Jim & James - My apologies, I should have added more information to my query. Messages written while in a hurry............. I have L. sprengeri in half a dozen places around our garden here in Cincinnati, Ohio. They were spectacular this year. I credited that to the ample rain we received this year in late April through May. The L. chieninsis has been down for 5-6 years and made a glorious clump of blooms last spring. After the sprengeri bloomed so profusely I was really looking forward to the golden chieninsis. Didn't happen. Bulb fly may be a possibility, I have about a thousand varieties of daffodils, but I can't say that I noticed that slow buzzer this spring. In the rain this morning I noticed a nearby Hosta 'Patriot' is not doing well either. I will dig and see if there's anything there. Hadn't yet, hopeing that they would emerge late. Linda W. <Why not dig your bulbs and check for damage? > <Where do you live? > <Anything specific to add? > Why not dig your bulbs and check for damage? Jim McKenney Montgomery County, Maryland, USA, USDA zone 7, where the somewhat soapy, peony-like scent of Passiflora incarnata and the sour scent of boxwood fill the house daily. These scents are a bit like cilantro: you have to get used to them; but once you do, it's hard to imagine how you got by without them. ------------------------------ Message: 3 Date: Wed, 30 Aug 2006 12:22:37 -0500 From: James Waddick <jwaddick@kc.rr.com> Subject: Re: [pbs] Lycoris To: Pacific Bulb Society <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org> Message-ID: <p062309dcc11b77e73729@[192.168.1.101]> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" ; format="flowed" Hi Linda; I said 'few' pests and only because I might have defend 'NONE", but nothing really bothers them once they have settled in and start to bloom. The only time I have seen Lycoris decrease is when they are repeatedly cut back too early. Here they are such common plants (l. squamigera) that some folks don't realize (or care?) the foliage and flowering stems even go together. The zero-scapers, just mow the foliage after its been there too long and hasn't bloomed. Then it won't bloom and the cycle repeats. Actually I don't know anything that bothers them here, but if you live where there are narcissus flies, they might get to them. I suppose they could get a virus, but I never heard of any, etc. They do not do well in all parts of the country so that's why I asked. L. chinensis is a spring foliage plant and it doesn't do so well in the deep south for example. On the other hand this is a good time to dig, divide and transplant. Just do not disturb or break (too many) roots and plant them in a moist shady site. Best Jim >Jim W - > >I had a clump of L. chienensis that was increasing nicely but this >year has failed to bloom and as I now recall spring, there was less >foliage than there should have been. I hate that I've lost it, I >enjoyed those golden blooms greatly! > >At one point in this thread, you wrote that Lycoris suffered from few >pests or diseases. Would you please expand a bit on that? > >Thanks! >Linda W. > -- Dr. James W. Waddick 8871 NW Brostrom Rd. Kansas City Missouri 64152-2711 USA Ph. 816-746-1949 Zone 5 Record low -23F Summer 100F + ------------------------------ Message: 4 Date: Wed, 30 Aug 2006 18:07:45 -0500 From: "Joe Shaw" <jshaw@opuntiads.com> Subject: Re: [pbs] rainlilies and wetness To: <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org> Message-ID: <004901c6cc89$1c2c02b0$6501a8c0@Petunia> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1"; reply-type=original but if you want to grow them in containers, you might try growing some of the above with saucers under the containers and see if they perform any differently for you. +++++++++++++++++++++ Hi Gang, A very good idea. Maybe I'll get organized next year and try them in saucers. Thanks for the tip. Joe ------------------------------ Message: 5 Date: Wed, 30 Aug 2006 18:35:32 -0500 From: "Joe Shaw" <jshaw@opuntiads.com> Subject: Re: [pbs] rainlilies, pots, grasshoppers To: <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org> Message-ID: <004b01c6cc8d$086f8860$6501a8c0@Petunia> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1"; reply-type=original Mine are all in pots, which several people such as Alberto Castillo, will tell you isn't the best way to grow them unless you grow them in very large pots (5 gal. or larger) ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Hi Gang, More good advice about growing rainlilies. I guess I'll have to move my plants up to larger containers. Maybe this winter will provide the time. I do like the rainlilies, and I now I think I've been mistreating them. They don't have many problems, even with my small pots and stingy watering schedule. However, they are devoured by the Eastern Lubber Grasshopper, which are truly beautiful but alien-looking insects. The instars (juveniles are black and red, or black and yellow). The adults are a psychadelic mix of yellow, red, orange, black, tan, and sometimes a hint of green. Both adults and juveniles devour amaryllids. Rainlilies are mowed to the ground unless I keep control of the grasshoppers. The insects actually remove all foliage and flower buds, and rainliles seem as if they are "gone." Once I put out insecticide the rainliles come back. Eastern Lubber Grasshoppers like Crinum, Hippeastrum, Hymenocallis, and all sorts of related plants. I think they survive from year-to-year in my yard because I won't put insecticides in the low areas of my yard, the places where runoff can enter nearby ponds. LINK: Photo, Close-up of Adult and Juvenile http://www.opuntiads.com/pests/lubber1.jpg LINK: Photo, Feeding Frenzy, Juveniles Devouring Hymenocallis near the Trinkity River in Texas http://www.opuntiads.com/pests/lubber2.jpg They will eat leaves, flowers, seed pods, seeds, and perhaps slow- moving people. Cordially, Joe Conroe, TX The weather has cooled a bit and maybe the fall-blooming bulbs will begin their shows. A few oxblood lilies have come up but the heat fried the blooms last week. ------------------------------ Message: 6 Date: Thu, 31 Aug 2006 09:50:08 +1000 From: "Bill Richardson" <ixia@dcsi.net.au> Subject: Re: [pbs] rainlilies, pots, grasshoppers To: "Pacific Bulb Society" <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org> Message-ID: <001b01c6cc8f$099cf9f0$0201a8c0@Ixia> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Hi Joe, this is not quite true. I grow mine in small pots and they do well here. I keep them wet all winter and every year they multiply and flower well. We get fairly wet winters although mild - not many frosts. regards, Bill Richardson, Ixia King Winter -2c. to 15C.. at present West Gippsland, Victoria, Australia ixia@dcsi.net.au Ixia Website: http://www.angelfire.com/ri/ixia/ "Almost any garden, if you see it at just the right moment, can be confused with Paradise" Henry Mitchell ----- Original Message ----- From: "Joe Shaw" <jshaw@opuntiads.com> To: <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org> Sent: Thursday, August 31, 2006 9:35 AM Subject: Re: [pbs] rainlilies, pots, grasshoppers > Mine are all in pots, which several people such as Alberto Castillo, will > tell you isn't the best way to grow them unless you grow them in very large > pots (5 gal. or larger) > > ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ------------------------------ Message: 7 Date: Wed, 30 Aug 2006 19:29:03 -0500 From: "Joe Shaw" <jshaw@opuntiads.com> Subject: [pbs] Amaryllid Pollen Trading To: <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org> Message-ID: <018901c6cc94$77e43b30$6501a8c0@Petunia> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1"; reply-type=original Hi Gang, The Amaryllid Pollen Trading Email List is now in operation. Hopefully, it will be a mostly sleepy list to alert folks when pollen is available. Or, on the flip side, it will be used to alter folks when someone is looking for pollen of a specific type. The list is not limited to Crinum although that was the original concept. Some have written asking for an expanded list to include rainlilies, Lycoris, Hymenocallis, and some other genera and I think that will work out OK. I suspect that Hippeastrum (while technically fitting into the concept) will not be a topic because there are (many) more, well established Hippeastrum lists. Following recommendations from PBS folks who have "lots of work" to do with lists, and suggestions from initial pollen-trading members, I have implemented membership moderation (I think I got the controls set correctly). Also, the URL is not listed in the Yahoo Groups; the goal is not to limit membership so much as to discourage instantaneous membership applications. Anyone who applies, and who follows general Netiquete, is welcome. Additionally, while the messages could be archived, I have voided that possibility; the main reason is to limit spamming robots. There is no goal of secrecy, per se, and if members vote wish (majority vote) to have the messages archived (with a password) I think that can be arranged. One other note: I don't think of the pollen-trading list as a bulb list. Members know (if they read the guidelines) that most questions can be directed to the PBS. The PBS URL is provided up-front and if questions are beyond immediate pollen trading, correpondents will be referred to the PBS. My hope is that folks in equatorial regions, or in the southern hemisphere, or in the northern hemisphere, will be able to share pollen. We have out-of-sync seasons and can benefit by sharing pollen during the year and storing it correctly for later use. With time, perhaps I can prepare an article about pollen mailing, and pollen storage--but the PBS archives are rich with information about those topics. If you want to join please email me or visit the URL: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/crinumpollen/ Cordially, Joe jshaw@opuntids.com ------------------------------ Message: 8 Date: Wed, 30 Aug 2006 19:46:09 -0500 From: Kelly Irvin <bulbmeister@bulbmeister.com> Subject: Re: [pbs] rainlilies, pots, grasshoppers To: Pacific Bulb Society <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org> Message-ID: <44F63151.5000008@bulbmeister.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed Grasshoppers are my biggest pest problem in the nursery, including potted bulbs and Lycoris flower stalks in the beds. I've seen the black ones in east Texas when I was a boy, but these are the regular ol' light brown/yellow ones. I've just ordered a bunch of semaspore to see if I can get some control. I expect it to be difficult, though, since I can't really contain the "site". It did help me one year in my winter house, though, so I am hopeful. A scientist like myself is intrigued by rain lilies in pots, because you can experiment with forcing bloom, not relying on nature to give you the occasional bloom. It has been several years since I took a scientific approach. I think I let the listserv for IBS know about it at the time, but I can't find the info. If I recall correctly, a good rule of thumb was to water regularly for 6-8 (4-6?) weeks during the growing season, then completely withhold water for 3-4? weeks. The next time I started watering again, I got a bunch of blooms in a day or two. These were greenhouse conditions, so nature could not interrupt the "scientific" process. ;) The described method, or something akin to it would give me more bloom periods in the season than just keeping them watered regularly. It seems that regular watering encourages bulb division (increase), but more flowering can mean more seed (increase). So, if you want to get a bunch more bulbs of the exact same thing, bring on the water hose, but if you want to play *od and make babies of different colors and shapes, practice some "science" with your rain lilies. Mr. Kelly M. Irvin The Bulbmeister 10846 Hodge Ln Gravette, AR 72736 479-366-4968 USDA Cold Hardiness Zone 6b E-mail: mailto:bulbmeister@bulbmeister.com Website: http://www.bulbmeister.com/ Forum: http://www.bulbmeister.com/forum/ Joe Shaw wrote: > They don't have many problems, even with my small pots and stingy watering > schedule. However, they are devoured by the Eastern Lubber Grasshopper, > which are truly beautiful but alien-looking insects. ------------------------------ Message: 9 Date: Wed, 30 Aug 2006 17:50:17 -0700 From: Dan Tyson <profloran@adelphia.net> Subject: Re: [pbs] Rainlilies To: pbs@lists.ibiblio.org Message-ID: <ABAC5D74-388A-11DB-893F-00039304F2EA@adelphia.net> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed Tony Avent and Yucca Do carry a large variety of them. I'd highly recommend them. Thanks, Lee. I will definitely contact them. Dan ------------------------------ Message: 10 Date: Wed, 30 Aug 2006 23:01:04 -0400 From: "Eugene Zielinski" <eez55@earthlink.net> Subject: Re: [pbs] Spanish iris To: "Pacific Bulb Society" <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org> Message-ID: <410-220068431314160@earthlink.net> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII First, apologies for the delay in this response. I've been busy with work (and other things, but mostly work) and didn't have time for more than a one line response to any e mail. Jim McKenney asked "Where in Pennsylvania were you growing those English irises?". (I've included part of Jim's message below.) A little bit of background: On 7/20/06, as part of a message on bulbous iris, Jim wrote, "No one, to my knowledge, has successfully grown English irises here in the middle Atlantic states." Part of my response (7/22/06) was "Is Pennsylvania a mid-Atlantic state?" (According to wikipedia, it is -- along with New York, New Jersey, Maryland, and Delaware. Virginia and West Virginia are sometimes included.) My English irises grew (and probably still grow) in central Pennsylvania, not too far from State College and Penn State University. This is the Ridge and Valley region. (To be specific, they grew in the last valley before the Allegheny Plateau, which dominates the western part of the state and gives Pennsylvania its coal mining reputation.) Temperatures here are cooler than those of the mid-Atlantic region in the southeast corner of the state. Winters are zone 5 or 6, and summer temperatures do get over 90 F, but only for a few days in August. The area also has a definite spring, with generally cool temperatures into mid June. I think this was a big factor in the iris' performance. My yard was fairly moist (Lobelia siphilitica was almost a weed...), which may have helped. Still, I'm surprised at how well the irises performed. Incidentally, the irises I grew were the common blue variety. I did plant some other varieties later, and they did nearly as well. Gene Eugene Zielinski Augusta, Georgia USA > [Original Message] > From: Jim McKenney > Date: 7/23/06 12:19:08 PM > Subject: RE: [pbs] Spanish iris > > Eugene Zielenski, in commenting on the culture of English irises, asked " Is > Pennsylvania a mid-Atlantic state? " > > In response, I would say depending on the context, maybe. > > It seems that English irises have been grown successfully in New York State > and northward (I'm basing that partially on the account in Molly Price's The > Iris Book). > > So to go back to Eugene's question, I would say that western Pennsylvania is > not for purposes of this discussion a middle Atlantic state. I had in mind > the piedmont and coastal plain areas, the areas of the major, old cities in > this area. For horticultural purposes, the conditions in the physiographic > provinces west of the piedmont are significantly different. The zones of > similar conditions in this part of the country run roughly southwest to > northeast. As you move westward, especially as you cross physiographic > provinces, conditions change rapidly. > > So my question for Eugene is "Where in Pennsylvania were you growing those > English irises?" > > And I'll bet it was not on the coastal plain or piedmont. If it was, please > tell us more. > > > ------------------------------ Message: 11 Date: Thu, 31 Aug 2006 07:12:12 -0700 (PDT) From: James Frelichowski <butterflyamaryllis@yahoo.com> Subject: Re: [pbs] rainlilies, pots, grasshoppers To: Pacific Bulb Society <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org> Message-ID: <20060831141212.64070.qmail@web33901.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 I got my amaryllids in extra greenhouse space and it is under repair so all kinds of 6+ leggers venture inside and sample my amaryllids (usually few insects will eat amaryllids). I just killed a giant yellowish one this morning which looked like it had some shedded exoskeleton on it. James Frelichowski College station, TX Joe Shaw <jshaw@opuntiads.com> wrote: Mine are all in pots, which several people such as Alberto Castillo, will tell you isn't the best way to grow them unless you grow them in very large pots (5 gal. or larger) ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Hi Gang, More good advice about growing rainlilies. I guess I'll have to move my plants up to larger containers. Maybe this winter will provide the time. I do like the rainlilies, and I now I think I've been mistreating them. They don't have many problems, even with my small pots and stingy watering schedule. However, they are devoured by the Eastern Lubber Grasshopper, which are truly beautiful but alien-looking insects. The instars (juveniles are black and red, or black and yellow). The adults are a psychadelic mix of yellow, red, orange, black, tan, and sometimes a hint of green. Both adults and juveniles devour amaryllids. Rainlilies are mowed to the ground unless I keep control of the grasshoppers. The insects actually remove all foliage and flower buds, and rainliles seem as if they are "gone." Once I put out insecticide the rainliles come back. Eastern Lubber Grasshoppers like Crinum, Hippeastrum, Hymenocallis, and all sorts of related plants. I think they survive from year-to-year in my yard because I won't put insecticides in the low areas of my yard, the places where runoff can enter nearby ponds. LINK: Photo, Close-up of Adult and Juvenile http://www.opuntiads.com/pests/lubber1.jpg LINK: Photo, Feeding Frenzy, Juveniles Devouring Hymenocallis near the Trinkity River in Texas http://www.opuntiads.com/pests/lubber2.jpg They will eat leaves, flowers, seed pods, seeds, and perhaps slow- moving people. Cordially, Joe Conroe, TX The weather has cooled a bit and maybe the fall-blooming bulbs will begin their shows. A few oxblood lilies have come up but the heat fried the blooms last week. _______________________________________________ pbs mailing list pbs@lists.ibiblio.org http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php --------------------------------- Stay in the know. Pulse on the new Yahoo.com. Check it out. ------------------------------ _______________________________________________ pbs mailing list pbs@lists.ibiblio.org http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php End of pbs Digest, Vol 43, Issue 32 *********************************** ________________________________________________________________________ Try Juno Platinum for Free! Then, only $9.95/month! Unlimited Internet Access with 1GB of Email Storage. Visit http://www.juno.com/value/ to sign up today!
