Since a bulk of our nursery is devoted to growing and selling echinopsis cacti, I thought it would be fitting to share some tidbits of this interesting horticultural specimen. First off, how did Dancing With Nature become so intrigued by echinopsis? Years ago, we grew and sold about as many epiphyllum hybrids as we currently do echinopsis...maybe even more. Completely in love with epiphyllum blooms, we frantically grew our collection. We learned epiphyllum took up quite a bit of space as we mostly grew them in hanging baskets. With their long, dangling stems, it seemed to make the best sense, and we had a structure we could hang them under for filtered sunlight. They will most definitely freeze so providing shelter during the winter became a challenge. We toyed around and purchased a different kind of cactus called an "echinopsis." It was a round cactus that seemed pretty unexciting by appearance. We planted it in our garden not expecting much but one day, from this boring green ball emerged the most beautiful and exquisite blooms. We were hooked and had a new addiction. Less space, less fussy but blooms very similar to epiphyllum. 

I've enjoyed all the interest I have received in people wanting to know more about growing echinopsis. You will need cactus soil or regular potting soil ammended with perlite, pea gravel, or sand to get started. Containers can be small, and you can pot up once the cactus starts to grow. We use mostly clay pots. We fertilize at least monthly during the growing season with a bloom inducing fertilizer. Water when the soil is dry, usually once a week. As soon as temperatures warm up to approximately 70 degrees Fahrenheit, your bloom fest will begin!  You will experience most blooms opening during the night or wee hours of the morning. Some will last only a day while others can last several days. You may have one single bloom or complete flushes of amazing bouquets. Well, what could you possibly be waiting for? Don't be late for the show! :-)