Care & Instructions

Care Instructions:

Light: Bright, indirect sunlight or grow lights.

Water: Distilled, RO or rainwater only. Allow soil to dry between waterings

Environment: Use a well-draining soil mix composed of sand, pumice, and vermiculite or plant directly on rocks.

DISCLAIMERS:

Heat packs are available for purchase, please see our other ads and add to your order. Only one heat pack is required per order.

We will not replace or refund items that are damaged or destroyed on account of not including a heat pack.

Please familiarize yourself with our live plant guarantee as detailed in our about section on our store page BEFORE purchasing plants. By purchasing, you agree to the shop policies as outlined in the about section and the announcements section.

These plants will be shipped NON-STERILE and WITHOUT gel and wrapped in paper towels to prevent damage during shipping. It is the buyers responsibility to gradually acclimate them to their new environment.)

Number of plants per flask: min. 3-10 (species dependent)

Light: Indirect sunlight, T5, or LED lights

Potting medium: Mexican Pinguicula soil mix (also available in our store!)

Feeding/fertilization: Fish food or bugs every 3-4 weeks (not mandatory)

Water: Keep soil moist and allow to dry fully between waterings

Humidity: 50-80%

Temperature: 55-85°F

Acclimation Guide:

TTT Tissue Culture Pinguicula Acclimation Guide

Last Updated: 8/27/25 by WT

  • Mexican Pinguicula, unlike other carnivorous plants such as flytraps or Sarracenia, are not bog/marsh plants and prefer to be planted in a mineral heavy soil mix that does not hold a lot of moisture. 
  • An equal parts mixture of perlite, vermiculite, sand and coco coir supplemented with gypsum and/or calcium carbonate works well. 
  • Pumice and coco coir can be substituted with perlite and peat moss respectively. Be careful not to add too much coir/peat to the mix as this will cause the mix to be soggy when wet.
  • Upon receiving your pings, it is best to plant them out immediately, although you can also leave them in the cups for a few days with the lids on loosely if you cannot get to them right away. If you do this, also uncover the paper towel from the plants so that they can receive light and more airflow.
  • Separate the plantlets as much as you like and remove as much of the gel from the plants as possible. Small plantlets can be planted in clusters. 
  • Our Pinguicula TC’s are shipped non-sterile and with most of the media already removed although some may still be stuck to the plants. 
  • Lightly moisten your substrate and begin planting the Pings. Some plantlets will not have any roots but they can be planted all the same. They will begin to grow roots in the coming weeks. 
  • Do not use rooting hormone as this is unnecessary. It is also not recommended to treat the plants with fungicide or any other type of biocide before planting.
  • Place plants under lighting and water them gently. 70-100 PPFD of PAR works well and this can be measured using the Photone phone app. Do not use strong lighting until the plants are fully transitioned as they will be more prone to desiccation and scorching. 
  • Keep the substrate consistently damp for the next week or so while the plants adjust to ambient. It is NOT recommended to use a humidity dome as this encourages rot.
  • Excessive humidity (80-100%RH) combined with poor airflow is the biggest cause of Pinguicula mortality. A substrate that is consistently moist will release a steady supply of water vapor into the air that will prevent the plants from drying out too quickly. 
  • It is only recommended to use a humidity dome if you live in a hot and/or dry climate (ie. a desert or at altitude) or if the ambient environment is air conditioned AND/OR drafty. In this case, the dome should be VERY well ventilated.
  • As the plants grow, some of the lower  “in-vitro” leaves may begin to turn yellow and die back.
  •  This is completely normal as the plant is simply sequestering the nutrients in these leaves to grow new leaves that are better adapted to ambient conditions.