Hi again --- I put 3 Dimension bulbs in with a cluster of lilies last fall. They were nice looking bulbs, but not monstrously big. I seem to have 5 stalks up, including this one which is clearly not right. It doesn't even look like Dimension to me, not in color or form or nothin. The foliage looks aok, so no clue until it opened. I actually pulled it out yesterday. The others are starting to open and seem fine, though it's too soon to tell on one of them.

I tried to pull it out with the bulb, but the stem broke at the base, and I'm afraid to dig lest I damage another lily. Do I need to get it out now, presuming it's sick?

Now to get out of the infirmary and post some healthy lily pix... Thanks again!

One more picture

It sure does look sick. I hate it when that happens . If you missed getting the bulb out, you could always either dig around in the fall for it or look for a weak stem to return next year and try again then. That would be my plan. It drives me crazy, but that happens to me too.

That is one ugly virused plant.

If it were me, I would dig it all out after you have enjoyed the blooms of the healthy ones. I wouldn't be worried about the virus spreading through the soil, unless you originally planted them rather close together (less than 2 inches between), in -+++which case they could grow enough to touch or be too close for comfort that when you dig they might rub each other.

My concern stems from what might happen with this current year's growth of the virused bulb. If you didn't get all of the stem, it could produce stem bulblets, and the resulting baby plant it produces next season might be undetectable among healthy bulblet growth. There is also the possibility of the virus causing the bulb to "fracture" into many small bulbs, producing another delemma for separation this fall or next season.

Rather than trying to surgically remove the bulb without disturbing the others, that's way too much work for me, and I would opt for the easy way:
dig up all three bulbs with one big shovel, and gently separate the bad bulb. Use one hand for the virused bulb, one hand for the good bulbs so there is no possibility of transmitting the virus yourself.

Rick

Rick -- thanks so much for this advice. As it turned out, another one of the stems was also looking suspicious -- not quite as bad, but not completely normal -- so I yanked it too. Either both stems were from one bulb, or perhaps the original sick bulb has already fractured? That left three healthy looking stems. And, like I said, I started with three bulbs. Still haven't dug up the bulbs, but will do as you suggest when the blooms are finished. I've also emailed the vendor for advice. Will be interested to hear what they suggest. Thanks again! Laura

OMG, now I have viruses to worry about!!??!!

I just adopted asiatic lilies as a new favorite for their prolific multiplying. (and they are pretty)
I got one orange one on impulse at Home Depot summer of 2011 and the same summer a friend gave me a few red ones. I planted them all.

Summer of 2012 I could not BELIEVE how many I had!

So in my mind they were an easy care, easy propagated plant.

Then yesterday I had a little scare with some of the red ones I had potted up to take to the flea market. They had this scary looking FUR on them. I promptly panicked and came to ATP to find out what it was and how to stop it - only to find that it's NORMAL! It was "pilose" or pubescence....

During my little freak out yesterday is when I read about viruses.....
I wouldn't know a virused lily if it bit me in the (you know).

Can someone point me to the best educational resource on this for a beginner?

crittergarden said:
I wouldn't know a virused lily if it bit me in the (you know).

We're allowed to say "nose" here on ATP...



(But we all know what you really meant!)

Say, Crittergarden--don't worry about virused lilies until you get a virused bulb. Then, deal with it on a singular or case by case basis as appropiate. Trust me--it's something one experiences only very seldom.

But how will I Know????
What does a virused bulb look like????
Is it obvious - mushy, black, deformed???

Critter, it shows up in the leaves or flowers. You will know when you post a photo here and we discuss it. Easy!

wickerparker said:Hi again --- I put 3 Dimension bulbs in with a cluster of lilies last fall. They were nice looking bulbs, but not monstrously big. I seem to have 5 stalks up, including this one which is clearly not right. It doesn't even look like Dimension to me, not in color or form or nothin. The foliage looks aok, so no clue until it opened. I actually pulled it out yesterday. The others are starting to open and seem fine, though it's too soon to tell on one of them.

I tried to pull it out with the bulb, but the stem broke at the base, and I'm afraid to dig lest I damage another lily. Do I need to get it out now, presuming it's sick?

Now to get out of the infirmary and post some healthy lily pix... Thanks again!

I don't recommend to destroy infected plant by digging out, especially when they are planted densely. In this case, you can easily infect neighboring healthy plants. The best way to remove virused samples is applying Round-up. You just cut shortly the infected plant, apply some Round-up. The whole plant dies during 2 weeks. For safety, you can cut the plant shortly, apply round-up and then put nylon bottle on it to isolate it from aphids until it dies. Though aphids don't like the sap of the plants applied with Round-up. I practice this method for several years and should say that it is very effective and comfortable. Another advantage is that you don't dirty your hand and no further disinfection of hand and gardening tool
is needed. Nowadays this method is widely applied in the Netherlands.

"Fractured"? I thought it was normal for lilies to have babies?

NOW I'm learning things here in addition to seeing the pretty pictures!
THANK you for providing that info before I needed it!