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P. medusina growing tips

I'm wondering if anyone else is grow this Ping? I just received this plant and am looking for any good tips you could supply. There was very limited information when I googled it.
 
I thought about getting one but I just read that they form an underground bulb during dry dormancy. That turned me off them.

What about P. moctezumae? What's the dormancy of that like?
 
Thanks jimscott. I have seen this page already. It is the only thing I have been able to find. Also the friend I received this from is growing it totally differently then stated on that page. Anyway that is why I was looking for some other people to see if anyone else had grown it.


Ahmad it does look like P. medusina is going to be a pain! I have never heard of P. moctezumae so I can't comment.

I thought about getting one but I just read that they form an underground bulb during dry dormancy. That turned me off them.

What about P. moctezumae? What's the dormancy of that like?
 
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I've got one, now, as well. It came with sand. What is yours in?
 
JImscott,
Mine is in a Ping mix it looks like. Again my friend whom propagated these took care of the soil. That being said I have taken the pot out of my Ping terrarium (sitting in water) and put it into my Nep. terrarium. This allows the soil to dry out more. I have a feeling that useing a soil the does not get saturated might work best.

I've got one, now, as well. It came with sand. What is yours in?
 
LOL! What is a Ping mix? That's a rhetorical question. My mix is actually Perlite, eggshells, sand, and crushed coral. I guess the common concept is something that drains well and doesn't keep the saturated. I took a picture of mine, right after I received and potted it up. So this won't be impressive:

Picture099.jpg
 
For P. medusina I found it grew best with a loose gritty mix (2/2/1 APS/Sand/Peat) kept on shallow tray when actively growing and then pulled form tray and left to dry when dormant. Lots and lots of bright light.

For P. moctezumae, you can basically grow this in any CP mix and keep the media moist but not sodden. Some of my best grown specimens were those that I had in pots with Neps. They also did really well in my tuberous/petiolaris mix (2/2/1/1 APS/Sand/Peat/Milled sphag)
 
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Sorry. A standard Ping mix would be (2/1/1 peat/perlite/sand). This is right out of Savage Garden (as I live right down the street from Peter D'amato's nursery). Anyway I think you and Pyro are right I need a looser soil that drains better. As what it is in now looks like the standard mix (lots of peat) which keeps it very damp!

LOL! What is a Ping mix? That's a rhetorical question. My mix is actually Perlite, eggshells, sand, and crushed coral. I guess the common concept is something that drains well and doesn't keep the saturated. I took a picture of mine, right after I received and potted it up. So this won't be impressive:

Picture099.jpg

Thanks Pyro. I have a feeling you are right on about the soil. As stated above mine is in a very wet mix. Also It was sitting in a tray when it should have stayed dry. It has died back a lot but there are still a couple of leaves alive so I'm hoping it will pull though.

For P. medusina I found it grew best with a loose gritty mix (2/2/1 APS/Sand/Peat) kept on shallow tray when actively growing and then pulled form tray and left to dry when dormant. Lots and lots of bright light.

For P. moctezumae, you can basically grow this in any CP mix and keep the media moist but not sodden. Some of my best grown specimens were those that I had in pots with Neps. They also did really well in my tuberous/petiolaris mix (2/2/1/1 APS/Sand/Peat/Milled sphag)


Thanks guys! This has helped confirm that I need to change the setup for growing this plant! I wonder how my friend gets such good results growing this in such a different manner!
 
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  • #10
I wonder how my friend gets such good results growing this in such a different manner!

Well I can answer that :) It is the old "This only works for me" thing. I can only swear by my mixes when I am the one growing the plants. Joseph here on the boards used to grow every Ping wet all the time in straight peat. I could never do that.

Simply put, every persons conditions are going to be different from everyone else. You will need to experiment now and again to find what works best for you. In most cases there are "expendable" plants you can test on before trying on something risky. In other cases you just have to try on the risky plant and pray for the best or have someone who can give you back if you fail.

I am sure you will figure out what works best for you. Just try not to get discouraged in the mean time
 
  • #11
I'm just going to keep mine in what it came with, until it dies or thrives and provides leaf cuttings. Then I'll try different things. The conditions sound pretty much typical Mexican Ping.
 
  • #12
The conditions sound pretty much typical Mexican Ping.

Depends on which Mexi-Ping you are basing your "typical" on. My best advice is to think more along the lines of P. gypsicola, and less along the lines of P. moranensis
 
  • #13
I meant good drainage and a bit on the drier side.
 
  • #14
The leaves that it came with have withered but a new leaf has emerged:

Picture004-1.jpg
 
  • #15
My two came in pots with some damp LFS. I'm going to try them out in 100% APS with my other Mexipings. I'm trying to grow every Mexiping that way to see how they fare. I would really prefer to only use one mix for all of them, and 100% APS is the easiest thing on earth because it requires no mixing. We'll see how it goes. Might try one moist and one dry next winter to see how they do.

One thing I can say about this species is that it produces prolific plantlets from its leaf tips. Mine both came in with at least six plantlets apiece. If you have trouble in one mix, you should be able to start over fairly easily with the plantlets.
 
  • #16
One thing I can say about this species is that it produces prolific plantlets from its leaf tips. Mine both came in with at least six plantlets apiece. If you have trouble in one mix, you should be able to start over fairly easily with the plantlets.

A friend of mine just told me the same thing about plantlets. Right now I'd be happy to see a secnd leaf. The first one looks good, like having a sundew with dew.
 
  • #17
Now a second leaf:

Picture027-1.jpg
 
  • #18
This makes me feel better about mine. It was doing well, for a while, or OK at least. Eventually it has died back to small green rosettes. I have left it for dead therefore have not been watering it. So I guess I am unintentionally doing the right thing, I hope.

I just don't think I have ever provided it with ideal conditions though. Maybe when I start watering it again, I'll try getting better lighting.
 
  • #20
I lost mine! It continued to decline and I lost it. I'm going to see about getting another one and putting it in different mix.
 
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