Is this bulb sick?
newhostalady Z6 ON, Canada
4 years ago
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popmama (Colorado, USDA z5)
4 years agonewhostalady Z6 ON, Canada thanked popmama (Colorado, USDA z5)Related Discussions
sick bulb from sale 2 weeks ago
Comments (1)Don't panic... it can possibly be saved... if the basal plate isn't damaged! It appears to be one of two things... either rot/fungus or a bad case of microscopic tarsonemid mites. The shrinkage is normal if the bulb has just finished blooming... a summer of good care will fatten it up. The papery brown husk is actually dead outer layers of the bulb, and can actually be peeled away with no harm to the bulb. I'm betting it's a case of rot from poor medium and too much moisture. Pull the bulb out of its medium and look at the roots... are they white and plump? Or are they brown and mushy? The latter is rot. Hippeastrum bulbs are very succeptable to rot from staying too moist at the roots for too long. They require a really fast-draining medium. They also like to dry out in between waterings. When I buy a bulb in a kit, I immediately deep six the soil that comes with it, and pot up the bulb in my own rather gritty mix. I use unglazed clay pots that breathe and allow salts and harmful mineral amounts to leach through the porous material. After I pot up a bulb, I thoroughly water it until water runs out the drainage holes of the pot... from then on, I bottom water only, allowing the water to wick up into the pot at the root level, and I never allow the pot to stand in water for more than a couple of hours or so... I only top water about once a month, and then I use copious amounts of plain, un-softened water to leach out any harmful salt buildup. To cure the rot... you will need to do surgery on your bulb. Remove it from its pot, and with a clean, sharp knife remove any rotten roots. The basal plate is the plate-like part above the roots and below the actual bulb. If this is mushy, dump the bulb. If it appears ok, peel back a layer or two of of the "onion" skin and look for healthy tissue... if the rot is only on one side, cut the rot out completely, taking care to avoid hurting the basal plate. Once you have removed all the rotten tissue, dust the bulb with Captan or an anti-fungal for ornamental plants. Cinnamon will work, but it tends to inhibit root development, so only use it on the bulb part. Dust or paint the root area with a rooting hormone, and set the bulb aside for a day or two to dry a bit. When re-potting, use a very well-draining medium that will dry out fairly fast... if the rot was only on one side, plant the bulb with that part above the soil... try to make basal plate-to-soil contact so new roots will develop. Avoid watering until the medium is dry at the root level. There is a good recipe for homemade mix over at the Container Gardening Forum... it's been posted by a gardener called "tapla". His recipe is very much like a bonsai mix, and drains very nicely. I hope the above helps you to some extent. It would be helpful if you post a photo of your unearthed bulb so we can see the root area... then we could determine if the bulb is worth saving....See MoreHoly cra....aw my poor bulb!
Comments (18)Mmmmm...luv me some elephant jade *hiccup* Mini/Elephant/Port Afra jade is the coolest. It: 1. Grows really fast if you give it some love (sun, water, fert, airy soil) 2. You can forget to water it (not love it) for a VERY long time and it'll not hold it against you. Simply add water and presto-- plant back to normal. 3. Can turn brilliant colors depending on your conditions. Vibrant green leaves, which get tiny in strong direct sun, flaming red branches to brick red branches 4. It grows like a weed (guess it is in Africa since the elephants much on it) and you can achieve impressive trunk size in a matter of a few short years. I had three plants and in one year they grew to over 1 inch in diameter in onw growing season. Season two I have two inches... I suspect another inch this year or more now that I've got their cultivation down. 5. You can let the wind flip them up-side-down on neighboring pants and crucial thick branches imperative to your bonsai design will not snap off (disclaimer-- if you just watered it, the branches will be turgid and may break off-- but then again, if you just watered it, its heavy!!! So it might not blow over anyway!). 6. You can lop off a piece, no matter how small, and send it to a friend for their growing enjoyment. I highly suggest you try port afra jade and give bonsai a whirl-- it is so satisfying to see your creating grow and become a work of art. Don't be afraid to chop the thing up -- I hacked mine away in the beginning as my "design" was not yet set into place-- and they grow even more robust. If you manage to kill a port afra you should seek out a new hobby besides gardening. They are just that strong. These are generalities, though...so please, take no offense if you did in fact kill a port afra. Fly Jade Ranch Ryan...See MoreGiving your Bulbs a Headstart
Comments (49)It IS very interesting looking! The name says it all... how very "phallic"! LOL! But if it smells as bad as they say it does, who would want it around?! Gross! Yes... "interesting" is about the only word to describe that plant!...See MoreAre these bulbs sick? Help, please.
Comments (3)Thank you so much, KB. I am relieved to know that this is not abnormal. After hours and hours of searching the www, I could not find any pictures that looked like mine so I got worried thinking there was something I needed to do. I will just relax and let nature take its course from here. Joshy, thanks also for the distinction you made of the Belladonnas to the Hippeastrum and not being able to force the Belladonnas to bloom. I will not expect any great Christmas showing. I may need to go get a "Christmas Amaryllis" so that I can watch the differences in how they grow and bloom. Thanks again....See Morenewhostalady Z6 ON, Canada
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agonewhostalady Z6 ON, Canada
4 years agoNorthern Gardener (3b west central MN)
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agonewhostalady Z6 ON, Canada thanked Northern Gardener (3b west central MN)Northern Gardener (3b west central MN)
4 years agonewhostalady Z6 ON, Canada thanked Northern Gardener (3b west central MN)Northern Gardener (3b west central MN)
4 years agonewhostalady Z6 ON, Canada thanked Northern Gardener (3b west central MN)Northern Gardener (3b west central MN)
4 years agonewhostalady Z6 ON, Canada thanked Northern Gardener (3b west central MN)newhostalady Z6 ON, Canada
4 years agoNorthern Gardener (3b west central MN)
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agonewhostalady Z6 ON, Canada thanked Northern Gardener (3b west central MN)newhostalady Z6 ON, Canada
4 years agonewhostalady Z6 ON, Canada
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agonewhostalady Z6 ON, Canada
4 years agonewhostalady Z6 ON, Canada
4 years agonewhostalady Z6 ON, Canada
4 years agonewhostalady Z6 ON, Canada
3 years agoBrian Sakamoto (10a, CA, USA)
2 years agonewhostalady Z6 ON, Canada thanked Brian Sakamoto (10a, CA, USA)newhostalady Z6 ON, Canada
2 years agonewhostalady Z6 ON, Canada
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agonewhostalady Z6 ON, Canada
2 years ago
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