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PROJECT: Mexican Ping Dripping Wall

SDCPs

SDCPs

Hello Friends,

I have a lovely east facing spot for an interesting habitat!

DSCN0159.JPG


I would really like to build some sort of a self-watering dripping wall...similar to what's seen here: http://www.pinguicula.org/pages/culture/JSteiger.htm
However, my wall would be dedicated to mexican pinguicula, probably p. gigantae since they may do well while receiving morning sun in San Diego.

I have done something similar, but with native succulents:

DSCN0161.JPG


The plan would look more like this wall found at the Huntington, however, than the wall linked above:

LACPS25June.JPG


The wall will be hanging from the roof and removable, ideally. It needs to be light. I have a power outlet close by for running the pump.

I am very interested in learning whether any of you have attempted to do something like this, of what materials I should make the wall out of...particularly what material could I use to construct the wall (fiber?) as a replacement soil for p. gigantea. How about a sandwich with a layer of soil between a back and a netted front?

I have a few ideas but wouldn't know where to start.

Many thanks in advance.
 
That is an awesome project, unfortunately I'm not gonna be of any help as I only grow one mexican ping, and it has never done much. I look forward to seeing the finished product.
 
P. gigantea in habitat (see image link):

P_gigantea_Ayautla_Ed08(HR).jpg


P_gigantea_Ayautla_Ed05(HR).jpg


I've heard that this pinguicula can tolerate higher temperatures than most mexican pinguicula; more sunlight. This is why I'm considering it for the wall.
 
P. gigantea seems like a great choice, - idea - maybe the bottom of your drip wall could be a giant rock, or as giant as you want it.
 
JB in Utah said:
P. gigantea seems like a great choice, - idea - maybe the bottom of your drip wall could be a giant rock, or as giant as you want it.
Click to expand...

I have 1 p. gigantea already. I placed it in a spot with the same conditions and it is recovering from more sun than usual--very fast. It has dew and everything! I just need to see how fast it grows, acquire different clones or seed. I would really like genetically different plants on the wall since it will be dedicated to one species...at least for the moment it is.

It would be really awesome to re-create the habitat (I LOVE that magnificent picture. It really takes my breath away and makes my heart stop. We have succulents in CA that grow like that........oh, the beauty!) with rock/something that looks authentic since that is where much of the beauty lies IMHO. Maybe I could secure thin slates on the front of the wall. However, since it will be hanging from the roof, The wall can't weigh more than 50 pounds or so. I'll have to leave out giant rocks. The reason being my mother wants to plant flowers under it, and I want the wall to be removable. I built a bog on wheels and the wheels, although pricey, saved me from taking apart the thing when dad built his shed. I just moved the ~800 lb bog to a new location. Yeah.

This is one project I am going to spend time and money on making it look good...not just something that works but is ugly...get the idea from the succulent habitat I made out of scrap wood. I didn't spend a single penny on that one.

I hope I explained my position more clearly. Thank you for your idea, though. Everything helps.
 
The crossroads

Hello friends,

I have thought about this for awhile, and have come up with two related plans.

The+crossroads+in+planning_.png


The first plan requires a well-designed frame with a plexiglass backing and a screen front. Aluminum bands may be needed to support the front. Fiberglass window screen would be excellent since the roots would penetrate into the media. The media would fit between the media and screen. It would be regular ping substrate.

fiberglass-window-screeninsect-screenmosquito-net-8.jpg


The second plan would be much more radical. See post 1 for picture of Huntington gardens. It would replicate that, but would be housed in a frame with a plexiglass back...similar to plan 1. There would be no-little media at all, but everything would be a synthetic material similar to filter pads. I may have to use screen on the front.

My main question here is would plan two even work? The best I could do nutrient wise would be to pump peat water instead of pure water, since there would be no nutrients in the growing media. Hydrophonics of pinguicula? Do you think it's possible? I guess the good thing IS that the plants ARE carnivorous...so hopefully they wouldn't rely on the peat-water.

Plan two has the advantages of being easier to maintain and lasting longer than plan one. However, I need to find a good synthetic media. Any ideas? I'm thinking something like a filter pad or a sponge, but I don't know what names they go by or...oh...I just don't know what to use. What did they use for that fern wall?

LACPS25June.JPG
 
Nice project!
 
jimscott said:
Nice project!
Click to expand...

Yes, but if you're going to post, please offer some information or advice. Praise and laud come after it's all completed ;)
 
Awesome! I'm going to do a wall of strawberries and herbs at my friends' house soon - hopefully we'll be able to put it up this summer. We'll be using wooden pallets for the main structure, and windowscreen to retain the media, but I haven't yet determined whether that will be sufficient to bear the weight of the plants and media in a heavy rain. There's a vertical gardening blog you may be able to find some inspiration from... I don't remember what it is off the top of my head but I'll try to find it.
~Joe
 
  • #10
Depending on what you use for regular ping medium, going with the synthetic stuff might be more lightweight, which you mentioned as a major factor in your construction guidelines.
 
  • #11
UnstuckinTime said:
Depending on what you use for regular ping medium, going with the synthetic stuff might be more lightweight, which you mentioned as a major factor in your construction guidelines.
Click to expand...

Yes, but the question remains: Will they grow in it? If yes, great. I'll get started right away! :bigthumpup:
 
  • #12
Suite

nice plan.

but a lot of ping mexican and temperate are rather calcareous .

here in europe a lot of people (I am one)have tried this solution ( on a calcareous wall), without very good sucess .

for me the pot solution is the best .

jeff
 
  • #13
jeff 2 said:
nice plan.

but a lot of ping mexican and temperate are rather calcareous .

here in europe a lot of people (I am one)have tried this solution ( on a calcareous wall), without very good sucess .

for me the pot solution is the best .

jeff
Click to expand...

What is the problem? Is it hard to water them correctly?

The reason I wish to try the wall is because it would save space for me. I do not have enough room for plants!...but of course if it is too hard to achieve success, I may just have to give up.
 
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  • #15
epbb said:
Keep in mind that soil plus water can be heavy and may fall down.

You can use the media used for building worldwide green walls (see google with green walls).

The media is this one typical on this link on the pictures :
http://www.jardin-hydroponique-decoratif.com/Aquanappe_Feutre_300gr_m2-93-486
Click to expand...

Thank you very much for the suggestion. Yes, I believe this would be the best way to go. Then I would only need a sturdy backing and no frame. Is that similar to rockwool by any chance? I know of a hydrophonics supply store closeby. I will have to go and see what they suggest.

I talked with the curator of the Huntington today and he mentioned that the synthetic material was a sort of commercial filter pad--actually it was a type of comercial felt (edit) at least along those lines. But a mineral material would probably be superior, no?
 
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  • #16
may want to look into how they build stucco homes. I seem to remember a thin plastic layer underneath, stretched over the wooden frame, then the matrix of wire over that and then the substrate.
 
  • #17
kulamauiman said:
may want to look into how they build stucco homes. I seem to remember a thin plastic layer underneath, stretched over the wooden frame, then the matrix of wire over that and then the substrate.
Click to expand...

Yes, but the substrate will not stick if it is on the outside. It will wash off! It doesn't dry like stucco, you know. If I used soil it would have to be between the plastic and wire, not in front of it.

Wait. I think I may see what you mean. You're saying to BUILD a replica of the rocky wall...with something that hardens into rock. I feel that's going to be hard because most concrete ect. has a high salt content...minerals you know. Maybe pings don't mind?

---------- Post added at 05:40 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:12 PM ----------

OK. I'm sold. I'll use that felt for building greenwalls.

However, now I have other questions! Shoddy felt, as this seems to be called...It would have to be a bit think. I'm not quite sure where to get it though. Does this seem suitable in any way?

Now. Growing pinguicula in felt! I would water them with water passed through some sort of standard ping media, I suppose. I'm sure they need more nutrients than hair...but it's a good thing they can catch their own food.

I'll be using a small pump on a timer. I'll have it water the minimum duration several times a day I assume, more in summer, less in winter. Maybe I'll get a digital timer in place of a mechanical one.

Is there any aditive to the water that would be good for pings? Dilute ferts instead of a slurry of ping media? Should the water be alkaline, or acidic?

Has anybody tried hydrophonics with pinguicula? P. gigantae seems a good choice since it doesn't require winter dormancy I've heard.

HELP!!!
 
  • #18
suite

like the others mexican ping , gigantea have need a dormancy period .

P.gigantea is a carnivorous plant they have need also to alive insect like all these plants genus.

rather alcalin water.

a mineral substrat is not a start of hydroponics ?


this wall is a interressant project ,for me no adapted to the pinguicula but for common green plant yes if you love ( like your picture)

jeff
 
  • #19
jeff 2 said:
like the others mexican ping , gigantea have need a dormancy period .

P.gigantea is a carnivorous plant they have need also to alive insect like all these plants genus.

rather alcalin water.

a mineral substrat is not a start of hydroponics ?


this wall is a interressant project ,for me no adapted to the pinguicula but for common green plant yes if you love ( like your picture)

jeff
Click to expand...

I beg to differ on the dormancy. From what I have read, p. gigantea produce only carnivorous leaves. They just shrink in size while resting. So while they may have a weak dormancy requirement, they are not quite like other mexican pinguicula. Please correct me if I am misinformed.

I understand that the wall did not work for you or for many other people. But I would like to try again. I believe that if set up properly, it will work for p. gigantea. Whether I have to create a sort of verticle pot instead of hydrophonics I do not know. That is my question. I

Thank you for understanding. If you can help me along the way, please contribuite. If this wall fails, let the administrators sticky it as something that should not be tried again...but I'm willing to try. If all else fails, I will have something interesting to sell at the local garage sale.
 
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