Thank you for your kind comments, Beachplants and Sharon. Re getting them to bloom, Sharon, I have little experience. What I have observed is that most of my plants bloom when the rain comes. Prior to that and during the dry season, they have not been water frequently, maybe once a week or so. I'm guessing the reason could be that they have been left dry and then when it rains, they are watered often by Mother Nature and that makes them bloom. Maybe I'm wrong but that the way with my plants. I hope your plant will bloom soon for you, Sharon. Xuan

Hi, I have a few epies and the only thing that I have that's close to yours is Queen Jualiana, but it would be hard to say for sure, so many hybrids look alike so I wouldn't name it for sure and be happy with such great blooms, I don't give mine a real name until they bloom I keep a tag from where it came from and the sells name, plant name, but until it blooms I wouldn't trade it as a named hybrid just as a might be or unknown. you do have a really nice looking plant and it should give you lots of great blooms Bear

Plantsforever,I've had my ric-rac for over 5 years and no luck getting it to bloom, they say then need to be pot bound and mine is and still no luck, maybe some one will come along and help getting them to bloom. Christmas cactus, I have over 30 plants and 3 Easter cactus that live out side all summer and don't come in until just before the first frost, by this time they have started to set buds,by thanks giving they will have started to bloom and will bloom until some time around the end of Jan, some years the have bloomed until early spring. I feed them year round so the blooms will last longer. epie's need to be pot bound and at least 2 years old before they will bloom, most years I have 30/40 epies hybrids in bloom, this year was not a good year for them here in New England because of all the rain but I still had a good showing of flowers, I feed them from mid spring to late Sept. or before it get to cold for the in the shade house, winter time I water very little and no food I let them rest to get ready for spring and to set buds, I grow them as a hobby and enjoy it a little to much I think, it took a few years to find what works best for me, little fussing and I find I enjoy them more. Bear

Alison my mum and I grow the epis in buckets/pots or hanging baskets in the trees, safer from the snails and slugs. The other friend I went to see has them in big containers about 50 cm high and wide, they are beautiful, he does have a big glass house not being used for tomatoes, to grow them in. A lot of his plants are not 'healthy' looking but he says as long as he waters them they do flower.....I think the biger the container the bigger they grow. My mum's baskets have hardly any mix left in them at times she just adds bark or potting mix. I have my last years seedling to repot I am not sure if I want to xpollinate them again as the seeds all seem to grow,and it seems to much bother. Heather