basic ping questions

[Ras]

whats a good soil mix for mexican pings
I was told rocky, pumice, lava rock with a little bit of peat. When I tried that the rhizomes started to dry up and die, maybe I mixed it wrong or didnt use enough peat or something.

what I have on hand is perlite, silica play sand, red lava rock and peatmoss
can I make a suitable mix for mex pings with these?
second question, is there anything specific I need to know about germinating mexican ping seeds? or can I use my few years of drosera experience and just wing it with a saran wrapped pot

the main species in mind are moranensis, pirouette, and pinguicula cyclosecta.

feel free to answer with links
thanks

 

[Cthulhu138]

All I use for all my Mexican Pinguicula is APS or 1:1 APS/vermiculite.

 

[Salgadoxx8]

an equal amount mix of perlite,sand,peat,vermiculite is what i use

 

[Not a Number]

It depends mainly on your growing conditions. In general the more humid the environment the lighter your mix (higher proportions of in-organic media). Your watering practices make a difference too. Some species may also prefer a slightly higher ratio of organics (peat moss). I get away mostly with either straight Aquatic Plant Soil (APS) or 90% APS and 10% silica sand.

Joseph Clemens' website (offline) has good starting points
https://web.archive.org/web/2013090...ousplant.com/growing_pinguicula_detailed.html

as does the World of Pinguicula On-Line

 

[Ras]

this is the 15487th time Ive heard about this aquatic plant soil for pings.
guess I should give it a shot
any specific brand?
and about the watering conditions, I live in the valley in norcal so its very very dry most the year, guessing thats another reason I should try APS

I was also reading this on a link in one of the stickys in this forum

"The plants are further divided into calciphilious (calcium-loving), and calciphobic (calcium-hating). P.gypsicola and P.heterophylla are examples of the former, while P. colimensis, P.cyclosecta, P.ehlersia, P.esseriana, P.moranensis, P.rotundiflora, and P. zecheri are examples of the latter. The calciphilious forms appreciate high pH media (either vermiculite based, or with an addition of limestone or gypsum to the planting mix). The calciphobic species appreciate a standard, acid CP mix like peat/sand. "

does anyone know if there is a list of some sort that has more pings listed? I feel like that is VERY important info to know

 

[Cthulhu138]

This is the one I use. http://www.amazon.com/Pondcare-Aqua...95274166&sr=8-1&keywords=aquatic+potting+soil Depending on where you live, you may be able to buy large bags of turface for much cheaper. It's pretty much the same stuff.

 

[kulamauiman]

50 lbs bag of turface was about $20 here in Hawaii. I imagine it would be far less expensive on the mainland.....

 

[Tanukimo]

Can aquatic soils like Eco-complete or Flourite be used instead of the Pondcare potting soil? And would they work for Heliamphora?

 

[Cthulhu138]

50 lbs bag of turface was about $20 here in Hawaii. I imagine it would be far less expensive on the mainland.....

I have yet to find a single place that even sells it around me.

 

[Not a Number]

http://www.turface.com/distributors

Call the nearest distributor. If they won't sell small quantities direct to end users ask them for a list of their customers near you. Routine business transactions.

 

[theplantman]

Can aquatic soils like Eco-complete or Flourite be used instead of the Pondcare potting soil? And would they work for Heliamphora?

No. Flourite as far as I know has fertilizers. I don't know about any of the others but I would strongly caution you against using them on CPs.

APS/Turface are different than any of those things. They're basically kitty litter and nothing else. The only reason it's called "aquatic plant soil" is because it's so heavy it won't float off. You can't substitute products intended for ponds or aquariums.

 

[Tanukimo]

Thanks. I've heard that they are inert but I won't take my chances.