Maybe i'm not remembering correctly, but perhaps it is just this ping's time, and, like all things, it is going to die? I dont know, either that or its a fungus.

It looks to me like the center is dead -- sorry, but I don't think there's any hope for it. I had that happen to a beautiful ping once. Not sure what happened but I think I kept it a bit too wet and it rotted.

Not sure why the roots would still look healthy. Maybe you could trim off the leaves and see if there is any life offset or something that could maybe grow back.

I dug up some old pics. My ping seemed to die much slower than yours... it gradually declined from the outside in, over a period of many months, with more and more outer leaves dying before new leaves could replace them. Then the centers dies very quickly, like yours, and that was the end.

Here it is healthy:
{{gwi:548413}}

And here are some offsets showing gradual dieback. I don't have a pic of the centers dying.
{{gwi:548414}}

I ended up concluding that I kept them too wet and too cool (in the basement) so they rotted, but I'm not certain that was the case. Hope it helps you sort out your problem though.
-Don

They have a phrase for that phenomenon... something like blackening crown. I would search the plant for any leaves that might not be affected and attempt leaf cutting propogation. What a shame!

Hi Petiolaris,

Thank you for your input. I searched the web following leads of blackening crown but didn't find much.

All leaves are affected.

But. . .I do have the other little ping and it appears completely healthy, so far. I have been reading about leaf propogation with pings and was planning on trying it this spring. It seems many knowledgeable people have lots of different ideas on the best way to do this. Some using moss with RootShield® brand of Trichoderma harzianum powder in a ziplock bag, or just "chip dipping" the leaf in a ping media, or as Peter in the Savage Garden suggest using moist vermiculite on a paper plate in a ziplock bag.

I'm just not sure which way sounds the best to try first. And using the Rootshield sounds like a good idea. I have asked my favorite nursery, they don't carry it, but haven't exhausted my sources or online.

Anyone have opinions on a good way to propogate pings?

Petiolaris, do you have a favorite way I could try? Which way do think would have the most favorable strike rate? I'm lost in all the choices and value your advice.

Thank you for your time and help.
Nycti

It's called browning heart. Here's a quote from a hobbyist, "I'm sorry to say, I have bad news for you. It is already dead.

Your best chance of rescue is to immediately and carefully trim off some of the live, non-rotted parts of the larger leaves, at least 1-2 cm away from the rotten areas. Place them on a dry paper towel and put them, together with the paper towel into a ziploc plastic bag and seal it (after you are sure the leaves are dry of any water and the cut edges have also dried - leaving them spread out on the paper towel before putting them in the ziploc can help ensure this). Then place the leaves/paper towel in ziploc in good light, but avoid high temperatures and direct sunlight. Mexican Pinguicula can form plantlets on their leaves other than near the basal portion (you have no basal portions that are still alive), though it usually takes longer for this to happen. After plantlets form, if they do, you can plant them and treat them as a normal grow plant."

Here are pics of how to place leaves:

{{gwi:548415}}

and sprouts

{{gwi:548416}}

You can put leaves on top of slightly moist media in a sealed baggie or place leaves exposed to the air, in a pot. You can also put a pot in a baggie and have the leaves sprout from there. Then you just remove the baggie.

Most often this is inspired/precipitated by high moisture/humidity, warm temperatures, and low light levels. All are conditions optimum for nematode attack.

The proper balance of plant growth factors is important to reduce this happening:
-- increase water --> increase light, air movement, and reduce temperature

Petiolaris,

I followed your directions with what salvageable parts were left. Using different instruments to prevent transmission I maneuvered the affected leaves from the site and removed what portions appear healthy. I placed the baggie 6 inches from 6,400 lumens of light. It looks terribly dry inside the bag and didn't want it to warm. I can move it closer if you suggest or directly under 12,800 lumens. I still have the crown with some white root left though the roots are losing their rigidity. I will try to keep that going as well.

I followed the browning heart lead and found an excellent web page describing the most common diseases of pings.

http://www.pinguicula.org/A_world_of_Pinguicula_2/Pages/diseases1.htm

Browning heart disease mentioned here sounds exactly like what happened. A nematode, a fungus, and an opportunity. Microorganisms lead such a fascinating existence.

You say:

"The proper balance of plant growth factors is important to reduce this happening:
-- increase water --> increase light, air movement, and reduce temperature "

With the remaining healthy looking ping are you thinking I should increase the water, move it closer to the lights? Air movement is natural and inside temperatures are still cool for us here.

Thank you for all your help,
I want you to know it is much appreciated.

Nycti

You're very welcome! Which species or cultivar is it?

Hi Petiolaris,

They are P. pirouette [ag*(mor*ehl)]

Petiolaris should the cut leaves in the baggie be turning a dried brown color? A couple have, the others are following.

Nycti

They shouldn't be turning any color. I've seen it when the leaves pale out and rot. Is that what you are observing?

Hi Petiolaris,

The cuttings of partial leaves from the sick plant turned brown and dry, no rot. I took one out of the baggie to check it, it just crumbled in my fingers. Perhaps they weren't succulent enough at that stage to maintain moisture or the salvageable pieces to small.

I still have the one little ping, I will try propogating from that one.

I will keep you posted.
Thank you for all your help,

Nycti

I've got P. pirouette if you need a new one.

Petiolaris,

I want to thank you so very much for your offer of the P. pirouette. I am honored and consider your offer a compliment. I do want to try to propogate from the remaining little ping I have. This is something I want to learn to do. However, if I fail or it fails me I would be most grateful for a new one.

Thank you for your generous help and knowledge.
I will keep you posted.

Nycti

Not a problem. I have other varieties that don't all look alike as well.

On the brighter side, a lesson is learned through the death of a plant. If the plant had an increase in light it may have been burn. I assume not. How was the plant watered? It looks as if it is perhaps rot caused by watering directly into the crown of plant(?). Although many may disagree, I bottom water pings. Once they get large, there doesn't seem to be any other way
CV

Hi Countessa,

Welcome to the forum.

I have had this pair of pings for almost a year. They are indoor plants. Their manner of care has been the same with a slow dec/inc in light hours for winter/summer. They are top watered. Because of the "butter" on their leaves I am very careful while watering. I use a nozzle tipped bottle to water around the plants and the rest of the pot. As I mentioned in the original post the roots were a healthy white and were still rigid when the picture of the sick ping was taken. That's what was so puzzling. Because of the good condition of the roots I tried to save it, though now it has succumbed.

I am careful not to get water on the leaves of pings or sundews. But, one has to wonder, when growing out in the wild how nature handles the problem of rain storms.

Nice to meet you,
Nycti

Wild plants never look pretty like the ones we keep. They are able to reproduce quickly.
CV

Nature also has lots of extra plants at its disposal. We may only have one of a given species or cultivar.