This is my unknown pink the first one of this flush just opened tonight. The third one is my deformed bud, same plant and second one is the little plant of Baby CG that has buds on it already. A couple of the whole plant just to see if you have any suggestions on its form. Does it look ok. Or should I prune some to shape it up. Thanks for the help.
















Kristy
Copperas Cove, Tx
USDA Zone 8a
Heat Zone 9 (I learned this today,lol)

Hi there, one of the buds on my NOID pink looked like yours this summer, and it did open and was a good flower. I was also concerned that the bud was deformed, but the flower was ok.

Kristy, the pic of your bud looks exactly the same as the problem I have been having with a few of mine this year. First time I have ever had a deformity, and since it is happening in so many different locations, I am beginning to believe it could be the strangeness of MN this year. I cut all my deformed buds off after opening one to see if it would be normal, and it wasn't.

USDA Zone 7/8
Copper Canyon
North Central Texas

Kristy, pretty pink brug. I know how excited you are to have your first bloom. There are many more to come.

On the deformed looking one, maybe you could carefully open that calyx tip just a little to allow the bloom to push out more freely. I think if that is done before the bud gets too large, you might have a chance of saving it. The deformity could be happening because it's trapped inside. Why that tip isn't opening is a mystery of Mother Nature. Just a suggestion.

Jarie
Mission, TX
Rio Grande Valley
Zone 9

I believe when the buds have that funny kink in them, it could be due to a bug biting the calyx and causing it to grow wrong. Mites will do this, especially broad mites and this year I noticed that clover mites were bad at causng damage like this. You can't see broadmites without a good magnifying glass.

Someone on another forum was talking about broadmites recently and using Neem on them to get rid of the mites. That works fairly well if every little speck of area on the plant is covered with neem, top and bottom, but what about the soil or the grass around the area. Broadmites can travel in the wind or on your clothes from brushing up against a brug with them or just on your hands as you handle blooms while looking at your brugs. Personally, I think once you have them, they are going to show up from time to time. They are a pain in the neck.

I don't know if this is the problem with your "kinky" buds, but it's something that might explain the deformities in them.



ChSam (Shirley Morr)
Chariton, Iowa
Zone 5

Is that what we were talking about with the stuffed buds?
I thought it was this:

I don't know what causes it, my guess is weather, but it mostly happens with suaveolens types, this one's Insignis Gold. When I spot them I just pop open the calyx and let the crumpled flower out. It won't straighten but it should still open and smell nice.


I was thinking the same thing Shirley mentioned, it looks more like cyclamen or broad mite damage. They show themselves from time to time in my yard. This is Harlot:


Can't keep the little buggers off of her, everytime she Y's, they attack. I drag out the miticide and it works for a little while, but they always come back. I haven't tried Neem, but this time around I'm trying the anti-stress polymer. So I guess we'll see how that works on them.

Lynne
USDA 9b, Heat 10
Bradenton, Florida
Current Kanji: hana (flower)

After getting a better look at it in the daylight there is a bug bite in that one and one more I found. I got some neem oil today and will spray it good. I want some of that anti-stress stuff too. I need to hurry up and get off my duff and order it before it gets cold and I have to bring all my plants inside.

Kristy
Copperas Cove, Tx
USDA Zone 8a
Heat Zone 9 (I learned this today,lol)