Fertilizing and disease control on Hippeastrum
Carol Jensen (Wed, 26 Oct 2005 14:28:18 PDT)
At 21:58 26-10-2005, you wrote:
From my numerous experiences with purchased hippeastrum bulbs as well as
bulbs raised from seeds I found out:
A control against diseases is not necessary.
The main fungal disease in gardener's amaryllis is red blotch.
My carefull observation revealed that this fatal event never occurs by
itself but originates from a superinfection of plant material damaged by the
bulb scale mite Steneotarsonemus laticeps.
Hans-Werner
Hi Hans-Werner,
I have had red blotch and cured it every time by cutting it out of the bulb after its dormancy, then letting the bulb dry out an extra month in a warm room.
BUT I was given a Hippeastrum last April, from Holland, and it had a grey fungus. I found it right away and threw the bulb away, as the fungus was all around inside the bulb. THAT was a bad one, but luckily no other Hippeastrums got infected, though there were several in the same room for a week or two.
Indoors I don't get any mites or anything - loads of spiders and such though!
Carol