- Tue May 23, 2023 7:40 pm
#435697
Hello friends,
I got two pings coming in tomorrow from Rainbow Carnivorous Plants and I thought I'd go through the stuff I have and the information I gathered about growing pings to make sure I got everything straight.
Supplies
I've got a bag of the California Carnivores Pinguicula Soil Mix and several 4.5in diameter x 3in depth pots as well as some 6in diameter x 5in depth.
I've got plenty of water that's 0-1ppm with my ZeroWater tank. May just need to get a counter top water distiller in the future (buying the ZeroWater filters is a bit annoying).
I have bloodworms and I also got the Schultz succulent fertilizer that Cal-Carn says they apply to the leaves of their pings (I guess they do a eyedropper?).
Environment
I have a room humidifier that keeps things in the 60-80% around the plants and it's usually 70-72 degrees Fahrenheit in my apartment. I could up the airflow using some CPU fans and a 4-pin to AC/DC power connector, but it I've never really had issues with mold unless things are too wet.
The grow lights I have are kinda cheap, but they seem to work for the plants that are/have been under them (everyone gets nicer coloring and doesn't have to reach for the light). Eventually I'll have a IKEA grow cabinet, which can help bump up the temperature some, they'll have higher quality grow lights, the shelving will have holes and the CPU fans will keep the airflow nice.
General Care
Watering
Something in my gut tells me that top watering is the way to go. The soil from Cal-Carn looks like it'd be pretty loose and wouldn't wick up as much water if I did the tray method. However the humidity from the humidifier and not as high temps will help keep moisture in the medium, too, so it could get too moist if I'm not careful. Brown heart disease is obviously a concern, but I don't know if it's more common from top watering or the tray method.
Feeding
Obviously just re-hydrated bloodworms will do fine. I guess soaking them in the diluted Schultz fertilizer might be an extra nutritious snack, because I'm not 100% sure how Cal-Carn applies it to the leaves of their pings.
Dormancy
This is the tricky one. I guess I could start putting them outside once it starts getting colder, or I could put them in some shade and hold back water. This is something I'm not 100% sure on.
------
Hopefully I seem prepared! Let me know if you have any advice/tips.
I got two pings coming in tomorrow from Rainbow Carnivorous Plants and I thought I'd go through the stuff I have and the information I gathered about growing pings to make sure I got everything straight.
Supplies
I've got a bag of the California Carnivores Pinguicula Soil Mix and several 4.5in diameter x 3in depth pots as well as some 6in diameter x 5in depth.
I've got plenty of water that's 0-1ppm with my ZeroWater tank. May just need to get a counter top water distiller in the future (buying the ZeroWater filters is a bit annoying).
I have bloodworms and I also got the Schultz succulent fertilizer that Cal-Carn says they apply to the leaves of their pings (I guess they do a eyedropper?).
Environment
I have a room humidifier that keeps things in the 60-80% around the plants and it's usually 70-72 degrees Fahrenheit in my apartment. I could up the airflow using some CPU fans and a 4-pin to AC/DC power connector, but it I've never really had issues with mold unless things are too wet.
The grow lights I have are kinda cheap, but they seem to work for the plants that are/have been under them (everyone gets nicer coloring and doesn't have to reach for the light). Eventually I'll have a IKEA grow cabinet, which can help bump up the temperature some, they'll have higher quality grow lights, the shelving will have holes and the CPU fans will keep the airflow nice.
General Care
Watering
Something in my gut tells me that top watering is the way to go. The soil from Cal-Carn looks like it'd be pretty loose and wouldn't wick up as much water if I did the tray method. However the humidity from the humidifier and not as high temps will help keep moisture in the medium, too, so it could get too moist if I'm not careful. Brown heart disease is obviously a concern, but I don't know if it's more common from top watering or the tray method.
Feeding
Obviously just re-hydrated bloodworms will do fine. I guess soaking them in the diluted Schultz fertilizer might be an extra nutritious snack, because I'm not 100% sure how Cal-Carn applies it to the leaves of their pings.
Dormancy
This is the tricky one. I guess I could start putting them outside once it starts getting colder, or I could put them in some shade and hold back water. This is something I'm not 100% sure on.
------
Hopefully I seem prepared! Let me know if you have any advice/tips.