Dear KB,

As everything that Laurier wrote about his methods (aside from what he posted on GW) was copyright protected, honoring your request may be a violation of his (and now his estate's) intellectual property rights. I ask that, out of respect for our dear friend, everyone please proceed with caution before posting any excerpts from Laurier's writing.

Thank you very much for your thoughtful consideration in this matter.

Sincerely,

Blanca

But he did allow anyone who wanted it, to download the pdf file (in French) which described his methods. He obviously did want to share it - he simply wasn't able to translate it into English.

As for my other post which no one responded to - Laurier's words were on the internet (an interview upon winning a music composition contest) - for all to see, and those words I chose to quote were, I thought, very inspirational.

I had his website in my favorites, and now it is gone. I googled it again and it appears that it has been removed, too bad and very sad.....

I had used his beautiful pictures of his many Maguire's flowers to help me choose which ones I would like.

Dear Anna,

I do not mean to contradict you. However, IMHO, there is a clear difference between Laurier posting his methods and photographs on his own website; clearly stating that the contents therein are copyright protected and are not meant to be duplicated or published without the authorÂs consent and posting any part of said content on Garden Web.

Laurier and I exchanged emails about his methods, and I still have copies of these messages. As I wanted him to receive credit for his methods, I suggested that he publish his results through the International Bulb Society (IBS). Below, are salient quotes taken directly from one of our many email correspondences. Most importantly, please note what Laurier wrote about Garden Web.

Respectfully yours,

Blanca

I wrote:
"By the way, your results in reducing the elapsed time from planting Hippeastrum hybrid seeds to flowering are so amazing and impressive that I think the International Bulb Society (IBS) may be interested in hearing about them and publishing an article documenting your methods in their journal Herbertia or their bulletin Bulbs. If this way of sharing the information sounds appealing to you, you may want to consider contacting them. I would like to see you receive the credit you deserve for your innovative accomplishments."

Here is a link to the IBS website along with links to the Guidelines for Contributors for both Herbertia and Bulbs.

http://www.bulbsociety.org/
http://www.bulbsociety.org/ABOUT_IBS/Publications/HERBERTIA/index.html
http://www.bulbsociety.org/ABOUT_IBS/Publications/BULBS/index.html

Laurier responded:
"That is so very nice of you to give me all these links, I sure will see what I can do with them, I'm very interested in having this story published, I just don't want to give it away on GW, so trust me, I'll put these links to good use!"

So he never had intentions of giving away his methods and secrets?

I honestly believed that this community was all about working together for the sake of kindness.... Helping each other out to progress together in the growing of amaryllis'.

Well if he never had intentions of sharing with us then lets not provoke anyone.

Karanbir,

You never had the pleasure of interacting with Laurier.

He was always willing to share openly with serious hobbyists on the list. However, he might not have disclosed every detail as he wanted to have the chance to repeat his work and offer more proof. Tragically he didn't live long enough to accomplish this goal.

Unfortunately you just won't have the oppotunity to benefit from all of his knowledge and his writings were limited and what was written was copyrighted (as I recall from his website). Karanbir...it may fall to you to discover how to make your seedlings thrive through trial and error...just like most of the rest of us. Just because plants grow faster doesn't mean they'll be stronger or bloom faster.

Laurier had a special method that proved successful for him and I believe if he had lived long enough to repeat it, he would have published the research and received lots of well-deserved acclaim. As it is, he has the respect of many on the list. There are always closely guarded secrets in life, and this is one of them.

If you look at the Hippeastrum industry in general, there are numerous (countless) secrets about parentage, ploidy, etc. If you ask a commercial grower or hybridizer about their practices, you may be greeted with a closed mouth. I found out a little of this while I was in The Netherlands in March.

Karanbir...you are fairly new to the list and there is much you need to learn. The fastest way to get people to close up to you is to play games. Please accept that Laurier's work isn't readily available and work through it. If you ask questions, you will typically get help, but you need to be patient and learn like the rest of us....trial and error is the path that most us took, with the occasional shortcut.

Your seedlings will grow and grow well with all the care that you are giving them. Again, patience is the best tool to carry!

Kindly....
Kristi (the other KB)

Kristi,
Thanks for making me realize. I guess i understand.

I unearthed the paris seedlings and they actually rotted :(
I shouldnt have soaked them for 2 days only 1

-KB

But i think the others are doing well... pretty sure!!!!

Laurier did it and has proven that it could be done with enough documentation.

His method was published in his website (in French) for the whole world to read and learn from. That was were he wanted it to be at that time and not here in Gardenweb. It was never kept a secret. BUT, he stated that anybody who wants to make copies or use any contents off his website to please ask his permission. This includes his words and pictures.

Please let us respect his wishes.

Perhaps someday, it will be published again as how he wants it to be.

Amen.

I am just reading this old thread, how interesting.....I have no knowledge of hippeastrum cultivation but I guess that the factors that are important for fast growth could be 1) the best genes 2) lots of space, huge pot 3) light ...and warmth 4) water, just to replace the humidity, because when yo have sun, heat, and growth the plant is going to need more water 5) nutrients. But I know nothing....

I dunno about any specific secrets to the species, but Azomite and Mycorrhizae work wonders on most plants. Both significantly increase crop yeilds. If Hippeastrum react anything like the Onion pictures I've seen, you'd get an extra 20-30% growth increase, maybe less, maybe more. Given that, seedlings could reasonably be expected to reach flowering size in 66-80% of the time.

Both are organic and not usually used commercially, and breeders can be very unwilling to change when they have something that already works.

i am going to try that if i need it later....up to now my seedlings are growing very fast sunny Mexico and Miracle Grow I guess... thank´s very much for the information.