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Pinguicula on rocks?

Has anyone here tried growing mexican Pings on rocks? Quite recently(Dec., LACPS meeting), I saw a P.gigantea grown by Ed Read on a pumice like rock. I was just wondering if anyone has any positive/negative feedback on this idea.
 
Peter D'Amato in "Savage Garden" frequently discusses alternative planting containers for Pinguicula. If you feel the need to "fancify" the growing conditions for your plants it sounds like an interesting avocation. Especially if you have extra growing space you can afford to lose. At $200/month my indoor growing space is at a premium, though I would like to experiment that way also, presently I cannot afford to lose the space.
 
Space should not be a huge problem for me. I just need to find a source for large pieces of rocks rocks(pumice, lava rock etc.). It would be beautiful and natural to see some miniature pings cover a piece of rock.
 
Landscape supply companies should be able to help!
 
Yes, I will try those or aquarium stores. It is the price that I am concerned about. Thanks.
 
I forget the name of a glacial rock that a good friend was telling me about...it's very porous like a beehive honeycomb. It was left all over the earth by the glaciers and is near water if I am remembering correctly. Anyone know what i am talking about?
 
Do you mean tufa? This is extremely difficult to acquire in the U.S.
 
yes I believe he is talking about tufa.
and yes its a hard one to find.
 
It was quite a few years ago but I had purchased some tufa rock for a salt water aquarium at an aquarium store. I have read recently (in the last couple years) that aquarists no longer use it because of some substance which leeches into the water (which along with improper lighting compared to what we know today) may have contributed to my SW tanks invetrebrate deaths.

I don't know if this chemical (I will try to find the entry in my reef books) would apply to plants being watered with soft pure water or not but knowing that I might be inclined to go with lava rock or true pumice for any porus stone needs.

You can buy smaller chunks of lava rock (up to 1" pieces) for horticultural use in garden centers but I'm not sure if you're thinking of a large stone to "mount" the plant to or simply rock to put in a pot and plant it in?
 
  • #10
I think that's it. The name sounds right because I couldn't remember it.
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I'll let you all know if that name is right.
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  • #11
Hi Swords,

The lava rock and pumice would have to be larger enough to mount plants(anywhere from 4in to 12in etc.).
As for tufa, it is a form of calcium calcite. Maybe it raised the pH of the water...
 
  • #12
It appears I can not find the specific sentence about Tufa stone that that I wanted to copy here but I believe it is in either The Conscientious Marine Aquarist or Natural reef Aquariums both by John Tullock. But it does mention that volcanic stone leeches excess metals into the water. But this may only happen when in contact with sea water. The water you'd use for pings would have no resemblence to sea water other than being wet.
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On the other hand do you have a rock shop in your area or nearby? In Minnesota we have one that I know of that sells everything from agates to fossils, they also carry pumice and other not-so-rare specimens for rather reasonable prices. You might find one in your area under "rocks" or "precious stones" in your yellow book.
 
  • #14
here are few photos of pings on rocks
sure look great and intersting
the growers use to take them outdoors when the climents is right
prock.jpg


prock2.jpg


prock3.jpg


The last photo was taken at botanical garden at the Czech Rep.
Arie
 
  • #16
Hi Arie,

Do you happen to know the name of the large clump of plants at the top of the second photo?

Very nice photos indeed
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  • #17
The ABG was growing a bunch of moranensis on volcanis rock in their warm orchid house over the summer. I have not seen how they are doing recently but I would assume that they are still growing strong. I think the key is the very high humidity to compinsate for the lack of media to hold water
 
  • #18
Interesting...I used to growing all my P.ehlersai in the terrarium under lightd. The plants were green/pink and their leaves pushed the roots out of the soil. These plants grew like epiphytes.

When I moved the P.ehlersai plants outdoors into a large plastic box with stronger lighting and lower humidity. The plants grew into flat rosettes with leaves and roots pressed close/into the soil.
 
  • #20
Those look like Dr. Studnickas plants, am I right Arie? I found a local tufa deposit, and hiked back out of the woods some 2 miles or so las summer with about 40 lbs of tufa rock and marl sand. I have gome P. vulgaris, P. balcanica, P. grandiflora and P. macrocerus gemmae to try on the rock this spring. I plan on rigging a drip system, and will keep all posted of the results (if any). This is my first venture into temperate european Pinguicula, and I am aready nervous abo ut it. If anyone has some good advice, I am all ears! I really am curious about maximum highs and light levels. I know these plants are all cool growing alpines, but am uncertain of just how much heat they can take, and still survive.
 
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