If you are a flower enthusiast and wish to cultivate and enjoy the beauty of night-blooming cereus flowers, you may refer to the following guidelines on planting and caring for this plant.
How to Grow Night-Blooming Cereus for Vibrant Blooms
Choosing the Right Variety: Like all types of flowers, selecting the right variety is crucial as it significantly affects the quality of blooms when the flowers mature and are harvested.
To grow beautiful night-blooming cereus, special attention should be paid when selecting the variety. (Illustrative image)
Planting Method: First, remove any small or overly woody branches, keeping only the thicker, healthier stems. Trim back any excessively tall branches, and separately store the cuttings in a cool place. After a week, these cuttings can be replanted in new pots (keeping them in a cool place for a week allows the cut ends to heal and prevents fungal infections).
Place the night-blooming cereus in a pot, add soil, and press gently at the base, then water thoroughly. After that, keep the pot in a shaded area for three to four weeks before exposing it to sunlight. After about a month, straight and strong branches will emerge from the ground, and these branches will bloom within a few years. Each branch can produce at least two to three flowers during the main blooming season each year (from August to September, depending on the climate).
Growing night-blooming cereus in pots or in your garden is quite simple as this plant is not too picky about conditions. (Illustrative image)
Avoid changing the soil too early; if the cereus is kept indoors without sufficient sunlight, it will only produce small shoots and will not flower. The night-blooming cereus is easy to grow; simply cut a branch and stick it in the ground, and it will take root. However, only robust, healthy branches from previous years will bloom in the current year.
Proper Care for Night-Blooming Cereus to Ensure Abundant and Lasting Blooms
Fertilization
Growing healthy night-blooming cereus does not require excessive fertilization or meticulous care. (Illustrative image)
The night-blooming cereus does not require much fertilizer, but you can use fertilizers such as Peters 20-20-20, Miracle Gro, or Super Bloom. Apply a small cup each month from April to September, and avoid using fertilizers with high nitrogen content. The primary reasons for the cereus not blooming are usually lack of sunlight or insufficient age (typically, the plant must be at least five years old to bloom profusely).
Care Instructions
The night-blooming cereus naturally thrives in shaded areas of deserts or under the canopy of tropical forests, so it is relatively easy to grow. You can propagate it by inserting a branch in a well-drained, airy soil with protection from rain, sun, and cold winds. The cereus can live for a long time in its natural environment and is drought-resistant but cannot tolerate waterlogging. Even without care, it can survive but will not flower. Therefore, it needs regular care to bloom and have a long lifespan.
Growing night-blooming cereus in sunny areas will help the plant thrive and produce more flowers. (Illustrative image)
The night-blooming cereus is usually planted in spots that receive plenty of sunlight, but direct sunlight should be avoided to mimic its natural habitat. Therefore, always allow the soil in the pot to dry out before watering.
When the cereus is not yet blooming at the start of the season, let the pot dry for one or two weeks before watering. Avoid overwatering, as the night-blooming cereus, being related to cacti, can withstand drought. Excessive watering can lead to root rot, preventing new shoots and flowers from appearing. It is also important not to overcrowd the pot; around 8 plants in a 30cm pot is ideal. Too many plants will result in small growth with no flowers.
