First, understand my origins. I am not a desert cactus from the scorching, arid plains. My ancestors are epiphytes from the coastal mountains of southeastern Brazil, where we grow in the dappled shade of jungle trees. This means my fundamental needs are for bright, indirect light and high humidity, with roots that crave excellent drainage and air circulation. My ideal environment mimics the cool, moist, and stable conditions found in the elevated, forested regions I call home.
Temperature is the primary conductor of my annual cycle, dictating when I grow, rest, and most importantly, flower. I am a short-day plant, meaning I set buds as the nights grow longer and the temperatures drop.
For robust growth during spring and summer, I prefer consistent temperatures between 70°F and 80°F (21°C - 27°C). However, to initiate the crucial bud formation process, I require a period of rest. For about 6-8 weeks in the autumn, ideally starting around October, I need nights with temperatures consistently between 50°F and 65°F (10°C - 18°C) and slightly cooler days. This significant drop in temperature, combined with longer periods of darkness (12-14 hours), is the non-negotiable environmental signal that tells my cellular processes to stop producing leaves and start producing flower buds. Without this cool, dormant period, you will likely see healthy green segments but no spectacular blooms.
As a jungle native, I thrive in relatively high humidity, ideally between 50-60%. The dry air common in modern homes, especially during winter when heating systems are running, is a significant stressor. Low humidity can cause my segmented stems to shrivel, become rubbery, or cause the buds I worked so hard to produce to drop prematurely before they even open.
You can increase local humidity around me by placing my pot on a pebble tray filled with water (ensuring the pot sits on the pebbles, not in the water), grouping me with other plants to create a microclimate, or using a small humidifier. Misting is a temporary solution but must be done with care to avoid water sitting in the joints of my stems, which could lead to rot.
These two factors do not work in isolation; they are intrinsically linked. Warm air can hold more moisture than cold air. Therefore, if I am in my preferred cool, pre-flowering environment (55°F night temperature), the air does not need to be as absolutely humid to feel comfortable to me. Conversely, if I am kept in a warm, dry room (75°F), the low relative humidity becomes extremely stressful. The key is avoiding extremes: a hot and humid environment encourages fungal disease, while a cold and soggy root zone from overwatering is fatal. The perfect balance is a cool, slightly dry root zone (achieved through well-draining soil and careful watering) paired with moist, humid air around my stems.
