FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

How wet or moist do you folks keep your Mexican pings? I grow most of mine in peat/perlite but recently started experimenting with a perlite/vermiculite mix for a few of them.

Thanks, Tom

I water and then wait for a week or two (or three, sometimes I forget) to water again. When they look like they are getting their Winter leaves I water once every 4 to 6 weeks or so. Except for the ones that need to be completely dry, I don't really worry about them until they start putting out summer leaves.

Huntsmanshorn wrote:I water and then wait for a week or two (or three, sometimes I forget) to water again. When they look like they are getting their Winter leaves I water once every 4 to 6 weeks or so. Except for the ones that need to be completely dry, I don't really worry about them until they start putting out summer leaves.

Thanks for replying. I grow Gigantea, Aphrodite, Alfred Lau 13 and John Rizzi. Started a few leaf pullings but they are growing SUPER slowly. Room temp 70F. Trying to find the right watering regiment. They are a few years old now.

tommyr wrote:

Huntsmanshorn wrote:I water and then wait for a week or two (or three, sometimes I forget) to water again. When they look like they are getting their Winter leaves I water once every 4 to 6 weeks or so. Except for the ones that need to be completely dry, I don't really worry about them until they start putting out summer leaves.

Thanks for replying. I grow Gigantea, Aphrodite, Alfred Lau 13 and John Rizzi. Started a few leaf pullings but they are growing SUPER slowly. Room temp 70F. Trying to find the right watering regiment. They are a few years old now.

All those species prefer to stay wet year round except for John Rizzi.

During the summer I pour water into the trays to 3/4 inch or so, then let the tray go dry for a couple days, but keep the medium moist. During the winter, when I lived in a cooler house, I’d let it stay dry for a week or more because it took a long time for the soil to actually go dry. Now I’m in a warmer place - similar lows but warmer days - so I water more often. The only ones I let sit completely dry are my P. gypsicola. It hasn’t seemed to make much difference but for others it does, so don’t take my words as gospel!


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Pure turface is great for plants that need a lot of oxygen on their roots. IE aloe polyphilla. I suspect it would work for any of the larger CPs if it can be kept moist enough, and probably orchids too since they like hydrotun. It breathes well so it dries quickly. Trying to germinate some darlingtonia in it currently.
It comes in a couple grades, I use mvp, but there is a finer version.

TOMMYR

your substrate is just perlite/vermiculite ?

if yes it is a hydroponic substrate , then always wet but no soggy

have you a flower picture to your " Alfred Lau 13" and your 'John Rizzi '

do you make dormancy for these ping ?

jeff wrote:TOMMYR

your substrate is just perlite/vermiculite ?

if yes it is a hydroponic substrate , then always wet but no soggy

have you a flower picture to your " Alfred Lau 13" and your 'John Rizzi '

do you make dormancy for these ping ?

I have 2 pots with a 50/50 mix of perlite and vermiculite.

My Alfred Lau and John Rizzi have never flowered for me.

Since they are tropicals they don't go dormant but slow down growth in fall/winter.

Thanks to all so far for your replies! I really appreciate it.

Hey Jeff here is my Alfred Lau #13 in flower.

Bonjour

for me yes they are tropical plants, but that enters a kind of dormancy, not to protect it from the cold, but rather of the dry and hot period, from where the passage often, has succulent leaves or even onions, bulbs, arachnoid rosettes.

then there are 2 schools that do not make them pass those seasons that 'in situ' are difficult for them, and those like me who do it.

merci KategoricalKarnivore very close to P.gigantea no for the corolla ? and for the leaves ?

I don't have anything to add at the moment, but I wanted to save this conversation. Beautiful Pings in this thread.

Don't know if this post is still active but here goes. I repotted my few (seven) Mexican Pinguicula a few days ago. The old substrate was peat, crushed lava rock & perlite. They did flower in this mix. Because I have probably been doing too much research I decided on a new mix. I used turface, pumice, sand and lined the bottom of the pots with NZS. I was hesitate to use vermiculite as I read it turns slimy and needs to be replaced.

what species have you ?

the mineral substrate must be always wet not soggy even dry for dormancy

A great and good information on the subject substrates .. I am currently using a mix of
attapulgite / aquarium silica / perlite / expanded clay trozeada (3-4mm)