Post by Joseph Clemens on Dec 26, 2010 20:39:26 GMT
One of my very favorite Mexican Pinguicula species --> Pinguicula gypsicola.
I began growing this species when I received a small portion that had been grown in tissue culture. At first I attempted to grow them in 100% granular peat moss, and though they survived, they certainly were not vigorous or healthy. I also managed to propagate some with leaf-pullings, though when I first began growing them, all my plants had leaves that were so pale as to be almost white (including the propagules), and they never bloomed.
After trying several media variations and other horticulture tricks (theory of limiting factors), I finally succeeded in growing larger, healthier looking plants, and getting one to bloom, in fact the one in the photo above was the first one I induced into bloom.
Here is a link showing what my plants looked like when I first started growing them. Here is a page showing what some looked like in some later experiments. Another nice specimen is here.
They can look real good when they bloom, too -->
Despite my neglect of my collection, due to health issues these past four years, several of them have survived and are quickly recovering. I anxiously await their achieving full health and for them to begin blooming, again and for me to begin propagating them again.
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Here's a photo of one, taken in January 2009, that was kept under strong artificial lighting, but completely dry for eighteen months prior to the photo -->
The crown has split, four-ways. There are lots of old dead leaves and spent flower stalks. Also, the surface of the media has dried and curled up around the base of the plant.
After this I was able to keep them watered for about a month, then they were completely dry again until this past October (October 2010). Many were still doing well, having continued to grow in Winter leaf mode the entire time. Tough little plants, but those growing under lamps that had failed, perished. Those whose light source remained strong, were likewise, also staying strong. They are now beginning to grow Summer leaves (even though it is Winter) and continuing to grow stronger.
Soon after I planted some small plantlets into all-mineral media with added iron oxide powder, they developed this increased reddish hue to their leaves. Here is a photo of one of them -->
I began growing this species when I received a small portion that had been grown in tissue culture. At first I attempted to grow them in 100% granular peat moss, and though they survived, they certainly were not vigorous or healthy. I also managed to propagate some with leaf-pullings, though when I first began growing them, all my plants had leaves that were so pale as to be almost white (including the propagules), and they never bloomed.
After trying several media variations and other horticulture tricks (theory of limiting factors), I finally succeeded in growing larger, healthier looking plants, and getting one to bloom, in fact the one in the photo above was the first one I induced into bloom.
Here is a link showing what my plants looked like when I first started growing them. Here is a page showing what some looked like in some later experiments. Another nice specimen is here.
They can look real good when they bloom, too -->
Despite my neglect of my collection, due to health issues these past four years, several of them have survived and are quickly recovering. I anxiously await their achieving full health and for them to begin blooming, again and for me to begin propagating them again.
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
Here's a photo of one, taken in January 2009, that was kept under strong artificial lighting, but completely dry for eighteen months prior to the photo -->
The crown has split, four-ways. There are lots of old dead leaves and spent flower stalks. Also, the surface of the media has dried and curled up around the base of the plant.
After this I was able to keep them watered for about a month, then they were completely dry again until this past October (October 2010). Many were still doing well, having continued to grow in Winter leaf mode the entire time. Tough little plants, but those growing under lamps that had failed, perished. Those whose light source remained strong, were likewise, also staying strong. They are now beginning to grow Summer leaves (even though it is Winter) and continuing to grow stronger.
Soon after I planted some small plantlets into all-mineral media with added iron oxide powder, they developed this increased reddish hue to their leaves. Here is a photo of one of them -->
Wow! I have some good stuff to look forward to. Thank you so much for the great pics of such beautiful plants. I just bought mine about 6 weeks ago and after almost rotting it out while trying to let it establish roots it is now in dry media. It's slowly producing new non-carnivorous leaves, while maintaining the ones that didn't rot earlier - whew! How big are the pots in your photo?
