Tropicals & Tender Perennials: Begonias in Switzerland, 0 by Crazy_Begonia

Crazy_Begonia wrote:
Your begonias are lucky indeed, at least in summer, since you live in zone 7b. 6a can be challenging at times, but since I once was a professional gardener I should be able to "read plants" and gain specific experience with the variuous groups of begonias.

Begonia venosa is a slow grower which needs very intense illumination, indeed. This doesn't surprise me at all, since its natural habitat are semi-arid grasslands
in Brazil. For the same reason it can be expected to take temperature differences, low humidity and wind with ease.
Although begonia venosa can be propagated by cuttings I prefer to sow them. They germinate quickly and even small seedlings tolerate some drought.

Most begonias are not that easy to propagate from seed. But even so, sometimes I don't have a choice or I choose to grow them from seed to select the most restistant seedlings.