Tropicals & Tender Perennials: No luck propagating, 1 by hcmcdole

hcmcdole wrote:
It is fairly common to pick up rexes (and other plants) at nurseries and the big box stores with the wrong tag. One grower must've had a million tags printed with Begonia serratipetala Rex and put them in any pot that had a begonia in it. The unsuspecting buyer thought they had a new and unusual begonia. There are many sites that have some decent pictures with names (some sites rename their begonias which adds to the confusion).

Propagating rexes are very easy. Leaf propagation is probably the better way to go than division because typically there aren't enough rhizomes in a small pot for division. If there is then divide away. If the rhizomes are long enough you can take a piece of it as well. Perlite is probably the best medium to use but a good potting mix will work as well but there are more caveats when using it. I like using baking pans with the plastic lids. I prefer the roasting pans over the cake pans because of the extra depth. Punch holes in the bottom of the pan for drainage and fill over half way with perlite or potting soil. If using perlite water it well but potting mix is totatlly different - if it feels or looks moist DO NOT water at all. Take healthy leaves and cut the stem to an inch or two. Large leaves can have the excess outer area trimmed away. Push the stem into the medium until the leaf is resting or partially off the surface. Cover with the plastic lid and place under lights or a well lit area. Doing this outdoors is even easier - you really won't need the lid if your area has adequate humidity. They should root in a week or two and babies will appear shortly.

You can also water root leaves but I find it best to place a plastic lid or baggie over the cup of water to keep the germs out. Or you can place the cup of water in a terrarium and cover.

Anyway rooting and developing babies is fairly easy but growing them on can be a challenge if you neglect them. Too much water will cause rot while no water will quickly dessicate the leaves and possibly kill the plant as well.

Here is a pan of rhizomatous I started last winter. Rexes are easier than these but you get the idea.