# What's wrong? Or, Why won't my ping. bloom?



## Heather (Feb 28, 2008)

Thought I'd bring out the camera this morning.  





It looks happy enough, doesn't it? Never bloomed. I think it is pretty on its own but all this talk about succulents made me remember to water it this morning and I thought maybe it was time to ask. I think I've had it several years, at this point...


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## SlipperKing (Feb 28, 2008)

It aint no orchid then I don't know


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## KyushuCalanthe (Feb 28, 2008)

Heather, 

It looks like it is in its dormancy phase, hence no blooming. My suggestion: increase the heat (always above 80 degrees) and give it lots of water. That may induce it to bloom. Mine always look like your plant in the winter with short fleshy leaves and in summer the leaves get much bigger and the plants flower. I hope that helps.


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## Park Bear (Feb 28, 2008)

KyushuCalanthe said:


> Heather,
> 
> It looks like it is in its dormancy phase, hence no blooming. My suggestion: increase the heat (always above 80 degrees) and give it lots of water. That may induce it to bloom. Mine always look like your plant in the winter with short fleshy leaves and in summer the leaves get much bigger and the plants flower. I hope that helps.



I've had the same experince


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## NYEric (Feb 28, 2008)

She lives in an icebox: remember? ity:


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## Heather (Feb 28, 2008)

Yeah, my ice box may be the problem, heh!....Summer's coming.


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## NYEric (Feb 28, 2008)

Yes, that will make it into a penthouse apartment! oke:


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## cwt (Feb 28, 2008)

I got cofused right at the start with her ping!?!?!? Sorry only human.


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## Heather (Feb 28, 2008)

Oh dear... this conversation is going downhill rapidly (at least in my mind!)


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## cwt (Feb 28, 2008)

Ja ja ja. At my age a bit of confusion should be allowed.


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## tocarmar (Feb 28, 2008)

cwt said:


> I got cofused right at the start with her ping!?!?!? Sorry only human.



I was wondering about that also!! :drool:
If it was something else, I might be able to help!!

Tom


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## cwt (Feb 28, 2008)

Would have done the same, but (un)fortunately im right on the other side of earth.:evil:


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## NYEric (Feb 28, 2008)

What she's saying is that when it's cold her ping stays small! :evil:


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## Heather (Feb 28, 2008)

Oh dear....you have no idea....


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## MoreWater (Feb 28, 2008)

I suggest you propagate!

Mine (all Mex) don't get to rest, as it's pretty tropical here. They are blooming again/still. (They're a bit dehydrated though.)


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## NYEric (Feb 28, 2008)

Water?


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## MoreWater (Feb 28, 2008)

I watered mine a couple of weeks ago! You think they want more????


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## Carol (Feb 28, 2008)

I have four of them and they are not blooming now either. I water every other day.


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## Rick (Feb 28, 2008)

I don't know if the species makes any difference, and I'm not even sure what mine is, but mine quit blooming about a week ago then went into massive division mode.

It's in my pleurothallid box with pretty high humidity all the time. Constant 16 hour light cycle. Temps bounce a bit from the 60's to close to 80. I mist on it a little each day, and maybe once a week I make an effort to get some water to the roots (its overgrown the pot, and tends to deflect water when poured on from the top). I don't know what I'm doing with this thing, but it seems happy just hanging out with the rest of the pleuros.


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## Yoyo_Jo (Mar 1, 2008)

Okay, have mercy, what is the actual name of the plant that Heather posted??oke:

I just bought something like that at our Orchid Society meeting on Monday night; the lady that sold it to me called it a Mexican Soapwort and said that it's carnivorous and will eat fungus gnats. I've been trying to find out what the proper botanical name is....


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## neo-guy (Mar 1, 2008)

They are called Pinguicula, common name is Butterwort. The one pictured is most likely a Mexican hybrid or species.
These bloom when triggered by light and temperature. I don't think heat is the problem as they can stand quite cool temperatures. Most bloom either in the spring or fall. Some bloom when in full leaf, others bloom when they are in the winter succulent stage. 
They often do not bloom if you have them indoors with the same light period. The shortening days will trigger them to bloom.
You can check my website below for many photos of Pinguicula plants and flowers.
Peter.


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## Carol (Mar 1, 2008)

Heather, :I just checked my pings again and one of them is sending up a bud!


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## Yoyo_Jo (Mar 1, 2008)

Thanks for the info neo-guy! You have great photos on your website!


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## Roth (Mar 2, 2008)

I like pinguicula a lot, and collect many different types... I have to grow them with my paphs. Before it was under controlled conditions of temps, never below 21°C. The plants would look like Heather plant after a while, then bloom, and make many new growths. 

I found out that first they like fertilizer at the roots ( I use osmocote for them), then they do not like to dry out that much when they are growing. I never had to trigger the bloom, with the temperatures and the fertilizer, they would bloom at any time. Do not forget to add lime to the mix as well.

But eventually they would end up looking like lettuce, with many, many growths that had to be divided. They were blooming at pretty much any time, but the plants would be extremely tall with very big leaves.

By the way, you can remove leaves up to their base and put them in a plastic bag with peat or sphagnum, damp. After a couple of weeks you will have many young plants, very fast growing.

Now, in Viet Nam, they have to whitstand a cool growing season and varying daylenght, I keep them on the dry side with the pleione maculata and praecox, so slightly moist but never wet at that time and they do not make the multiple head plants like before. I still keep the osmocote in the mix. The beauty of those plants is to get perfect rosettes.


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## NYEric (Mar 3, 2008)

Slippertalk - the best pinguicula forum..oke:


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## rdlsreno (Mar 4, 2008)

SlipperKing said:


> It aint no orchid then I don't know



Exactly!!:rollhappy::rollhappy:

Ramon


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## Heather (Mar 4, 2008)

Sanderianum said:


> I like pinguicula a lot, and collect many different types... I have to grow them with my paphs. Before it was under controlled conditions of temps, never below 21°C. The plants would look like Heather plant after a while, then bloom, and make many new growths.
> 
> I found out that first they like fertilizer at the roots ( I use osmocote for them), then they do not like to dry out that much when they are growing. I never had to trigger the bloom, with the temperatures and the fertilizer, they would bloom at any time. Do not forget to add lime to the mix as well.
> 
> ...



Interesting! I'd say that's pretty much how I grow it. It hasn't gotten "leggy" and it is in sphag, I haven't fertilized. 

I wonder if my lack of nutritional support in the colder months (no gnats!) is contributing to the problem....I've had some new sports come off but never have done anything about them really and so they've sort of, um, languished. 

I will admit I don't pay a ton of attention to this plant. It's a use, not a hobby.


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## Heather (Mar 21, 2008)

Well, well, well....you'll all be happy to hear that my ping is getting ready to bloom...:smitten:

Apparently it knows we were all talking of it and decided to come out of its shell.


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## tocarmar (Mar 22, 2008)

That is alittle more info than we needed!! LOL

Congrats!!!  

Tom


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## cwt (Mar 22, 2008)

Heather, Heather, Heather........


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## Heather (Mar 22, 2008)

:rollhappy:

Man, we have some of the naughtiest minds on this forum... unbelievable!


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## cwt (Mar 22, 2008)

Ja, ja ja. Comes from tasting to much :evil:sappy orchid excretion.:evil:


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## NYEric (Mar 23, 2008)

I guess she warmed it up.


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## Elena (Mar 24, 2008)

I was going to ask for a picture of Heather's ping when it's in flower but I'm too scared now:rollhappy:


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## Yoyo_Jo (Mar 24, 2008)

Elena said:


> I was going to ask for a picture of Heather's ping when it's in flower but I'm too scared now:rollhappy:



No kidding...:evil:


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