FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

Hello! So basically I'm wondering how much moisture this species enjoys/can handle. I grow mine outdoors here in florida and recently we've been getting a lot of heavy rain that keeps all of my outdoor plants well watered without to much time to dry out. I just dont want to keep it outside if it is going to develop rot. Please share your experiences with this plant regarding moisture.

Thanks!

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Temperamental. Beautiful when happy

Gigantea and Alfred Lau #13 are the pings I keep the most wet. They like lower light and higher moisture. I have them sitting in 1/8'' of water and it barely (if ever) dries out.

Nepenthes0260 wrote:Gigantea and Alfred Lau #13 are the pings I keep the most wet. They like lower light and higher moisture. I have them sitting in 1/8'' of water and it barely (if ever) dries out.

Thanks! so they should be fine with all the rain I get around here?

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That one plant boi wrote: ↑Sat Apr 25, 2020 1:11 am Hello! So basically I'm wondering how much moisture this species enjoys/can handle. I grow mine outdoors here in florida and recently we've been getting a lot of heavy rain that keeps all of my outdoor plants well watered without to much time to dry out. I just dont want to keep it outside if it is going to develop rot. Please share your experiences with this plant regarding moisture.

Thanks!

The only thing gigantea doesn't really seem to like at all, at least for me, is cold, and in Florida that probably is not too big an issue, so as long as your potting mix is nice and open, I doubt it maters how much rain you get, within reason of course.

Beware of brown heart disease. I lost 2 gigantea to it a few years ago. Not sure how they get it. Leaves start browning from the center outwards. Horrible.

what substrate use you ?
from May to October here they are outside, but sheltered from the rain, watering every two weeks.
for my part the substrate is mineral limestone

jeff wrote:what substrate use you ?
from May to October here they are outside, but sheltered from the rain, watering every two weeks.
for my part the substrate is mineral limestone

I'm using a peat and perlite mix which is why I'm concerned since peat holds a lot of water. I was wondering if moving it to a sunnier area would help? How much direct light would it tolerate?

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mine are in calcareous substrate ( like 'in situ' ) ,avoid full sun it will be better in the shade or in partial shade or even in the morning sun.

the problem with peat is that it keeps the plant moist, at the risk of crown rot, unlike a calcareous mineral substrate, another problem is very dry peat has trouble rewetting.

if you keep this substrate, water sparingly, leaving the substrate dry between 2 waterings

I do use some peat but never more then maybe 25%. Actually lately I’ve been using 75% turface/Aquatic plant medium and 24% cactus and succulent mix. (It’s peat based with lots of fine pumice; it also has some horticultural lime in it. Some people have had great success adding some lime. I have found that a little mushroom compost does wonders for my giganteas. Not too much! But I had plants that had not really increased in size in 3 years, suddenly get huge.

Many of the Mexican pings do grow on limestone rock faces, but with some exceptions, it’s not usually bare limestone; there’s often a good layer of moss and forest litter as well, so a bit of decomposing matter seems natural as well.

As for water, in winter as Jeff says, just moist is enough. In summer I put more water into the trays and if I let the tray go dry, it’s only for a day or two at most. Just avoid waterlogged soil.


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