11 of the 12 cells of Big Red have sprouted, but are tiny. Some are still barely visible


In that pic Big Red is in the APS in back. Left front is Bada Bing and right front is Illumination.

Should any or all be pinched, and if so, when?

Karen

Wow! they look great.

Except for being started to soon, Bada Bing is doing well


Ditto Illumination. Should these guys be pinched? Looks like it to me


Big Red, not so hot. A few are good, most are still barely visible. All sprouted within a few days of one another, a few just aren't growing at all

Sorry, I meant to post this shot of Big Red, too


Karen

amazing how one type can be so much stronger than another... you are doing great!!!

Awesome!

So how about pinching the Illumination begonias? Looks to me like they might benefit. Yes?

Karen

I read somewhere that you do not pinch the pendula kind,
and I think Illumination is a pendula type?

Yes, Caroline, Illumination is a pendulous one. That's why I asked- I have no idea. But I am a rather obsessive pincher! On your advice, I'll control myself, thanks. Here's a picture that Chelle posted of her Illumination
http://cubits.org/begonias/thr...

Karen

ooohhh they are pretty

Here I am a whole year later, with begonias on my mind again.

I started both the trailing and the wax begonias too early last year. I lost a couple of the trailing ones due to negligence before plant out, and the rest fizzled away in the extreme rainfall after plant out . The big red didn't do real well either. They were big and healthy when planted out, fizzled out in the rain too. The Bada Bing did OK, survived the wet summer, though didn't thrive in the rainy, colder than normal temps.

Being a glutton for punishment, I'm going to try again. I have (I think) 10 pellets for Dragon Wing Pink. How fast or slowly do they grow? Wondering when to sow them for planting outside around mid-May.

I'm trying to be optimistic as I look out the window at the monsoon rains which we've had for about the past 36 hours. Roads are closing due to hillsides washing out, roads flooding, trees falling. We can't stay in La Nina's bulls eye forever.

Karen

Karen,

I know nothing about that variety, but I do know that ours seems to be a fairly inhospitable climate for tuberous begonias. I have to keep mine in containers, under cover and out of the rain - planting them out in the garden just doesn't seem to work.

I always lose track of the botanical name for the other ones; I think they're collectively called wax begonias - they, on the other hand, do very well in the ground.

You had awesome results from your seed starting endeavor! I wish that at least some had made it long enough to form savable tubers for you.

Best of luck to you on this years begonia growing!

[This reminds me that I need to check the condition of my stored tubers, thanks!]

Thanks, Chelle.

My plants were doomed with all the rain last year. Even the ones on my covered porch were drenched with rain all the time. My 6.5'x20" covered porch was wet most of the spring and early summer. The rain was blown in under the roof. Honestly, you wouldn't believe how wet it was. I'm trying to be optimistic for better weather this year, though it's not looking very rosy right now. This has to end some time. Our "normal" rainfall for January is 3.3" but we've already had 5.8" this month, even as it continues right now. I just checked and my covered front porch is wet to within a foot of the front door.

Our "normal" summer weather his hot and dry.

Karen

Do you hang your containers high-up?

Mine also get wet occasionally - sometimes I'll even set them out for a quick rain rinse if it looks like it's going to be a quick over-and-done-with sprinkle, with a nice breeze to dry them off pretty fast.

I haven't ever tried a fungicide - my tree frogs hang out around the deck and I don't want them exposed to it. Luv my tree frogs! I must have checked each of my houseplants thoroughly enough this year - I haven't had a clingy visitor inside this winter. I really miss all the *talking* last years indoor visitor did, but I'm sure they're better off outside, plus I don't have to buy extra food. Boy, the research needed just to find out (and acquire) food for him took hours and days!

I hang 2 baskets high. I had the trailing tuberous begonias in them, they fizzled out. The rest are potted and on table tops or the floor. Impatiens, which usually cry for more water here, loved all the cloudy wet weather.


The in-ground impatiens loved the water, too


The in-ground fibrous begonias lived, but never thrived. The summer before, they did great there. This was late last summer


We normally have hot, dry summers, and impatiens usually whine for water.

Current weather- the rain finally ended, it's cloudy, dreary, and foggy. Rivers are flooding, hillsides are washing out. There's currently a casino being built downtown, and there was a construction accident. At least 15 guys have been injured some serious. I'll bet this is going to be related to the wet weather.

Karen

Were these the ones you started from seed?

Man, that middle photo....the arrangement is just fantastic! ....all of them are, but the middle one really gets me. Nice! Really nice.


> Sad news about the accident - hope everyone involved pulls through okay.

Yup, today we could ice skate in the middle of our yard....nice big, now frozen, pond there!

we are getting that rain now... but you believe it's 58 today????

36° here- cold, dreary, muddy, bleh!

Karen

I grow Dragon Wing Pink and Red every year. They are a slow go but worth every second. They have been planted for about 2 weeks now. I'm just starting to see green with glasses!!!
I'm weeks behind, they usually go in the flats on New years day.

This is Dragon Wing red. They are pelleted seeds, on a heat mat @72, with light 15-20 hours a day. I use Redi-Earth seed starting soil. When I water I spray with a small sprayer so the seeds are not moved and use a solution of chamomile tea. Works like a charm every year. When you can see them with out reading glasses you can plant in 4inch pots. I don't fertilize until they have 2 or 3 leaves on them. I think there are some pictures on the container forum. I would post but my pictures went in the crash on my computer. If any one is interested I can keep you posted on what is happening.

Thanks springcolor! So you usually plant on Jan 1 for plant out---when???
"When you can see them with out reading glasses you can plant in 4inch pots". Wow. Really? that seems so big a pot for such a tiny seedling!?!

Thanks again for responding.

Karen