Date: Thu, 22 Apr 1999 18:48:30 +0000 From: Paul Temple <Paultemple@ecologycal.demon.co.uk> To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg1421$foo@default> Subject: Re: Pings wanted / cult tips? (Sundew Sundew)
>think it's about time I look into growing Mexican, Cuban and SE
American Pings.
An optimist?
>Anyone out there who's actively growing Pings indoors, under lights and
has
>considerable experience, any growing tips? (light, temperature,
>watering, medium and other requirements).
Some of us are not at all fussed with little rosetted red things (sorry
Fernando - why is it I like teasing you?) so Pings-r-us.
>Last I'd checked around, in the 80's, the only Cuban Ping that was in
cultivation was
>filifolia - have all the others made it?
Well, first, P. filifolia was first successfully introduced into
cultivation by our old friend Harald Weiner back in the 80's. I can
confirm that plants introduced by him, or at least offspring of those
plants, are still alive and in cultivation. My own subsequent visit
resulted in another introduction and those plants (or their offspring)
are also surviving in cultivation and are avialable from at least one
commercial supplier.
That leaves a few gaps though. The short answer is that no other Cuban
species is currentl available via any commercial outlet. more to the
point, anyone who offered such plants for sale or trade would be in
direct breach of the new biodiversity rules. More on at a later date.
There are a small number of location (not for publication) where
attempts to maintain other Cuban Pings are being made. However, the
most sought after, the epiphytic P. lignicola, is definately not in
cultivation anywhere, except in the wild in Cuba (where it is extremely
rare, very difficult to find, and 100% protected). The most likely
candidate for introduction is P. albida but as this is an annual, it is
unlikely many people will maintain it and the majority will proably not
even obtain it for this reason. It's fussy, requiring highemperature
and permanent water, both at the roots and as humidity.
I am hoping to publish more on this subject asap.
>How about the S American ones?
Well, bad news again as they are generally not easy to obtain or simply
aren't in cultivation.
No more time to write. Must go!
Regards
Paul
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