# I cut off the bulb!!!



## Dryn (Sep 6, 2007)

I bought a "dwarf lily" bulb for .99 at the LFS three months ago and it sprouted into four different plants from that single bulb. Two weeks ago I attempted to separtate them. I figured it followed a daughter-plant theory and they would eventually grow their own bulbs on their own. While separating them, I accidentally cut too many roots and the one large plant I wanted to keep got removed from its bulb! I planted all four "plants" anyway and they seem to be doing well. They are still growing and sending out shoots. Does anyone know if they're in shock and don't know it, or will they eventually grow thier own bulbs?


----------



## hooha (Apr 21, 2005)

what's a dwarf lily plant? If it's Nymphea species, I'd detach the plants from the bulb once they started showing roots. The bulb would sprout a new plant shortly there after....got probably 30+ plants from a single bulb that way....


----------



## Cliff Mayes (Jan 29, 2007)

Interesting! I will go buy one and try that.

Thank you!


----------



## hooha (Apr 21, 2005)

no prob....btw, the plants won't grow their own bulbs, but dont need bulbs to continue to flourish....


----------



## Dryn (Sep 6, 2007)

I've got four different plants from that bulb, and I haven't been able to identify what species it is, and I've looked at numerous books and websites. It was sent from the local nursery as a misc. specimen. The cut off plants seem to be doing well.


----------



## juleslorand (Dec 26, 2005)

Does that work also with Barclaya bulb???
Thank you

Jules


----------



## Supercoley1 (May 28, 2007)

They probably won't grow anoth bulb but they will be OK anyway without the bulb. Just plant it as a normal plant with roots and let the bulb grow another.

I have done this several times recently with Nymphea Rubra.

Andy


----------



## Grubs (Jul 4, 2007)

With all these plants growing so well without making new bulbs.... where did the original bulb come from? What factors initiate bulb production?


----------



## Volenti (Oct 12, 2007)

Grubs said:


> With all these plants growing so well without making new bulbs.... where did the original bulb come from? What factors initiate bulb production?


Bulbs are designed to weather out unfavorable conditions (like drought or winter) in the case of over wintering I'd assume the shorter day length would trigger bulb formation.


----------



## hooha (Apr 21, 2005)

Grubs said:


> With all these plants growing so well without making new bulbs.... where did the original bulb come from? What factors initiate bulb production?


I'm pulling this outta my arse so don't take it for truth, but maybe bulb formation comes from sexual propogation? Maybe someone more 'botanically inclined' can chime in....


----------



## FacePlanted (Aug 13, 2007)

I bought a dwarf lilly bulb from the packages they sell at walmart. It's supposed to be a dwarf lilly. The bulb grew a huge bush of leafes that originaged from many points on the main bulb. After a year, I uprooted the whole mass. When I did, I saw that each growth "eye" on the bulb produced a new plant rosette. Each new rosette had leaves and roots and was attached to the main bulb by an "umbilical cord" so to speak. But each plantlet had also formed its own bulblet. I think that if you leave the plants attached to the main bulb for long enough, eventually each plantlet will form its own bulb. This has happened many times for me with the dwarf lilly bulbs that I got in the "fish" section at walmart. I now have a ton of tiny lilly bulbs, in addition to the original bulbs I bought. None of the plants ever produced flowers, so I'm not sure the bulb formed due to sexual reproduction--at least in this case. I would think that this plant that got separated from the main bulb was just too young to have its own bulb, but will grow just fine, and in time will probably form its own bulb if conditions stay favorable for it in the aquarium.

These are just my thoughts from my experiences with the "dwarf lillies" from walmart (nymphea stellata?maybe?)

-Mike B-


----------



## Dryn (Sep 6, 2007)

Wow. Thanks for the information faceplanted. Nice tank too. 

I separated the plants because I only wanted a few leaves, not a forest rooted to one spot.


----------



## travis (Oct 5, 2004)

Jules,

Barclaya will also do just fine without the bulb attached to the plant.


----------



## jkunkel (Nov 14, 2007)

A bulb stores food for a plant in case of unfavorable conditions. I would think that if you were patient enough to let the plantlets form a bulb of their own before dividing them, that they would stand a better chance at surviving, especially if you were going to transplant them, or trade them, they could be left in a dormant state and be fine. Also I would consider a plant that has a bulb much more mature than one that you divided prematurley. If your plant flowered and was cross polinated, it would form seeds, that would sprout in to plants, and would not form a bulb untill the plant was more mature. Honestly, in my opinion the best way of propagating a plant from a bulb, and getting the best result from it, would probably be to wait untill the plantlets grow their own bulbs, and then seperate them. They will probably be healthier and have a longer life.


----------



## Dryn (Sep 6, 2007)

That makes sense. 

Except, you would have to tame a huge forest until they are mature enough to grow their own bulbs. Having my tank asthetically unbalanced for that long would be a pain. 

It's sad, but oh well...


----------



## FacePlanted (Aug 13, 2007)

I think you would be able to trim as many leaves off as you wanted. Then you could have a smaller looking "bush/mound" and still have the plantlets attached until a bulb formed. 

If you are just removing the babies to thin the bush out, and just want to leave the original bulb, then dont worry about the plantlets -- just ditch them, or put them somewhere out of the way & forget about them. Because the main bulb will eventually grow new leaves from a new "eye/growth point" and that will eventually form a bulb, or it can be plucked off from the main bulb again, to maintain the origional bulb's size/shape/etc.

-Mike B-


----------



## Dryn (Sep 6, 2007)

Thanks for all the comments


----------

