Pinguicula grandiflora ssp. grandiflora

[Tamlin Dawnstar]

I had to hike some 2 miles out of the woods with some mighty chunks of tuffa rock.  As it turns out, I only needed a fraction of what I brought out.

The plant in the photo was a hibernacula in the fridge 3 weeks ago.  The growth rate is amazing in this species, and the flowering seems prolific.  This plant is actually from one of the larger gemmae associated with the hibernacula.  The main plant has 3 scapes up and flowering and 2 more visable in the center!

The gemmae was planted in a bit of marl sand set into the pores of the tuffa rock, and the whole placed in good light in a small dish of rain water.The tuffa wicks the water to the roots, and viola! there is a mini ecosystem.

 

[The Griffin]

Tamlin,

Very nice. You have access to tuffa rock in a neaby natural area? Man, you are lucky. Why did you pick that and marl sand as a growing medium? I have heard Mexican Pings growing like this, but not this species. Obviously it's working.

Regards,

Joe

 

[BjørnNorman]

Hi Tamlin.
How long does it take when you see the flower bud from the roset to they flower ?

 

[Tamlin Dawnstar]

Hmmmm, I would say about week. Once the hibernacula opened the bud was immediately evident, and opened shortly therafter.

 

[lil_flytrap_boy]

Lovely plant - It looks so healthy!

 

[NickHubbell]

Can anyone tell me a source for tufa rocks? Would landscape supply companies carry it?

I recently received seed of P. grandiflora and wanted to get a small rock supply before I needed it.

 

[Vic Brown]

I don't know about the US, but its probably the same. Tufa rock is very easy to find in aquarium shops here in the UK, almost all large stores sell it.

Vic

 

[NickHubbell]

haha, now I have to find an aquarium shop

Everything I have close is just a small pet shop. Looks like a road trip is in order

 

[sarracenialuver]

Hello,
Fore some reason I cant se ethe picture, but what is Tufa rock?
Kevin

 

[CP2k]

Does anyone know if Tufa will break down over time when used for mounting pings.

 

[NickHubbell]

The tufa rocks I did come across at local pet shops, do look as if it could easily break down over time. The rocks that I have access to chip off easily when bumped into another rock. If there are minerals in the water and soils being used, I would think that they would build up in the pores and possibly cause the rock to break down over time.

The tufa rock that Tamlin has posted above, does not look like the tufa rock available to me. Tamlin's rock has fewer pores and looks smooth. The rocks available to me are very porous and ruff. It could be that the rock Tamlin has posted is weathered, where the rocks I have access to have not been exposed.

I still plan to mount a ping on the rock I did find.