I've been told that immature cuttings take longer to bloom than mature cuttings. Don't know if that's true or not. I prefer to take cuttings into the woody part of the stem. They are more awkward to handle, but seem to root and bloom faster. That being said, I was given one large division that took 2 years to bloom for me and still only gives me a few flowers. Some are easier, and more generous than others.

Carol, now you are making me take more attention. Other than not taking cuttings from new growth I've not paid much attention to the age of the mature branches I do use. Some are easier than others, that's for sure. I took cuttings from Easter Bunny in Nov 2014. Its now almost too heavy for the hanging pot, I've taken cuttings from those plants to take off some of the weight, those cuttings are now sending up strong branches. The plant from the 2014 cuttings looks like it will be a great bloomer this year, but probably April or May, not Easter.

Mine are all budding at different stages, depending on type and sun exposure. The only one blooming is a noid pink that is not opening fully, and mostly on one side of the plant. I did give them a dose of bloom food a couple of weeks ago.

Hi everyone ,

I received a couple cuttings over a year ago and they are growing good. But, when do they bloom ? I think I
might need to give each one it's own pot and I did find out they don't like bright direct sun

Any help would be greatly appreciated

Hi Shannon,
You should expect blooms from a cutting after 2 years. Yours look healthy. You might get lucky this year. I do one plant per pot but many Epi growers say they bloom better with two or three to the pot and like to be a bit root bound. Early morning sun and then bright shade for the rest of the day seems to work. Some growers use bloom booster fertilizer to get more blooms so you might try that about this time of the year.
Keep post those photos for us to enjoy.
Mike

@microb Thanks Mike I will get them some food

I have always loved them but, they are sooo expensive .
They were a true gift from a fellow ATPer and I am so glad they are alive .

Mine bloom in spring. Yours may not be mature enough to bloom yet. Some take a year or so growth to bloom. I've found that each one has it's own personality. These are tropical epiphytes that grow on trees, so filtered sun, fast draining medium, and they do like to be crowded. I use a cactus mix with mine, but any coarse, humusy mix would be good. I feed with bloom food in spring (March), then switch to a balanced food after bloom, until Oct., then let them go dormant for the winter.. That is the So. Cal. schedule for feeding. I posted my NOID pink in the blooming thread. That one, the one behind it, and my E. oxypetalum were all stem cuttings that bloomed the first year. The purchased leaf cuttings all took at least two years to bloom.

Humm ok .. How often should I feed them ? And I did keep them a little drier this winter and I am just starting to
get them in Spring mode I figure they can hang out with my Christmas cactus for the summer
Are all of your in hanging pots ? It seams they don't like touching other plants and are overflowing their pots so I was nervous about repotting them til summer

I'm a bit lax when it comes to feeding, but once a month should be ok. Yes, Mine are all in hanging pots...they hang from tree branches in nature, and that's the way they will grow. I never encourage people to grow them as houseplants for that reason. They can be tied upright or grown in tomato cages, I'm told, but that seems like a lot of work. If the Christmas cactus are thriving, the Epis should be happy with them.

@ctcarol Thank you very much. I will go & look for my hanging pots for them . And my Christmas cactus are very
happy little buggers . They are still blooming LOL

You're very welcome. Just remember you are in a much different environment than myself or Mike, so adjust accordingly.

I agree with Carol except about the Christmas Cactus. I just cannot get Christmas Cactus to grow for me. They seem to fall apart and rot for me. And yet I have seen a really big one blooming a few doors down from me. I think I have Christmas Cactus Black Thumb.
I converted to hanging pots a couple of years ago. For some years I grew them in regular pots and tried to grow them upright with posts. Then I found the long branches dragging along the plant bench and the bloom did not like that. I find that even in hanging pots some like to shoot a branch skywards from time to time.

I have my Epis hanging as well, seems happier that way, and better to be out of my way, they tend to grow long and heavy, oftentimes have to tie them:
Stems dangling too much:


Got to tie some of them along the ring:


Some are just hanging by the post using hang-a-pot:


Or just elevated from the ground, sitting with other plants:

Mike, I grow my schlumbergera indoors year round. In my area it is safer that way since we get way too hot and dry in summer and too cold and wet during winter if outdoors.

My Christmas cactus are treated just like my epies. Outdoors from March -December and then in a cold frame ( in too little light) until I can put them out again. I am good about feeding in the spring, but not so much later in the year. Easter Cacti are a challenge for me. I don't seem to keep them moist enough or fed enough. I have 4 and not a single bud this year.

Hi All, Christmas Cactus grew good for me. My upstairs is not heated--it is 50 degrees up there in the winter. They seem to like it there and bloom. I gave them to a friend and she killed them. I had a red, white and a pink. It's sickening!

Sandy

that's frustrating, Sandy
Christmas and Easter cacti don't like me either. I need to try a different soil mix, or repot more often, or something. Yet, my MIL has a tiny grocery store Schlumbergera still in its same pot for 3 years looking plump and happy (except for lack of bloom due to lighting . I guess somehow it likes the weekly wetting, which doesn't really wet the peat, and then drying becasue the soil is shrinking away from the pot.

Ok I planted all my Epi cuttings. I had so many of the magenta with pink that I put them in one big pot. It sounds like I will have to divide them when they root. My hanging basket is 10" across. I know they like to be root bound but how many cuttings should I leave in this size pot.
I started two cuttings in water just to see what they do.
It is very hard not to water them. So I mist them. Not use to cactus.

I have most of mine in 3 gallon clay pots sitting on the edge of my potting bench. Here are some pics from 2014 of my Epi area. It's changed some since then but the Epi's are still in the same position. Another idea in the last pic, those three are now on a bench I made for them out of treated wood. Another good way is to use metal pot stands to elevate them, I have some of those under one of my bedroom windows. Eventually they just get too heavy for hanging.

Those are great photos Dee, nice to see a panoramic view of your yard. Lots of variety of plants. I'm getting worried about the weight in my hanging pots. In just two years the growth is phenomenal. I've used bar stools, plastic chairs, thick wooden shelves between stacked milk crates. 8 inch hanging pots take up so much less space than 3 gallon pots. At the end of this year I think I will have a crisis!.
Nice water lilies pond. My wife likes water lilies so we now have tubs filled with water along our driveway and on our front deck.