Hippeastrum, step 4.1

[lblanchard]

I am one new flowerpot short, so I am attempting to sterilize one of the existing pots. I washed it down with undiluted clorox and let it dry naturally. Now I'm giving it a hot water bath, same as I gave the bulbs. Heck, if it's supposed to kill mites buried deep inside the bulb it ought to kill mites stuck to the side of a pot, right? Our hot water comes out of the tap at 130F, and in a big pot with a towel thrown over the top it was still a toasty 120F-plus after an hour. Looks like plant hygiene is my new hobby.

It seems to have stopped raining, at least for awhile, after a day of really heavy rain. I brought my marigold seedlings in last night and potted them on in larger drink cups. I meant to take them out so they could get a good soaking but I appear to have lingered too long.

It will be good to have the papilios back in pots. I'll feel a lot better. Here are my bulbs -- two adults, the unholy trinity and the three babies. They're propped up on markers to improve air circulation underneath them. I've pulled the discolored skin off the one on the left since I took this picture, but I'm leaving it on the one on the right.

Comments

[pondhopper.livejournal.com]

They certainly look squeaky clean!

[lblanchard.livejournal.com]

One of the babies appears to have a bad spot. I can't face sterilizing a knife and finding the ordinary fungicide right now. Otherwise I'd cut it out.

[pondhopper.livejournal.com]

Bugger!

[lblanchard.livejournal.com]

Not so bad after all. I decided to cut out the bad spot and prepared by sterilizing the knife and then swabbing the bulb with rubbing alcohol. All the bad stuff came off when I swabbed the bulb. So if I haven't killed the little guys with kindness they should be good to go.

[pondhopper.livejournal.com]

Good!