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P. esseriana are bullies!

I have a pot full of P. esseriana, completely covering the top. I watered the pot the other day and noticed that one of the bigger pings wasn't anchored! Somehow it became uprooted! I didn't realize P. esseriana push each other out of the pots. Anyone else have this happen?

Also what is the easiest way going about re-potting pings. It is really difficult with their tiny, TINY, roots and large wide base leaves!
 
I've heard of individual plants doing this, actually; leaves curling down so far and with such vigor that the Ping is detached from its roots. How well is yours doing? How long do you think it was out of the soil? I'd be interested to know how well they can survive in such a state of affairs. Epiphytic Pings, anyone?
How'd you propagate yours, by the way? Leaf-pulls? Seed? Naturally occuring offsets? Or maybe you just received the pot like that?
As for repotting, I recently got a P. esseriana in the mail that got tossed out of its soil in shipping. I just made a shallow mound of loose soil where I wanted to put it, placed its roots on the mound, then lightly sprayed the soil around it with water and gently pushed it into the pot. By keeping moving water on the soil the roots mix in and take on a better hold. Additionally, it keeps the leaves clean through the process and requires less force to get the plant in the pot. I use a spray bottle whenever I pot plants; the only difference in this technique is that I piled the soil up because my P. esseriana had such a shallow root ball and was too wide for me to fill in a hole in the soil effectively.
~Joe
 
Came in the pot that way. Not sure how long it was uprooted for probably a few days. I have it on a mound of moss and it seems to be doing ok. Don't think it is anchored yet though.
 
I just got a P. esseriana, but it's a single little guy in a 3 inch pot. No bullying here
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Perhaps in the future though...

Does this plant clump easily? This is my first time growing it.
 
The Atlanta Botanical Garden has mounds of yucca do "mystery pings" in enormous(2-3ft) lava rock planters in the private greenhouses. The yucca-do ping most similar to esseriana(some say it is jamauvensis) is constantly clumping and dividing, shoving dozens of it's brethren over the sides of the planter and on to the wire grid of the bench. I have observed the pings on the benches numerous times, and it appears that, due to the constant mist in the air, these pings grew hapilly for many months(even years) sitting on the wire bench without any soil. The yucca do species resembling P.jaumavensis and P. cyclocecta were most adept at doing this. I also saw yucca do(cyclocecta) plants growing mouted on orchid bark. They probably seeded themselves there. I think many of the yucca do varieties were originally epiphites or lithophites in nature, as many Mexican Pings are. Also, the pings resembling P. jaumavensis had an odd habit of "cresting". There were numerous fan shaped cristate rosettes. One was given to me, but sadly, it rotted.
 
Moved to butterwort forum!
 
Outsiders,

   I am glad the mexican ping I sent you is still thriving.  When they form clumps, it is easy for them to become uprooted.  To repot, I simply make a small hole in the soil with a toothpick or something, set the ping on top and then slowly water the soil to settle it.  As long as there are some roots in contact with the soil, they do fine.

Brian
 
All of your plants are doing well Brian, I'll have to get some pics up sometime when I can steal my GF's digicam
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. Thanks again.

The ping that I placed in its own pot has rooted itself. I tried nudging it and it was pretty stable. Amazing plants.
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Many of the Mexican Pinguicula clump and quickly form "colonies" under suitable conditions. This is a charming habit, and looks very interesting:

P_esseriana_clump.jpg
 
  • #10
Dang! I love that! I have a single P. esseriana and I really hope it'll form a colony like that
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  • #11
PinguiculaMan: how big is the pot yours are in?
 
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