AuntJemima, That's really really sad to see what you're dealing with with those poor bulbs, especially since they had such nice roots to being with. Five or six years ago I made my first cross and knowing nothing about amaryllis I grew the seedling to about the size of a grape (I was so proud of myself!!) and planted them in styrofoam coffee cups with just one drainage hole. Then I watered the daylights out of them for the summer. Result: All came down with red blotch. I threw most of them away but I saved about 3 of them and dunked them in a 3% bleach solution. This burned the leaves and roots and the outside of the bulb. I then took them and put them in plastic coffee cups this time and just forgot about them..Didn't water them and several months later they started sending up leaves, To make this long story a bit shorter, I was able to bring one to flower. So if you're still experimenting and you've got a couple of whole bulbs it wouldn't hurt to give it a try, all they can do die which they might anyway... I wish you luck, it's not pleasant to play nursemaid to so many sick bulbs... Donna

I think the red on the dried brown layers isn't too scary, but it looks scary. When I get new bulbs with any red, I peel to the first healthy layer. Red blotch is usually much brighter and there is much "more". It's a fungus and a systemic fungicide can control it. Don't keep your bulbs too wet. Little dots of red/brown can indicate damage from either a current or recent case of mites. A systemic insecticide will take care of that. Keep your hands clean as well as your equipment. Other than a recent pot of bulbs that were starting to rot and turn red and mushy, (they were very rootbound and likely too wet as we've had a wet winter), I have been lucky! If you are just starting out with these bulbs, or growing your collection, you might get a copy of Veronica Read' s book, "Hippeastrum, the Gardener's Amaryllis". I think there are copies on Amazon. It's a great book. Kristi

We are quite limited in fungicide selection where I live. Captain is banned, and I don't remember seeing benlate. I used copper octanoate since I read that it was the only thing that could kill this stuff. If it comes back I will try to get some benlate, maybe I can buy it online. I also used cinnamon powder to seal any wounds from where I removed leaves and tunics, since I have had great results with that in the past. Currently I have just a couple bulbs that I did not repot yet that have the fungus, but it appears to no longer be spreading because of the copper spray and drier conditions. I've been keeping these quarantined from the ones I treated already. The bulbs that got the full treatment are recovering and have new growth. There were a couple I gave a hot water bath in addition to removal of infected layers and copper spray. I lost one bulb that rotted severely after a hot water bath. I had to do that because the red blotch had spread to areas in the neck that could not be cut out. All of the roots died and the basal plate was mostly destroyed and soft. I do not recommend that method except perhaps as a last resort. As for Eithea, the bulbs are doing well in the pine bark dust and have new roots, some even have new leaves. The roots have some pink coloration and I am not sure if that is normal, copper-related stain, or return of red blotch. The copper spray causes a burgundy stain that looks very different than stag, and that is what the roots look like they have. I believe that this species prefers indirect light and frequent watering with good drainage. Mine had bloomed previously under those conditions and was forming a dense colony of about 20 small bulbs. It is a beautiful flower, so I am trying hard to save them. If anyone in the future reads this, what I did was: -Dig up the bulb -Remove infected leaves with sterilized scissors (cleaned with hot water and liquid dish soap) -Peel off dead and infected tunics -Spray entire bulb and remaining leaves with copper octanoate -Sprinkle a generous layer of cinnamon powder on cut/exposed areas to seal the wounds -Repot in fresh, dry gritty mix (I use pumice instead of turface) -Wait several hours for the copper spray to dry before watering thoroughly

Thanks, Jody. I think red blotch usually starts to happen around here in the late summer when nights are cooling off but I haven't moved the pots out from under the irrigation because they're still growing and sometimes putting out new leaves. I treated with Physan 20 last year, it kept everything a lot cleaner even through spring (similar to late summer conditions), more so than in some previous years when the blotch started early. I'm only seeing a few hints of it now, and want to make sure everything's as clean as possible when I repot. Do you spray with straight peroxide, or a solution?