What's new
TerraForums Venus Flytrap, Nepenthes, Drosera and more talk

Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Butterworts in full sun?

elgecko

I've got a magic window!
Does anyone grow any type of buttwort in direct full sun?

I tried a Pinguicula primuliflora last year. I might not have allowed it to adjust long enough to the sun before placing it in direct sunlight all day. A lot of the leaves started to brown and dry. Since then I have never tried any others.
 
I grow all of my butterworts in full sun. Mostly U.S. species. I have planifolia, primuliflora, carulea, lutea, macroceras, and one French grandiflora. Have to shade them between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. on high heat days (98 to 108F). Constantly watered from underneath by pump in my bog garden. They have grown there for 15 years.
 
I grow my pinguicula on an east facing windowsill. Its sunny there untill about 12pm. I think an east facing window is perfect. And just like bugweed said, you will have to shade them away from miday sun.
 
I have some moranensis and agnat clones out on my deck here in ATL and they get full sun most of the day.
 
Hey elgecko,

I think the humidity/watering conditions are what will help your plant survive in full sun. Also, you need to put them in the sun gradually, to acclimatize them. Put the plant where you want but shaded for a few days, then maybe with a shade cover, then the cover with holes punched in it...I have hot conditions as well so I'm pretty paranoid about it. I've seen plants die off in a matter of hours.

P. primuliflora is also a picky plant sometimes. It's the only ping I know of that will wilt in half an hour if taken out of its soil. The mexican pings seem much more tolerable to high heat and full sun.
 
All my pings except gigantea and morensis seem to love full sun
smile.gif
 
[b said:
Quote[/b] (wickedthistle @ June 24 2004,12:11)]P. primuliflora is also a picky plant sometimes. It's the only ping I know of that will wilt in half an hour if taken out of its soil. The mexican pings seem much more tolerable to high heat and full sun.
I can vouch for that experience - at least the wilt in a matter of hours part. That has happened to me recently. I tried repotting one and it fell, butter side down. All of its existing leaves have died. Strangely, a developing flower didn't die. It is still developing. If it weren't for the flower and its growing stalk, I would have thought that I killed it, instead of just putting it in shock. BTW, this is the same plant I took to work in 15* weather, putting in shock, six months ago. Michelle, this is the same plant that started out having a white flower, only to turn iris. Thsi flower started out iris. So I guess the environmenatl conditions DO determine the initial coloring.
 
Be wary, in full sun plants which are not hardened off very slowly can go bad quickly, and it is often fatal. The leaves turn translucent, and your goose is cooked along with your pings. Broken sunlight is best from April to July, after which the plants may take harsher conditions, provided there is ample humidity. Keep in mind the relationship: less humidity, less sun, and go slowly. I hardened off my Mexican Pings under translucent shade cloth, inside an open terrarium with criss cross lathe on the top of the tank. After 3 weeks, I removed some of the lathe. After another 2 weeks, I removed all of them. Now my plants enjoy the full morning and afternoon sun, but I screen them from the noon day sun. They might be able to take it, but this way its no worries and I like that. The plants are attaining a thick glowing character, although they lack the color that flourescent grown plants get. The flowers are more vivid though, and the growth rate remarkably better. My average humidity is between 50-60%. The plants do not sit in tray water, but are liberally sprayed in the late morning, and by afternoon the moisture has evaporated from the rosettes. I am using tap water with no ill effects.

My only experiment with the North American temperate Pinguicula was with P. primuliflora which I placed in a shallow tray with the water level just at the base of the rosette and the longer leaves in the water. The plant produced over 15 offsets in last seasons growing, and probably 30 flowers. It was grown in full sun, and was fairly easy to harden off.
 
I've had a similar recent experience with rapid wilting with Pinguicula primuliflora. I found three nice looking specimens at a local nursery store. They were the only plants in a box of assorted CPs that had been able to withstand being cooped up in their 3" domes for an extended period. Within 15 minutes of removing them from their domes they withered horribly before I could transplant them. I placed all three plants in a loosely covered fish bowl using moistened LFS as the planting medium and placed them on a bright but sunless north facing windowsill. It's taken about two weeks for all three plants to make a full comeback. I've had some leaf rot and discovered that snipping off just the affected portion of the leaf has a beneficial overall effect on the plant. Two plants have begun sending up flower stalks as of yesterday and all three have plantlets forming on one or more of their leaves. I'm going to let this terrarium stay on this same windowsill for one year and see how well these plants fare over that time. I grow Pinguicula grandiflora and P. moranensis outside on an east facing porch where they receive 4 hours of morning sun..8am-noon. Both species seem to do very well under those conditions during the summer months. P. grandiflora heads into an unheated, enclosed porch for the winter and P. moranensis takes it's winter vacation on the bright but sunless north facing windowsill.
 
  • #10
Thank you PinguiculaMan for pointing out my late night species errors in haste. The above species are P.grandiflora and P.primuliflora.
 
  • #11
NP flytrap59,
I've made more than my own fair share of typos. I edited your post a little. Just wanted you to know too that we can all edit our own posts when signed on. The link is in the upper right corner of the particular post.
 
Back
Top