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dragonstone

Hippeastrum seedlings coming up white?

dragonstone
10 years ago

I tried doing a search but it seems to keep bringing up results of white amaryllis flowers. Has anyone ever experienced amaryllis seedlings that come up as white?

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I'm assuming these will die because there's no way for them to keep living if they're white?

Comments (12)

  • kaboehm (zone 9a, TX USA)
    10 years ago

    I did a quick search on this site for "Chlorophyll". Doing so will reveal several posts where members had white seedlings too. Look them over and you'll see their experiences.
    K

  • macroclemys
    10 years ago

    I don't know how common it is for hippeastrum, but it is a fairly common phenomenon in many species to find such albinos among seedlings. It can be caused by a mutation in any of the genes needed by the plant to make chlorophyll. Unfortunately the plant will eventually starve as it uses up all of the carbohydrate reserves that were available in the seed

  • dragonstone
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Aww, that's too bad... but I still find it rather interesting that a good handful of seeds in this batch came up white. Definitely a new experience!

  • kaboehm (zone 9a, TX USA)
    10 years ago

    Was it limited to one particular cross or did you see them in the seedlings of several crosses?
    K

  • dragonstone
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    The only thing I know about these seeds is that they're papilio crosses. I don't know what they were crossed to. It's definitely off to an interesting start!

  • senjanevada
    10 years ago

    I am new to Amaryllis, bought and received plenty of seeds. The first 50 seeds I put on the potting soil none show any sprouts, been for 2 months.

    The new seeds from a trader, I soaked in a bowl of water as she told me, yeepee... I see some white sprout/roots? but so worry to transfer them later into the soil.

    Hi Dragonstone, what soil do you use to get those nice seedlings? Thanks.

  • dragonstone
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    I used regular topsoil because I didn't know what else to use. Last year I tried sterilized growing medium for seedlings but not only was it a pain to get the stuff wet, it was a pain to *keep* it wet. This year I just ripped open a bag of topsoil and reused the seed trays from last year. I figured since amaryllis grew really well in the topsoil that I put in the flower boxes, it couldn't hurt to use the same soil in the seed trays.

  • kaboehm (zone 9a, TX USA)
    10 years ago

    How are the white seedlings? Did they perish or are they still hanging in there?
    K

  • ryseryse_2004
    10 years ago

    I've had that often with Daylilies -- the sprouts always die.

  • dragonstone
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Yeah, all the white sprouts died off as expected. The green ones are living on just fine in all this rain we're having over the past few weeks.

  • kaboehm (zone 9a, TX USA)
    10 years ago

    Send some rain to Texas....please. 103 degrees in the shade right now. Can't believe that some of my hippis are sending up blooms. They are confused!!
    :-0
    K

  • berkeleysgr8
    10 years ago

    It's been blazing hot here too! It was expected to be 114 today... thank goodness it was "only" 104! The temp was expected to get up to 116 tomorrow, but now it look like it will be 106-ish. Waaaaay too hot still... but better than adding another 10 degrees! -Tina

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