skip to main content

Northwestern Gardening

Night Blooming Cereus and artificial light

16 years ago

My cactus has four large buds which have been growing at an amazing rate. This is the first year it has had buds and I am particular anxious to see it bloom.

It generally lives in my greenhouse. Because I have had many problems in the past with critters (mice? rats?) eating buds from things which were just ready to bloom, I have been bringing it into my kitchen at night and back out to the greenhouse during the day.

This hasn't seemed to stop the growth of the buds but I am wondering how much light I can have on in the house. Will a bud which is ready to bloom open if there is light or do I have to keep it in relative dark?

arlene m.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (9)

dottyinduncan
16 years ago
Good luck Arlene. Mine was an amazing experience! About 3 days before the buds bloomed, the stems that had been hanging down started to curl up into the "dutchman pipe" position. We didn't have any artificial light in the room it was in so I can't answer your light question. We served local late harvest wine and a great dessert to our guests who came to watch the great unfolding. Please keep us posted.
arlenem
Original Author
16 years ago
It didn't bloom last night. I actually waited until all the house lights were off, took a small flashlight and brought the plant into my bedroom. Every time I woke up slightly I checked if I could smell it blooming. Nothing!

Do they bloom shortly after dark or does one have to sit up all night? If so, I am not going to be able to do it.

And as for light - how do all the guests at the plant-viewing parties find their wine? Candles maybe would not make enough light to bother the plant?

a.m.
Related Discussions
Night blooming cereus cutting
Q
Comments (28)
Hi all; I inherited my mother's night-blooming cereus, which was my grandmother's before that. It's bloomed the last 2 years, but no buds yet this year. However, the horrendous winter, lingering cold and late spring here in the NE meant that it didn't come out site until mode June or later. Still checking every day. Sigh. It does have some new leaves, which appear as tiny red leaves growing off the edge of an existing leaf - which is similar to the way it buds, but so far they all look like tiny red leaves wit yellow tips. I've been lightly feeding it with a very dilute solution of a water-sol fertilizer, 10-30-20 (dilute as those numbers seemed high.) Should I bump up the fertilizer? Or leave it alone? So, two questions: 1) Looks very healthy (besides the non-budding) but It does has some old leaves which have turned yellow or weirdly pink. Wondering if its ok ago trim them off..? And - 1) Is possible that the small new red leaves, growing from the margin of a green leaf, are the beginning of a bud? TIA. I do love this gangly plant, both for reminding me of my grandma's sunporch, and for its weird beauty.
...See More
My Night Blooming Cereus -- tonight!
Q
Comments (26)
That's the problem I have here... no decent trees with limbs low enough to hang plants from in summer. I only have one... the French Pink Pussywillow shrub, which is actually more of a tree now. I've been pruning it to stay at a manageable size, and it now has some lower limbs that might be good for hanging a few plants on this coming summer. It's situated on the east side of a building, so it's sheltered nicely. I thought I'd summer over my orchids in its branches, and also some of my cacti type plants. My bulbs will either be staying indoors, or they'll come out if I can locate a fine mesh cloth to cover them with. I am not willing to share them with Narcissus Bulb Flies! By spring, I should have my indoor light situation fixed to my satisfaction. I'd love to take every plant I have outside for the nicer weather, but I just don't want to end up posting a horror story about destroyed bulbs! There have been too many posted already, and if nothing else, I've learned a thing or two about insect damage! Tomato cages are definitely within my budget, but I'm wondering if it would be worth it to purchase one of those gorgeous black wrought iron towers... the flowers of this night bloomer certainly deserve a special home! I look forward to seeing photos of your tree, complete with your Epiphyllum collection!
...See More
Night Blooming Cereus Cutting
Q
Comments (1)
In the past I have allowed the cuttings to callus off for a few days. I have even forgotten them and when remembered I have found the cuttings to have sent roots out of the nodes closest to the cut end and have even seen root come out of the area close to the midrib and the tip. They need to be planted in a light quick draining mixture. I have used anything from compost, violet mix or just a very good commercial potting soil. My bloomers are potbound and are fertilized with a dilute blooming plants liquid fertilizer. Another in the epiphytic family that usually blooms in the day is the orchid cactus. Many colorful blooms. Good Luck, MA
...See More
Night blooming Cereus question
Q
Comments (17)
Peteray, I just read somewhere that your plant is a Dragonfruit plant. Geeky Gardener - let me know what you found out about the buds dropping off. I had the same problem. I currently have a Night Blooming Cereus with buds. 3 weeks ago, I had about 11 buds. Concerned about the sun burning my plant, I moved it to another spot - partial shade. The large buds are doing fine, but the 4 of my little ones fell off. I was so upset about this. I moved it back to it's old spot. I also gets deer in my yard and I wondered if they nudged it???
...See More
dottyinduncan
16 years ago
lol, we had lights on...not bright but certainly living room lighting. Guests came at 7:30 and the buds opened by 9 pm. You could almost see them open. They were certainly fat and lush the day they opened. Hope you have as much fun as we did.
arlenem
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks for that information. That helps.

The buds still haven't opened but two of them are particularly fat and one has a drop of some clear liquid (?) coming from it. Perhaps the hot day we are having today will speed up the process.

a.m.
dottyinduncan
16 years ago
Has it bloomed yet?
arlenem
Original Author
16 years ago
Yes! It bloomed last night. All four buds opened at once, about 9:00 p.m.

And wouldn't you know it - I was allergic it! I really like fragrant plants, even though, as in the case of roses, sometimes I am slightly allergic to them. But this was really bad. Maybe if it blooms again next year I can sit outside and look at it where the allergens will not be so confined.

At any rate, the flowers were amazingly beautiful and I took a bunch of pictures.

a.m.
Peggyl_WA
16 years ago
Did you do something special to get them to bloom? I have 2 of these that have never bloomed for me. I got one a garage sale 4 yrs ago. It's been growing like crazy. The other is a piece that broke the original. It's been growing about 2 yrs. I would love to see them bloom.

Thanks,
Peggy
grrrnthumb
16 years ago
Peggy the blooming trigger is a cold, dry rest period. I keep them outside late into the season, right up until first frost, and I stop watering about month before that. You want it to get a little gaunt & starting to show it's ribs, together with colder temps.
gleidecker
7 months ago
mine is blooming tonight in CT zone 6! I brought it inside to enjoy the smell. I am afraid to turn on a night light though.

Related Stories

FEEL-GOOD HOME Is Your Bedroom Designed for a Good Night’s Sleep?

By Laura Gaskill

Find out how the right nightstands, bedding, rugs, TV and storage can help you get more restful slumber

ART See the Sky as Never Before, Courtesy of Artist James Turrell

Experience light, space and perception in a whole new way at three museums across the United States — and maybe at your house, too

GARDENING FOR BUTTERFLIES Gardening for the Bees, and Why It’s a Good Thing

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

When you discover how hard bees work for our food supply, you may never garden without them in mind again

LIFE Morning Nook Tips for Sleepyheads to Get-Up-and-Goers

By Laura Gaskill

Whether you whack the snooze button or spring out of bed, these ideas can help you create a refreshing space that helps you on your way

KITCHEN DESIGN Dream Spaces: 12 Beautiful White Kitchens

By Lisa Higgins

Snowy cabinets and walls speak to a certain elegance, while marble counters whisper of luxury

LANDSCAPE DESIGN Unify Your Garden With a Common Thread

By Jay Sifford Garden Design

Bring the areas of your garden together to give it a unique sense of place

HOUSEPLANTS 8 Essentials for Healthy Indoor Plants

Houseplants add so much to our homes — and can thrive when grown in the right conditions. Keep these tips in mind

FEEL-GOOD HOME 9 Smells You Actually Want in Your Home

By Design With Science

Boost memory, enhance sleep, lower anxiety ... these scents do way more than just smell good

SAVING WATER Houzz Call: Are You Letting Go of Your Lawn?

By Annie Thornton

Many facing a drought are swapping turf for less thirsty plantings. If you’re one of them, we’d like to hear about it

LIFE 6 Ways to Cool Off Without Air Conditioning

By Mariana Pickering (Emu Building Science)

These methods can reduce temperatures in the home and save on energy bills

Sponsored

More Discussions

Helleborus 'Garnet Frills'

4

My favorite plant in my garden, right now.

12

Time for Winter to Go!

5

My favorite plant, Easter 2024

4

We wants it! (But will it rule them all?)

10