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By Jeeper
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Joined:  Sun Jul 01, 2018 3:47 am
#339004
**Starting at post #7 I am experimenting with soil substrates!**

Just got my BCP order in. Anyone else growing this species? Looking for specifics on culture practices, temps, soil mix, watering, winter and summer practices... Thanks in advance.
Last edited by Jeeper on Tue Jun 25, 2019 12:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.
By Benurmanii
Posts:  2000
Joined:  Fri Aug 07, 2015 4:34 pm
#339006
This is one of the hardest Pings to grow for me. Seems to very easily rot if the bulb gets wet, but when the plant goes/is dormant, the bulb seems to dry up and die over time. If I try this species again, I would try in a heavy soil with organics and clay, and keep the soil dry but pot bagged during dormancy.
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By Jeeper
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#339015
Benurmanii wrote:This is one of the hardest Pings to grow for me. Seems to very easily rot if the bulb gets wet, but when the plant goes/is dormant, the bulb seems to dry up and die over time. If I try this species again, I would try in a heavy soil with organics and clay, and keep the soil dry but pot bagged during dormancy.
Thanks for the info, right now I placed them ('hibernacula') on a mix of 3 parts flourite; 1 part perlite; 1 part crushed coral; 1 part #2 chicken grit (crystalized silica quartz). Maybe I'll add some peat to the mix?
By Benurmanii
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Joined:  Fri Aug 07, 2015 4:34 pm
#339019
In nature they grow in pine forest understory, so the soil is probably composed of a fair amount of organics. Peat may be a good idea but I have never been successful with this species regardless of media (and I have tried a peat-based media). You might find this helpful: http://www.pinguicula.org/A_world_of_Pi ... card_4.htm
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By Jeeper
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#339021
I wonder if orchid bark would be a better substrate as it is often derived from fir bark... I have around 8 or 9 hibernacula, I think I may experiment...

The orchid mix I have is aged forest products (fir or pine bark), arcilite and horticultural charcoal.

Might also use an organic potting mix on one...

I think water also plays a huge roll in their survival as well...
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By Jeeper
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#339036
Jeff, I only the hibernacula that I just received... I'm here just trying to gather any info I can get since not much is known about their culture...

First two pots lower left of image, and the row of 5 pots behind them.
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By Jeeper
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#339106
June 25th, 2019

Sooo I decided to experiment, cause it's so hard to find people willing to do such things! Below is what I am doing and will try to keep an update on this as much as possible!

(Left to right)
1 - Fine Orchid Bark 100%
2 - Orchid bark; fine silica sand; crushed coral 3:2:1
3 - Peat; fine silica sand; perlite; crushed coral 2:2:1:1
4 - Flourite; crushed coral; chicken grit; perlite 3:1:1:1
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By Jeeper
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#342932
September 1st 2019

In two months, not much has happened. Any winter bud that was on a soil mix containing peat molded. I'm not sure if it was bad peat or if they simply do not like it.

Some of the others have started to wake up. The most notable has been the ones placed on pure orchid bark. They awoke a month sooner than the others. This is a very, very slow growing plant!

Orchid bark, I've been placing a drop of maxsea (70TDS solution) on the leaf about once or twice a week and this is as big as it's gotten!
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This mix has 'some' peat in it. The bud is still alive, and actually beginning to grow, but you can see some mold around the edges...
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My mineral mix, you can see the center of the bud is just starting to begin carnivorous leaf development.
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**I have contacted and spoke with several people who have attempted to grow this species in the past from BCP. They commented that once the species got a season in, it develops a much more true to type appearance to native plants. My hypothesis is that being grown TC has some affect on the plants development and once they get in a natural rhythm they create their tighter resting bud and stolon development. We will await the hopeful development of a flower to verify this hypothesis.
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By DragonsEye
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Joined:  Sat Oct 01, 2016 1:22 pm
#342941
Benurmanii wrote:In nature they grow in pine forest understory, so the soil is probably composed of a fair amount of organics.
That being the case, perhaps a media utilizing pine needles (decompsed and not) would be beneficial?
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By Jeeper
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#342946
DragonsEye wrote:
Benurmanii wrote:In nature they grow in pine forest understory, so the soil is probably composed of a fair amount of organics.
That being the case, perhaps a media utilizing pine needles (decompsed and not) would be beneficial?
I happen to have quite a few pines on my land of different species, I've thought of this as another soil type I may create another pot with this soil.

Another thing is I live in oak/pine barren country and our water is naturally acidic so I'm hopeful this is also helping with my 'success' so far... BTW it tests 25-35TDS from our well before I pass it through an rodi unit.
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By DragonsEye
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Joined:  Sat Oct 01, 2016 1:22 pm
#342968
Perhaps even a pot of just pine needles and pine needle soil. I know under my folks' blue spruce, the ground has an almost spongy feel yet seems to drain well.
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By Jeeper
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#346193
My plant on orchid bark has been doing quite well! There are several babies under the main leaves and there's also a stolon!
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