Michael, In Hippaestrum of which I have twinscaled a large number over the years the red colouring is a natural reaction to being cut- that's if it is the same colouring that I get. Its great to see the little babies when they start off! Hope this helped. Shelley-Queensland. ----- Original Message ----- From: DaveKarn@aol.com Date: Tuesday, December 9, 2003 4:43 pm Subject: Re: [pbs] twin scaling quandry > In a message dated 08-Dec-03 5:36:18 PM Pacific Standard Time, > Bonsaigai37@aol.com writes: > > Michael ~ > > > I have a question about twin scaling Hippeastrum. After > following a > > combined > > procedure by RHS and IBS, using Cleary's 3336F on the scales, in > sterilized > > perlite, I'm noticing an even pink coloration on the scales. I > think, hmmm, > > > > damnable Stagonospora... yet I used Bonomyl (Benlate sub) for > soaking the > > bulb > > prior to storage, Bleach (1:10) prior to cuttage, and 3336F for > the final > > soak, > > alcohol rinsed surfaces and sterile razors. Do Hippeastrum show > red or pink > > > > as a form or oxidation to damaged cells or is my culture simply > > contaminated? > > Any remedies? > > > I've not TS-ed hippeastrum, but have done a considerable amount > with > daffodils (Narcissus) which, as tunicate bulbs, respond the same. > > I'm not certain what you describe as "an even pink coloration on > the scales" > really is. Is it clearly a fungus? I know that many bulbs of > Hipp. are > plagued with stagonospora. The only cure I've seen for it is the > hot water > treatment procedure. > > It sounds from your description that you've done everything right. > I'd make > two observations, however. Benomyl (and similar compounds) do not > eradicate > these fungi, they only suppress them. Depending on the conditions > during > incubation determines whether the suppression will hold or break > down. One point > where this process often fails for many people is that the > incubation medium > becomes too wet. I usually take the sections of the scaled bulb > out of the > fungicide soak and drain them on paper toweling until dry. > They're then placed > into Baggies with some barely damp medium (I usually use peat > moss). When I say > "barely damp" that is exactly what it has to be. The object of > the medium is > to assist in maintaining the humidity level. You're probably only > going to > be raising it around 20-30% -- it doesn't take much additional > moisture to do > that. And the other problem is that, as living tissue, these > sections expire > moisture. That moisture collects in the sealed Baggie. One has > to check the > moisture content every two or three weeks and replace the medium > or leave the > Baggie open for some time to dry out the medium and contents. > With strict > attention to the moisture in the incubation process, this whole > thing is > relatively easy to do and usually quite successful. I have, > however, gone to larger > sections and no longer work with true twin-scales. They are so > small that it > just introduces another variable that has to be monitored and > controlled. > Dave Karnstedt > Cascade Daffodils > P. O. Box 237 > Silverton, Oregon 97381-02378 > USA > email: davekarn@aol.com > Cool Mediterranean climate of wet winters and hot dry summers; > USDA Zone 7-8 > _______________________________________________ > pbs mailing list > pbs@lists.ibiblio.org > http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php >