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Growing Pinguicula hemiepiphytica

Joseph Clemens

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Here is a recent photograph of four of my Pinguicula hemiepiphytica, original plants obtained from Pete Thiel and Jan Flisek.

Pot: Dark green plastic, 2 inch (5 cm) square

Media: 100% granular peat moss with a vertical layer of pumice through the center of the pot.

Water: Year-round, 1/2 - 1 inch (1.2 - 2.5 cm) in plastic tray.

Light: Year-round, 15 hours/day of "cool white" fluorescent lamps.

P_hemiepiphytica_Group_web_size.jpg


<span style='color:blue'>What do yours look like and how do you grow them?</span>
 
Man! All these pics you keep showing of pings in peat, have got me thinking that a lot of people have over thought ping compost recipes, lol.
Seriously, it is amazing how different recipes work for different people, and Pinguicula seem to have the most radical differences from grower to grower.

Cheers,

Joe
 
As soon as my forgetful co-worker brings in his top-of-the-line camera, I will post some pics of my Mexican pings. I grow them essentially the same as you - open tray, but on a window sill, instead of the lighting system you employ.
 
Hi Joseph. What temps do your plants receive during different parts of the year?
 
<span style='font-size:11pt;line-height:100%'>So far I have had fairly good results using lots of $8 - 4 foot shop light fixtures with $1 each 40 watt, cool white, fluorescent lamps. If the plants are low enough I keep them 3 inches or less from the lamps. I have two shelves where I can raise the lamps higher in order to accomodate taller plants. I have the lights on digital timers and run them for 15 hours during our nightime here in Tucson, Arizona. I run the lights at night to avoid overstressing our air conditioner which works 24/7 during our summer to keep our indoor temperatures around <span style='color:red'>85F or less during the day and down to 75F at night</span>. This basically means that the plants in the plant room, under lights see about <span style='color:red'>90F</span> during the night, which is their day, while they have an ultrasonic humidifier mist distributed by a PC muffin fan running 24/7 and the dry cooling breeze from the air conditioner swirling around them distributed by other room fans 24/7. During true day when the plant room is dark (effectively plant night) 9am -6pm, the air conditioner keeps it between <span style='color:red'>75 - 80F in summer and it goes as low as 65F during the cooler months of the year</span>. During true night when the plant room is lit by the fluorescent lamps (effectively plant day) 6pm - 9am, despite the air conditioner, which keeps most of the house cooler, the plant room, because of the lights and ballast can get up to <span style='color:red'>80 - 90F</span> during plant day. This can create even more of a day/night differential in the cooler months, because the plant room still gets just as warm as in the summer, yet gets even cooler at night.

Bottom line:

--Cool and moist air is circulated around the plants day and night 24/7/365 by use of ultrasonic humidifier, central air conditioning vent, and room circulating fans.

--6pm - 9am (plant day) Temp = <span style='color:red'>80 - 90F</span> because of all the lights and ballast running in the small room.

--9am - 6pm (plant night) Temp = <span style='color:red'>75 - 80F</span> due to air conditioning not having to work against the heat produced by the lights. In fall, winter, and spring plant night usually gets even cooler, naturally, even without air conditioning, down to <span style='color:red'>mid 60's F</span>, this is because whenever it is cooler outside than 75F, which is as warm as we ourselves feel comfortable, we open all the windows in the house, and even put fans in some to draw it in and others to force the hotter air out.

I used to use all kinds of different fancy and expensive 40 watt fluorescent plant lights. Verilux, power twists, agrolights, etc. The plants grew just as well for me under simple, cheap, discount, $1 each / or less, cool white shop lamps; as long as I use as many as I can squeeze into 18 inch wide x 48 inch long shelves - - which is usually 6. I have heard suggestions that I plan to try once I have migrated most of my collection to the greenhouse which is nearing operational status.</span>
 
Alright, I finally took a picture of my P. hemiepiphytica which I believe came from Jan Flisek as well. I grow them near my windowsill an I use mainly vermiculite with a small amount of peat. Notice how the plant at the pot's half height? That's bz vermiculite compressed over time. I will probably repot this plant next year.

http://www.soe.ucsc.edu/~majestic/cp/P.hemiepiphytica.jpg

It also seems that Joseph's plant's leaves are different than mine. Maybe one of us has a different species? (This plant has never flowered for me.)
 
Looks more like the hybrid 'sethos' x gypsicola, which bcp distrubuted for many years. The leaves appear too narrow to be hemiepiphytica...
When the plant flowers, it will be easier to determine the identity.
 
CP2K you are right, the leaf shape of my plant does look similar to the hybrid. I'll check my photo albums in case my memory of it not flowering is faulty.
 
I checked my photo albums, and yes the flower looks very similar to P. 'Sethos' and matches a P. 'Sethos' x gypsicola picture that PinguiculaMan took. Thanks for pointing this out CP2K. I'll inform my friend who propagated the plant for me.
 
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