![]() ![]() Maintain good lighting and water when the soil starts to dry out: it should remain slightly moist at all times. It will look like the soil is covered with green moss at first: you’ll need a magnifying glass if you want to pick out individual details. When the leaves are large enough to make out them out clearly without a magnifying glass, remove the covering to increase air circulation. In 7 to 14 days, sometimes a bit longer, you should see very tiny green leaves appear. It should remain above 70?F (21?C) even at night. Its gentle warmth will be beneficial for germination and will help keep the container warm. Move the container to a spot about 6 to 12 inches (15-30 cm) below a fluorescent lamp. Next spray the surface with lukewarm water and place the seed container in a clear plastic bag or mini-greenhouse to ensure the high humidity necessary for good germination. All kinds of containers can be used as mini-greenhouses for seed-growing. Firm them lightly with a block of wood to make sure they’re in contact with the growing mix, but don’t cover them with soil: they need light to germinate. If they aren’t pelleted, it will be hard to sprinkle them evenly, but do your best. Now place the seeds evenly on the surface of the mix. Level the soil: you don’t want any dips or depressions. The soil should be evenly moist, but not soggy. To sow begonia seeds, fill a pot or tray of fine potting mix (a seed blend would be perfect) and moisten it well, allowing any surplus water to drain away. Often you have no choice, though, as many begonias are only available as pelleted seed. This makes them easier to handle and space equally, but pelleted seeds do cost much more. These days most begonia seed packs contain pelleted seed. How to Sow Begonias Pelleted seed on left, uncoated seeds on right. ![]() Wax begonias are not as affected by day length as tuberous begonias, but still grow and bloom more abundantly when grown under 14-hour days. That will ensure bigger plants in spring and more flowers throughout the summer. That’s why it’s best to use a timer to control day length, setting it at 14-hour days. Yet more than 15 hours or more doesn’t contribute to either growth or flowering. Tuberous begonias are even more tricky because they tend to go straight into producing tubers under short days (less than 12 hours) rather than producing more leaves that will lead to the flowering plant you want. For that reason, it’s much better to grow begonia seedlings under a fluorescent lamp where you can control the light quality and day length. As a result, germination under natural light can be sporadic to nil or if they do come up, they quickly falter. Seedlings grow best under fluorescent lights.Īt that time of year, day lengths are still very short and the sun is very weak… not ideal for seedlings that need light to germinate and grow. Early February - or better yet January - are not too early in the Northern Hemisphere… and that poses a problem. The initial very slow growth of begonia seedlings means you really have to start them very early in the season if you want to use them in your garden the first year. Tuberous begonias can be a bit challenging: they seem to falter if conditions aren’t just right. Of the two, wax begonias are the easiest to grow from seed. x benariensis) and Dragon Wing begonias, and tuberous begonias, especially B. ![]() x semperflorens-cultorum) and related varieties, such as Benary begonias ( B. Unless you buy your begonia seed from a specialized source (the American Begonia Society, for example, offers a wide choice of unconventional begonias), you’ll most likely only encounter seed packs of two types of begonias: wax begonias ( B. What Kind of Begonia? Tuberous begonia ( Begonia tuberosa) However, if you want to give it a try, here’s how. The old familiar rhizomatous species are easy to propagate by division of the rhizomes and from stem or leaf cuttings.Wax begonia ( Begonia x sempervirens-cultorum)Īs explained in the blog Begonias From Seed: For Experts Only, begonias are more difficult to grow from seed than almost any other annual. Bedding varieties can be grown from seed or bought in six packs grow tuberous types from tubers. PROPAGATION: You can buy mature hybrids from garden centres. ![]() Grow them as annuals in cold regions or in protected areas. Use a soluble high-potassium feed like Multifeed Flowergro 3:1:6 during summer.
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