Charles 46277 Loc: Fulton County, KY

I never had success growing begonia tubers in baskets. I found out why. I planted some in a large plastic bowl container and it was pitiful. I planted two in clay bowls, and they have flourished, now coming into bloom. I had heard that overwatering is a problem for these, and the plastic bowls held moisture with the little tubers, so they probably had root rot. But this one in clay pot easily drained and dried enough between watering. Early morning bit of sun on north porch, cannas behind in sun.

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gmontjr2350 Loc: Southern NJ

George

Amator21 Loc: California

We live and we learn!! Very nice!
Poul.

hcmcdole

I grow them as annuals because it gets too hot in Atlanta. I've seen them grown in California the size of saucer plates but then they have cool nights which I hear is what they like/love.

Good growing on your part!

sb Loc: Florida's East Coast

Some of these plants are challenging - I found that out with fuschia - they don't want to dry out, but you have to be careful not to overwater. Clay pots definitely help!

Charles 46277 Loc: Fulton County, KY

Would they just bloom perpetually in a bright window or lights?

Moondoggie Loc: Southern California

Nice!

hcmcdole

I grow hundreds of houseplants (mostly begonias except for tuberous) in winter under shop lights (about 90 running 12 hours a day) in the basement. In summer I drag 90% of them outdoors and back indoors in late October. While I do like tuberous, I don't want to give them any more attention than I have for everything else. We (the Atlanta Begonia Society) are preparing to host our first national convention since 1998 (I didn't know about them back then) in late September. My basement is now a growing area for sales plants (I go to Florida and buy a load most every year but this year I am going for my second trip tomorrow and maybe a 3rd trip in September).

My wife even took pity on me Friday and helped me pot up 132 plugs and I had already potted up around 272 of my own cuttings. I bought 850 pots so I still have quite a few (about 450) for anything else that comes along.

Here are some I brought back in June (the canes) while the ones on the right are ones I grew from my own stock plants.


A few from Florida in June

Charles 46277 Loc: Fulton County, KY

Wow, I feared I might be going off track with flower talk, but it has brought on some great photography here.

tcthome Loc: NJ

hcmcdole

I love begonias and they beg to be photographed. HAHA!

Here are some tuberous at the San Francisco ABS (American Begonia Society) convention in 2010.

Cut flowers


one man grew all these that I remember


I wished I could grow one this size

Charles 46277 Loc: Fulton County, KY

How do you make them big? Get the right bulbs? Do the tubers get bigger each year if carried over?

Maybe you could open a portrait studio for begonia portraits. People could bring their babies in for their albums.

hcmcdole

Those are not my tuberous begonias but grown by one man in a lath house in N. California. Getting the bulbs that grow huge flowers does make a huge difference. If you get WFF catalog (White Flower Farm) you will see in their spring edition some very large flowering tuberous begonias from England but expensive. About $75 each. I would never spend that on one bulb with a good chance of losing the entire bulb in one year. Yes a bigger bulb will produce a lot more shoots and flowers. Another man in S. California would show his tuber of B. boliviensis or 'Bonfire' (which is a superior sport of the species boliviensis and the size of this bulb was over 12" across.

I have tried setting up pseudo studio in the past for my favorite begonias but it is more trouble than it is worth. In winter, I rarely take a plant off the shelf for a photo shoot. I'd rather take a quick shot and move on to other plants that need tending to. What I usually shoot with phone or camera is more for documentation these years.

rooted plants from leaf wedges that were potted up last week.


some of my begonias outdoors last week. Too many for one person to take care of except for crazy old guys.