P. moranesis

Darcie · Dec 20, 2003

Is there any source out there with cultivation info specifically for P. moranesis. I'm really worried about mine and I don't know enough specifics to tell what is wronge with it. Thanks

Tamlin Dawnstar · Dec 20, 2003

Please describe the symptoms, and provide a summary of how you are growing your plant.

Darcie · Dec 21, 2003

Okay, I got my Ping mid summer and it had two aborted flower stalks on it at the time, but I didn't know that at the time. I watered it ever few days letting the soil slightly dry like suggested to me here and it tried and failed to produce another flower stalk. It was suggested that it was humidity so the plant got misted 3 times a day and sat on my windowed back porch where it got fairly good lighting, not all day, only about 4 hours direct and the rest of the day indirect. It continued to make dewy leaves about 2.5 inches long a piece for the first month and kept aborting flowers. Then it started making smaller, thinner (as in the leaf was not as fleshy) more oval less pointed dewless leaves. I thought it was trying to go dormant so I moved it to an area of indirect light and it's growth slowed some more and now it lives as a little dewless plant with leaves only about 1 inch long at the best. All of the once dewy leaves have died. Now I recently read that they look like artichokes when dormant and have super fleshy dewless leaves and flower during this time also. Mine is not doing anything remotely like that so I am afraid it was just sick and not dormant which means it needs to go dormant or something but hasn't and I'm just at a loss as to what to do. I moved it inside my terrarium to get more light for now, but I honestly have no clue what it is doing or what I am doing. Stuff on-line seems so general that it doesn't help much. Thanks for your input

Tamlin Dawnstar · Dec 22, 2003

I grow mine just moist, and in a very airy mix of perlite, sharp sand and vermiculite (no peat). Its important to get air around the roots, otherwise they rot. Although I use tray watering during the active growth period, the looseness of the medium allows the roots to breathe. If the plant is not in active growth, I cut back the moisture. I do not mist my plants: they dislike wet leaves. Humidity is provided by an ultrasonic humidifier, a very very fine mist, not enough to wet the leaves, and this only in the morning. I find the Mexican species are better treated as succulents most of the time, not to wet, good light and high humidity.

Darcie · Dec 22, 2003

Okay, well I'll see if it perks up once I get a new plantlight installed. Thanks.

The Griffin · Dec 22, 2003

Darcie,

You did not say what compost you were using. I have found peaty soils to work fine for this species(different things wiork for different people, so Tamlin's mix works great for him). I have seen robust specimens grown in 50% peat, and then 25% each of sand and perlite. I myself like Tamlin's mix with peat(one portion of each). I grow mine in 10 gallon tanks with shallow water that I let dry before refilling. I think using milled sphagnum instead of peat would work too, and may be more airy then the peat mix. I will have to try that sometime.
Drosera and Pings in general are not plants that like water misted directly on them.

Regards,

Joe

larry · Dec 22, 2003

I grow mine in half peat, half sand. I keep them outside under the patio. They won't stop multiplying

Accidentally break off a leaf, and some new plantlets form. No stopping this species!

Darcie · Dec 22, 2003

I know my mix is good because it came from our local gardens and they spair no expence when it comes to making the best soil mixes they can. I think my ping just hates me... and I tried not misting it for a long time too and it didn't make a difference so I don't know what it's problem is. I wish I knew what varient it was 'cause I hear some look weird when they go dorment.