Breeding, Bulb Information, General, Growing Daffodils, Hybridizer, Hybridizing, Seedling

Issues with 2 year seedlings

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I grow seeds in pots for two years prior to putting out in the garden bed.  I will be taking the bulbs from their pots and store the bulbs in envelopes till planting time.  Great way to use Junk Mail envelopes.  Some of the new bublets get eaten by bulb fly.  I guess bulb flies don’t care how old bulbs are.  I typically unpot in July and store in envelopes for a couple of months.  Not sure if you can see a bulb fly egg.  When the envelopes are opened at planting time some envelopes contain a bulb fly worm rather than a clump of bulbs.  They typically eat several of the bulblets.

 

Does anyone treat bulblets with either a fungiside or insecticide whe unpotted?  If so please lend me your advise.

 

 

 

4 comments for “Issues with 2 year seedlings”

  1. Bill,

    Eggs or larva must be on or entering bulbs before you empty out pots. Perhaps treating the pots several weeks before removing bulbs, with a systemic insecticide  such as Imidacioprid or Acephate could take care of this problem. This should give enough time for the insecticide to move up into the bulbs and prevent your problem. Perhaps soaking bulbs in a solution before roots dry after removing from pots could help also. Both of these are available on the internet. A company called Do Your Own Pest Control has them. May be worth a try. Good Luck,

    Larry

  2. Bill,

    Bulbs grown in pots seem more vulnerable to bulb fly as the neck is so close to the surface of the soil and easy pickin’s . Perhaps a surface dusting of diatomaceous earth when the seedlings are initially set out would have a prophylactic benefit  ?  For those already infected hot water treatment is also a possible remedy, no?

    best of luck

    CH

  3. Hi Bill

    An alternative way is to build a small frame covered with envoiromesh to grow all your pots of seedlings in, that way the bulb fly can’t get to them in the first place.

    John

  4. What I decided to do is create a Imidacioprid dip so as I un pot bulbs they get an insecticide dip for a minute or so before they are stored in envelopes.   I typically loose maybe 2% or so of 2 year bublets.  I hope to see 0% by planting time.

    My 2 year bulbs to seeds planted is about 60%.  What do others get?

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