Scale insects on bougainvilleas
I have a problem with my bougainvilleas. I think they have scale insects, which look like little white mosses with legs. I tried to get rid of them with insecticidal soap, but the scale insects are still there. I’ve isolated them from my other plants, but I don’t know what else to do. I don’t want to lose my bougainvilleas.
Answer
Your instinct to isolate the plants from the others is very good: scale insects spread quickly to other houseplants, and infested plants should always be isolated.
Mealybugs are very difficult to control: they are among the most persistent insects affecting our houseplants. Continue to spray weekly with insecticidal soap while removing any insects you see with an old toothbrush dipped in the insecticidal soap. In summer, put your bougainvilleas outside: very often, natural predatory insects find the scale insects while they are in the garden and can greatly reduce their population.
Amaryllis seeds
I bought an amaryllis in November. It bloomed and then produced fruit. Can anything be done with this fruit? Can it be used to grow new plants?
Answer
These fruits will dry out after a few weeks and open up, releasing black winged seeds that you can sow. Simply sow them in a pot of moist potting soil and cover the seeds lightly with soil. The seeds germinate easily at room temperature, in a well-lit place, within a few weeks.
However, you will have to wait about 3 to 5 years for the bulbs to grow large enough to flower. And even then, the flowers will not be identical to those of the mother plant, as commercial amaryllis are hybrids and contain a mixture of genes. Nevertheless, amaryllis grown from seed produce very beautiful flowers, even if they are of different colors and shapes.