Tropicals & Tender Perennials: Just a few that are blooming, 1 by begoniacrazii

begoniacrazii wrote:
well, I can't comment for others, but what I have found works best for me is a very light and loose soil blend. I use perlite, sand (yes, as in play sand from HD, a tip from my begonia Guru at the Strybing Arboretum in SFO) and orchid bark mixed with a soil less blend of potting mix. Mine like to have lots of 'air pockets' in the soil that a chunkier mix gives them. I tend to overwater and am having a fungus gnat issue but easing off the water helps along with BT.

I can't remember if I have sprayed neem on my rexies yet because it's usually the 'Frosty', 'Benigo', 'Medora', kind that get the PM. If I recall, I did spray some, but the butter is slipping off the ol' noodle and I just can't remember.

Perhaps someone else can comment. No problems on the canes and rhizos though.

Here's a sweet heart of a begonia called 'Fiji Islands' - a sport of Cathedral. It's great one for small spaces and available at Logees. Mine was a tiny little 2 or 3 inch pot last spring, I've had at least 5 or 6 starts from it and it still looks pretty good.