Mid-Atlantic Gardening: Weather Watching Summer 2013, 1 by Gitagal

Gitagal wrote:
Sally--
I have a reserve of all three already growing . The "yukky" replacement one, with the most beautiful blooms,
Is already in an 8" HB and looking good.

The monster-old one has some negative aspects about it. I am getting tired of it...
The positive? The blooms are breath-taking--and have now bloomed every year since 2010.

1--it hangs VERY askew--all the weight of the fronds is mostly on one side. It is lopsided!
I worry that one winter, it will pull out the small ceiling hook out and crash down on its own
taking out some other plants below.
2--This dry, cracked, ugly look of the fronds is horrible looking.. Does not seem to affect the plant, though.
3--It is SO huge, that there is no hope of ever transplanting it again.
4--This one, as well as the other Epi, has hair-like, little thorns that go right into your skin to fester..

On the other two:

The Ric-Rac Cactus. It is SOOO heavy!!! I bet it weight about 30+ lbs.
I don't dare to hang this one any longer from the small, single ceiling hook.
Aina got me a high, metal plant stand and i will use that from now on.
If this one crashes down--There will be a zillion pieces to root...
Can't believe the hook has held out this long...The Ric Rac has bloomed only once for me--back in 2008.

The "Ackermanii" one that--is bloom right now--is the best behaved. it hangs evenly and has NO monstrous fronds.
It now has bloomed, reliably, since 2009.

I don't have time right now to take pictures--as I have to get ready for work.
Will do so later.....

stay tuned. Gita

This is from June of last year......see what I mean?