Leaf Pullings for Propagating

[Patrick S.]

So I found this article about leaf pulling Mexican Pings: https://www.carnivorousplants.org/grow/propagation/MexicanPinguicula

I'm wondering if it's really that easy. I have a few P. gigantea individuals and I'd like to try making a few more. I have two questions:

1) Do I pull a few of the older (but still green) leaves from the plant, or the newer leaves?

2) I'll try the ziploc bag method, what kind of lights should I put them under?

Have people had success doing this? It seems suspiciously easy.

 

[Lloyd Gordon]

If it's a nice healthy looking leaf, it can be pretty easy.

 

[Hal]

I’d take the newer leaves, closest to the base and try and get a little bit of root with it. But as Lloyd says, any healthy leaf will do. I used to put them in little covered takeout sauce containers with some gravel and a bit of water in the bottom. For gigantea leaves you might need something larger. You can also slice the leaves in half lengthwise to try and double up. If you’re just starting, though, I’d wait until you have some experience before trying that.

 

[Patrick S.]

Should I be placing them under the same lights that they are under now? the article warns about cooking them. I have 4 T5 fluorescents

 

[Hal]

Should I be placing them under the same lights that they are under now? the article warns about cooking them. I have 4 T5 fluorescents

Should be fine long as they don’t get too hot and humid in a closed container. I used to keep them off to the side in dim light. They didn’t seem to need a lot of light until they were planted out.

 

[Patrick S.]

Perfect, thanks Hal and Lloyd, I'm going to set this up this weekend then. I bought some new lights so I have more space! So I obviously need to fill that space with my plants

 

[Lloyd Gordon]

If you're nervous, gently partially dislodge a lower leaf so it's still connected to the plant. Ping leaves do that. Then the leaf gets fluid/nutrition from the plant and still grows little guys. When the main leaf dries up, it's time to pot the new guys.

 

[Raymond Chong]

If you're nervous, gently partially dislodge a lower leaf so it's still connected to the plant. Ping leaves do that. Then the leaf gets fluid/nutrition from the plant and still grows little guys. When the main leaf dries up, it's time to pot the new guys.

Oh....I like the sound of this technique. Thanks Lloyd!

 

[Patrick S.]

It's working! Very cool to see them just spontaneously growing out of the bottom of the leaf. It has worked for both the ziploc bag method and leaving it tucked into the base of the mother plant (Lloyd's method). It must make an apical meristem? Or there always is a dormant apical meristem at the bottom of all leaves?
I'll update this when I plant them, maybe in a month.

 

[PipTarou]

I just take some lower leaves off and throw them on top of the medium of the mother plant. I have about an 80% success rate. I'll try this bag method to see if I have success with my more stubborn pings! I read a while back (not sure where) that the dormant leaves have a better chance of producing babies.

 

[Lloyd Gordon]

If you gently rotate a leaf, the connection to the plant "breaks" a bit. It will then grow a new plant which you can fully separate when it's ready.

 

[PipTarou]

If you gently rotate a leaf, the connection to the plant "breaks" a bit. It will then grow a new plant which you can fully separate when it's ready.

I did see your post up there earlier! I'll try this too, thanks Lloyd. Can always count on your extensive knowledge. This method would probably be easiest, eh? Would also save space so you don't have extra leaves just laying around.

 

[Patrick S.]

Update on my pullings. Planted them about a week ago. All seem to be doing well. One growing under strong white LEDs, the other four under Red/Blue LEDs. So far, super easy method for propagating Pinguicula gigantea.

 

[jeff]

for other mexican ping it is better to use dormant rosette leaves, what matters is that the leaf is sufficient nutrient to make bulbils

note that P. gigantea 'in situ' grows on vertical limestone walls ,peat is not an ideal substrate, so watch out for what follows

 

[Patrick S.]

for other mexican ping it is better to use dormant rosette leaves, what matters is that the leaf is sufficient nutrient to make bulbils

note that P. gigantea 'in situ' grows on vertical limestone walls ,peat is not an ideal substrate, so watch out for what follows

Oh good information! I have a few larger plants that seem to be doing well in the peat/perlite mix. But what is the ideal substrate for cultivating them then? Crushed limestone? Do other Mexican pings grow on similar substrate?

I've also had a few leaves from P. ehlersieae and P. "pirouette" break off and form new plants. I almost feel like it's cheating, getting new plants easy, and free.

Edit: Just read in my The Savage Garden book that they recommend 1 part pet to one part mixture of sand, perlite, lava rock, pumice. So I must have followed this when I planted them. But I'd be very curious to hear of other substrates that work well for mexican pings!

 

[ANTSPlantation]

Freshly produced leaves have a higher chance of success.

 

[stevebradford]

Oh good information! I have a few larger plants that seem to be doing well in the peat/perlite mix. But what is the ideal substrate for cultivating them then? Crushed limestone? Do other Mexican pings grow on similar substrate?

I've also had a few leaves from P. ehlersieae and P. "pirouette" break off and form new plants. I almost feel like it's cheating, getting new plants easy, and free.

Edit: Just read in my The Savage Garden book that they recommend 1 part pet to one part mixture of sand, perlite, lava rock, pumice. So I must have followed this when I planted them. But I'd be very curious to hear of other substrates that work well for mexican pings!

Jeff’s mix for mexi pings in here

Starting/Sowing/Growing Carnivorous plants

Plant Care/Starting seeds A basic guide for the cultivation of the common carnivourous plants. Plant: temperature in C, lighting, soil, humidity (seed care) Cephalotus follicularis - 15-25 degrees, moderate light, peat mix, moderate humidity. (Seed. store in fridge dry, cold stratification...

www.carnivorousplantsociety.ca

 

[Muckydoo]

I just planted a few kinds of pings in a new mix I'm trying. It's 50% turface, 25% 1/4" lava rock and 25 % limestone screenings and a dash of mycorrhizal fungi.
I've tried all kinds of stuff, and pings like Weser are super resilient. I even tried some pine cat litter pellets mixed with perlite haha... They are alive but it didn't do much.

 

[JosephElliott]

I have had my gigantea and moranesis on pure crushed limestone (from the local farm supply) for just about a year from now. They seem to be doing well and the flowers seem slightly more saturated with color than when they were in lfs.

 

[jeff]

I always base myself on their 'in situ' conditions
for the Mexicans, many are from calcareous or even gypsicole environments and some from more organic environments
for the temperate ping it is the same thing or even species that tolerate the 2 environments (acid and limestone)
for the subtropical US I use this substrat peat - river sand 30/70 this substrat also seems to work well for many horticultural hybrids