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Lava Rock for Pings?

Hi! It's been a while!

After browsing the web I've found a lot of really neat lava rocks with pings growing out of them. How is this done?

1) How big does the lava rock have to be?
2) Does it require ANY soil?

(I find myself having a lot of issues with peat or sand. I do well with almost pure perlite though. I am not good at watering my pings. Some of them died from root rot this past summer because I over-watered them by accident).

3) Is it true that you can just plug the pings into larger holes and they do just fine without anything but the rock? (I really want to know this)!
4) How would you water them when they're in a lava rock? Do you just pour on top or fill up the tray by an inch? (This is also important to me because I am AWFUL at watering my poor pings)
5) Do I have to drill holes into the Lava Rock?
6) Is there a specific kind of Lava Rock I should get? (something porous or dense)?
7) Does anyone have a thorough and well-written guide I can look at?

I don't want to try this only to end up killing all my pings. The ones I have are tropical and I must say have been very strong with such a terrible owner.

(If this also helps, I used this for lighting on top of setting my pings on the windowsill). http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003DRBOJ8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
 
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So far my lava rock experiment has been successful with Pings. I tried some Droseras as well but they aren't looking that great.
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I bought a lava rock at an aquarium store. It had three main holes that went all the way through it. I sealed the bottom of those holes with weed barrier fabric and filled the holes with Ping substrate. Then just added the guy in. He's grown so much since I planted him in it! I put the lava rock in a tray and it pulls in water/capillary action.

I'm assuming you could use any size lava rock. Just keep in mind they get heavy with soils and when they are saturated with water.

I'd propagate the pings you want to use and then use the new babies to test your lava rock so you don't have to risk your Pings you want to keep.

Also, mine sits on a windowsill, but has also been under lights before. Works fine for me either way.
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I should of cleaned the lava rock before taking pictures. In my terrarium and on this lava rock I get white mold sometimes, but I usually take a toothbrush and brush it off, clean it all up until it returns again. I think it's inevitable with these kinds of things but not sure.. It could be poor air circulation for them too.

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Wow your lava rock ping looks gorgeous!
What do you use for substrate? Pure mineral or mixed?
I'm not very good at propagating pings...I tried but all of the leaves ended up rotting away. =(
 
Bonjour

use rather calcareous rock

a lot of ping temperate or mexican are calcareous or grow in clay and limestone environments.

jeff
 
Wow your lava rock ping looks gorgeous!
What do you use for substrate? Pure mineral or mixed?
I'm not very good at propagating pings...I tried but all of the leaves ended up rotting away. =(

So far, in my experience, rotting ping leaves usually occur from either using too damaged of a leaf or keeping the leaves contained in too humid of an environment.

I use 100% turface for my mexi-pings.
 
I tried it... I bought a rock at the pet store and took a masonry drill bit and made 3 holes large enough for some soil and roots. Washed and soaked the rock 24 hrs in clean rain water. Planted 3 pings on it and it's been over 6 months and the pings are happy. I have it sitting in a water tray and that's it.. I want moss to cover the rock but over time I guess it will. I will post a picture later...
 
it looks great !!
very very nice
 
I have some P. esseriana on lava rocks and they're doing great, I even have a plantlet growing with no media (not to mention a small P. gigantea that will probably need to be removed from said rock soon)
 
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  • #10
I use weathered granite because it absorbs water ...like a sponge made of sand



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  • #11
Feeling like I gotta get on this lava rock train soon!
 
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