- Fri Apr 01, 2011 4:04 am
#96211
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!!
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!!