Mid-Atlantic Gardening: orchid cactus, 1 by Gitagal

Gitagal wrote:
Hey, Ki--and everyone,

I have a huge Ric-Rac cactus that I keep outside every Summer, pretty much in full sun and it has grown very full and with, obnoxiously, long "fronds". I think it is in the same family as Orchid cactus???? The "real" name of it is "Cryptocereus Anthonyanus".

This Summer, for the first time, it bloomed!!!! I guess it has reached the "miserably pot-bound" stage, so it bloomed. A lesson to those that always want to transplant things in bigger pots. Many plants prefer to be rootbound (AV's, Spath, Cactuses and succulents, Mums, etc.)

When a "frond" on this gets too anoyingly long, I cut it off and chop it into 4" pieces and root them all. I did so last Summer and I now have a batch that is rooted and ready to "go"--maybe 12 of them.

Offering this up to the "Home Folk" first. I refuse to go to the "Plant Exchange Forums!" It's name is G-R-E-E-D!!!

It takes many years for it to get this big. My "Momma" is about 12 years old and has only been transplanted ONCE! It is now in a 10" HB (see pictures below). The only problem is that it is very heavily one-sided. Not much I can do.......just hope the hangers can continue to support the weight.

Then--I always look at the "bright" side. Should it come crashing down one day, it will just give me more "fronds" (don't know what else to call them?) to cut up and root. EVERY piece and fragment of this has always rooted!

OK! Went out just now and took these pictures. Here's Momma hanging under my high deck roof--from the outside.