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Pinguicula primuliflora soil mix

elgecko

I've got a magic window!
Last year I had a Pinguicula primuliflora growing great. As fall came I decided to repot the plant into a mix of peat, perlite, and LFS, In equal parts, from a 3" pot to about a 5" pot. Over time the plant got smaller and smaller and eventually became effected by rot. It looked to be potted in pure peat when I repotted.
So the beginning of this year I bought another one, and repotted it with the same mix as above. The plant again is getting smaller and smaller.
What have you folks found to be the best soil mix for this plant?

Go ahead and tell me to add sand. I just bought a 50 lb bag of super special white quartz pool filter sand.
 
I use 100% granulated peat moss and sometimes 1::3 silica sand/granulated peat moss.
 
2/1 sand/peat
 
Mine is Clint's in reverse.
 
Mine died soon after repotting to for some reason... I think they are very prone to rot and don't like to be repotted very often.
 
Equal parts silica sand and peat, with a top dressing of live sphagnum moss works very well for my primuliflora.  It's not in overly humid conditions, and gets top watered a few days a week at least... so far, no rot.

As for smaller leaves, I recommend feeding it if you don't already.  I use freeze dried blood worms, and they work nicely.

-Homer
 
i forgot to mention that IME, they aren't too picky about soil. i just grow mine in 2/1 sand/peat because it's what i grow most of my stuff in with good results.
 
Thanks for the help.
So far looks like no one uses perlite in there mix. Maybe the plant does not like it. Time for a peat / sand mix.
My plant grows outside so It catches it's own meals.
 
Pure live sphagnum moss for me.
 
  • #10
My reply is also like Clint's. I tend to mix mostly peat to sand, with a topdressing of LFS. You may have also hit upon responders that just don't use perlite.
 
  • #11
i like to use homers mix
mine are growing quite nicely in mya tank and in my mini bog
Hellz
 
  • #12
I use 50/50 peat/silica sand with a top dressing of crushed coral for my P. 'Sethos' and it sets in 1/2" of water. It has flowered twice...four flowers at a time...and formed another complete plant next to it.

This is a pic of it about six months ago before it formed another plant...as you can see it eats rather well.
P3100041.sized.jpg
 
  • #13
Nice pic! What does crushed coral do for Pings or CP's, in general? Doesn't it add nutrients like calcium, a metal? Is it safe for some but not others?
 
  • #14
Lauderdale,
Nice job with growing your Pinguicula 'Sethos'. What lighting are you giving it?
 
  • #15
Jimscott,  I don't know if the crushed coral actually does anything for the plant.  I just put on a thin layer to keep the rain from "beating" up the soil mix.  I use live spag on everything else but I decided to experiment on the sethos.  I  feel the coral (actually lime rock) may damage it in the long run so I will do away with it when I repot. Since Volcanos are kinda' rare here in Florida I can't find any pumice...maybe on my next trip to Costa Rica......

Joseph, I grow all of my plants outside under 80% shade cloth.  The summer sun down here in South Florida would fry everything in a matter of days.  My Drosera and the ping seem to love it.  I think 50% would be better for my VFTs and Sarrs but haven't figured out how to do that.  I need to seperate the "twin" sethos and that could be tricky.  Any suggestions?
 
  • #16
I usually wait until they have grown to be quite distinct plants (takes less time than one would think). But they can be separated almost any time. Usually some leaves will be lost (they can be used to propagate) in the process
smile.gif
. To expedite their reestablishment I simply make a shallow depression in the media of their new home and lay them, right side up, in the depression. This ensures the new roots that form are out of direct light --- seems to facilitate their development.
 
  • #17
Thanks for the advice Joseph.  Seperating them sounds like a good Sunday morning project.
If I remember correctly you use pumice in a lot of your Ping mixes.  Does that provide any nutrients for the plants or does it simply facilitate drainage?
Pumice is ground up volcanic rock, am I correct on that?
 
  • #18
Yes, pumice is similar to perlite, and is of volcanic origins. I believe it mostly increases aeration of the media.
 
  • #19
I went with 100% LFS and so far they're doing great. Two of the three large plants just finished flowering with no signs of rot yet.
 
  • #20
I've found mine like pure LFS moss as well and kept wet. I put a couple of babies in the wet LFS in the bottom of my nep tank at work and they grew well and fast. Until...I was out sick and nobody watered my plants and all the moss plants fried.
smile_h_32.gif
 
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