I've been growing five baby amaryllis for about 8 months and the other day, something just chewed all the green off all of them except one. I've got pics... what did this??!!! I am so upset!!!!
I am hoping they will still survive... I peeked in the dirt and it looks like a little bulb is growing, so maybe more green will grow??
Here's another pic
And here's the little "stumps" in the dirt
Oh, what a bummer!
Wonder what did that? Have rabbits or squirrels there?
I would think your bulbs will be fine. Sometimes they will go formant under cooler temps with cutting back, so keep on the dry side if you can. They should pop right back in spring.
R.
Raydio - I have squirrels, but why would they just chop them off at the base and leave the stems there?! Do you think it could be a cutworm? I don't even know if cutworms bother plants other than tomatoes, etc.
Cut worms was something I thought of, and it sure looks like their kind of damage.
You can find them roaming around at night, or you can scratch around in the soil nearby your plants to uncover them from their hiding place in the day.
R.
I'll look... I only had five babies, but that sure bummed me out!!!!!! It's weird, I thought having a nursery and the pots being up off the ground that I'd be immune from cutworms. Maybe it was in the soil I was using.
I regret that I am being so late to get attention to this discussion...
But for the sake of future sowing approaches:
This kind of damage was performed by the maggots of the fungus gnat.
These are small, translucent and if disturbed they pull themselves together - they know how to hide themselves! Beware of that critter. You can really not afford to have these in your ernvironment if you want to raise precious seedlings of whatsoever.
In the greenhouse you can use a granulate which releases Chlorpyrifos, slowly, over 10 weeks.
Or, indoors, Lizetan Kombigranulat (Imidacloprid).
Where do I find chlorpyrifos?
Preferably purchase a granulate or an emulsion concentrate which contains Imidacloprid.
Chlorpyrifos is a volatile organophosphoric acid compund and this agent might already be banned in your country.
If not then check whether you can find Dursban solid (DOW) or Ridder (Bayer) or Nexion-NEU (Celaflor) [not "Nexion" without "Neu"]
I know around here, and my climate is very similar to yours in Florida, some of the earliest caterpillars of some species of moths and butterflies will nibble on some of my Amaryllidaceae (Zephyranthes, Habranthus, and occasionally even Hippeastrums) members. Its always very early in the season and by April they move on to some other plants that they really prefer, I guess. It never does any permanent harm to the bulbs and they just generate new leaves. I've seen this every early spring here. I never use any insecticides on them either because the problem takes care of itself soon. Just my opinion here....
Debbie
=)
This message was edited Mar 10, 2008 9:53 AM
LAK~
I found a couple of leaves of narcissus on the ground last week. Looks like the same pest may have been afoot.
Don't know if they are in season, but seems like a cutworm of some sort.
R.
They never seem to bother my Narcissus here, I guess they are somewhat but not very, picky.
=)
Well, it hasn't happened again... and the damage reminded me of cutwork. I could see the slightly jagged edge where it was chopped off. The leaves are back up and growing like weeds so far. Guess I'll wait and see what happens. Of course, I took them off the shelf in shade-cloth covered nursery and put them in a mini, roll around greenhouse just to be on the safe side (if it were more of a "animal" type attack).
This has happened to me too, I thought the culprits were hungry squirrels. In any case, I never got to the bottom of this and new leaves grew back. Doesn't happen often but I don't get too upset about it as it seems more of an annoyance issue.
Well, I think I have managed to kill all 50 of my little bulblets. I was too sick to bring them inside and they were left outside in a mini greenhouse during our Winter. I just checked on them and I think they may all be dead...I just want to throw up! They were such cuties last year, already little bulbs formed almost pearl onion size too....I told my DS and DH that I didn't think they would make it on the porch even in the greenhouse...so I guess I was right.....
It sure doesn't make me want to start more though...makes me feel terrible!!!!
you mean critters ate your bulblets? that is sickening. The seedlings that emerged from 9kitty's seeds I kept in part shade and are still potted 'cause I didn't think they were ready for inground transplant. but they are looking good.
feel bad that yours met such fatal ending.
JanetS - Are you sure they are dead? {{hugs}}
Vossner - I did get upset about it, and angry. It was my very first attempt at growing amaryllis from seed and whatever critter did it ticked me off royally! Now, that said, all is well as the bulb was not damaged and the foliage is growing back! It was just an odd thing to happen as the critter didn't even EAT the foliage... just chopped it down and left the pieces. :-)
Oh, Janet, what a terrible thing!
I get depressed when I lose a nice bulb, but to lose 50 little ones, oh, how disheartening.
Now, get to work and make 50 more. :-)
R.
Pretty sure they are all gone...I dug up a couple and they were just shells with dried roots...I was too disheartened to dig them all ...so I watered them...lol...but I think they are a lost cause...:(
