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Pinguicula reticulata - 2015

Joseph Clemens

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I've been growing these particular plants, since about this time in the year 2000. These, are presently just recovering from a stint of about 4-5 years with absolutely no watering. I maintained their lighting, but gave them no other care. They kept growing, changing leaf forms, and blooming, until their fifth year without watering, feeding, fertilizing, or any other care.

Here are four different shots of the same plant, with slightly different camera/lighting settings:

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i-JRJjdBP-XL.jpg


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I didn't now pings could dry out at all and for 5 years that impressive
 
jwalker,
I hadn't realized they were that resilient, either. Until then I had been growing all of my Pinguicula, even Mexican/equatorial as semi-aquatics, virtually floating in water nearly 24/7/365. Unforseen and unexpected family and personal health issues came up, and I should have traded/sold/given away my collection. If I knew those health issues were going to persist as long as they did, I probably would, but I kept hoping the situation would resolve itself, much sooner than it did. Oh well.

At least it gave me a chance to see how truly tough and resilient many of these plants could be. After the first four years, or so, of these health problems, I thought they were close to being resolved, but then they surprised me and continued for several more years. Now, this past October of 2014, it seems most have finally sorted themselves out. I certainly hope that is the case. I've taken to starting to rehabilitate the few plants that have survived the entire ordeal, with me. Also to gradually bringing in other plants, and restarting some from seed I've saved. The main difference is the plants must pay their way, or I couldn't afford to keep them.

Also a few Pinguicula esseriana and one Pinguicula gigantea x moctezumae have survived, so far, but I'm not sure if I can rehabilitate them, though I'm trying.
I've always found it difficult to transition these plants from being kept dry, to being regularly watered. Probably why I developed my semi-aquatic, always keep them wet, technique.
 
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I'm sorry to hear about you health problems and glade your feeling better. I guess u can always learn something if u look for it. I my self have only Reyes to grow pings from seed once and failed I'm going to try again in the spring. I have some d. Intermedia seeds you could have if u want
 
That's really fascinating, Joseph! Could these plants have self-supplemented water from either captured insects or small amounts of condensation on their trichomes? Also, do vegetative propagules (leaf pullings, I guess?) from these plants maintain the acquired water intolerance when grown out?
 
No moisture. They were in a room of our home (a mobile home), that I call the plant room. For the first two years, air from our evaporative/swamp cooler, was blown into our home, through a screen, then into this plant rooms window, but after that, for health reasons, I discontinued using the evaporative/swamp cooler, and switched to traditional air conditioning (which cools by refrigeration and removes moisture from the air, when the former added moisture to the air. In these conditions, they were kept cooler, below 90F, but the percent relative humidity was then, always in the single digits. No captured insects, since in the neglected period many spiders kept them tented with webs, taking advantage of their insect-attracting presence, I'm sure. The spider webs did help keep dust off of the plants. Nearby surfaces and older webs became heavily loaded with dust.

Actually, earlier (by several years), my entire collection, was exposed to an initial period of neglect, of several years. Then things seemed to be leveling out, and I sorted through my entire collection, to identify what had survived, and what had already expired. I took photos of all the survivors, after consolidating them. Originally my collection extended to ~ 90 shoebox sized plastic trays and several other very large plastic trays. Somewhere I have photos of all those initial survivors. Initially I posted them in an older thread, where I already explained this. Once I relocate those pics, so I can restore them to functionality in that thread, I will refresh that thread, then.

Back then, I also began trying to rehabilitate those initial survivors, but after consolidating them, cleaning them up, photographing, and watering them, once - I again had to continue neglecting them. And, just this past September, of 2014, I have been able to begin truly rehabilitating the survivors, of the survivors. These survivors of the second bout of neglect were only air conditioned in this period. A much larger percentage, did not pull through, than the first time.

More, soon . . .

BTW, nice Paphiopedilum armeniacum. I once grew that species and Paphiopedilum delanatii. Though I also had many others, those two were among my favorites.
 
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Pretty remarkable that these survived and look so healthy, to my inexperienced eyes anyway. Does Pinguicula reticulata form a hibernaculum in response to dry conditions?

Thanks for the compliment on the Paphiopedilum armeniacum! It and Paph. delenatii are also some of my favorite orchids, especially fragrant clones of delenatii.
 
Bonjour

What was your level of hygrometry air ?

jeff
 
jeff 2, During the dry times, about 8 or 9 % R.H. Maybe a little more, whenever it was raining outside, then the A.C. wouldn't need to run, so much.

I recently located a photo, showing an 11cm (4") square, community pot of this species (P. reticulata), right after the first several years of dry conditions. It shows the many old/dead leaves, from moister times.

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  • #10
Bonjour

OK .

like you for many years I do not water my P.emarginata but they are in terra with a air hygrometry to 70-60%, they bloom all the year .

jeff
 
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