Just an update on the two seedlings with near white foliage. By fall, they had turned a more normal color. Now they have survived the winter and are actively growing and for the first time since they were seedlings emerging, they are green. Especially on the smaller one. I took this photo showing both today because pretty soon I'm going to upsize the smaller seedling into a larger container. It's small enough still to stay a while, but I'm curious if the change will cause it to grow pale leaves again . The larger plant bloomed last year, but only two buds hung on to bloom and leaves were still very pale as was the scape. It's a bit paler than the smaller one, but that's normal for a lot of my daylilies when they begin to grow and it's already growing greener leaves as the weather keeps getting warmer. I'm hoping to see it bloom again and see if there is any difference. They won't be getting any extra supplements because nothing I tried last year seem to have much effect.

I had two seedlings that were white. I hit them with urea pellets. They are green at the moment.

Gleni said:I had two seedlings that were white. I hit them with urea pellets. They are green at the moment.

I've never seen urea pellets. Are they an Aussie thing? Any U.S.A. folks know what they might compare to or be sold as?

I tried a lot of things on these plants, but if any of it made any difference it wasn't apparent to me. Both went through potting mix changes, the little one 3 times. I threw iron (in several forms), nitrogen, epsom salt, different fertilizers and none seem to change anything for either good or bad. So the first couple of years of their life, they were yellow to the point of being really white. I kept expecting them to die. The fact that they didn't is really what made me curious about them. Every year went they woke up out of the winter nap was a surprise to me. In their case, aging seems to be the case for being green. Wish I could be green again .

Donald, I would have thought you should be able to get them there, urea is a nitrogen fertilizer. You'd have to ask at a farm supply store maybe, or perhaps a nursery/garden centre - although Google suggests Home Depot in the States has one nitrogen fertilizer that is ammonium sulfate combined with urea.

This U of Minnesota page says urea can be purchased as prills or granules, so must be available at least in that form in the States:
http://www.extension.umn.edu/a...

Donald, mine are:

Rich-Gro. Soluable Nitrogen. Urea. 46-0-0-0.

Glen

Glenn, is it easy to burn plants with such a high nitrogen concentration, or is it made so that is is very slowly dispersed to the plant?

needrain said:

I've never seen urea pellets. Are they an Aussie thing? Any U.S.A. folks know what they might compare to or be sold as?

I tried a lot of things on these plants, but if any of it made any difference it wasn't apparent to me. Both went through potting mix changes, the little one 3 times. I threw iron (in several forms), nitrogen, epsom salt, different fertilizers and none seem to change anything for either good or bad. So the first couple of years of their life, they were yellow to the point of being really white. I kept expecting them to die. The fact that they didn't is really what made me curious about them. Every year went they woke up out of the winter nap was a surprise to me. In their case, aging seems to be the case for being green. Wish I could be green again .

You can find urea fertilizer at feed and farm stores. It is straight nitrogen. In my area it is sold at places like Tractor Supply and Wilco. I am going to try it for the first time this year. It was suggested by the company that did my soil test last month.

Donald, you only need a small amount. I water it in. I have never had trouble with burning.