Wow, that looks fantastic! They all look well-situated so hopefully they'll prosper and be happy.

Looks like you used the same picture for Gervase and Benfica.

Oops. I didn't mean to post that yet...Anyways...

Gervase

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Are these bulbs rotting? It looks like they would be just fine if the visible outer layer was pealed off. Also the last picture shows some mealybugs that showed up a day or two ago on the Royal Velvet. I have since removed any visible bugs, but I'll have to look into some other treatments.

To encourage new root growth, I have been keeping most of them above the fridge since I've read that it usually warmer up there. The rest are in front of an east facing window. The plan is to keep them inside until I find a way to protect against NBF. I might even try for seeds too. Today I will be getting some Dyna Gro K-L-N and maybe a heat mat if I can find one. Those items should come in handy in the future. I'm still on the hunt for some Foliage Pro, but I can't find any locally so I might just order online since the Hydroton has no nutritional value. The old roots aren't doing so well on some bulbs and are growing mold. The Orange Sovereign bulb I got also had a few places where offsets had been cut off which are starting to mold too. Soon I will go through the pots to remove any rotting roots then I will get some cinnamon to keep the bad stuff away. I hope that will be enough.

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Two of the bulbs were a bit smaller than listed.
Papilio 20-22----------> 18.5 cm
Royal Velvet 24-26----------> 22.5 cm
That doesn't bother me at all though. Besides, the Temptation they sent me was 34 cm, a full 10 cm larger than listed. It's much too wide for the container it's in. I think most of the listings were made before they got in their bulbs. One thing that did make me sad was the fact that they had Hercules on their eBay site, but not on their regular site. I'll be sure to check both before I make my next purchase.

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I requested their Free Bulbs for Indoors in hopes of getting another hipp for spending more than $50, but got Dick Wilden daffodil bulbs as a Bonus instead. I didn't know what to with them so I let them sit around for a few days until I decided to pot them up in semi-hydro and stick them in the fridge. I've never planted or forced daffodils before so I'm not expecting anything to come of them.

As of today, everything is showing signs of waking up so I will update this thread with bloom pictures soon to see if all the labels are correct. And if all goes according to plan, I'll also have some seeds to share too. I hope I didn't bore anyone with these long posts or big pictures, but I'm trying to document this adventure with hipps. Please speak up if you catch me making any mistakes or knowof ways that I can better grow these guys! Now, to find some more plants for that extra hydroton...

Hi seaj,

I thoroughly enjoyed the detailed documentation of your Hippeastrum adventure with hydroton. One of our fellow hippie lovers Denver Ryan (or DR as we fondly call him) is quite knowledgeable on growing hydroponically. He has been absent from GW for awhile probably due to having a beautiful young daughter and a new home to fix up. Hopefully he will see your post and chime in.

The mealy bugs crawling on your 'Royal Velvet' and their visible detritus concern me. The insects are just cause for quickly treating all of your new bulbs with an appropriate product as a precautionary measure. These pests can form large colonies and become seriously difficult to eradicate; not to mention the damage they can cause to your newly started collection. It might be good to let Aaron know that you received a bulb infested with mealy bugs. If they get out of control in his greenhouse(s) it would be a disaster for his business.

I wish you the best of luck with your project and look forward to seeing the blooms.

Best regards,

Blanca

Thanks for the advice Blanca. I would love more input from others who grow their plants in a similar way. The mealybugs really did pop out of nowhere and have already done some real damage to the new leaves. Besides these bulbs, there is only one other plant here, an orchid, so I guess they were hiding within the tunic of the bulb. I've been checking the others, but none have shown signs of infestation. Royal Velvet is currently pushing out 6 leaves right now, but I can tell that they are already suffering. Only a few days ago it was racing with Orange Sovereign which has 7 leaves. Those two really are strong growers like everyone said. I'll notify Aaron about this situation right now.

As of today Joker, Lemon Sorbet, Red Lion, and Temptation all have scapes poking out and I can't wait for them to bloom.

Jared

Jared,

I too thoroughly enjoyed your documentation of this order, you did a great job! Not boring at all, we all love all these details!! One thing though that I would definitly have done..is to peal those bulbs back to clear flesh and make sure that nothing is lurking under the dead skin..your mealy bugs for one..just a suggestion and I can't wait to see your blooms. Good Job and Good Luck!!We'll all look forward to their progress.

You never know what else might be lurking under all that dead skin...


Donna

Sorry seaj...I know you're not Jared..My mistake...must have some of those bugs in my brain....

Donna

MEALY BUGS, those darn things, they are SO hard to get rid of and I am positive I got the beginnings of them from bulb companies!!!

Make sure you contact them ASAP and let them know, these bugs can transfer disease and really knock your plants out.

After another trip to the Hydroponics store I got some K-L-N. Hopefully the batch is fresh since I've read that this stuff goes bad quickly when exposed to lights and heat. The prices at this place are really awesome when I compare them to the prices I've seen online and they don't even charge me the prices listed on their own price stickers. Besides, I'm tired of factoring in shipping prices when I place orders. Another visit may be in order because I still need a heat mat and some fertilizer. I might just go against Al's recommended Foliage Pro and just get the Dyna Gro Liquid Grow formula (7-9-5) instead for the sake of convenience. Thee only heat mat I recognized there was the 20x20 inch Hydrofarm mat, but I thought that it was too big for what I needed, only to go home and check my email to find out that Carmela's Orchids has a bunch of great specials on phalaenopsis. I might just have a use for all that extra Hydroton.

To administer the K-L-N, I added 1 teaspoon to an extra 2/3 gallon deli container then proceeded to water the plants by plugging shut the drainage holes with my fingers, then filling the container to just below the bulb for about 30 seconds before letting the water drain. I hope my fingers don't start growing roots now. Since I had all the plants down, I decided to remove any rotten roots I could find since I noticed mold growing in some pots. To be honest, I think I might have gotton carried away. All the old roots were soft, slimy and brown and didn't put up a fight when I tugged on them. I removed a few more dry layers as well after reading Donna's reply, but thankfully didn't find anymore critters underneath. I was glad to see that a few bulbs started putting out new roots, but most of all the old roots on most bulbs were rotting. I'm not sure if that was the right thing to do, but I'm confident that they'll at least survive to bloom. Here's all the stuff I removed before I potted everything back up.

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For orchids at least, it's pretty much normal for all the old roots to rot away which is why it's advised to only transfer a plant to Semi-hydro if it is putting out new roots. The new roots which grow while in semi-hydro will be tailored to their new environment and won't rot. Bottom heat and rooting hormones are supposed to help things along while the plant gets established. I've never had orchids before or any other plants for that matter, so I'm no expert on this topic. Here are the roots still left before I put the bulbs back in their pots.

Temptation didn't come with many roots, but at least is has one new one growing in.

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Lemon Sorbet has many new roots.

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Gervase

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Joker basically doesn't have any. It will need lots of support as the scape continues to develop. This shot show some of the mold it had. That should have been removed when I first got it.

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Red Lion

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Papilio looks like it has a baby bump. Hoping for an offset soon.

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Orange Soverign had a lot open wounds in need of cinnamon from having offsets cut off.

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Benfica. See the mold

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While removing the rotting roots I did see that some bulbs had mold growing on the edges of their basal plates. To combat that I scraped off what I could, removed the remnants of layers that were incompletely removed, then used cinnamon to coat everything. Now it smells nice around the plants. I'm going to try to leave the plants alone now since I'm been fussing over them so much.

I haven't repotted the mealybug infested Royal Velvet yet. I have been removing any bugs that I've found on the leaves and will continue to until I can get something to rid them permanently. In an email I got from Aaron from Eden's Blooms, he said that the Dutch Royal Velvets will now be isolated even though they were certified pest free. He then recommended Neem Oil and alcohol to kill the bugs, as well as imidacloprid as a system pesticide if I decided it was necessary. He also said I could use household pesticides like permethrin and bifenthrin to spray inside the neck after cleaning the neck of the bulb up as long as I keep the plants out of direct sunlight. I like the idea of a systemic since I plan on moving these guys outside after the blooms finish and I don't want to risk getting liquids inside the bulb. That should guard against NBF too right? I'm sure my bulbs are even more at risk now that the're so exposed in this setup.

Some notes on the deli containers. They can't really be carried by the top lip or else they might crack. The did come with lids so I might cut out the tops on those if the container rims ever need support. Not sure, but they are also similar to a semi-hydro pot offered on First Rays. They will also need something to protect them from the sun if they are put outside. Someone here reccomended mylar for that.

I just wanted to state again that these are my first hipps/plants so I don't really know what I'm doing. In November, before I really read most of the info on this forum, I was planning on just buying a few $2 kits at the local store. I can't believe I've already spent $150+ on these guys!!! If my mom would have just let me set up a fish tank like I really wanted, then I wouldn't have turned to plants.

Jared
(Sorry Donna, I forget to sign posts sometimes)

"Jared"

I use a Bayer granular product for bugs..it worked for everything except for NBF, but in all fairness I might not have treated them early enough to stop the egg laying. If you do decide on a granular, will you have lift the bulbs once again in order to get to granules down into the water where they need to be in order to be absorbed by the roots? I suppose you could always make a slurry and use a turkey baster and stick it way down in your medium..or stick a straw way down and insert the granules that way...(don't mind me, my mind works in strange ways) Let us know what you do decide to use and how you apply it.Good Luck,
You've done a great job documenting this journey by the way...!!

Donna

Really cool details! Great pictures too! I've only started doing the semi-hydro this year with my 2 bulbs and one orchid. However, I rinsed the Hydroton several times and then soaked overnight to ensure that the clay is thoroughly soaked and will be able to wick up the water. Are you watering daily? I've been watering weekly with fertilizer from the hydroponics store and that's been working out okay. There hasn't been much growth after they finished blooming, but that usually happens since they're not getting much sun until it's warm enough to go outside. I've documented how long it took for mine to bloom:
Semi-Hydro Experiment

Go to the pictures & video tab to see my "photo journal."
I'm really jealous that you have room for so many bulbs!

Donna, he can just use the drench that protects for thirty days which would be much easier in that type of medium.

I would suggest you buy the concentrated form that is in a larger bottle as it will last for quite a while. Just mix it like it suggests and water your plants with it and it should protect the plants for thirty days from anything the tries to eat the plant or such the juices out.

Thanks for the suggestions Donna and Josh. I looked up Bayer products but wasn't sure which ones you two were talking about. Could someone provide a specific product name please?

Started With Bean, I remember going through your gallery a while ago and I hope you continue to update us on the progress of your plants. Your Charisma looks awesome, and I'm hoping my Temptation looks something like it. Eden's Blooms didn't add Charisma to their catalog until after I placed my order. It would have been best if I soaked the hydroton overnight like you did, but I was too excited to plant everything. Ray from First Rays recommends doing that with epsom salts to help leach left over chemicals, then soaking in K-L-N prior to potting things up. In preparation for my next order of plants, I've already started rinsing and soaking my extra hydroton in water in case I do decide to get some Phals like you. I've watered them a total of three times so far to help get the wicking going. The top layer never gets completley saturated, but judging by the amount of rotting roots I'd say the plants are at least getting water.

Here's some pictures from today that show the damage that the mealybugs have done to the Royal Velvet. I found one more bug today and will continue to remove them by hand daily, especially now that Royal Velvet is pushing up a scape. They best not do anything to damage those blooms!
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In other news, the bulbs all have different plans for their stored energy. Orange Sovereign, Papilio, and Benfica are focusing on leaf production while Gervase, Red Lion, Royal Velvet and Temptation (2 scapes) are putting more energy into flower production

Gervase is also finally waking up and has one scape poking out. I regret not buying more of these guys and Temptation as well. When I first examined Gervase when I got it I was concerned because the top part of the neck wasn't very tidy looking, but it doesn't look like it will be causing any problems.
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Joker will open up this bloom season soon. I lowered the bulb more today to help support the blooms since it has nothing else to anchor it in place.
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Lemon Sorbet has a leaf that has turned yellow so I'm not too sure how this guy will perform. Joker did also lose one leaf nearest the scape it aborted, but hasn't shown any other signs of stress.
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To supply bottom heat I think I'm going to get a heat mat from Amazon and I might as well order the fertilizer while I'm there.

Looking back, I probably should have mentioned "Semi-Hydro" somewhere in the title. Either way, I hope these posts will amount to something helpful in the future. It's sometimes hard to track the progress of everyone's plants when the updates are spread out in multiple messages so I'll contain everything here.

Hi Jared,
Here is what I used on my bulbs last year and it took care of everything but the NBF. I don't remember when I gave the first application (2 or 3 during the summer) but I should have applied the granules before I put them out for the summer season..at least in time for the roots to suck it up to the bulb itself..I don't think my timing was correct. This year for sure, I will make my first application at least a week before they go out. I've lost nearly 20 bulbs in the past 2 years to this miserable pest. And, you can always go Josh's route and use a spray...

I am looking at your Royal Velvet and noticing how different it looks from mine..when my bud first emerged it was totally red (like my Charisma) yours is green and my stalk has a red tint to it also.. I sure do hope I don't end up with yet another Charisma..(I do love Charisma just not 3 or 4 of them) The bud on mine does look like it may be red though I won't know until it opens..I hope yours is correct too.
You are doing a great job documenting this...

And Bean, I just now read your link on your semi-hydro experiment..great also!! I wonder what other think, as I suspect your Charisma may be Temptation..in my opinion, the better of the two..both can be very variable in the amount of red in them, but I find that Temptation has more white and the red is more of a raspberry red as opposed to Charisma's orangey red..Just my opinion so don't go changing any labels...

Donna

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Jared, I'm not sure if I noticed mention within any of your posts of prior research or websites that you've studied for information on semi-hydro growing, and any exact information on what to expect, or what do in case of molds, fungi, or insects... if you did mention it, then please forgive me.

I live in the Midwest, and I have a heck of a time getting orchids to grow successfully within the home environment I am able to provide. (I'm also a bulb grower.) So, after reading a few of Denver Ryan's posts, and viewing some of his lovely pictures showing healthy results, I decided to go in search of some vetted information that might help me get started, and would give me the precise information and any measurements I might need for the containers and their necessary holes, etc.

There are a few very well written websites, with full instructions, pictures documenting the entire process... from beginning to end, including measurements, which I understand are rather important... and what to do in case of rot, mold, insect, or other issues.

I've got all the materials I need... I just haven't had the time to do anything with any of it yet. I have a busy life, complete with some health complications, and sometimes, I don't even have time to read or post on my favorite message boards and forums.

The link below has lots of great information, though it covers mainly orchids, as many other similar sites on semi-hydro do... but there are a few that will recommend other plant types, or tell you which types don't do so well grown this way. When you Google using the key words "semi-hydroponics", a ton of informative websites come up.

GW won't allow me to link to another great site with a ton of info, because they apparently are known to spam... but the site is still worth a thorough read as it does contain a lot of great information! When you Google, it's like the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th site listed. They also sell supplies of their own brand, but I doubt you need that part... the rest is good, though.

I've checked most out, but I plan to go back and reread so I get the hole size and placement correct on my containers, and so I'm sure I understand everything before I begin.

If you have already done your homework, then I apologize for appearing patronizing... that is not my intent. My intent is ensure you have all the information necessary so your growing experience is fun and successful, instead of disappointing.

Anyway... I'm an old regular here, who doesn't post nearly as often as she should... and since I haven't "met" you yet... welcome to the Hippeastrum Forum, Jared! This is a great group of people, very helpful and informative, and generous and nice, to boot! :-)

I wish you the best with your bulbs. If you were growing them more conventionally, I have oodles of information I would be thrilled to share... but right now, I'm a semi-hydro-newbie, myself. :-)

Here is a link that might be useful: Semi-Hydro

Very interesting, Donna. I never thought to question the label on the bulb! And my Charisma is definitely more red than orange in color in real life.

Jared, I'm glad my blog can be of service to you. Sadly, I only got one scape from each plant this year. They are all just sitting around not doing much right now, waiting for spring like the rest of us. I don't think there will be any updates until summer, when the leaves really get growing.

Definitely keep us posted on your progress! Nothing like vast quantities for experimentation!

I'm not sure how common NBF is in my area Donna, but I know it is something that I never want to encounter. To keep my plants safe I have even considered getting a large Reptarium to act a physical barrier, but I don't think it would be a very attractive option. My Royal Velvet's scape is indeed very green. Do you think it could be because it is still on top of the fridge and not in front of my window? Most of my other bulbs have been moved to my small window space already, but I'm keeping Royal Velvet away from the others until the mealybugs are eradicated. I didn't find anymore today so I think the bulk of the population has been removed, but I'm sure there are more lurking inside. At least if the label is wrong I can possibly get a replacement bulb right?

Thanks for the commenting Jodi! It's great to finally meet you. I've read many of your informative posts while going through the older messages. I've been lurking around Orchid Board for a while now and just made an account today in order to get direct input from dedicated orchid growers. I plan on getting a bunch of phalaenopsis soon to join my hipps. The bulk of the info I read did come First Rays and some posts by Ryan here at Garden Web which were focused on his semi-hydro grown hipps. As far as research goes I haven't really put much energy into dealing with pests and other issues when it comes to growing things hydroponically because I did spend the bulk of the last few months trying to locate ingredients for Al's Gritty Mix, but as you can see, I've decided to go in a slightly different direction. I still have a lot to learn about when it comes to growing hipps, and decided that the best way to learn is by experience. Besides, I wanted my own big beautiful blooms to share with everyone. I'd love to hear about your experiences with semi-hydro when you get around to trying it out yourself.

I think I spoke too soon when I mentioned Gervase in my last post. Now that the first scape is more visible I can see that the tip had a bit of damage to it. Is it rot? Is also appears to be pushing up a second scape which looks way worse that the first. As far as I can tell, the whole thing is black and brown. That one probably won't add to the total scape count this year. I probably got it wet while repotting it, though the bulb's initial appearance right out of the package did remind me of the post linked at the bottom.

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Joker will soon be in bloom and has 4 flowers at the top of its scape waiting to open. Originally, I planned on trying to cross it with Alfresco, but that hasn't even arrived yet. I should probably send Eden's Blooms an e-mail to check if they sent it out.

Also, I think I was wrong to remove those old roots. Ray from First Rays says he often lets the old roots decompose in the pots when he transfers orchids to S/H to provide nutrients. Since all the organic medium is supposed to be removed from the roots before transferring a plant to S/H, I thought that the rotting roots should be taken out too.

I finally ordered a heat mat and fertilizer which should all be here by next week. Benfica is finally sending up a scape, but Orange Sovereign insists on only leaves. It's currently up to 10. Papilio is also sitting pretty with 2 leaves.

Here is a link that might be useful: Cutting bulbs - photo heavy

I for one, always pull off the dead roots..just my preference I guess..I think the tip of your Gervase might just be an injury and the flowers will most likely be OK..I would however, get to digging or cutting out all visible signs of rot and then dust with whatever you are using..I think we've seen far worse looking bulbs here that have pulled through..(unless the rot goes way deep inside),I think yours will be OK too..Good Luck!
As for pollenating Joker with Alfresco, do you have a secret for successfully pollenating 2 doubles..if so, please share it, I've tried a few times and always failed...I know it can be done, just don't know how to do it!

Donna

I don't know anything about crossing doubles Donna, but I'm sure it's possible because I read about it once. This Joker has many stigmas and one petal has a built in anther. The out layer on the bulb is now brown. I'll try to self it for fun. Here is my first bloom.

With flash.
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Window light.
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Some pollen coming out of the petal.
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The second scape on Gervase has yet to emerge, but is still doesn't look too good, but the first scape looks great. Benfica is sending up a second scape. Lemon Sorbet continues to go downhill.

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I moved everything onto the heat mat yesterday so everything must be nice and warm now. I also gave them their first dose of fertilizer. Here's a group shot of all my plants. Orange Soverign (back center) looks like it might need another layer to be pealed off, but it has such amazing leaves. That's an unhappy Miltoniopsis on the right. I can't wait for Temptation to bloom!

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Jared

I'm growing my Hippeastrum in various ways, including semi-hydro. I prefer to have the drainage holes up a bit higher. I've found that the deeper reservoir works well since roots grow into the water and adapt to those conditions- it's especially beneficial during the dry, hot summer. If you find mold on top of the Hydroton, increase the air flow near your plants (an oscillating fan works well) Since you're in California, I'd recommend checking out Trader Joe's (if you have one nearby) for cheap orchids to try in semi-hydro. My orchid addiction began at Trader Joe's. I justified that for the cost of a bouquet, I could instead have a plant that would stay in bloom and provide joy even longer than cut flowers would!

I appreciate the compliments, Jared... it's nice to "meet" you, too!

I've spent my life in search of the best ways to get the most out of container growing... and I sure wish there weren't quite so many myths, fallacies, and so much misinformation traveling around the general world of public gardening! A few facts learned right off the bat might have saved me years, or decades of frustration!

But, as we all can surmise, the gardening industry is no different than any other... it exists to profit... not to make happy and successful growers, as sad as that thought may be. Therefore, we cannot simply take everything we hear or read at face value, and must go in search of the truth ourselves... using cognitive thought, rationale, common sense... and a huge grain of salt!

Yes, I freely admit that I am an avid "student of Al" and his concepts regarding a more gritty, aerated medium. In fact, his originally written article has just recently rolled over, sort of like a car's odometer, and is now in its 15th consecutive rewrite, appearing at the top of page 1 in the Container Gardening Forum. It's actually worth a trip over for a re-read!

He has gone through the trouble of simplifying some things further, adding more information, and I think it's better than ever! There will always be those firmly set in opposition... but that's just the nature of the industry, I suppose... and more to the point, the nature of message boards and forums.

15 times in the top slot tells us something, though... it is information worthy of more than a cursory glance. Its validity, honesty, and legitimacy can take the open mind into new and undiscovered territory, and help expand our growing skill and knowledge. The fact that it's free for the taking says something about the integrity of its author, as well.

It's the concepts that are important... not the exact recipes for mediums, or any of that. It's learning and understanding WHY we do the things we do when growing in containers, and HOW water, soils, fertilizers and roots react in a container environment. Once we grasp the actual simplistic science and physics of it, we can move way beyond what the industry endorses in the name of profit, and get past all those myths and half truths still circulating.

Anyway... I wish you well with your semi-hydro projects... and as soon as I have more time to begin experimenting, I will be sure to come share my results, and what I have learned along the way.

Incidentally, I keep Captan in powder form around for fungal issues, though cinnamon works in a pinch. I also keep FOOD GRADE Diatomaceous Earth around for many purposes, mostly related to human health, but I find it also helps greatly as use in insect and parasite control.

NBF, or Narcissus Bulb Fly is something you never want to have to deal with if at all possible... I had it enter my home either through an open door, a crack or tiny opening between a window or screen, or it could have come in as a passenger on a bulb I purchased... one can never tell.

In any case, I sprinkled a tiny bit of the DE powder on the outer area of the bulb part above the soil, and a teensy bit between the two main leaves growing from the center of the bulb... just as a preventative.

For me, it was already too late for many bulbs, and I lost some that were very precious to me. I was devastated.

I now use a chemical systemic insecticide on almost everything grown in containers... just as a precaution. I use Bayer Advanced granular systemic Rose and Flower Care. It comes in a blue bottle, and I've taken to automatically adding some when potting bulbs and plants, and watering it in. It seems logical to prevent issues from the inside, out.

Happy Growing!

Berkeleysgr8, I do live very close to two Trader Joe's. They had some $7.99 phals I was looking at the last time I went there. There were also a few orchids that I saw at CVS for $11.99 that were really beat up from the Valentine's Day rush, but I was too scared to ask for a discount on them. For now, I'm only interested in getting the orchids to rebloom, not so much the flowers themselves. They all look nice to me anyway. The plants all sit below a ceiling fan, plus they are right next to a window that I can open. I'll make sure to put that all into use to prevent further problems.

Jodi, I'm very glad that I found out about Al's research. It was because of you that I started reading his articles and I hope to try out his gritty mix soon. I may need to soon because Donna sent me some Charisma x self seeds, and I don't think they would like to be grown in hydroton right from the start. For the most part, I'm only interested in plants that have been reported to grow well in a semi-hydro setup like orchids, African violets, and hipps but I'm planning on extending this experiment to other container houseplants soon. To fertilize the plants, I use Foliage Pro like Al recommends, which is also great for plants in semi-hydro because of the lack of urea as a source of nitrogen. I'm looking forward to the start of you semi-hydro experiments. At Orchard Supply I saw some of the Bayer systemic granules, but I didn't have any money. Still not sure how the granules would work out with the hydroton, but I'm sure everything would eventually wick up to the roots. I don't think Diatomaceous Earth would be very effective at protecting from NBF in my case, but maybe I'll get some anyways to sprinkle between the leaves like you do. There's no way I'm letting some maggots feast their way out my bulbs!

Finally Lemon Sorbet is starting to show growth. After losing most of its leaves, one of the stems on one of the scapes started turning darker, and started to elongate. Maybe he is enjoying being on the heat mat and the K-L-N?

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Benfica had to tear some layers to push out it's first scape, and now I'm curious to see what will happen once the second scape grows more.

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Gervase's scape loves to follow the light. It's also much smaller compared to the two Temptation sent up. I have to turn the container 180 degrees every day or else it will grow into the other plants. The second scape looks like it aborted inside the bulb. Do you think it will need to be cut out? I don't want it to rot inside. It's the black blob peaking out of the outer layer on the right. I'll get a better picture soon.

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While Joker was distracting me with its blooms, it also decided to give up on all but one leaf. These Hadeco bulbs are stressing me out! They must be very stressed right now. Anyway, I just learned that double flowers have all their reproductive parts messed up, so no chance of seeds from this one.

Jared

Just some updates.

Joker's last flower never bloomed, but the bulb is now firm and plump, much better than the way it came in. Now it just needs more leaves. Lemon Sorbet aborted its second scape, but the first scape is now about to bloom. These two bulbs showed a lot of improvement after putting them over the heat mat. I wish I had bought one sooner.

Gervase is about to bloom as well. I will have to remove the second scape that aborted inside the bulbs still. It looks like is started to rot before it ever got a chance to emerge (new phal in background!).

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Red Lion is sending up a second scape. I have been finding fewer and fewer mealybugs on Royal Velvet, maybe 1 every 5 days or so. The leaves show damage, but they are growing again. I'm still waiting for my missing Alfresco to arrive, so I e-mailed Aaron today to check on its status. Scape count so far is 10 + 3 aborted scapes. There's no flower action from Orange Sovereign or Papilio yet. Here is a picture I took a few days ago to compare the size of all the different scapes.

Red Lion, Temptation, Benfica, Gervase, and Lemon Sorbet.
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To my horror, Temptation has no roots at all and the bulb has suffered greatly. I removed half of the hydroton in the container in an attempt to bring the bulb closer to the heat since it probably wasn't feeling anything at the top of its tall pot. On the plus side, it has two large scapes that are on their way to blooming. I'm kind of annoyed that the scapes are both the same height and are blooming at the same time though.

In other news, I've decided to hold off on getting more hipp bulbs for now in order to focus on my growing orchid collection. The local Farmer's Markets here are filled with orchids!!! The bulbs now live next to an oncidium Sharry Baby and a new mini phal. I will attempt to grow hipps from seed though, so there will be no shortage of those guys either. I checked on the Dick Wilden bonus bulbs I got and they are now starting to grow roots. They will be in the fridge until May 16th since I've read that this variety needs 16 weeks in the fridge in order to bloom.

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Jared

No, I don't think the Bayer systemic granules would work well in a semi-hydro environment. However, I'm sure one of the websites catering to that type of growing probably has information on insect control. I would definitely check it out.

Everything looks good... and it sounds like you're having fun! And that's really the most important part... the enjoyment!

I'm able to use the granular systemic because I stick with a medium closer to the 511 for outdoor growing, and of course, mostly Gritty Mix types of medium for indoor growth at the moment.

I really would rather go organic and not have to use chemicals, but that NBF infestation taught me a valuable lesson about some chemical use.

Outdoors, I grow mostly roses in the gardens, mixed with spring blooming bulbs and other perennials, and I try very hard to stick with organic growing when growing in the ground. Since we usually get an early spring infestation of aphids on the tender rose buds, I use only one application of the granule systemic. It helps so much. At that point, the majority of my predator insects and other bug eaters are too young and small to handle the job. But once the praying mantises and other predators get big enough, I go strictly organic. We have a great assortment of toads and frogs, snakes, birds, the praying mantises, and other insects that voraciously keep the bad bugs at a minimum.

A container is a whole different animal, to be sure! Placing a little piece of screen at the drainage hole helps keep the insects from crawling in, and the granular systemic keeps everything off the plants from the inside out, so to speak.

I have a lot planned this year... including a ton of divisions and cuttings to be made, a ton of re-potting and root pruning... I'll be swamped from the moment the weather regulates into spring!

I hope I have some time to try the semi-hydro... I've had the items sitting here for quite a while now... just haven't had a lot of time to play with any it.

Happy Growing!

'Temptation' and 'Charisma' have a habit of not forming roots until after flower, just give it some time and keep it relatively dry to avoid rot.

Jodi, this is a lot of fun! It must be so great to have so much going on in your garden. Part of the reason why I got my hipps was to make up for the fact that I no longer have regular access to a camera, computer, or deluxe cable TV.

Josh, thank you for that bit of info. Many of the other bulbs have some roots to show off now. These are from one of the reds.

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Time for an update. Temptation is blooming right now and I LOVE it! Two scapes, same height, 4 flowers each all at the same time. I tried to self all of the flowers except for one, which I put Lemon Sorbet pollen on.

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Lemon Sorbet is blooming in a more sequential manor and the blooms don't last as long. I selfed two of those flowers, but I may do something else with the last two now that Gervase is not really Gervase. Maybe some green x green action soon.

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Too early to tell if seedpods are on the way?
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That's right, I got my first mislabel. The flower is pretty much the same color as Lemon Sorbet and is bigger. I'll get a better picture of its shape when it is fully bloomed. Even though it's a very beautiful flower, I was really looking forward to Gervase and I'm really bummed. Everything else checks out so far though, and my next set of flowers to bloom will be Royal Velvet, Red Lion, and Benfica. They'll offer great contrast sitting next to the green flowers.

The Gervase mislabel.
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Here are Red Lion, Benfica, what should have been a Gervase, and Royal Velvet. I'm glad the reds are blooming all at the same time so I can compare them all together. Still nothing but leaves from Orange Sovereign.
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Here is Temptation with Lemon Sorbet.
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A group shot of Lemon Sorbet, mislabeled Gervase, and Temptation with flash against a white piece of cardboard.
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Without Flash
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If I were to start this project over I would do many things differently.
1. Only 5-10% of the Hydroton that I have soaked for 2+ weeks still floats, so I'm assuming that the rest is fully saturated with water. That will improve the wicking ability of the LECA when used in semi-hydro and is less disruptive to the roots while watering.
2. I should have kept the bulbs a third of the way buried (like how I originally had them before I removed the rotting roots). Unless you have very high humidity, not much of the moisture wicks its way to the top in tall pots. You can either increase the humidity, or use shorter pots. For now, I just spray the top layer every 2 days or so.
3. I would have left the rotting roots in the pots. They would have made their way out eventually because of the constant flushing when the plants are watered, plus they help anchor the plants for a while. I also messed up many growing roots that time I did remove the rotting ones. Hydroton doesn't hold the plants very securely at this point in time, not a good thing since I have to move the plants to the sink to be watered.
4. Heat mat. I should hade one to put the plants on the day I planted them. They encourage new roots and increase the wicking through the medium. That really helped Joker and Lemon Sorbet.
5. K-L-N. I should have had that at the start too. I'll be soaking the roots of any future bulbs I get in K-L-N instead of water before I plant them. By the time I got my bottle of K-L-N, the bulbs already had rotting roots. They would have absorbed more of the hormone had I given it to them sooner.

In short, I should have been more prepared with the materials and researched more. Thankfully, hipps are forgiving. I'm glad I didn't jump into semi-hydro with orchids. I still have yet to move any of those plants over, but at least I have all the supplies to do so now.

Jared

Thanks for keeping us informed about your project! When the weather warms up a bit more, purchase a cheap-o Phal from Trader Joe's and go ahead and pot it up in semi-hydro. I'll bet you'll have just as much fun growing orchids in semi-hydro as you do hippies!

Berkeleysgr8, I'll actually be going back to the San Francisco Flower Mart today. They have at least 5 stores that specialize in orchids. Mostly they are the common types like phals, oncidiums, dedrobiums, paphs, and cymbidiums. It's pretty much the same selection as the local farmer's markets, but these plants come with tags and are a tad bit more expensive, but still cheap. I was too overwhelmed by the number of plants yesterday to actually buy any orchids, so I bought my first African Violets instead because I didn't want to leave empty handed. This time, I plan on getting some of the cheap giant phals with bud blast or maybe some paphs. Maybe another African Violet too. There will be many angry people when I get home.

Jared

Quick update.

I got my missing Alfresco on March 15 as well as some bonus mixed freesias. They still haven't returned any of the emails I sent them about the Gervase mislabel, or the Orange Sovereign that never bloomed, but at least I got 10 amaryllis bulbs in total. Maybe I'll try to tell them about it again in the future, though I guess I'm satisfied with the bulbs I recieved. The Alfresco came with 1 scape, and as of today the tip of the scape has already split open so I'm expecting blooms soon.

The plants are all going into growing mode, so many of them have long floppy leaves due to the lack of light. They are also very top heavy and they shift around a bit in the hydroton which is very bothersome, though many have many roots. I wish I had put all of them in clear containers.

I tried many crosses and now there are many seed pods developing just in time for spring. I didn't remove the pollen from the seed parents before pollinating the flowers so it's possible that many of these flowers were actually selfed.

Temptation x Self
Temptation x Lemon Sorbet FAILED
Benfica x Royal Velvet
Benfica x Self
Royal Velvet x Self
Red Lion x Self
Red Lion x Royal Velvet
Lemon Sorbet x Self FAILED
Lemon Sorbet x Gervase Mislabel FAILED
Gervase Mislabel x Self
Gervase Mislabel x Lemon Sorbet & Red Lion
Gervase Mislabel x Temptation

I'm sad that Papilio and Alfresco missed out this mating season.

No interesting crosses, but all I really wanted were dark reds and more Temptation looking flowers. I'm going to try to raise a few of each cross, and the rest should be available here if the seed pods continue to develop.

It sounds like you've had lots of fun with your experiment! Will you be able to move your collection outside to more sun soon? I'm waiting until the threat of frost has passed, then the collection will go outside to enjoy the Spring/Summer/Fall sun. I was a bit surprised to find out how much last year's bulbs shrunk while they were in storage in the garage over winter! I'll need to figure out better storage this coming year. I probably won't take them out of their pots this year to see if they fair better.

Yes, semi-hydro is really fun! I have only moved Orange Sovereign outside so far just to test things out. It's on a covered patio right now, but it will be moved to the eastern side of the house tomorrow once the rain stops so that it can adapt to the stronger light levels. After that, the plants will move to full southern exposure. Before I move the rest out I need to pick up some systemic to protect against NBF. In this area, I hear that the hipps stay green all year round so I think I'll keep them out there through the winter. The last newsletter I got from Amaryllis Bulb Company said to move the plants outdoors after the last frost, but I don't even think we had any since late last year.

So far I have the hipps, african violets, an oncidium sharry baby, a phalaenopsis, daffodils, freesias, and taro in semi-hydro. Not sure which plants like it yet, but I should have a good idea by the end of summer.

Jared

This is a very interesting Blog on Amaryllis. Thanks for posting it !
I am from India and EdensBlooms.com is my main Amaryllis Supplier.
I too have a small Amaryllis collection : http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/amaryllishippeastrum/msg0719282531294.html

Just wanted to tell you why your bulbs kept rotting. Your bulbs are infected with Red blotch (Stagonospora curtissi) is a fungus disease. It is very had to get rid of this fungus and most just throw them away. I have ordered from Eden's before and ordered canna bulbs that rotted right away also. They only offered a replacement credit but I will never order from them again especially seeing what I did on your Amaryllis bulbs. You should have got a full refund.

Yeah, that was unfortunately my experience with Edensblooms as well. That fungus tore down the Candy Floss and the Candy Floss replacement bulb I got from them, and then the fungus spread through my entire amaryllis bed like crazy. I invested way too much in all my seed-grown amaryllis so I bought a very strong fungicide. It made a major dent in the fungus but I know I'll have to spray again when everything starts to die down - and then spray again in the spring to make sure it doesn't return. I also won't be ordering from Edensbloom again either.

I just made my first EB order this year and was pleased with the quality and size. Remember, many distributors sell what they receive so sometimes mislabeled and diseases come from the grower not the distributor. So unless they are growing the bulbs themselves they aren't the point of origin for the problem, BUT... Once made aware of a problem I think they should do their best to address it. Sounds like EB has good customer service. I hope I don't need to use it!

I should have blooms by the end of this week.
Kristi