More Pinguicula lutea

[Joseph Clemens]

<span style='font-size:12pt;line-height:100%'>My tropical and semi-temperate Pinguicula are continuing to bloom and set seed. Here are some photos of a couple of Pinguicula lutea from different plants (first bloom seedlings) that I am hoping to get more seed from in the near future. After these photos, I swapped pollen between them.

They are all growing in 2 inch square pots. They might grow larger in a larger pot, but space constraints force me to keep them dwarfed. They seem to be getting along fine regardless.

Hampstead, NC:

Location unknown:

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[Khai]

Those are some beautifull plants, Id like to know what your cultural practices are with this plant?

 

[Joseph Clemens]

<span style='font-size:12pt;line-height:100%'>Below is a rough diagram of how I plant the pots I grow these Pinguicula in:

I also keep the 2 inch pots side by side in plastic trays. One tray holds 18 - 2 inch pots, they fit very snugly together.

I try to keep a minimum of 1/4 inch of water in the trays.

The trays are kept within about 6 inches of multiple (4 or more) 4 foot, cool white, fluorescent lamps on at least 15 hours/day. They had been growing slowly and weakly until I started sprinkling them with freeze-dried bloodworms. Now they are dark green and growing much more vigorously than they had ever before, and blooming more also.</span>

 

[Khai]

Wow thats rather interesting Im especially curious about the "layering" of the media, what made you decide to do it in this manner?
Do you see positve benefits over other methods youve tried?
Are you doing anything special with the temperature?

 

[Joseph Clemens]

<span style='font-size:12pt;line-height:100%'>Earlier I often had empty pots where plants had failed. My habit was and is, upon noticing a plant beginning to fail, to inspect the situation. Frequently, especially earlier on, I noticed that the media had a distinctive odor like sewage, indicating, to me, anaerobic or other undesirable decomposition. This was coming from the media, not the dead plant. My working hypothesis is that because of the moisture level I like to keep that decomposition got to the point where not enough oxygen remained for normal decomposition and anaerobic activity began. Seems the byproducts of this form of decomposition are much more toxic to plants roots than I would like.

Ergo I started using redwood bark on the bottom of the pot and various configurations of a core of inert porous material to improve aeration in the center of the pots. Cooler media temperatures would possibly assist also in the aeration process, but this is easier.

Benefits:
-Plants rarely expire unexpectedly.
-Plants continue to grow and bloom.

Temperature:
-I keep them at room temperatures. For us that ranges between low 60's F, to upper 70's F. In the summer the lower range comes up about 10 degrees.</span>

 

[Khai]

Thank you very much you given me lots to think about.
Id previously assumed this species was out of the question for me.