When Does the Zygocactus Bloom?

Growing Medium

• Epiphytic plants, such as zygocactus, that use specially modified root systems to absorb moisture and nutrients from their surroundings need loose, coarse and well-draining growing medium when grown in containers. Use a commercial cactus potting soil mix or create your own well-draining growing medium by combining 4 parts peat moss, 3 parts leaf mold and 2 parts perlite. Plant the zygocactus at the depth it grew in its nursery container in a pot with several 1/4-inch drainage holes in the bottom.

Sunlight and Temperature

• Unlike full-sun plants such as cacti, succulents such as zygocactus prefer partial sun locations where they receive plenty of bright, indirect sunlight. A spot within 4 feet of a window that gets less than two hours of direct sunlight per day is a good place to position the zygocactus. Provide zygocactus with 13 hours of total and uninterrupted darkness each day, September through October, to initiate its blooming cycle. Program your thermostat to maintain daytime temperatures between 70 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. At night, lower the temperature to between 50 and 55 degrees Fahrenheit to encourage the plant to set and open its blooms; if exposed to nighttime temperatures above this range, zygocactus may fail to set buds or drop the ones that it does set without opening them.

Irrigation

• Zygocactus appreciates consistently moist, well-drained growing medium while it is actively growing and blooming. Water the plant deeply at least once a week to prevent the growing medium from drying; irrigate until water drains from the holes in the bottom of the pot. The University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension recommends reducing the frequency of irrigation from mid-August until the zygocactus starts to flower to harden off the season's new growth; this slows the plant's metabolism and forces it to store its carbohydrates in its foliage and roots. During this hardening off period, allow the top 1 inch of growing medium to dry between irrigations.

Fertilization

• Zygocactus is a heavy feeder that needs frequent, year-round fertilization to grow and bloom. Feed zygocactus with a water-soluble 0-10-10 fertilizer in February. Apply a second application of this same type of fertilizer in late October or early November. During the rest of the year, fertilize the plant with a balanced, water-soluble fertilizer at the beginning of each month. Refer to label instructions for fertilization rate and application instructions.