How to Grow Night-blooming Cereus: Care Methods, Precautions and Flowering Time

The growing experience with the night-blooming cereus should be among the most widely mastered and accumulated knowledge for any plant in the cactus family, because the night-blooming cereus is, after all, the parent plant of the dragon fruit, and dragon fruit is now widely cultivated around the world. So what exactly are the differences between growing the succulent night-blooming cereus and growing dragon fruit?

Growing Methods and Precautions for the Night-blooming Cereus

1. Light and Temperature

The night-blooming cereus is native to tropical regions, prefers a warm environment, and requires ample light. The suitable temperature for its growth is between 25 and 35°C, and the overwintering temperature should be above 13°C; at the very least it must not fall below 10°C, otherwise frost damage easily occurs and the stem segments of the night-blooming cereus rot.

In summer, when the light is intense, place the night-blooming cereus in a semi-shaded environment for care and provide appropriate shading. In winter it requires ample light, so it can be placed in a sunny spot indoors to receive sunlight.

2. Soil

The night-blooming cereus likes loose, fertile soil rich in humus. For potted soil, a mix of leaf mold and coarse sand with a small amount of decomposed chicken manure or cow manure added can be used as the growing medium. The soil should be loose, breathable and well-draining.

3. Water and Fertilizer Management

The night-blooming cereus has modest requirements for water and fertilizer. In spring and autumn, water thoroughly only after the soil has dried out, about once every half month, but the plant should be misted daily to increase air humidity. In summer, evaporation is high, so water must be replenished in time, once a day, but waterlogging on rainy days should be avoided. In winter, the potting soil should be kept moderately dry and watering reduced, but relatively high air humidity should be maintained.

The night-blooming cereus does not demand much fertilizer either. During the growing period, apply decomposed liquid fertilizer once every 15 to 20 days, and stop fertilizing in winter. Note that the fertilizer must not be too concentrated, to avoid fertilizer burn that leads to root rot.

4. Propagation Method

The night-blooming cereus is mostly propagated by cuttings.

5. Pests and Diseases

Common pests and diseases of the night-blooming cereus include fusarium wilt, anthracnose and scab. Pay attention to the plant's growth condition, detect pests and diseases promptly, and treat them.

6. Repotting

As the night-blooming cereus grows, it can be repotted once every one to two years. Because its root system is not well developed, when repotting you can choose a pot proportional to the size of the plant, take the night-blooming cereus out and let it dry for half a month before potting it up again.

When Does the Night-blooming Cereus Flower

The night-blooming cereus needs a period of care before it flowers. It is relatively difficult for potted night-blooming cereus to flower; when grown in the ground, it will not flower until the plant reaches 3-4 m in height.

The night-blooming cereus flowers on summer evenings, from May to September, during which it opens 7 to 8 times at intervals of about 20 days. When it blooms, it produces large pale yellow flowers, gorgeous and lovely, with a delicate, pleasant fragrance, and is known as the "Queen of the Night."

Propagation of the Night-blooming Cereus

1. Choosing Cuttings

Most often, fleshy stems at least one year old are used; cut a 5 cm to 6 cm or longer section from the tip of the fleshy stem to use as a cutting. Alternatively, cut the night-blooming cereus into segments for cuttings, with the cutting length being 20 cm to 25 cm. Another option is to take small branches from the night-blooming cereus plant for cuttings, but take care that the branches are not too young and tender.

2. Cutting Soil

When taking cuttings of the night-blooming cereus, use a mix of vermiculite, perlite granules and pure river sand, without mixing in soil. Cuttings can be taken as a single plant or as several plants together. When taking cuttings together, pay attention to the spacing between plants.

3. Taking Cuttings

The cut sections of the night-blooming cereus should first be dried in a cool, shady place for a week, and only after the cut surface has fully dried and the wound has healed should the cutting be taken, as this makes rooting easier. Since a milky sap flows out when the cuttings are cut from the night-blooming cereus, it can be sealed with plant ash and left in a cool place for 7 to 10 days. Then insert it into a sand bed or soil, inserting it diagonally into the soil, and let it root. During the rooting period of the night-blooming cereus, water as little as possible: do not water unless it is dry. After 30 to 40 days, it will have rooted. When the roots of the night-blooming cereus have grown to 3 to 4 cm, it can be transplanted into a small pot or planted directly in the open ground.

Can the Night-blooming Cereus Be Grown at Home

The night-blooming cereus is actually quite suitable for growing indoors, because it can absorb harmful substances such as formaldehyde, ether, radon, ammonia and TVOC to purify indoor air, making it a natural air filter.

As an ornamental succulent, the night-blooming cereus has its own ornamental value. Growing it at home makes it easy to admire, and its daily care is simple and low-effort, making it a lazy person's plant. Compared with plants that are difficult to grow and easily die, it is simpler to care for and very suitable for growing at home.

The night-blooming cereus also has edible and medicinal value. A home-grown night-blooming cereus can also be used as food and medicine. Although reaching the point of being usable as medicine and food ingredients takes more time, once the night-blooming cereus flowers and fruits, it will be quite convenient to use what is on hand.

Although the night-blooming cereus and the dragon fruit do belong to the same species, compared with the dragon fruit that is grown specifically for eating, the focus of growing the night-blooming cereus as an ornamental plant should be different, so we need to treat them differently. In addition, the flowers of the night-blooming cereus are very beautiful, so be sure not to miss them.