Vegetative reproduction of Pinguicula vulgaris

[Jack Meatcher]

A couple of years ago I bought a Pinguicula vulgaris plant at a show. It's done well and I've overwintered it successfully. It has formed a short column with the original plant at the top. However, between the top and the compost there's a lot of plantlets. A few appear to have "catapulted" off and have taken root. This morning, I tried to prise some more plantlets off hoping to plant them up. However, they were very reluctant to detach and I stopped trying so as to avoid damaging the plant.

Do I let them detach of their own accord or poke a bit harder? Or have I got it completely wrong?

Thanks for any suggestions based on experience.

Jack Meatcher

[Maggi Young]

Those  babies should detach as the  main plant  goes  dormant - best to wait till then.

[brianw]

With my P. grandiflora I also get lots of offsets. if I prise them off (or they fall off) the usually make small plants in the season, but never really noticed if many or just a few of the rest do much by season end.

[Jack Meatcher]

Thanks. I think I'll leave well enough alone and let Nature take its course. Then I'll see what happens next Autumn. Thank for your replies.

Jack

[brianw]

I think the main disadvantage of leaving them on is they subsequently get little or no light (or air) as the adult plant spreads over them and more or less seals itself to the inevitable moss. I expect there is a way round this but never tried.

[Jack Meatcher]

Brian

That is a thought - what happens under the leaf rosette? At the moment, plantlets are popping up across the compost and I'll have plenty of new plants. How they got there, I have no idea. However, there's still loads more on the "stem" but they are still reluctant to detach by physical force.
The P. vulgaris is flowering so I'll collect the seed again this year and sow that fresh.
It seems that the propagation of pinguiculas might be an interesting "project" to add to my fascination with alpines. If I make any progress, I'll post the results on the Forum.


Jack

[Gabriela]

In case of Pinguicula vulgaris these buds, which are called 'hibernaculums' are the way the plants propagate themselves (except the seeds). They detach in late fall/winter and travel by water means to establish in new places; usually nearby the mother plants, but also at quite long distance from them.

Like Maggi said, better to leave them to detach by themselves; if done too early they may not be well developed enough.
The plants 'know' when they are too crowded, don't worry.