Best substrate for Pinguicula?

I think you will have problems with this substrate which also reminds me of either a cat food or a rice cake.

what ping species?

The recipe that I used is 1:1:1 peat, my Calcareous ping mix (dolomite, river sand, perlite, lava rock) and plaster of Paris (PoP)

change the substrat ,remove the peat and this plaster of paris it will be as well;)
 
Hi! New to the world of pinguiculas, so I am wondering what everyone uses for their substrate for pings! I've been experimenting with Promix High Porosity for some of my pings since it is sphagnum peat based + Perlite + Lime (PH adjustment), but I am a little worried about the mineral content in it. Since it is sphagnum peat based, I am hoping it is fine and will keep everyone updated on the progress!

www.pthorticulture.com

PRO-MIX® HP® AGTIV® REACH™

PRO-MIX® HP® AGTIV® REACH™ is ideal for growers needing high drainage, air porosity and low water retention. Enriched with mycorrhizae for enhanced plant growth.
www.pthorticulture.com www.pthorticulture.com

One other question! I am wondering how everyone waters their pings and how often. I am currently using the tray method and adding water every couple of days when the tray is dry. Is this the correct method of watering or are there any better ways?

Thanks for everyone's help!
 
With lime adjustment you should be careful to make sure it is pure dolomite lime. Many growers here (including myself) prefer a mineral mix (<10% peat).

Common ingredients are silica (pool filter sand), cat litter or chunky diatomaceous earth, pumice, akadama, perlite etc.

Make sure there is good drainage, pings are lithophytes and commonly grow on gypsum cliffs besides cacti, they are not bog plants! Keep em wet, but rooted in rocks :)
 
what species mexican, temperate , subtropical US

not all have the same substrate and moisture requirements, also beware of dormancy conditions
 
Since we are on the subject, because dolomite, pumice, and some of the other inorganics are expensive, one trick I use is I fill 90% of the pot with just a peat/perlite mixture and only use my more expensive pinguicula mix as the very top layer for my mexican pings. Of course you can use a shallow tray, but then you run the risk of letting the smaller amount of soil media dry out or become waterlogged. I use the 2" tiny square pots for small mexican pings and it seems just right.

That being said I don't think my more expensive mix actually does anything. You can probably get the exact same results with just perlite and a splash of peat.
 
Z_Y said:
Since we are on the subject, because dolomite, pumice, and some of the other inorganics are expensive, one trick I use is I fill 90% of the pot with just a peat/perlite mixture and only use my more expensive pinguicula mix as the very top layer for my mexican pings. Of course you can use a shallow tray, but then you run the risk of letting the smaller amount of soil media dry out or become waterlogged. I use the 2" tiny square pots for small mexican pings and it seems just right.

That being said I don't think my more expensive mix actually does anything. You can probably get the exact same results with just perlite and a splash of peat.
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Thanks! I am currently trying out a new mix as well, but it does get pricey for a premium mix!
 
avoid peat for Mexican ping taxa which are mostly calcicole.

for Mexican horticultural hybrids it can do it, in garden centers they are used to it.

a hydroponic substrate can also work very well
 
I have a bag of small pumice and Lava rock mix that I was given, can I just use that in a pot for my pings? I have some of my pings on a pumice rock, and am wondering if there is a difference. Thanks!
 
I know Mexican pings are more for gravelly type soils, but there are also ones that do okay in standard cp mixes. I'm a lazy grower and don't want a tray full of alkaline stuff that needs to be seperate from my other cps.

Hanka, morensis, and mystery ping seem to thrive in it.
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Gigantea, gigantea x and agnata all live but I assume they'd be happier in something else...
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Very interested in what the general consensus is!! Just got my first Pings and want feedback on how to best grow Mexican pings too.
 
Take a look around the forum, there are lots of different ideas for you to try. Everybody has their own ideas and it's good to experiment.
 
Troy West said:
Very interested in what the general consensus is!! Just got my first Pings and want feedback on how to best grow Mexican pings too.
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From: Carnivorous Plant Soil Recommendations
Pinguicula Latin America (butterwort)
H2O’s mix
- 1 part each of Turface, Perlite, Pumice, Vermiculite, and Lava Rock but I’ve been used no Lava Rock recently as the Pumice seems to be enough.
Jeff’s mix
- cat litter 50%, river sand 12.5%, pouzzolane 12.5%, limestone oolithe sand 12.5%, vermiculite 12.5%
Willy’s mix
- peat 33%, perlite 66% or even more.
Pinguicula warm temperate (butterwort)
- jeff’s Mix peat 30% river sand 70%
pinguicula Temperate (butterwort)
- peat 50%, silica sand 50%
- peat 50%, perlite 50%
- peat 40%, silica sand 20%, perlite 20%, vermiculite 20%

But as for a list for specific Mexican Pings species, I'm not sure, but a list would be nice!
 
in fact

for a lot of my temperate and mexican ping of calcareous environments
cat litter 50%, river sand 12.5%, pouzzolane 12.5%, limestone oolithe sand 12.5%, vermiculite 12.5%
for the others no calcareous ( temperate or mexican)
peat 30% river sand 70%

jeff
 
I feel like I'm more interested in which ones can do reasonably well in a more standard cp mix?
 
Sib said:
I feel like I'm more interested in which ones can do reasonably well in a more standard cp mix?
Click to expand...

From my experience, any species with big leaves will do well in a standard mix using the tray method to water. Except you let the trays dry out before watering again. The smaller rosette pings and the ones with long thin leaves are more picky.
 
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