Hello Daylily Friends,
You may recall that just a few days ago I showed a picture of MIMOSA UMBRELLA, which I was trying to convert. I trimmed all of the daylilies that I had treated on six other daylilies, but I did not trim MIMOSA UMBRELLA. The reason that I didn't trim this plant was because the 
area where the "growing tip" was located looked to me like the growing tip could grow with no impediment. I was wrong. The fact is that when daylilies are treated with Colchicine, every effort should be made trim back to the growing tip at the proper time. This should be done as early as possible, and water should be withheld for a number of days after the trim work is finished. Take a look at MIMOSA UMBRELLA, as it looked on October 31, 2010. You would think that I would have been in good shape with this conversion effort.
area where the "growing tip" was located looked to me like the growing tip could grow with no impediment. I was wrong. The fact is that when daylilies are treated with Colchicine, every effort should be made trim back to the growing tip at the proper time. This should be done as early as possible, and water should be withheld for a number of days after the trim work is finished. Take a look at MIMOSA UMBRELLA, as it looked on October 31, 2010. You would think that I would have been in good shape with this conversion effort.This morning when I checked MIMOSA UMBRELLA there was some yellow color on some of the foilage. I have seen this before; I knew there was trouble. I took one of my
instruments to cut away some of the foilage, and I didn't have to cut very far to see the dark colored damage. It is sad that on October 31 the plant was in good shape, then only 11 days later the plant is in a position where it cannot survive the conversion effort. What you see when looking at MIMOSA UMBRELLA is rot at the growing tip. If it had been anywhere other than the growing tip, I could perhaps remove the 
damage, withhold water, and hope for the best. But the damage was exactly at the growing tip. I'm showing a second picture that I took after I cut a little more, and you can clearly see that the plant is dead. It may maintain its color for a little while. It will take time for the plant to decay to nothing, but be assured, this plant is dead.
instruments to cut away some of the foilage, and I didn't have to cut very far to see the dark colored damage. It is sad that on October 31 the plant was in good shape, then only 11 days later the plant is in a position where it cannot survive the conversion effort. What you see when looking at MIMOSA UMBRELLA is rot at the growing tip. If it had been anywhere other than the growing tip, I could perhaps remove the 
damage, withhold water, and hope for the best. But the damage was exactly at the growing tip. I'm showing a second picture that I took after I cut a little more, and you can clearly see that the plant is dead. It may maintain its color for a little while. It will take time for the plant to decay to nothing, but be assured, this plant is dead.Well, here is some better news: I'm showing one of my upcoming introductions for 2011. It is a gorgeous purple, and the parent
age is as follows: [(Spiney Sea Urchin x (Heartbeat of Heaven x Johnny Cash)) x Cerise Masterpiece]. It is 30" tall, it has 3-way branching, and a 5 1/2" flower. There are about 18 buds. It is an evergreen. I haven't decided on a name yet, but I have several good ideas. I like the green throat, the eye that seems to reflect its HEARTBEAT OF HEAVEN parentage, and the ribbon like appearance of the foilage. Well that is the news for now from the garden.
Bill
Bill,
ReplyDeleteI appreciate that you showed what happens when a conversion doesn't always take or in
this case rot took over. I knew that the conversion process isn't as easy and it looks. You're the only hybridizer that is doing a blog about it and I'm sure others appreciate your teachings. Great reading!