Question
QUESTION: Hello,

I have two small epiphyllum oxypetalum plants I received back in may that were growing great until about two weeks ago. I have never owned any of these plants in the past. The very tip of the leaf on the one plant has turned brown and dried out (it only has one leaf), and the other plant, which has two leaves, has had about 1/3 of the one leaf turning brown, and the very tip of the other leaf as well. The leaf with the large brown spot was the new leaf that has grown since I potted it. I planted them in about 6" pots that I had, but didn't fill them full of soil (only about half full, because they are small, and its normal potting soil) with a bit of gravel at the bottom for drainage. I water them about once a week to once every week and a half. They receive sunlight all morning.

The small brown spot on the one plant stopped spreading about two months ago, but has not had any new growth since, and the buds (what looked like the starts of buds but I'm not sure, as I've never had any bud before) that started to grow have dried out and died. The large brown spot on my other plant just started last week but appears to have stopped.

I would like to know if I am overwatering my plants, or what is wrong so I can try to prevent this from causing further harm to my plant.

Thank you very much!

ANSWER: Hi Alysha,

It is not clear to me just what you have here. Are these cuttings that you potted up? Did they have any roots before you potted them? A photo would be most helpful.

The symptoms you described are most likely caused by a problem with the roots. They could be damaged by either under or overwatering or by transplanting. Cuttings and small plants are very fragile because their root systems are so small that the margin for error is tiny.

Epiphyllum should be potted in a gritty potting mix that is about half Orchid mix and half peat moss. Regular potting soil is too dense and retains water for too long for this epiphytic plant that grows in tree branches, not in the ground, in tropical rain forests. Adding gravel to the bottom is an outdated and discredited method for improving drainage. In fact, it does just the opposite.

When properly potted, this plant should be watered when the top half-inch of potting media feels dry and that should happen within a week or less. A sunny east-facing window that is uncovered throughout the day is a good location for it. It also does well outdoors in shade, if that is an option for you.

I have written an article on Epiphyllum care that I will email for free to you (or anyone else) who emails a request to me at [email protected].

Please let me know if any of this is unclear or if you have any additional questions.

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Regards,
Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC

Visit my website at: A link to HorticulturalHelp.com




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Epiphyllum Oxypetalum   QUESTION: Hi Will,

Thanks so much for your previous answer. I have attached a picture to this message for you to better understand what it looks like. They had small roots when I got them. I am going to re-pot them in the proper soil type you mentioned above and see how they do. Is there anything that I should look for in the roots while I am transplanting them? Since the area doesn't appear to be spreading any more at the moment, will the plant come back from this? Is there any trimming I need to do (mind you I don't have much to work with in regards to trimming).

Thanks again!

Answer
Hi Alysha,

Unfortunately, the photo shows only a portion of a leaf, not the way the plant is potted up.

They probably should be in smaller pots and you should have more than one cutting per pot. If you have two cuttings, pot them together in a 3 or 4 inch pot.

When you repot, look for healthy roots that are not soft and mushy. I suspect you will find few if any healthy looking roots. If the lower portion of the cuttings that were below the soil line are soft and mushy, then there is no chance they will ever recover.

The damaged leaf portions will not recover, so you may as well trim off those brown sections. The key to recovery is the condition of the lower stems and the roots.

~Will