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binlin

Help rooting my pinguicula

binlin
13 years ago

I received a pinguicula pup in the mail about a month ago with two 4-inch long main roots and the remainder of the stolon cut to about 1 inch.

I planted this pup in a shallow pot about 2 inches deep(5x4 inches) using a coarse mixture (gravel, bark and perlite) and misted it occasionally (Lightly every 3-4 days).

In any case, it's been about a month since the pup has arrived and been planted but the leaves have begun to shrink as they lose water content. It felt loose in the pot so I upended it today to find that no new roots have formed, but some of the finer roots have dried. There is no rot and no soft, discoloured or otherwise damaged tissue.

I'm just posting to ask if my rooting method is correct, or if there's anything I should change. For the moment I've repotted the pinguicula propped between two stones to keep the remaining roots at a depth of about half an inch under the surface.

Here you can see the plant as it is now, the leaves are a little shrunken but otherwise healthy. From left to right you can see 2 main roots and the remaining stolon on the far right. The potting mixture and stones are damp because I've just misted them.

{{gwi:1252942}}

So what should I do? Any tips or insights are welcome.

Comments (16)

  • norma_2006
    13 years ago

    Plant it deeper, and leave the plant alone, it needs to go dry between watering, then when you do water do it thoroughly. Read what it says about the plant and where it grows and grow yours accordingly. Pirate girl grows these plants in NYC ask her how she grows this plant it may grow differently north, and not like they do in Africa.
    Take a pencil and push it down into the soil and see how dry it is. Yt is known to go 6 mo without water where I live in a semi desert valley which if compared to Africa. 106 F. 8 ft up, much hotter at ground level. Don't water unless you see roots putting out growth, ask Pirate Girl she know more than I do. Ask Pirate Girl she lives north I live south) if it is to be misted or sprinkled every three days. Norma

  • brodyjames_gw
    13 years ago

    I agree with Norma; plant it deeper. Why are you exposing the roots?

    Nancy

  • binlin
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Perhaps I was unclear, the roots were exposed for the sake of taking this photo after I'd inspected them. As I'd posted, the plant was originally potted 2 inches deep, to the base of the rosette.

  • Michaela
    13 years ago

    Rennet,
    Your pinguicula looks great! I don't believe misting is at all needed, but I can't fault your results :-) Pings are slow growers, and enjoy lots of light to do their best.
    Michaela

  • norma_2006
    13 years ago

    Michaela, I am glad that you told her that, I am still afraid to give any advise here. These are exceptionally slow growing Sansevieria, reputed to be one of the slowest, until they get a good root system. Several others have this reputation. S. humiflora, S. eilansis (spelling?) and there is yet more. Norma

  • pirate_girl
    13 years ago

    Hi Norma,

    No I don't know more than you do about these, no way no how. So I'll clarify that as I did just now when you' ve stated what simply is not the case (that I know more about these than you do).

    As to S. Pinguiculas, I found mine extremely slow growing & never was able to get it to produce roots, not on the pup it made nor the parent plant.

    "I am still afraid to give any advise here"

    You gave advise freely here Tues., now Sunday you say you're afraid to give advise here -- what gives?

    This is an open & public forum Norma, as long as your info is abt the plants, I can't see what the problem is. Pls. be reminded that folks here are free to agree or disagree & pls. don't let that prevent you from speaking.

    It disturbs me to hear that you're "afraid to give advise here" Why? Lest someone disagree? Why allow that to stop you. Isn't that what makes a horse race?

  • tf.-drone
    13 years ago

    Hi,

    S. pinguicula needs lots of warmth. My two little plants only started to grow a few weeks ago in the unusual heat of more than 30°C. So I think the hottest and brightest place on the windowsill will do it.

    As for the roots, it normally grows on stilts. Mine are "floating" about 10 cm in the air.

    Misting can help IMHO, I do that very carefully, and not before dusk, since the stomata open only at night.

    Helli

  • binlin
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Thanks to everyone for the info.
    I soaked the plant for half an hour about a week ago and I've been misting the plant lightly at night.

    It certainly looks like the warmth is helping to get the plant growing. It's been some 36C with >70% humidity here for the last few weeks and the pup has finally decided to do something.
    This new root has just shown up over the past week but is growing several millimeters per day.
    The leaves are still losing water and shrinking but it looks like the pup will be okay once this root is established.

    Here it is over the last few days.
    {{gwi:1252943}}

  • pirate_girl
    13 years ago

    I tried to post a few hours ago, wasn't working ... anyway ...

    Congratulations on your new growth, one can certainly see that coming along, cool pix.

    Am hoping Norma will see this & suggest to you the best way to handle this.

  • norma_2006
    13 years ago

    pirate Girl you certainly do more than I do, you grow plants differently then I do, you live in NYC I live in a semi-arid desert. I have been told many times, that I don't grow my plant rights and shouldn't be giving advise on how to grow them. That is why I am shuting up. I grow my African plants like African plants, depending where they naturally grow.
    I welcome your advise, Norma

  • woodnative
    13 years ago

    Neat little pinguicula.
    Norma, as Pirate Girl said.........people are entitle to different opinions.......and not everyone is going to agree with your methods nor your results. However, you have a lot of experience and you are a good grower....and there are many others who both benift from and enjoy your opinion. I have stated that several times here. For the one person that says "Norma you are wrong on this or that blah blah blah.." there are 20 others benefiting from what you wrote!! -Chris (Woodnative)

  • norma_2006
    13 years ago

    I have been told several times that I don't know what I am talking about because I live in an African climate on the 30th Par. with very dry arid climate, hardly no humidity.
    Pirate Girl lives in colder temperatures, so knows how to grow them better than I in those temperatures and in the house. I respect her knowledge. I don't grow one in my house. Norma

  • binlin
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Well, it's been months since I received this pup in the mail so I thought I'd post an update.
    {{gwi:1252944}}

    You can see how much the leaves have shrunken over the last 4 months. The new root that was growing has become quite well established and is now growing feeder roots, so I expect to see the leaves plump back up over the next few months.
    {{gwi:1252945}}

  • cactusmcharris, interior BC Z4/5
    13 years ago

    Me, too - mine hasn't shrunk but it hasn't grown, either.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Go, Go, Pingo

  • norma_2006
    13 years ago

    It's not the right time of year for new growth. I would really like to see that new root covered up. The head of the plant may take 20 years before putting out a new stolen that a baby is on. I have just had three of those and I have three plants. I also grow mine in a shallow show container. The also now have three heads, and some are on stilts and trying to escape. It has never flowered, it also may be a different clone then yours, my leaves are very glaucus blue, and one head is starting to twist sideways and no longer in a rosette, like a Aloe plant. (dichotomous) two equal leaves branched in two. What gives? These plants are now 20 years old. I sure don't know. I have just read that no one reported flowering. Norma

  • binlin
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    I've read before that S. pinguicula becomes dichotomous once it matures. Maybe yours will flower in the future?

    Mine has finally shown signs of growth though.
    The whitish base of the center leaf is new growth, and the tip of a new leaf has just started pushing out of the center.
    {{gwi:1252946}}