Malipoense x Fanaticum

[Happypaphy7]

I had two of these in bud.
This plant had been attacked by soft brown scales in the past few months, and I have been poking the bud quite a bit everytime I found scales on it.
The bud continued to develop with all the harassment from scales and my poking, which surprised me, but then just as it was about to open up, the color turned cream yellow at the ventral sepal, and I knew it was dying. I found two female scales inside the bud.

I picked the bud off and it fell off right away.
I waited for this flower since June, such a long time.
So I took some pictures.

At least I know what the flower looks now. Not surprisingly, it's very much malipoense.
The first photo shows the correct color. The second photo, I tried to force it open before tossing.

Now I have to do something about this plant. I don't see any scales on it, but apparently they are hiding in the crevice somewhere on the plant since it keeps popping out juvenile every so often.

hate bugs.

 

[NYEric]

I'll take one.

 

[Happypaphy7]

The other one is in bud and scale free, but the bud looks very strange.
I should take a picture and post to show what I mean.

They both have a new start going, so apparently willing growers.

Not giving up on these yet.
I hopefully get to see the other one open, if ever.

This one with scales, I'll have to continue to watch, but I might grow it away.
I never give away infested plants knowingly.
It's just not right.

 

[SlipperFan]

Sad. Looks like a good bloom.

 

[Happypaphy7]

I know, right?
I was actually quite happy to see what the flower might look like.
This is not bad at all. Something to look forward to next year.
That is, if I can get rid of scales.
I would really love to keep it because this is smaller plant than the other.

Now I'm quite puzzled about the other one. Picture will soon follow.

 

[gnathaniel]

Too bad! Looks like a nice one. I think my plant of this grex is in bud again, very malipo-heavy like yours. Given that x fanaticum occurs as a natural hybrid, I'd be surprised if many lines of malipoense and micranthum weren't already reticulate in ancestry anyway.

Do you ever use systemic neonicotinoids like imidacloprid? In my limited experience they're extremely effective against scale and most other insect pests. I'd also encourage you to overcome your reticence to give away buggy plants if you're not equipped to manage the infestation. You're not concealing the bugs and Eric has probably dealt with scale before. Seems pretty wasteful to throw out an uncommon plant for such an easily-cured issue. Especially since you likely have unseen scale on many more plants than this one...

 

[Happypaphy7]

I think so as well, so I am really wanting to save it if I can.
Otherwise, I would have just tossed it and forget about the scale stress.

I thought about using imidacloprid. Some told me they are good, and some told me they caused the scale (or maybe it was mealy bugs) population explode??

What form have you used? I have seen two types at the garden stores here.
One was spray form and this of course was mixed with some other ingredients. I do not like spray of any kind. I have used a few different sprays, you name it, and pretty much all nearly killed my plants. Thank goodness they were not the best plants, so I was not so sad. haha

Another form was in granulate. I think you know which product I'm talking about. It is supposed to be mixed in the potting mix, so I was hesitant to use it since bark chips are not exactly the same was regular houseplant dirt.
I don't know.

For this particular plant, I noticed that it was infest with scales back in August or September. I have been just picking them off with tooth pick.
There were quite a few in the very beginning, and in the past few week, I only saw small red scawlers here and there.
This tells me the adults are still hiding somewhere likely in the deep crevice between leaves where I can't see and reach with toothpick.
I probably have to use chemical. Who knows those crawlers might be crawling all over to other plants nearby.
I hate this bug so much!!!!

I look at the front and back of all other plants. I have not seen any scales.

Too bad! Looks like a nice one. I think my plant of this grex is in bud again, very malipo-heavy like yours. Given that x fanaticum occurs as a natural hybrid, I'd be surprised if many lines of malipoense and micranthum weren't already reticulate in ancestry anyway.

Do you ever use systemic neonicotinoids like imidacloprid? In my limited experience they're extremely effective against scale and most other insect pests. I'd also encourage you to overcome your reticence to give away buggy plants if you're not equipped to manage the infestation. You're not concealing the bugs and Eric has probably dealt with scale before. Seems pretty wasteful to throw out an uncommon plant for such an easily-cured issue. Especially since you likely have unseen scale on many more plants than this one...

 

[Happypaphy7]

So here's the picture of the bud on the other plant of the same cross.
The plant is still quite petite compare to regular malipo I've seen, but it is about twice as big as the other plant.
The spike is also very tall.

The thing is the bud has been "open" like this for some time now and finally I see something developing inside.
At first, I was worried that there was nothing inside.
You don't see the pouch in this shot but it is there, just very very small.
It will be interesting to see who the bud develop its parts over the next few weeks. Hopefully not months.
This is painfully long process. I mean 6 months?

 

[Happypaphy7]

An update over a month past since this last posting.

This thing has been one of the most frustratingly slow ( 8 months now) bud to develop ever for me, and at the same time, very strange in how it develops.

The dorsal and synsepal tips started to turn pale tannish a few weeks ago and I thought it's finally giving up. lol

Then, the petals and finally some pouch started to develop.
Both the petals and pouch are heavily pigmented.
I can understand both malio and micranthum can contribute this coloring on the petals, but pouch??
I really want to see this thing open!