Schlumbergera opuntioides

[DaveW]

An old thread, but just to update it. Here is an interesting video of how S. opuntioides grows in the wild along with S. truncata. A gentleman who was in this expedition they videoed tells me the plants grow with their roots just wrapped around the tree bark, therefore whilst the roots may like moisture presumably they also prefer a good air circulation around them more like plants growing in sphagnum moss rather than dense composts, which may account for roots and the bottom segments rotting if kept in dense airless waterlogged composts:-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7jYUxglNWY

There is a good article on S. opuntioides by Andreas Hofacker in Cactus Explorer 13, pp 51-59.

Hofacker says:-

"The conditions in habitat show us how to grow Schlumbergera opuntioides. The substrate should be relatively rich in humus, but very permeable to water. Standing water must be avoided. Cultivation should take place in an airy place (in summer, best outside). Prolonged heat and temperatures above 30°C should be avoided. Greenhouse culture in summer is therefore only partly recommendable. As with almost all other species of the genus Schlumbergera, the grower will have problems with culture if the plants are kept too warm. In summer, the plants feel very comfortable in a hanging basket in a tree on the north side of a house. Direct sunlight should be avoided, but morning or evening sun is tolerated. Watering should be done regularly so that the substrate never dries out completely. Regular fertilizer applications in not too high concentration promote growth. In a relatively short time one stem segment will then develop into a sizeable plant."

http://www.cactusexplorers.org.uk/Explo ... mplete.pdf

Evidently Grandma got her Christmas Cactus cultivation right in her much colder pre central heated house with frost on the window panes over night in winter when the open fire died down and then the plants put out in the garden in our cooler climate all summer in the wind and rain. Evidently Hatiora too likes such cultivation and does not like our overwarm greenhouses in summer.

I had a small two joint rooted cutting of S. mictospherica from Ralph Martin. It too rotted at the base so I more or less gave up on it nipped of the half inch remaining top joint and threw it on top of the soil into a seed pan in my unheated greenhouse under the staging over winter not expecting it to live. To my surprise the next year with the greenhouse having gone down below freezing on a few occasions it had rooted over winter and is now growing new joints. S. microsphericus grows on top of a mountain above the forest where S, opuntioides grows, so obviously gets even colder in winter.

I am finding more and more cacti don't like our overly hot greenhouses in summer and would probably do better outside. Austrocactus, Pterocactus and even Pyrrhocactus umadeave, as well as Schlumbergera and Hatiora, possibly even some Rhipsalis too?

[Sylvia]

Just like to add something to the above comments. I have a plant that I had from Ralph which grew very well and flowered. I tried taking a few pads off for cuttings but couldn't get them to root down in my normal way and they dried up so I tried my water method, placing the pads in a tiny glass of water with just the base in the water, it worked well and I now have several small plants growing slowly.

[ralphrmartin]

I had a small two joint rooted cutting of S. microspherica from Ralph Martin.

I may be asking for a bit back then soon. Mine is on its last legs, and I find it almost impossible to grow. To wet - it dies. Too dry - it dies.It's done best for me in a sealed container with roots only slightly damp but 100% humidity - but then everything went mouldy.

On a happier note, I have produced some seed of the true S. kautskyi. Anyone who would like some, let me know what goodies you have to offer in exchange!

[Rene G]

I have grafted one of my Schumbergera opuntioides on a Platyopuntia and its just comming into flower since end of February. It is doing so well on the graft that its been going for over 15 years with just the ocasional re-potting. But ofcourse you are right, on it's own roots it is not doing too well and I havn't found the right medium yet!
The best place to keep it is in the shade under the staging.

[Carl]

I'm having lots of success with the cutting Ralph sent me a while ago it's coming up for its second year of flowers and I even managed to take cuttings for our branch auction last month

I can't remember where I learnt it but I root all my cuttings of Schlumbergera opuntiodes in small zip lock bags and after a few weeks it will have produced a good few roots.

I have 3 plants now one grafted onto Selenicereus sp. Ralphs cutting and also another small plant I bought last year which all seem to be doing well in my usual coir and perlite mix

Sent on the go from my telephone

[DaveW]

Perhaps you can clear something up for me Ralph. Sorry about the poor pictures as they are simply snatched shots against the light on the windowsill since I did not have time to set up for them in order to quickly reply here. Should not have used autofocus either, but screen focused as I usually do! Also a very wide aperture as the light was so dim so minimal depth of field. Anyway I think they clarify what I mean.

The "spiny" S. opuntioides on the right is the one you sent me, whereas the more spineless one on the left came from Steven Thompson who says it also came from you. There seems to be two clones though and I see the Hofacker article in Cactus Explorer mentions that they are smoother almost spineless pads at one end of the range and more spiny at the other?

This is my S. microsphericus now. The half inch joint nearest the soil was all I had left and which overwintered in my cold greenhouse. I then put it in the propagator over this winter and it has put on all the top growth. If I manage to rear it you can certainly have some back. Again a snatch shot I am afraid.

I have now planted them in a mixture containing Orchid Compost, which is mainly Coco Peat, and added a bit of Perlite, grit and a little soil.

I did read somewhere Carl they recommended just lying epiphyte cuttings on the soil to root rather than planting them. Presumably only the roots then penetrate the soil as it is usually the base of the cutting that rots when you bury it. However apart from just throwing the S. microsphericus cutting into a seed pan where it simply rooted into the air before I planted it up, I have not tried it with other cuttings.

[ralphrmartin]

There seems to be two clones though and I see the Hofacker article in Cactus Explorer mentions that they are smoother almost spineless pads at one end of the range and more spiny at the other?.

I have found that the same clone, grown lush and in shade, grows almost spineless, whereas grown hard and in bright dappled light will get very spiny. This plant is pretty plastic according to the conditios it is grown in.

[Ali Baba]

Heres my opuntioides a few days ago. Grows in deep shade in the coolest spot in the greenhouse:

[seadragon16]

That opuntioides is really beautiful. It gives me hope that one day my little three segment plant might look something like that!

[Debbie]

Just love seeing all these brilliant photos .....and mine are doing just fine too ..on a North facing windowsill .Not flowered yet but I have a feeling that they might do next year Debbie