I had read someone say that thrips can cause nodules or bumps on forming buds.

Is this a photo of such damage?

Those look like the bud bumps, known as enations. Originally they were blamed on aphids but they happen when there are no aphids. So these days they are generally blamed on thrips. However, it has never actually been proven that it is thrips and there are other insects that could, in theory, also cause them. It's not difficult to find thrips on daylilies so hard to rule them out.

Sue - so this is definitely not normal for bud/bloom formation? I see this off and on throughout my garden daylilies.

The assumption is that it's caused by some pest that we pretty much all have. So in a way that might be considered "normal" Is there anyone reading this thread who doesn't see bud bumps?

I've noticed certain cultivars get them more than others.

I am in a continual battle with thrips. If I don't spray, buds will have "bumps" - very similar to what is seen in Becky's photo. Numerous "bumps" will also have a tiny peak, or pointy area. Color-damage is very evident on dark blooms after they open if the buds show these "bumps". I'm sure pastels and near-whites have color damage, too, it's just not as noticeable. If you look very closely at an open bloom or nudge it, you can generally see thrips move, even though they are teeny tiny. They can fly!

If I spray, buds appear to be normal and smooth-surfaced with no evidence of color damage to the bloom when it opens.

I get them on my daylilies from aphids. Maybe a thrip can cause the bloom to look like that and an aphid can too? I wash my daylilies. I started late this year, even though I started on time. I was about a month late because spring started early. I already had scapes and buds. I thought what a washout this year will be with my buds having bumps. Alot of my moonlit masquerade blooms looked bad, but they all bloomed perfect. Try to determine the pest. Aphids leave dandruff and thrips show up as... I had to leave blank because I have not had thrips. Treat the daylilies and I hope all your daylilies bloom beyond expectations because we all know there is joy in a flower.

I doubt it is aphids because I get the bud bumps here where there are no aphids on the daylilies. There are thrips though, but that doesn't necessarily mean they do it, although they may be the guilty party. Stopping the bumps by treating for thrips also doesn't convict them because whatever was used for the thrips potentially may also control another pest. What would be enlightening would be if someone got the bud bumps without having thrips (and we may well all have thrips), or had thrips without treating for them and did not get the bumps.

Thought I would waken up this thread since starting a new one is not worth it.
Today I saw some flower buds (not my plant) with extreme-curving.
They did have some bumps. Is it likely thrips caused the curving of the buds?




There was only half a flower.

I suspect the curving might be something like tarnished plant bugs or something similar that injects a substance that causes changes in growth. It's never been proven that the enations are caused by thrips but it's never been disproven either. Do you ever see tarnished plant bugs there?

Edited to add, does that cultivar usually flower normally? There is the odd daylily cultivar that appears to do something similar, assumed to be genetic.

It looks like the yellow with curved buds is right behind the orangey one. Could anything have been sprayed in that location?

sooby,
Thanks for "enations" I have always referred to them as bumps.

Seedfork said: sooby,
Thanks for "enations" I have always referred to them as bumps.

Most people do call them bumps, or bud bumps

https://daylilies.org/daylily-...

First I have heard about that bug, thanks.
Always good to learn more about possible daylily enemies out there.
This is not my plant, I do not know more about it, unfortunately.

My hunch is it is not genetic, and most likely some environmental factor (weather or bugs). Although, to counter that, there are other cultivars not too far away which seem to be doing fine.

judydu2 said: I am in a continual battle with thrips. If I don't spray, buds will have "bumps" - very similar to what is seen in Becky's photo. Numerous "bumps" will also have a tiny peak, or pointy area. Color-damage is very evident on dark blooms after they open if the buds show these "bumps". I'm sure pastels and near-whites have color damage, too, it's just not as noticeable. If you look very closely at an open bloom or nudge it, you can generally see thrips move, even though they are teeny tiny. They can fly!

If I spray, buds appear to be normal and smooth-surfaced with no evidence of color damage to the bloom when it opens.

Yes, this is exactly what I've been experiencing this year! I also see tiny black dots (which I assume are insects) on most of my DLs. What do you spray with, if you don't mind me asking?

MrsMud said: Yes, this is exactly what I've been experiencing this year! I also see tiny black dots (which I assume are insects) on most of my DLs. What do you spray with, if you don't mind me asking?

Thrips are elongated, like a ! rather than a dot. Do the dots move? Thrips do leave black dots of poop so it could still be a sign they were there. Earwigs also leave poop dots on daylily flowers.

sooby said: Thrips are elongated, like a ! rather than a dot. Do the dots move? Thrips do leave black dots of poop so it could still be a sign they were there. Earwigs also leave poop dots on daylily flowers.

No, the dots don't move. I have also noticed a lot of earwigs this year, as well as Oriental beetles and some Aphids for good measure! This is the third year for this garden and the first time I've been so inundated with insects! What am I doing wrong?

MrsMud said: No, the dots don't move. I have also noticed a lot of earwigs this year, as well as Oriental beetles and some Aphids for good measure! This is the third year for this garden and the first time I've been so inundated with insects! What am I doing wrong?

There was an article the other day confirming the Northeast is being inundated by bugs this year. Ticks, mozzies, aphids, midges, spotted lantern fly, etc etc. We are getting walloped from all sides. With the ticks they said that relates to oaks. 2021 was a good oak tree year so mice and squirrels got fed a lot. Meaning more ticks breeding in 2022. Fast forward to this year and they want human blood.