.

I'm seeing lots of new growth and a couple of new buds so excitement is growing as we head towards March and April. Also taking cuttings to replace the plants lost to branch decay this year.

We have some "cold" weather approaching this weekend. Night temps may get down to 50f and daytime temps might struggle to reach 70f with a dry air mass. but the greenhouse epis like the clear blue skies during the day and temps in the greenhouse get really warm.

Our rain here at this time of the year is cold rain, whether a little or heavy, then overnight can get down to 37F. We even have times we go into 21F, thankfully nothing like that lately whew! In the past years, when that happens, my epis will get bad cold damage, getting awful rotting. I wish we have the rains during our summer time, when we sizzle to the 90's and triple digits, that would have been much better for them so they can get better humidity.

I see some buds woohoo! Hoping at least 1 or 2 will truly make it!

I'll be waiting for your blooms Tarev. It looks like you are going to have a good season.

Oh I do hope so Ceci! It tried before doing buds, but got fried when our very dry heat returned. We still have some nice rains coming by this weekend, hope it encourages it more!

I'm watching also Tarev. Are those buds on four different plants. Do you know the colors?

Hi Mike! Yup from 4 different plants. Only from one of them similar to the color on your avatar...the rest, always blasted before so I have no idea what they really look like.

Tarev, I am happy for your buds. I have seen 1 more so far on my Ackermanii. The others look as if they may set buds, but I am not sure yet. It is so exciting though. Can't wait to see your flowers.

I found an enabler at the flower show I just went to in San Francisco...ended up with a cutting of "Marseillaise" coming home with me. And I was doing so well at cutting back my houseplant population.

You are so lucky, Darcy, being able to buy cuttings so easily. So many limitations living in Hawaii.