Nematodes in hippeastrums. Now that is something very new to me Sir Hans. We used to have cases of Nematodes in the PI on some plants and even African Violets get them. I read that they come from improper sterilized soil and can be transfered with "common watering" of plants (like trays) or re-using old potting soil. The roots get this tiny bloated bumps and red markings. We usually throw away infected plants or burn them. Would the amaryllis roots look this way too? What are the signs of nematode infection?

Late update here, I ordered from Brooks since they had a sale going on...I asked them to delay shipment since we were traveling for the holiday and just looked at my roots today. Holy moly, they have the biggest eyes on any of my orders this year (Fina, Gilbert Wild, Easy to Grow). And I didn't pay any more for them than Fina. I can't wait to see them next year. Now to get them into the ground tomorrow. This is Flame with 15 huge eyes, the next pic is Skylark...the other one I purchased was Cytherea which has 4 big eyes but these two blew me away!

The PO used to have bigger boxes, BUT of course with the cost of everything rising and getting smaller (you know those 50 lbs bags of dog food? well they cost a LOT more now and you only get 40 lbs! sugar used to be in 5 lb bags a lot are going to 4 lbs now) they raised their shipping prices and decreased the size of the boxes you can get! SO NOT FAIR! I am about to head out to start working on my plants, it is my plan to get EVERYTHING done today, including repacking all the boxes and sending back tomorrow...WISH ME LOTS OF LUCK and hope NOTHING pops up today to slow me down dog it! Amy I DID get both boxes, but to tell you the truth, I got one opened and found the philo plant and the cuttings and thought that was all I was supposed to receive from you so I didn't look to see who the other packages were for LOL. I will look at them then hehe, I so sorry. Ahhh, Theresa, I wasn't expecting you to cover the box. Most people to not cover them anymore because the PO system seems to deliver them anyway. I used to, and it is actually easier to cover a box then you think LOL. I have, like last year, I mailed a box that wasn't brown, it had colored pics on it, IT was HUGE anyway, it had colored pics on it and I had to cover it because the whole box was like the slicky pic kind and it had to be covered. The trick is to place the brown wrapping paper down on a table, then place the box on it, bring the paper up and over the top to meet, tape it down, then fold a side, starting with one, side of the side until you have all four sides folded over, you know how you do wrapping anyway, do both sides and it is all done. EASY lol. Like I said though the trick is to put the paper down first then put the box on top. :). Amy, I have been swapping/trading a LONG time. The best way is to make sure the plastic isn't touching the stem. It CAN rot it, it doesn't always and if it is a tough plant it will usually be fine but more thinner type plants will not. Theresa, your plants looked ok. I don't recall seeing any plastic touching, BUT I have redone a lot of them without knowing which ones I was working with. It is just a habit I have gotten into, just redoing what needed it when it needed it. So, I don't really see whose plant it is LOL, UNLESS I have a whole box to do at one time THEN I know whose I am working on. I am not going to be able to send the Pink Ice Plant, it looks so bad and it would only be a VERY SMALL snippit. I would hate for it not to make it. So, I would rather not send it with a chance of it not making it. I want to let it grow and then when we do another one in the Spring if those of you who requested it join then I will send it to you then, cross your fingers it recovers, I have been checking it a lot and it looks REALLY REALLY bad. I am not sure what happened to it, the purple ice plant is right next door to it and nothing is wrong with it so I have no idea what happened to the pink one! I am so upset about that, I have wanted the pink forever and when I found it I was tickled so much NOW it is dying! ERRRRR!!! Ok, I think I have touched on all I was going to mention OH, I haven't taked pics of all the plants that comie in yesterday, I opened those boxes somewhere else, NOT in my livingroom where my camera was so I wasn't thinking until AFTER I had opened anyway, when I pack the boxes I am going to TRY to remember to take pics of them :)... Later ladies have a great day! :) Fran

Thanks, owbist. Funny thing, but the one person who sends e-mails with the smallest print I've ever seen, uses a Mac and he is a couple of years older than I am. 8-). I have complained to him about this, and one time he did use a slightly larger font setting. I'm wondering if he just doesn't know how to set his font size larger. Not being a Mac user, I don't think I can tell him, either, since I don't know his mail program.