Victorias - Hey Craig

[Timgod]

I have a number of seedlings that have their 2nd leaf starting and I know I need to plant them soon. Do you use the weekly weakly formula that Kit describes or do you follow your normal planting regimen for other lilies. I know you use peat but is that just because you always do? Do you actually use the formula and if so, which of the two do you personally use. I have not been able to find the Seamate anywhere and have thus far not ordered it from plantabbs. I talked to Anita Nelson yesterday and she said they treated their Victorias with normal lily products. Not the specifics Kit describes.

I have seeds from "the White One" as well. So far they have something white coming from the growing area but nothing is growing, I don't know it they are just slower or if perhaps I knocked too much.

Side note... I only sprouted about 1/2 of what you sent so far but I had a 100% germination rate with the N. immutabilis you sent me. Thanks. 

Tim

[Craig]

Hi Tim,

The 'White One'?  You need to refresh my memory, they are all white at least the first night.

Not sure what stage you are at.  The second floating leaf or the second filiform leaf?  I plant them out when they have the hastate leaf and a root....and when I say out, I mean outside.  Even in winter, but then I heat the pond.  I can't imagine trying to grow them in an aquarium.

But I digress....I use peat because my water is so hard and alkaline and my medium sand, so  I wanted an organic buffer at least in the root zone.  In all honesty, the idea was not mine, but part of the protocol given to me by one of the old timer lily growers in FL.  I don't know that it is necessary in areas where you can't cut the water with a knife.<g>

Do I use the cocktail?  A trick question....Kit put you up to this?<g>  I do and I don't, but when I do I use the Root's mix rather than SeaMate.  I find very little is written in stone in this hobby, so I tend to go with the flow of what I read in the plants...if that makes sense.

If the seedlings come out of the starting gate with vigorous growth...a first floater of maybe 2", then I don't think the cocktail is necessary.  If the batch seems to be on the weaker side...a small first floater and little if any increase in the second...the cocktail will make all the difference in the world.

I've never spoken with Anita, but I have the greatest respect for Mike.  I think they do mostly LH ( and F2 or later at that) and which are less likely to need the cocktail in my experience.  It seems to be the species plants I use the cocktail on most.

Glad the immutabilis are doing well.  Believe it or not I try to raise plants that are reliable seed producers and even play bee to enhance the fertility percentage.  I call them "species" lilies.<g>

[Timgod]

It is the one that had the odd coloring on the second night. I asked you about it in the fall and you said you would probably be growing it since you had given one or the seed to Kit.
Kit's pic from the WGI.

The one that is growing so far is the v. Longwood hybrid. I am also trying "the White One" a v. Amazonica and a v. Atlantis. They are the ones that look like they have almost a white bump on the growth spot but nothing is growing.
The second leaf is the second filiform leaf. Not the ones that float. One has a good root system started and the second is growing to catch it. I have one leaf that is just beginning that has a thorny texture so I believe it might be the first surface leaf in the making. It is about 2" above the seed at this point.
Tim

[JoshS]

The few times I did Vics from seed, I used Super Thrive in the cocktail...I could never find the SeaMate.  It worked ok, but I just let Craig baby them now.  They are much less fussy as teens 

[Craig]

Hey Tim,

I shot a couple pics to show the difference.  The first shows 1st-3rd pads on a seedling of 06A19 (the White One) and it won't get cocktail.  Second picture is of another seedling from the same parent stock, 1st and 2nd pads and it is going to get fed the Kit's brew.

[Sean]

Hey Craig,

I don't think those are the right pics but the second one is sure purdy!
Ooops,  I see you corrected the images.


Cheers,
Sean

[Craig]

Lol....didn't know I'd be caught before the switch.<g>  Don't think you can get a bad picture of 'Charlie's Pride'.

[Sean]

I found my Charlie's Pride tuber and pulled away some of the old hard brown bits from the crown. I have tried to produce more sprouts just to even get one plant going but to no avail. Hopefully with my trick of removing the old material it will stimulate latent buds.

Cheers,
Sean

[maryvonne]

Hi Tim,

I also use a cocktail with my Victorias as needed. I can't get the Rootstim or the Seamate here in Canada. I have however found a product named NutriBoost 1 at the hydroponics shop that seems to work as a root stimulant. I also add some liquid seaweed to the other cocktail ingredients. My plants seem to thrive on this. I also use it with less Irongreen on the other tropicals as well.
Good luck with your babies.

Maryvonne