Tropical pings

[chloroplast]

Hi all,

I just got a P. agnata and P. esseriana. In general, is the water tray method a good idea for these? I know there are a lot of factors, but in general?....

My P. primuliflora died after 2wks from what appeared to be a gradual leaf rot. I'm wondering if the trays had anything to do with this. As far as the rest, I've got my american pitcher plants, Drosera, Utrics and VFTs standing in water, and my Neps and heliamphora not. They all seem to be thriving.

Thanks.

 

[ChronoKiento]

They are all different in my opinion. My P. 'John Rizzi' is doing great in about a quarter inch of water. But I've heard that certain pings like primuliflora is really prone to rot.

 

[jimscott]

I've had the same primuliflora sitting open tray on a window sill for 13 months. It has flowered and produced plantlets in intervals and has looked a little ragged at times, particularly after having sent up 8 consecutive flowers. I water it once a week, allowing for fluctuating water level conditions. It works for me.

 

[elgecko]

My P. esseriana does not sit in any tray, but gets watered twice a week. I grow it inside on a windowsill.
I had a P. primuliflora which was getting smaller and smaller not sitting the tray method. When looking around the internet it seems this plant grows in very wet conditions.
What I found that seems to work for my P. primuliflora is I took a new pot, used aquarium seal on the drainage holes on the bottom. I drilled 3 new holes about 1" down from the top of the pot. The top of the soil is a 1/2" above these new holes, so the soil is very wet. My P. primuliflora seems to enjoy this as it's looking much better then it did before.

 

[chloroplast]

Thanks. I've also heard that the primuliflora is prone to rot more so than other species. Based on this fact, and since I'm not home much recently, I think I'll keep the tray method for now b/c risking too dry soil would probably be worse. If these pings die, then I'll chalk it up to experience and not use the tray method in the future.

 

[jimscott]

Sounds like a good approach. Better to err on the side of wet, than dry. One thing to consider is that there are intangible, unnoticeable factors present. For one thing, a parson new to the hobby wouldn't be as attuned to what the plant went through or is going through at the garden center. I bought what appeared to be a healthy S. purpurea and it wasa dead in a week. Was it me? Could've been, but other plants purchased are still alive, a year later - including the P. primuliflora. I probably didn't recognize the stress it was under. I have had great success, in general, for all of my pings, doing open tray, on a window sill. One bad experience from one type of plant can easily color one's perceptions as to their degree of difficulty. And then you will read posts from people who have absolutely no problems with problematic species - especially the topic of flowring Vft's and death soon thereafter. Reading how Tamlin & P-man cultivate the same plants is a trip because they are highly successful in doing almost diametrically opposed approaches.

 

[Tamlin Dawnstar]

I grow the American Pinguicula species P. primuliflora, ionatha and planifolia almost as aquatics. In fact both ionatha and palnifolia have been underwater for the last month. They are thriving. These two are best considered as marginal aquatics. P. lutea and P. pumila I keep in just damp conditions in a sandy peat mix.

I do not use tray watering for the tropical species. I spray the bins the plants are in in the morning, aiming at keeping the mix (perlite, sand, vermiculite) just moist, never wet. By evening the excess water on the leaves has evaporated.

The Mexican Pings are totally dry over the winter (with a light spray every week or two), and the American Pings I aim to keep fairly moist, but not wet, and in cool conditions.

 

[Grim]

Completly submerged?

 

[chloroplast]

Jimscott, perhaps you're right; my plant may have been on a silent decline prior to purchase (that possibility makes me feel a bit better). A thought came to mind today--P.primuliflora is (I believe) a temperate ping. In my terrarium, it was just 6" from 80W of florescent lighting (without shade) and at day temps of 80-85F (and high humidity). Perhaps the lighting and/or temperature was too high for a temperate species?

Tamlin, I have a p.agnata and p.esseriana, which are listed as tropical in the "savage garden." Is this equivalent to "Mexican" in your post? (I believe it is, but please correct me if I'm wrong.) If so, is it safe for me to keep them wet year-round? Though I realize that a dry period may be part of their typical growing cycle, I'd rather not put them through this unless absolutely necessary. It may be a misconception that I have to get over, but I just can't imagine a CP surviving in dry soil!

 

[jimscott]

My primuliflora, for the most part has been open tray & window sill for 13 months, at "room temperature." That's about 10 degrees cooler than your terraium. That is not to say that what I am doing is universally the correct way. With the exception of Lowes' cobra lily, the CP's sold in garden centers tend to be the easier plants to keep a live - once you get past using the right water and a few other basic cp essentials (light, air circulation, possible dormancy). Hence the variety of successful and mildly confusing growing conditions.

I can tell ya about my limited experience with Mexican pings, but wait for Tamlin's advice. This past Spring I was sent 4 sethos leaf cuttings. They were kept south-facing, open tray, on a window sill. All did fine and grew a little. In July I decide that they should go outside for the summer. It didn't happen right away, but they all seemed to have gotten smaller - and then they just disapeared. It was as if they melted away. I don't know why. I was sent a variety of Mexican plants afew weeks ago and they are my usual open tray, window sill - again. A sethos is currently flowering and all else is "greasey". Leaves that fell off in transit I attempted treating as cuttings. They, too, are "greasey". I may not be able to tell you the whys and wherefores of my experiences with them, but I can tell you what I did and the results.