What's your favorite soil mix for Pinguiculas?

[Steverd]

What's your favorite soil mix for Pinguiculas?

I grow mostly Mexican Pings and wondering what soil mix do you use?
Here are a few I have written down. I've been using #2 but want to try some other mixes.

1: 3 Parts Sand and 1 Part Peat
2: 1 Part Sand, 1 Part Perlite, 1 Part Peat
3: 1 Part Volcanic Rock, 1 Part Sand and 1 Part Peat
4: 1 Part Sand and 1 Part Peat
5: 1 part Peat, 1 part Silicia Sand, 2 parts Perlite
6: Straight Aquatic Planting Media (API or Schultz)
7: 1 Part Aquatic Planting Media, 1 part silicia sand
8. Straight Turface
9. 1 Part Turface, 1 part silicia sand

Thank you,

 

[thez_yo]

Mine have been going well 4+ years on in a mix of just 1 part perlite : 1 part vermiculite.

 

[Radagast]

I have been doing quite a bit of experimenting lately with media mixes for Pings. In my conditions I've noticed the following: in shorter than average pots, the pings do great with straight turface, or a mixture of turface & sand. In average & taller pots, the straight turface does not seem able to wick up enough moisture to reach the delicate, shallow roots of the pings, and so I use a heavier and more absorbent mixture of peat/sand/perlite with good effects. I'm still a Ping newbie, but to me, like most plant varieties, the media mixture seems to depend largely on your conditions.

 

[europa_13]

Mine (that are doing well) are in a mix of 1 part peat moss, 1 part perlite, 1 part fir bark, 1 part sand. All the ingredients have been blended. Like with a blender on "chop" setting. My local carnivorous plant nursery sells it, but it's not for pings.

I have one that's not doing so great in a tall pot with LFS to plug the bottom holes and then just silica sand @Radagast you're right that it's not wicking the water up as well. It too was an experiment media.

@Steverd I've wanted to try Aquatic Plant Media (API) but haven't tried it yet. Have you?

 

[corky]

I have had good results with peat and perlite and with inorganic mixes , but don't see the point in using deep pots for plants with such shallow roots so haven't had a wicking problem

 

[Cthulhu138]

I use 100% Turface on most of mine. Some species, like P.moctezumae, P.immaculata, P.nivalis and P.moranensis and it's close relatives seem to prefer a slightly wetter mix of Turface/peat or Turface/sand/peat. Depending on the conditions they are grown in, there are many mixes that will work well for most species. While there is no "best recipe", I do incorporate Turface into all my Pinguicula mixes. It's definitely a superior additive, it wicks water extremely well for summer growth, allows for good drainage in winter all while keeping whatever media it's added to loose and aerobic.

 

[Steverd]

@Steverd I've wanted to try Aquatic Plant Media (API) but haven't tried it yet. Have you?

YES, here is my P.esseriana grown in 100% API Aquatic plant mix.
The piece of paper in the corner was my wick test to be sure water was wicking up to the plant.
But I do top water alot.

 

[tommyr]

Right now 50/50 peat and perlite with some calcium carbonate (crushed up chalk) thrown in.

 

[theplantman]

The best mix I have used is a complex mix of potting soil/sand/perlite/permatill/Turface. I can make this and use it interchangeably for pings and cacti/succulents, so it's quite convenient. The levels of nutrients are cut by all the inert stuff so that it's just perfect to jumpstart pings when repotted.

 

[jimscott]

Sand, perlite, crushed coral, egg shells,... there's a lot of latitude for them.

 

[cwatson1414]

The best results I've had are with 100% turface, on the tray method, with a high water level. Half way up a two inch pot. I've grown them in 1:1 peat and pumice with some dolomite ( don't bother with that one!) and 1:1:1 peat perlite sand. The PPS mix is adequate, but mimeral mix is better.

 

[Av8tor1]

Since 2008, 100% APS/Turface

http://www.terraforums.com/forums/butterwort-pinguicula-/115334-ping-gifts.html#post899017

 

[Steverd]

Since 2008, 100% APS/Turface

http://www.terraforums.com/forums/butterwort-pinguicula-/115334-ping-gifts.html#post899017

Do you prefer one over the other?
Also how deep are your pots then?
Do you keep them in trays with water or just water when dry?

Thank you

 

[Av8tor1]

Do you prefer one over the other?
Also how deep are your pots then?
Do you keep them in trays with water or just water when dry?

Thank you

No preference, if you get the right turface variant they are identical

the pots in the pictures are 4"

Many differing opinions on watering, and I've done both but I prefer to top water or flood and drain.

Having said all this, there are many others (some have already chimed in) who are much better at answering ping questions.
I grow a couple.... that's it, but fwiw, the titan in the picture is still in the same pot of APS 7 yrs later

(and nooooooooo I don't want more )

 

[Steverd]

Here are images of my API Aquatic Plant Media and Turface MVP
The Aquatic plant media's bag says 'Unique blend of Arcillite & Zoelite'
So they do look about the same, except the white 'Zoelite' in the Aquatic plant media.

 

[J.Gennaro]

I use an all mineral mix for my Mexican Pinguicula because I have found that the fungus gnat larvae which come with peat moss will happily munch on delicate ping roots. There are a lot of different options when it comes to soil components. When I was trying to formulate which mixture I would I was a bit confused with all the stuff out there so listed some of the options and included its components underneath. I hope this is helpful. The substances I listed below are often mixed with other soil additives such as silica sand, perlite, growstone, ect.

 

[Steverd]

Very interesting - Thanks.
I used Flourite in so many aquariums over the years - it's great stuff.
I also used something called ADA Aqua Soil - I liked it even better than Flourite!
Aqua Soil series : Aqua Forest Aquarium, ADA USA, Aqua Design Amano

Steve

 

[Av8tor1]

Here are images of my API Aquatic Plant Media and Turface MVP
The Aquatic plant media's bag says 'Unique blend of Arcillite & Zoelite'
So they do look about the same, except the white 'Zoelite' in the Aquatic plant media.

I've tried API brand with zeolite, Shultz brand without zeolite, Turface...
I've not observed a difference in performance with either.
Turface is so much less expensive. I use a lot and its all I've used for the last few years

The last big bags I bought (40 or 50lb, don't remember which) were about $13 USD each.

(fwiw, I buy mine at a John Deere Landscaping supply store, it's labeled as "All Sport" there)

 

[Cthulhu138]

Price has gone up on Turface here. I used to pay $12.50 per 50lb bag. The last 2 I purchased a few weeks ago cost me $27.00 each ! I've also noticed that the John Deere stores here have changed their names to "Site One Landscapes". The price hike seemes to have coincided with the name change.

 

[w03]

I've used the API stuff too, it's fine. Just really expensive is all.