{"product_id":"pinguicula-2","title":"Pinguicula ‘Kondoi’","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePinguicula kondoi | Kondoi Butterwort\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe contrast on this little butterwort is incredible. Green carnivorous leaves curl and cup upward, exposing burgundy-purple margins and inner growth while the surface sparkles with sticky mucilage. Rather than opening into a large, flat rosette during active growth, this Mexican species can maintain a remarkably compact, layered shape even while producing fully functioning carnivorous leaves. It stays small, but there is a lot happening in that tiny rosette.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGrowth remains close to the surface, with new leaves emerging from the center and older leaves gradually forming the outside of the rosette. The leaves are fleshy and distinctly cupped, with margins that can turn upward enough to make the contrasting coloration especially noticeable. Like other Pinguicula, the root system is extremely small and shallow. Those tiny roots are normal and are designed to support a plant growing right at the surface rather than filling a pot with a large root system.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFor natural light, place it directly in an east-facing window or approximately 1–2 feet from a south-facing window. Aim for approximately 1,000–2,000 foot-candles at the leaves. Foot-candles simply tell you how much light is actually reaching your plant. Good usable light supports compact growth, strong carnivorous leaves and the green-to-burgundy coloration this species can develop. Watch the newest growth in the center along with the overall color and shape of the rosette as you fine-tune placement.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eUnder a grow light, use a full-spectrum 5000–6500K fixture positioned approximately 6–10 inches above the plant, adjusting the fixture as needed to keep approximately 1,000–2,000 foot-candles reaching the rosette. Kelvin tells you the color of the light, while the foot-candle measurement tells you how much of that light is actually reaching the plant. Keeping the light directly over the rosette helps maintain even, compact growth.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWater when your plant needs watered. Use distilled water, reverse-osmosis water or rainwater. During active carnivorous growth, I thoroughly wet the plant and the shallow root zone from above morning and evening rather than keeping the pot continuously sitting in water. The goal is to keep moisture available where those tiny surface-level roots can use it while allowing plenty of air through the substrate.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe substrate should be very open and gritty rather than a conventional houseplant potting mix. I use approximately 50% organic peat moss and 50% coarse mineral material made from horticultural pumice and natural aquarium sand or fine gravel. Keep the crown at the surface and use a small, shallow container. If you lift the plant and discover what looks like an impossibly tiny root system underneath it, that is exactly what a Pinguicula root system can look like.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDuring carnivorous growth, the sparkling droplets covering the leaves are mucilage. This sticky surface is how the plant captures tiny insects such as fungus gnats. The mucilage belongs on the plant, so there is no need to wipe the leaves clean or remove the tiny insects it catches.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eI feed my Pinguicula through the leaves using Schultz Cactus Plus Liquid Plant Food 2-7-7. I mix one full dropper into a ½-gallon batch of distilled water, and that dilute fertilizer is part of the regular water I use from above during active carnivorous growth. The glandular leaves can absorb nutrients while they are functioning in their carnivorous form.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSeasonal growth is easiest to follow by watching the center of the plant. As it moves toward succulent growth, the newest leaves can become smaller, thicker and more tightly packed, with less of the sticky glandular surface associated with carnivorous growth. Reduce moisture along with the plant as its growth changes. When the center begins producing glandular carnivorous leaves again, gradually return to the regular active-growth watering and feeding routine. With this species, a small, tightly layered rosette by itself does not tell you that it is in succulent growth. Look at what the newest leaves are actually producing and whether they are glandular and covered in mucilage.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSuccess can look different throughout the year. During active carnivorous growth, look for fresh glandular leaves, visible mucilage, steady center growth and the characteristic cupped foliage with green and burgundy-purple coloration. During succulent growth, forward movement may be much smaller and tighter. Keep watching the center. That newest growth will give you the clearest picture of what the plant is doing and what it needs next.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Rooted Plant Shop","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50781837295714,"sku":null,"price":25.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0572\/1269\/8722\/files\/139C84BE-8DF3-4982-BCF4-9E70D1E6DCE7.jpg?v=1793154133","url":"https:\/\/therootedplantshop.com\/products\/pinguicula-2","provider":"The Rooted Plant Shop ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}