Tropicals & Tender Perennials: Seeds and Seedlings, 1 by hcmcdole

hcmcdole wrote:
I've ordered from her 3 times. The first two times didn't come out so good due to my ignorance on the small size she sends out. I like a lot of other impatient hobbyists moved them up to a bigger pot and then introduced them to the great outdoors, etc., etc. I have noticed a lot of hobby growers on line grumbling about small sizes of mail order begonias from a few growers but in their defense I can say that 1) the seller states the size of their plants up front usually and 2) if you treat them like baby plants you can grow them to a mature plant.

Now that I know better I keep them in the original pots for a few weeks and baby them along until I see some new growth. Anyway I moved them all outdoors except Munchkin which was the most doubtful of them all (Judy mentioned that it was pretty small and she was right) and gehrtii. The others were nigravenia, nelumbiifolia (lost my first great big one a year ago and have been pining for one until I couldn't take it anymore), Essie Hunt, aconitifolia, salicifolia, Nokomis, diadema, and deliciosa. She didn't have any paulensis at the time so I said I would wait on that one. Anyway they all came through with flying colors. Now that they are back inside for winter, nelumbiifolia and nigravenia have some ugly spots on them and diadema dropped all its leaves (I think it must be semi-dormant - parent to Little Brother Montgomery?).


Here is diadema in the summer: