Cutting Viability

[DerbyCityNeps]

How long will a leaf still be viable for rooting after it has been plucked? My one cutting is sitting on live spag and has turned brown and the sides are folding in. Is it still ok?

 

[Joseph Clemens]

Actually, rooting is not the process of plant formation from leaf cuttings (pullings). First advantitious bud(s) must form, grow into a plantlet, then form roots, stem, and more leaves.

They can be productive/viable for a very long time (several weeks). I've harvested 3 crops of plantlets from one set of leaves over more than a month. That is unusual, and I don't even bother to pluck plants and reuse leaves anymore.

If there is no more green, then most likely it is gone.

 

[jimscott]

Joseph, do you generally provide a good-sized surface area for your pings and do they tend to spread naturally? What is the depth of your media?

 

[DerbyCityNeps]

Ok thanks and one more question.(off topic) Do many mexican pings form bulbs ecspecialy x Pirouette??

 

[Joseph Clemens]

Quote[/b] (jimscott @ Jan. 07 2006,10:02)]Joseph, do you generally provide a good-sized surface area for your pings and do they tend to spread naturally? What is the depth of your media?

Many of the Mexican Pinguicula, under various conditions, tend to form multiple crowns, which, over-time, grow away from each other (separate to become a group of individual plants). In my setup the majority of my plants are in cubical 2-1/4 inch pots, in order to fit as many plants in the same space as possible.

But some are planted in a double-pot setup, where I take two pots, one slightly smaller than the other and I cut the bottom out of the smaller pot, fill the larger pot with media, then fill the smaller pot with media and invert the smaller pot into the larger pot. I then pack a little media between the two pot walls to hold the smaller pot firmly in place. I water them to ensure the media is thoroughly moistened, make a planting hole in the bottom of the smaller, inverted pot, and plant into it. Plants given this treatment have 5 or 6 inches of media depth. The only Mexican variety I know that could possibly use this depth is Pinguicula gigantea, but I use this technique to give those plants more room to spread out their leaves rather than to provide more root room.

 

[Joseph Clemens]

Quote[/b] (glider14 @ Jan. 07 2006,10:11)]Ok thanks and one more question.(off topic) Do many mexican pings form bulbs ecspecialy x Pirouette??

No, not many. Pinguicula 'Pirouette' does not. The few that immediately come to mind are:

Pinguicula acuminata
Pinguicula heterophylla
Pinguicula macrophylla
Pinguicula medusina

There may be others I haven't thought of, I recommend you check out:

Pings: care and cultivation
and
http://www.pinguicula.org/

 

[jimscott]

Thank you. Most of my Mexican pings are currently in yogurt containers, just because my space in general is currently limited. Eventually I would like to use 8" x 8" x 2" plastic containers per species or cultivar and let them spread naturally. I have noticed that P. Sethos is very good about forming new plants. I also have P. Titan that is very accommodating in this regard.

I received the majority of my Mexican pings 13 months ago and in particular the Potosciensis had leaves that were small as fish scales. Now they have leaves that are 1/2" X 3/4". Were the tiny leaves in a state of rest?

 

[Gawd_oOo]

Here is a picture of my Pinguicula potosciensis with both leaves, right now all the summer leaves are gone, and it only the small winter leaves that are left.

Sorry about the size, but is one that has a name that is to long to thumbnail... And the blurryness, was taken with my old camera.

 

[jimscott]

Thanks, Dave! Is your avatar a 'Titan' or an 'Aphrodite'?

 

[Gawd_oOo]

P. 'Aphrodite' - tho I don't know if I can consider it true to the written description, my flowers don't last near to 4 weeks, however that could be due to growing conditions.