Tropicals & Tender Perennials: I have found my true love!!!, 1 by begoniacrazii

begoniacrazii wrote:
Kristi, wait...stop the presses, you're not doing anything wrong. There's as many ways to grow begonias as there are gardeners. Everyone has to experiment until they find what works for their environment.
I have temps in that run about 105-110º with zero humidity in the summer, cold wet winters. So for me that soil works well to keep me from drowning them.

It took me several tries to root rhizo and rexie leaves. I tried the wedge in soil method, the lay the leaf on the top with hair pin method, petiole in cup of water method. Almost all failed. Then I tried a wedge in 100% perlite and had a huge success. I have several rhizo (b. poponoei, b. ricinifolia and some other that I cant remember off hand) rooting like mad in perlite and then transferring over to 3 oz solo cups (with a 60/40 mix of perlite to planting mix)
and yes, i use a premium planting mix (soil-less) with all kinds of compost, bat guano, worm castings etc.

Canes are always easier to root for me, I just cut the cane, and stick it in a pot. I also use a cloning machine with pretty good results (have a leaf of Fiji Islands rooting in there now and it's going to town) Or I also root in perlite with pretty much 99% take.

OK, lets talk about nirvana now. This is sheer and utter bliss! Being surrounded by some of the most incredible begonias AND begonia people is just incredible! All of the 'who's who' are here. And everyone of them are gems! Beautiful people!

So, until I can post again, I'll leave you all with a few to drool over. (just to show you how much trouble I got in, here are some of the begonias I fell in love with while here. And yes, my husband says I can still come home despite my begonia sickness! LOL)

Half my photos are digi and half 35mm so until I develop the 35mm, I can only post the few that I took with the dig. camera.