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it IS easy bein' green

I have mexican pings on three different windowsills and have been denying them water but only one seems to be dormant. Everybody else is just growing in that pale green way that CPs without enough light get.

I guess there isn't much I can do, but should I be concerned? I'm new to most pings and need to not kill these!
 
Mexican Pinguicula do not go dormant. They only change their leaf form.

When and if they start producing smaller Winter-form leaves, they still continue growing new leaves and they frequently flower while in this leaf form. Also, when they are growing larger Summer-form leaves, they continue growing new leaves and they also frequently flower when in this leaf form. Plants that are growing and blooming are not dormant.
 
Mexican Pinguicula do not go dormant. They only change their leaf form.

When and if they start producing smaller Winter-form leaves, they still continue growing new leaves and they frequently flower while in this leaf form. Also, when they are growing larger Summer-form leaves, they continue growing new leaves and they also frequently flower when in this leaf form. Plants that are growing and blooming are not dormant.


Hi

When I see Mexican Ping is growing winter-form leaves, should I let the soil much drier than that of summer-form leaves with wet soil, supposing that strong lighting is provided ?

As some people says if getting the soil too wet when the ping is growing winter -form leaves, it will cause root rot.
 
Yeah, that's what I meant-the whole "winter leaves" thing. That is what is not happeneing despite allowing nature to do her thing.

How dry is dry when it comes to the soil? I've let this get totally dry and they keep on growing their pale green leaves.
 
The tighter the rosette the less water it needs and for the opposite they need a bit more water.
 
Factors affecting heterophyllous Pinguicula

So you reduce the photoperiod by subjecting them to daylength at your latitude? Keep in mind that my research shows that the photoperiod in their native habitat varies between 10 hours to 13 hours (approximately) -- very little change between Winter and Summer. In my experience with these plants I find that environmental stress is a more certain trigger for change in leaf form, since these plants do not have a "dormancy" they just have a change of leaf form, hence they are called heterophyllous. They do, however, have seasonal change, temperature and moisture vary with the season, and due to their elevation their Winter nights can be quite chilly for some. I've played around a great deal with environmental variables, variations in photoperiod just seem to be important as an additional environmental stress trigger.

For instance the latitude for the type location of Pinguicula cyclosecta is 24N latitude. At that latitude the daylength varies between 10 hours 30 minutes and 13 hours 29 minutes. The latitude for the type location of Pinguicula gypsicola is 22.30N latitude, where the daylength varies between 10 hours 38 minutes and 13 hours 21 minutes.

For contrast, at the latitude of London, England (51.53N) the daylength varies between 7 hours 35 minutes and 16 hours 24 minutes - a difference between shortest Winter day and longest Summer day of about 9 hours, yet the difference experienced by most Mexican Pinguicula in their native habitat is only 3 hours between Winter and Summer. For contrast, at the latitude of Columbus, Ohio (40N) the daylength varies between 9 hours 9 minutes and 14 hours 50 minutes - a difference between shortest Winter day and longest Summer day of almost 10 hours, quite a difference.

In my experience the contributing factor most responsible for plant loss is lack of sufficient light. Though natural light can be too intense, so as to cause severe damage or death also - not nice. My preference is artificial light by use of fluorescent lamps on digital timers. To save $$ on electricity I tried various combinations of lighting times and durations - finally I settled on five different lighting circuits, each with its own group of lights and plants, each controlled by their own timer, and set to illuminate for a certain daylength, but only energized for three or four days per week - hence the savings in electricity. This gives the plants a kind of "cloudy day" experience while using less electricity. The plants showed no difference in growth and started to flower more often and with more blooms.
 
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