FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

Hello everyone,

I am a noob to carnivorous plants in general, and to Pings in particular; I just got my 1st Ping - a Primuliflora, along with a Cape Sundew (my first one of these too). I got these plants as I discovered they are more suited for eating fungus gnats than are Flytraps (Read the back story here).

This is my Ping(s) - it has caught some gnats already!!!



I love it!!! -- but I'm very worried about taking care of it properly. I did a lot of reading about Pings before purchasing, and many many sites recommend the Primuliflora as the easiest 'beginner' Ping. However I'm noticing on this forum there seems to be sort of a consensus that the Mexican Pings are the easiest; also many people claim that their Primulifloras always die. Eesh.

I'm going to give it my best shot anyway, and my primary concerns are: How much humidity does this need to survive and prosper, and how much water should I give it? (I know the second answer is at least "A lot").

There are many differing opinions out in internet-land on the best way to care for these plants. A number of folks advocate keeping the bottom of the pot submerged in water, citing the fact that it is sometimes found growing underwater in flooded areas. However in other places I've read to NOT leave it submerged in water. Hmmm. I started out keeping it submerged but have decided to not do this, to keep it wet with frequent watering, and see how it does. (Maybe submerging the pot makes more sense when it's really hot outside during the summer?)

Also, many sources cite the high humidity requirements of this plant, while others scoff at carnivorous plant care "myths" such as high humidity needs. To try to produce some extra humidity I have two containers of water on each side of my Ping, and I'm using the imperfectly fitting partial humidity dome that it came with. Unfortunately though the overall humidity in my apartment is probably pretty low...maybe ~15%. I'm thinking of purchasing a humidifier for winters if it turns out that it is crucial for these plants to have very high humidity. (I hadn't realized Mexican Pings can withstand lower humidity levels - I would have bought one had I learned that first.)

I feel like I probably have the sun and heat requirements down at least; I have it in a west-facing window where it only will get 2 to 3 hours of any direct sunlight per day. And my apartment is kept heated between 65 and 70 Fahrenheit (Convert to Celsius) during the days and evenings.

So can anyone clarify the watering and humidity requirements of the Primuliflora for me? And give me any other tips that will me help this plant to thrive?

Thank you!!

Pinguicula Primuflora is very easy to grow. However this plant is very prone to root rot, so be careful with the watering! Unlike many other cps pings do not like intense sun and this species grows naturally in slightly shaded areas. So be sure to protect it from hot sun! 2-4 hours of direct sun and the rest of the day in the shade should be good. As for the humidity, since the plant is growing in moss it should be fine, moss has a natural wicking effect that will increase surface humidity. Hope this helps!

Mexican Pinguicula, as you may have guessed, grow in Mexico, as a result, they don't get a cold dormancy, or too much water, for dormancy, instead of cold, go dry, cut down on watering, a lot, and they'll go dormant, as for water, i little drier than a FlyTrap should be fine

However, as i just noticed, and many people will be laughing at me... Primuflora isn't mexican

There is a lot of debating, when it comes to dormancy for them, some say they don't need it, some say they do, some say it forms a hibernacula, some say it doesn't

All i can say, is give it a dormancy like you would a flytrap, and it should slow in growth, and go dormant

P.S Don't judge me form the mistake at the start

I don't grow this particular variety but I do know a bit about it. All Pinguicula are susceptable to root rot, so keeping them sat in water can be a risky business. I water my Pings once a week (both Mexican and Temperate) unless the soil gets unsually dry. To make it easier to water the plant I use a non-porous plastic watering can and let the water naturally "flow" around the plant's roots. You can bottom-water using the tray method if you wish but I find top watering more beneficial.

EDIT:
Pinguicula Primuliflora are a warm temperate pinguicula species and can be kept in the same conditions as venus fly traps (though a little more damp). They do not have a doramancy period and are a short-lived plant. To expand your collection or to keep it long-term you need to collect and sow seeds.

Thank you Eric, Daniel, and Grey! This kind of feedback is very helpful.

I feel more unsure about care for my new Ping than for the Cape Sundew I also procured, so I'm particularly grateful for these growing tips. I'll keep it in the west window for now, try watering it once a week from the top (to help keep the moss in top wicking shape at the very least), and monitor it daily to make sure it's happy with the arrangement.

Oh yeah, and feed it lots of gnats.

I noticed the debate about dormancy with this plant...the Primuliflora seems to swing both ways doesn't it?! I figure I'll cross that bridge when I come to it, in ~8 months or so.

And I'm definitely thinking of picking up a Mexican Ping soon, as at least some varieties seem easier to grow than I had initially thought (and they're beautiful)...thanks for the offer to provide advice for these Grey!

~maureen

maureen wrote: I feel like I probably have the sun and heat requirements down at least; I have it in a west-facing window where it only will get 2 to 3 hours of any direct sunlight per day. And my apartment is kept heated between 65 and 70 Fahrenheit (Convert to Celsius) during the days and evenings.

Thanks or you can also convert through this fahrenheit-to-celsius converter.

And I'm definitely thinking of picking up a Mexican Ping soon, as at least some varieties seem easier to grow than I had initially thought (and they're beautiful)...thanks for the offer to provide advice for these Grey!

~maureen

Use Forum to ask the experts (yes) on this great Forum your questions, keep a log, pictures ...

I got 2 nice nice Mexi PINGS from heywhathuh in Sale section here and he helped with soil advice I needed!

And use for pics of the plants/flowers consider
the Cascade Carnivore's long PING list ... ALSO look at their PING soil under Supplies, that is important for these.
https://www.cascadecarnivores.com/index.php?cPath=25

Their own soil mix, the Mexi Ping Soil description was a note to self to use less Peat and avoid playsand: "Contains an aquatic planting medium based on arcilite, a common clay-based mineral used in soil-less planting mixes. Also includes horticultural silica sand and a very small amount of iron oxide."

Good Luck!

The prim is probably quite an old plant by now.