Shade pings

[ptfreelander]

Hey,

I'm really a Sarracenia guy, I just have a few pings, P. esseriana and P. moranensis.

This fall, I'll be going to university and I'd like to take a few small plants for the even-smaller window. Are there any pings which would grow and flower well for me in a window? The two pings I have are growing with Sarr seedlings very close to 4 fluorescent lights.

Thanks so much in advance,
Patrick

 

[Treaqum]

I grow all my mexicna pings in the window and they weem to like it (East window).

 

[jimscott]

My pings, Mexican and P primuliflora are at a SE facing window. No pinkish hues, but doing fine, otherwise.

 

[ptfreelander]

Thanks!

 

[Ispahan]

An eastern windowsill seems to be perfect for Mexican Pinguicula like P. moranensis.  I had mine in a location where it would receive 4-5 of direct sunlight from a western windowsill and then very bright shade for the rest of the day.  They were growing well and the new foliage all had coppery-bronze edges, but I noticed that the flower buds all blasted when the emerging stems reached an inch or so in length.  I moved my plants to an eastern windowsill last week to see if they would respond well to somewhat reduced levels of light and, so far, the new foliage is still coming in tinted bronze along the edges and the new flower stems are all elongating beyond one inch and have promising, fat flower buds. I don't know if I am imagining it, but the leaves seem to be producing more mucilage in the new location, too.

 

[ptfreelander]

Hmmm...I hadn't thought of light being too intense for P. moranensis...to think of it, out of 4 or 5 flower buds mine has put up in the six months I've had it, it has only successfully bloomed once. The leaves, however, grow in rapid succession and are a gorgeous pink with green central areas.

It has begun to produce somewhat succulent leaves, so I'm going to try to get some babies and take them to school with me this fall.

 

[Ispahan]

The reason I tried giving it less light was because of something I had read on the CP Listserv, that Pinguicula moranensis (G) will often blast its buds when grown in strong sunlight.  Usually a plant will blast its buds when not given enough light, so I found this "solution" to be rather intriguing.  I suspect that my own clones of P. moranensis may in fact be the kind circulated as "G", so I went ahead and switched them to a different location.

 

[Ispahan]

Although I should also add that the successful development of flower buds in my case might be due to a natural reaction of the plants to mild stress.  In other stress, moving them to slightly lower light has effectively "scared" them into blooming.  In nature they would produce more flowers to produce more seed and therefore propagate themselves and ensure future survival.

 

[ptfreelander]

True, and interesting thoughts. I've seen blooming P. moranensis photographs with much less pink than my plant has, so I doubt mine couldn't deal with less light. Unfortunately, I have no idea what clone, if any, mine is.