HEMMEROCALLIS and HIPPEASTRUMS

[Rebecca]

:) Hi!


My two biggest plant interests are Hemmerocallis/Daylilies and Hippeastrums/Amaryllis. Who else grows either or both of these plants?

I have been hybridizing daylilies for a couple of years now using whatever looks like it would work well together, and so far the results haven't been bad. Only three seedlings flowered their first time this year, more are expected to flower in 2003.

The best of the three was a red with a bright yellow throat; the only seeding from Chicago Sunrise x Chicago Apache.

All of the Amaryllis are currently happily growing and maturing this seasons' crop of leaves. Most have done really well and I expect they will reward me with blooms this winter. Some, unfortunately, have not done so well. Two that are growing in a 14inch bowl type planter have developed rot and I am not trying to stop it from spreading further. I think they stayed too wet and weren't getting enough sun and air circulation. They will soon be un-potted and left to dry in storage until late this coming winter. This time last year they were both in flower!

Is there a powder I can use to dust the bulbs with once they are un-potted that will help heal them and stop the bacteria from spreading?


Looking forward to hearing from everyone and especially those of you who grow these two plants in particular! :)

[Ann B.]

Hi, Rebecca!

I have quite a few daylilies, but most of them are just the hybridized mixes. A few of them are named. Some came from my sister's ranch in Texas, and these are in bad need of dividing. They didn't bloom as well this year because they are simply too crowded.

I am hoping to purchase some very special daylilies sometime in the next year, but I do really need to get the plants that I have grown from seed and cuttings in the flower beds that I have prepared before I tackle too many other projects. I am behind schedule, so rather than try to catch up, I am simply rewriting my plans.

I have many, many Amaryllis. Lots of them are 'Red Lion' and 'Minerva' purchased for $1 after Christmas. I have a few double types, and a variety of singles, but none that are considered rare. I only have one of the hybrids planted in my yard, but I am seriously thinking about planting some of the Red Lion and Minerva on the south side of my home just to see how well they survived.

Currently, I have many Amaryllis seedlings growing. Some are in the fridge sprouting and need to be planted in cell trays, others I grew in moist paper towels in zippered bags under fluorescent lights. The biggest problem that I have found with the seeds is that they do not remain viable for very long. The second biggest problem is keeping the soil moist for I have noticed losses when they dry out too much and many will fail to survive. When they are about 6 months old, they seem to tolerate some dryness. I need to redo the web pages on Bulbs from seed. Although the refrigerator method has worked the best for me, I now realize it is because of the fluctuation in soil moisture. I will continue to use that method when I have too many to process at once, but the paper towel method seems to work the best and is fairly easy.

The Amaryllis that I did from section cuttings are getting quite large, now, but I don't think I will chance putting them in the ground this year. They still need to be about twice their current size before I will chance freeze damage. I am hoping to try cutting some of the Red Lions and Minerva into smaller wedges this year. I found a relatively inexpensive mandoline slicer that will allow me to easily make very thin slices, but I want to wait until after they go dormant to give this a try. Once I use the mandoline for cutting bulbs, I will never use it again for cutting food. There may not be anything wrong with doing that. I simply don't believe in taking chances.

There are several bulb dusts that you can purchase. I currently use Captan because that is what I have and have always used, but the last time I checked it was not approved by the EPA for home use as a dry powder to be used in this way.

There are also some systematic fungicides that are recommended for home use. Systematic means they absorb the fungicide into the bulb cells rather than just being coated on the outside with them. I truly like the idea of this type fungicide the best, but I have not been able to locate a source for these products locally or on the internet except for in huge amounts which I do not need.

I will do my best to look up the names of some of these products some time this weekend and post them here. It has been some time since I have searched for the products, and it may very well be that there are some suppliers on the internet now.

Welcome aboard, Rebecca! We are very excited to have you as a member of Landspro!

[Ann B.]

The following products from Bonide can be used to treat your bulbs for pests such as squirrels and moles and/or for fungus.

Bonide Bonomyl 50W

Bonide Bulb Dust

Bonide Bulb Saver

Bonide Captan 50WP

Before purchasing, I recommend that you READ the LABEL for each and make your decision based on the information provided. Below is a link to the Bonide Material Safety Data Sheets.

Bonide Products Material Data Safety Sheets (http://www.bonideproducts.com/msds/)

I was told by research personnel from Auburn University that Cleary's 3336 which is thiophanate-methyl is my best bet for propagating bulbs, and I see that the Material Data Safety Sheet for Bonide Bonomyl 50W states that it is Cleary's 3336. I have not tried that product, but intend to now that I have located a source for it.

Here is the source:

<a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=E4Cs/RBsGQQ&offerid=4201.10000015&type=4&subid=0" target="new"><IMG width="468" height="60" alt="garden carts - great for Fall cleanup chores" border="0" src="http://www.landscapeusa.com/images/468x60gcarts.jpg"></a><IMG border="0" width="1" height="1" src="http://ad.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/show?id=E4Cs/RBsGQQ&bids=4201.10000015&type=4&subid=0"


After you click on the banner, select 'Pest Control', then 'Disease Control'. They have incorrectly listed 'Bonomyl as 'Benomyl' which is totally different product and it is my understanding that 'Benomyl' was taken off the US market by Dupont in 2001. I will send them an email regarding their error.

In the meantime, Landspro receives commissions from this banner, but only if you purchase after linking through a banner on Landspro.

So, many thanks for your support and Enjoy!