Zygo season

[fanaticactus]

For about a month, my Zygos--large and small--have been blooming in succession. I kept all my Zygos outdoors all summer in filtered sun and lots of fresh air and watered them moderately. The first two were both bought at a local garden and farm store this summer. They were even blooming then, but they really exploded just before Thanksgiving. One is white with a very pale pink blush, the second is a deep lavender shade.

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Three of the 'plugs' I bought survived and put out a few flowers, even though they were still small. Two I did not get photos of--a pure white one and another lavender--but the third one I was able to photograph; it was an honest red color.

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. The large one that I snapped today came from Lowe's last year on an after-Christmas closeout.

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I think I have at least one more, but it must be buried amidst the jungle of smaller ones in one of the pebble trays. I found the secrets to having good bloomers is to NOT repot them when I get them home and buying fairly large ones to begin with. I've not been too successful in cultivating them into nice plants if they're just 2 or 3 sprigs set into a pot after rooting.

[greenknight]

They bloom well when they're rather root bound. I used to grow cuttings in 2 1/2" pots, and they'd bloom that year. Transplant in the spring into a 3" pot, they'd bloom again that fall. I could keep them in a 3" pot for 2 years, but they'd get awfully top-heavy - best to move them into a 4" pot in year 3.

I was growing them as windowsill plants, just kept growing new ones to replace them when they got too big for the windowsill.

[fanaticactus]

They bloom well when they're rather root bound. I used to grow cuttings in 2 1/2" pots, and they'd bloom that year. Transplant in the spring into a 3" pot, they'd bloom again that fall. I could keep them in a 3" pot for 2 years, but they'd get awfully top-heavy - best to move them into a 4" pot in year 3.

I was growing them as windowsill plants, just kept growing new ones to replace them when they got too big for the windowsill.

Good rule of thumb. And after year 3, keep the 4" pot as long as possible? And just add a bit more new soil every other year or so to keep nutrient level up? I'd love to reach the stage where I could hang them from the ceiling during the blooming season.

[greenknight]

Yes, you can keep them in 4" pot for a few years. I never bothered replacing the soil, I just replaced the plant.

[Eli]

These are beautiful

[jazzguy]

I just lost mine, it was already to bloom and drooped because it had some type of infestation, small white bugs. Eventually died. I will try again. Beautiful pictures!

[fanaticactus]

I just lost mine, it was already to bloom and drooped because it had some type of infestation, small white bugs. Eventually died. I will try again. Beautiful pictures!

These are beautiful

Thanks, guys. They're in cooler rooms now and hopefully building strength for next year's growth. I'm giving them just a bit of water every so often (no set schedule) to prevent them from totally shriveling. And, jazzguy, those mealy bugs gave me a run for the money the past couple of years. If you ever see them on the new ones you buy, I suggest a thorough spray with insecticidal soap and maybe a systemic if you feel it's needed.

[SnowFella]

I just adopted 5 new Zygo's from the cleanup of the in-law's place, some clearly young plants but also 1 massive old one. Think all bar one is run of the mill hybrids, but the odd one out has me intrigued...never seen spines on the older stems on a zygo before!
Going to be interesting to see what colours they come out in come winter.

[majcka]

I just lost mine, it was already to bloom and drooped because it had some type of infestation, small white bugs. Eventually died. I will try again. Beautiful pictures!

These are beautiful

Thanks, guys. They're in cooler rooms now and hopefully building strength for next year's growth. I'm giving them just a bit of water every so often (no set schedule) to prevent them from totally shriveling. And, jazzguy, those mealy bugs gave me a run for the money the past couple of years. If you ever see them on the new ones you buy, I suggest a thorough spray with insecticidal soap and maybe a systemic if you feel it's needed.

I inherited one of those too. I found mellies on it a few days after that. I wondered where they were before, for it looked OK when I got it. Anyways I got it apart from other cacti and sprayed it with insecticide every now and then. It throw of almost all of flowers, but seems it still lives. Few new buds right now. In the spring it will get a nice shadow place in one of our home trees and we will see what will happen.