Question

dipladenia  

buds on easter lily   Hello Tom,
Jutta here again, I have a questions for you if that's ok - 1st - my dipladenias don't look too healthy & I just wondered if they may come back, I've had them downstairs over the winter & watered them occasionally but they look like they're dead, should I keep trying or give up on them? - 2nd - my easter lily has bloomed twice again since last winter & I have these little buds coming up along the stem, what might these be? - if you could answer these questions for me I'd really appreciate it, if not I'll send in separate enquiries, thank you so much & I hope to hear from you soon (I've also been able to bring my begonia back for the 3rd time since last summer) thanks & talk to you soon, sincerely, Jutta

Answer
Hi Jutta,
Sorry I didn't answer sooner.  I have been on vacation to Europe and I did not see your question before I left.  Please forgive me for my oversight.  On your dipladenia.  If you see any green growth at all, continue to keep the soil moist but not soggy.  Sprinkle a handlful of well-composted manure in the pot.  Keep in the sun but most of all keep moist.  It should start to come back stronger if not in the next 10 days or so, may be time to throw it out and start over.  On the Easterlily.  The little buds look like bulbils.  Many lilies reproduce this way.  Tiny bulbs called bulbils will begin growing in the leaf axils on the stems of the plant.  In tiger liies, the bulbils are actually black or dark brown.  When the bulbils become mature, they drop off the plant and start new ones.  You can also take the ripe bulbils and grow them on in a nursery bed or separate pots.  The first year, the bulbils will spend time growing roots, you will see little or no growth above ground.  The second year, the green growth sprouts out as the bulbil matures into a small bulblet.  In the third year, the plant will have a small bulb and begin flowering.  I hope this helps and please do not hesitate to ask as many questions as you like.

Tom