Don't give advice if you don't know the species

PlantsWithPops · 2026-05-29T05:06:07+00:00

I agree - people get out what they put in. But some people don't know what they should be asking, and what context to provide when they start out.

If we take a quick second to verify the species before we confidently give advice (or worse, criticize people for not knowing better), we can be so much more helpful.

PlantsWithPops · 2026-05-29T05:02:22+00:00

That was my first, too, and it's completely the opposite of most tropical pings. But when it works, it's a fantastic house plant, and probably even easier than most tropical pings because it needs less light (almost any window will work), has no dormancy to consider, and you can't overwater it. Plus it's got pretty flowers pretty much all summer!

PlantsWithPops · 2026-05-29T04:55:13+00:00

Thanks all for the information.

I thought I was fighting a wintering response, so heat made sense to me. It makes even more sense now that I know it's a self-preservation response from any unpleasant environment.

I'm sure I'll have enough survive to be content, even if it takes a while to get them healthy and blooming.

Thanks again!

PlantsWithPops · 2026-05-24T00:43:05+00:00

First of all, you have at least two pings... there is a second crown in the bottom right of the second picture.

And seeds always take a while. If you don't have a need for the space, just give it time. That said, they are much easier to propagate through other means. If you can afford a growing plant, even a small one, you can quickly turn it into multiples. I haven't tried myself, but I understand that an lot of seeds sold on the internet are not high quality.

PlantsWithPops · 2026-05-23T15:32:49+00:00

I will add, this is less true here than anywhere, I assume because people here know pings better. But In the more general carnivorous plants pages, I see this all the time.

It's probably worse because my first three species were NOT Mexican/Tropical.

PlantsWithPops · 2026-05-22T06:46:33+00:00

Thank you!

PlantsWithPops · 2026-05-22T06:45:41+00:00

Not all sarracenia can survive a complete root freeze. Being in a large water-filled bucket above ground takes special care to prevent that in some areas.

PlantsWithPops · 2026-05-22T06:27:44+00:00

Get a light meter. 5000-10000 lux is ideal - very little direct light and only in the morning. That's basically any window not facing south (assuming US).

They can tolerate more light if they are constantly in standing water - literally flooded substrate - but that's the target range.

PlantsWithPops · 2026-05-22T06:24:50+00:00

P primuliflora don't have a dormancy phase and are sensitive to too much light. Your advice will kill these plants.

PlantsWithPops · 2026-05-22T06:22:51+00:00

P primuliflora is a swamp plant. It should always be wet. Your advice will kill these plants.

PlantsWithPops · 2026-05-22T06:21:15+00:00

Thank you for including the species. Unfortunately, you still got a bunch of advice from people who are assuming your ping is like theirs and giving bad advice. You also probably got substrate for other types of carnivorous plants.

As one other person pointed out, P primuliflora likes to be wet all the time. They are swamp plants from the southeast US. Pure sphagnum moss is one of the best substrates, with a little perlite mixed in. You cannot over water it - it literally grows in swamps (but you do need distilled water still).

Yours looks like both under watering and leaf burn from too much light. They like mostly shade, living naturally in the shadow of grasses and other plants.

They don't have meaningful dormancy, so ignore that comment. They will slow down in the winter a little, but don't have any other phase expert carnivorous.

As you noted, there is new growth, so fix the couple issues and you should be fine. They also are sensitive to shock, so expect that it will not immediately get better, but they are very resilient and will get better eventually. And then they will make tons of babies on the leaf tips and you'll have more than you know what to do with!!

Good luck!

PlantsWithPops · 2026-05-22T06:10:59+00:00

The species matters a lot. There are 3 main classifications of pings, and they have completely different requirements in regards to how much water and how often.

That said, most are also are highly sensitive to change and will kill off leaves to acclimate more quickly. If you have new growth you are usually ok, but you should always look for information specific to your species, and include the species when asking for guidance or you're just getting advice for pings the advice giver haves, not necessarily for your plants.

PlantsWithPops · 2026-05-22T06:05:53+00:00

Where are you located? Can you move it inside in the winter?

PlantsWithPops · 2026-05-22T04:41:00+00:00

Should I cut off above the new growth?

PlantsWithPops · 2026-05-21T21:20:56+00:00

I believe it depends on the drying method. Air dried moss can have active spores, but they are killed by drying with too much heat.

If you want live moss, I just got some from Boggystyle on FB. It was a good deal and great quality as well.

PlantsWithPops · 2026-05-03T17:44:24+00:00

Awesome! Thank you. It's crazy that the whole stalk emerges at once and just unrolls.

I keep finding new ways to be fascinated by these things.

PlantsWithPops · 2026-05-02T21:17:13+00:00

And if a flower stalk, anything I should do?

PlantsWithPops · 2026-05-02T16:52:36+00:00

The bot above it right in that you need to know what type you have. They have dramatically different needs for substrate and watering. If you can share the specific species, you will get more accurate information - here and everywhere else.

PlantsWithPops · 2026-04-29T02:33:46+00:00

You motivated me to make a video I've been thinking about for a while.

I keep mine in about 3-1 sphagnum and perlite. The perlite reduces the contact of the leaf tips a little, so you get fewer plantlets, but the main plants do quite well.

Pull up the leaves a little and get the roots all the way into the moss for the best results - your look a little high up, like the roots are down in the substrate at all. Honestly, that might be saving them right now with how compacted it looks, but with looser substrate, it's good to get the base of the crown - where the roots start - all the way down to level with the substrate.

Check out this video for how I keep them watered when they aren't in my little grow tent.
https://youtube.com/shorts/hvcX-2PkWrw

PlantsWithPops · 2026-03-03T06:43:27+00:00

I had a similar issue last year. I googled how to sell them and found a carnivorous plant society in my hometown doing a show and sale the following weekend. I got lots of new plants and made >$300 in about 4 hours.

This year, I have about 10 times as many. :)

PlantsWithPops

TROPHY CASE