Oh NOOOOOO! Was she in the furnace room this winter?
:-(
K

No, actually she was upstairs on my special plant rack keeping company with the rest of my cybisters!!

I've spend the last few hours pulling ratty looking leaves off and repotting several pots of seedlings with golf ball sized bulbs only to find that several in each pot have been devoured and/or just rotted. Luckily I am left with a few from each of these pots, one cross being Jasmine x Envy.
Another offset bulb that I had potted up separately of Exotica was being devoured also but I think I caught this in time too.
I guess each day from now on I will have to repot several pots and pull out problem bulbs as well as crab grass which had taken hold of about 20 of my pots! I hope we have long warm fall, a little rain might help too...;-)

Donnaâºâºâº

Are your seedlings of H.papilio x "Exotic Star" alive and how many do you have?
I neglected my seedlings from the crosspollination I had made long ago, and this season I rescued what had been left: 12 chestnut sized bulbs, all in leaves, 2 to 4, now; indoors, under artificial light.

Oh Donna, I am so sorry about your un-going fight with that nasty larvae. I had really hoped you were finished with them. -J

Hans-Werner, Most all of my seedlings from my first cross of papilio x Exotic Star are still hanging in there. I have lost a few but I would say I still have about a dozen. The one that bloomed for me, PapExStasy, (named by Blanca) well over a year ago is now a pot full of 5 bulbs that are growing steadily but not ready to re-bloom anytime soon. I do, however, have another sibling from that cross that is huge and should hopefully bloom this fall.. Most of the others with the exception of a few are still golf ball sized and just don't seem to want to grow. I will grow old waiting for some of these to bloom;-)

Jodi, for some reason this area seems to be inundated with these nasty critters and I seem to be providing the food for them all!! I have found though that if caught early enough nearly all of the bulbs will recover and set several offsets within a few years. In the earlier day, I would just toss the bulb and have thrown probably 25 bulbs away that may have survived if I had known what I know now.

Here is my sibling of PapExStasy (papilio x Exotic Star)
that I'm hoping will bloom for me sooner rather than later and it is just under 3 inches in diameter!

Donnaâºâºâº.

Donna,
Have you thought of giving them a dose of systemic? You can't use it in the house, but just a thought for next spring as you rotate things in and out.
I'm so sorry....!
K

Kristi, Actually, I had but I'm afraid I did it too late in the game and it didn't have a chance to work. I bought some systemic granules containing imidacloprid but I only just started using it a few weeks ago. And yes, I would bring any blooming bulbs in the house so the bees don't get at the flowers...

Just be careful with systemic fumes and DH...Toby too! Mine are marked for outside use only, but I think Bonide or Green Light makes safe products for indoor use.
K

Donna,
I`m so sorry!
You probably handed down pots with bulb in your garden?
In this case, I have about once a month spill Actara to kill the larva. But do not worry, your bulb will give you Babe and all will be well.

My H. Giraffe was in bad shape like this years ago and now it's thriving. Hope yours does the same!
K

Kristi,
If this question to me, I still can not answer. We already dark, my hippeastrums already in the greenhouse and I can not therefore see how grown this variety. Perhaps take a look and let you know tomorrow. OK?

According to my notes of 7 September, my Giraffe had 8 leaves and grew 9 th.

Oleg, the comment was to Donna, because my H. Giraffe was in really bad shape a few years back, but it has filled in and recovered. So glad your are doing well too Oleg!! Mine was like a bowl! Totally empty in the inside!
K

Kristi,
I looked today - it has 8 leaves 9th growing.
Condition the bulb is good.
I hope that your bulb, too, will get better, grow well and bloom, delighting their owners. :)
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This post was edited by oleg9grower on Thu, Sep 18, 14 at 15:48

I'm so sorry to hear this, Donna... I went through this, myself, losing many bulbs in the process... it's heartbreaking when you put so much time, effort and care into these beautiful bulbs...

I hate using chemicals... and when it comes to outdoor gardening, I'm all organic.

But I do realize that there are often times when the application of a chemical poison is the only thing we can do. I, too, would suggest using a systemic, which will work by uptake through the root system and will help to protect the bulb/plant.

I only use chemicals on my containerized plants... and never on anything that I'm growing for consumption.

Sticking with organic and naturally raised and grown foods has had such a positive impact on my health, mainly helping keep many lupus symptoms in check, though it has also helped me maintain a good weight, feel better overall, aid in digestion and so many other positives.

I do hope you're able to use a method to save a portion of the bulb with a bit of basal plate attached, and get some little bulblets to form... if I recall, the term is "chipping", right?

It's been so long, and my memory is just not what it once was... but I do remember going through the process and saving part of my "Emerald", I believe it was. Today, it's a healthy little guy, though still gaining size.

Really sorry to hear, Donna... I do hope you can salvage!

I have good news to report about my cybister No. 0016 that was hollowed out by the NBF, it is sending up 2 leaves from the remaining tissue around the hole!!!

I am very pleased as even though this isn't a block buster cybister, I liked it and, it is no longer available. Can't loose em all!! Donna âºâºâº

Yay!!!!!! So glad to hear this Donna! - J

Congratulations Donna!
I have to go through the same with my VERY old remainder of my "President Johnson" the oldest version with that name I presume. This is a single case of infestation from NBF indoors. Now I have 3 bulblets left, with 2 leaves each. I thought "let it go" THEN but I think it is worth some efforts, to revive the "crop" NOW. This one:
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