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!

  • #41
Not to sound like a jerk, but if you look at pictures on wikipedia or anything that depicts mexi- pings growing, especially P Moranensis, they all grow on decomposing logs covered in moss. Since I have seen them growing in all kind of moss, I went local to this lake we have and dug some different types of moss up. I put about 1/2" of play sand in the bottom of each bin and then just laid the moss on top of that and put in enough tap water that had been sitting out for a few days over the moss by about 1/2"- 3/4" and it got the moss moist and then i pushed the moss into matts over the sand and flattened it. I just basically dropped my pings on top of the moss and most of them have roots that have not deteriorated yet and are inches long rather than fractions of an inch. Plus, I just use a 17 gauge needle with the very tip cut off as a modified dropper to drop just a small drop or 2 of very diluted orchid fertilizer on some leaves. Roots of most pings cannot take up much of anything besides water and possibly some of the basic macro nutrients. I would suggest using orchid fertilizer at 1/4th the recommended strength and dropping just a bit on a leaf or 2. I do that and my pings have yet to suffer. The only things that are not growing like weeds at this point are my P gigantea but they should soon.My P moranensis are also blooming now so I guess it is self pollination time for now unless anyone else have some P moranensis they feel like swapping or trading. One more thing, the more nitrogen you feed your pings that is meant for orchids or other plants, the more crowns you will get from each plant. ALL of the plants I put dilute concentrations of fertilizer on have started growing multiple crowns and are in the process of splitting as well as blooming.
 
  • #42
Plus, I just use a 17 gauge needle with the very tip cut off as a modified dropper to drop just a small drop or 2 of very diluted orchid fertilizer on some leaves. Roots of most pings cannot take up much of anything besides water and possibly some of the basic macro nutrients. I would suggest using orchid fertilizer at 1/4th the recommended strength and dropping just a bit on a leaf or 2. I do that and my pings have yet to suffer.
As I mentioned, I use a multipurpose compost (potting mix) for my pings and that is pre-loaded with nutrients. I then occasionally root feed them with full strength orchid fertiliser, which in the case of mine is EC of 0.75mS, and have not noticed any detrimental affect and the plants grow well.
 
  • #43
suite

I use a cat litier with 'akadama' ( bonzai clay) and a lot of others elements like vermiculite-pouzzolane-river sand- etc for all my mexican ping and some of my temperate ping , a mineral clayed alcalin substrate like 'in situ'.

for me the ping are a carnivorous plant ,also no fertilizer for them , the insects are more than enough to feed.

jeff

my web site
 
  • #44
I spray mine very liberally with 1/4 teaspoon per gallon, urea-free, orchid fertilizer about twice a month. Pings seem to take it very well, and are not very susceptible to burn like sundews tend to be.

Also, try growing your pings in african violet pots. They keep the soil just moist enough as to be ideal for pings. So far, I'm experiencing great success with this method.
 
  • #45
Hmm...a lot of sources say to use shop lights, but I wonder if that's overkill in my case. I have only one ping, kind of like a maiden voyage for me (it's really weird comparing planting with sailing). Haha!

Currently I leave my Little Guy on the windowsill from 7 or 8 am to 4 or 5 pm (the hours that provide the most sunlight here in rainy Portland during February). On top of that I provide 3-4 hours of artificial lighting on my drawer. The drawer is the only space in my room because my ward uses my room as storage, I have limited space.

My lighting isn't all that great - one 13 watt Ikea (Sparsam model) cfl and one 60 watt GE Plant Grow n Show bulb that I mistakenly bought. It's way too hot to use on my ping. I want to replace it with an 14 Watt EcoSmart cfl mainly because Home Depot advertises it as a Full Spectrum light (its specs says Daylight). I would provide a link but idk if that'd be against the rules or not, that and my phone is being stupid right now so I can't load that page.

Anyways, for one single Ping and nothing else, would those two bulbs be okay?
 
  • #46
I have three of four Mexican Pinguicula, which I grow on windowsills all year round. I do not use any artificial lighting for them and the winter daylength here in NE Scotland is short. I find that the natuaral change in seasons encourages them to flower - which they do for several months every year. Personally, unless I was growing a large number of Mexican Pinguicula and hadn't got windowsill space, I wouldn't bother with artificial lighting for them.
 
  • #47
I have three of four Mexican Pinguicula, which I grow on windowsills all year round. I do not use any artificial lighting for them and the winter daylength here in NE Scotland is short. I find that the natuaral change in seasons encourages them to flower - which they do for several months every year. Personally, unless I was growing a large number of Mexican Pinguicula and hadn't got windowsill space, I wouldn't bother with artificial lighting for them.

In the summer, do any of your pings turn pink?

One of my goals is to get my P. laueana to turn pink. Also, the windowsill becomes unbearably hot during the summer and I don't think morning light will be enough for an entire day. My room is the only safe place to keep it though - the person I'm taking care of has a habit of disturbing any possessions I leave outside of my bedroom. She doesn't understand English and will probably kill my poor Pinguicula if left to care for it.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #48
Pinguicula laueana, in winter leaf form, planted in pure sphagnum peat moss, before I switched to all-mineral media.

i-nfqFZCW-M.jpg
i-ZQ4Gfr7-M.jpg
i-8xJKDmF-M.jpg

You might notice that the media in the photos above is quite moist. This is how I endeavor to maintain them all, year-'round, especially in all-mineral media.

Here's another, several years later, in all-mineral media. This one is in process of transitioning from summer leaves to winter leaves.

i-zrj5k3M-M.jpg
 
Last edited:
  • #49
woah, our laueana looks so different......
 
  • #50
Thoughts on an equal mix of Turface/#20 Pool filter sand/Perilite/and Peat Moss? (any suggestions of something else to put in?)

I know 100% mineral is the way to go, but I feel like even in their natural environment they surely have "some" organic media even if it's very small. Im planning on repotting a lot of mexican pings and trying to sorta do a "bulk substrate". I've also heard pumice/lava rock (is that the same thing?) recommended?

Any other suggestions?

Also sidenote: For those using the tray method during NON-dormancy, do you let the tray dry out before re-filling? Seems like that would be the safer route since (correct me if im wrong) these plants tolerate some dryness ok.
 
  • #51
Thoughts on an equal mix of Turface/#20 Pool filter sand/Perilite/and Peat Moss? (any suggestions of something else to put in?)

it is a hydroponic substrate without peat moss it is also OK
I know 100% mineral is the way to go, but I feel like even in their natural environment they surely have "some" organic media even if it's very small. Im planning on repotting a lot of mexican pings and trying to sorta do a "bulk substrate". I've also heard pumice/lava rock (is that the same thing?) recommended?
it depends on the species .Some appreciate 100% mineral substrate, and others not, or partially.

pumice or lava rock allows good aeration of the substrate
Any other suggestions?
add calcareous to your substrate, it will be a more
Also side note: For those using the tray method during NON-dormancy, do you let the tray dry out before re-filling? Seems like that would be the safer route since (correct me if im wrong) these plants tolerate some dryness ok.
letting them dry ,between two waterings , is not harmed.
by cons when they are dormant (during the dry spell in Mexico) avoid watering, or just a slightly wet substrate , to avoid desiccation .
Completely dry for the filiform (except moctezumae)

JEFF
 
  • #52
This is a really great thread, learning a lot. Has anyone ever tried coarse Momtmorillonite as a main ingrediant in place of using APS?

Jeremy
 
Back
Top