Cultivating Mexican Pinguicula

[jimscott]

If you haven't realized it by now, I am a tinkerer. I am constantly thinking up new things to try, so that my cultivation and propagation success might improve. Some things have helped, some haven't.

I can totally relate!

[Wolfn]

Btw, I have a pot full of Mexican butterwort soil (vercumlite, perlite, etc). Can I sprinkle some peat on top so I can encourage moss to grow?

[Joseph Clemens]

Sure, but with the correct conditions moss usually sprouts and grows wherever it prefers, just like a weed.

[Drew]

i thought mex pings dont do well under lights mine r near a sunny window

[glider14]

i thought mex pings dont do well under lights mine r near a sunny window

no way! they get better color under lights in my experience.




Alex

[w03]

Nice pings Alex! I wish I had that much color on mine!

If I am going to keep mexi Pings (P. agnata, P. emarginata, and P. 'Titan') under lights, can I use soft white CFLs (they seem to give off too much light in the orange/yellow part of the spectrum and too little in white/blue)? How many lumens do I need (I know that P. emarginata is more shade tolerant than the other 2)? Thanks!

[swords]

Of the two I have this is the only ping I can get a decent pic of at the moment:

Pinguicula moranaensis x ehlersiae


Lighting: under 4 x 40 watt 6500K 4ft tubes
current temps: about 22-28*C days and 12-18*C nights (it's gaining more color as the temps/light hours drop)
soil: 50/50 sphagnum peat and quartzite turkey grit (see: cherrystonegrit.com)

[jimscott]

Under artificial lighting (and feeding) I've been getting this:

[rattler]

i thought mex pings dont do well under lights mine r near a sunny window

most of mine are under lights.....havent had any issues in several years of growing them this way....i see far more pink in certain ones under lights versus in a window.....the ones that i grew outside in full sun all summer stayed bright green and when i moved them in under ights for the winter some turned pink...

[Not a Number]

Because of the ultraviolet output of fluorescent lamps (see Joseph's mention about painting plastic trays to make them last longer) many Carnivorous Plants will color better than under sunlight at sea level. Many of the Mexican Pinguicula are found way above sea level and are probably adapted to higher levels of ultraviolet light to begin with.

Fluorescent lighting and Ultraviolet
Spectral Power Distributions of SYLVANIA Fluorescent Lamps (see page 23)