I'm brand new here, and recently bought a variety of 20 Begonias- actually from this thread- http://davesgarden.com/products/market/view/6305/ I'm so glad I found DG because I was nearly ready to spend a LOT of $$ at Logees on begonias!
Anyway, I want these to be year-round houseplants on my very large East windowsill. Here are my questions:
Any advice about how to make sure I'm not bringing bugs into my house? I've read about neem- where do you buy that?
Are there any of these that ought to be closer to the window than others, or are all their needs pretty much the same?
Come winter, will they still look pretty on the windowsill, or ought I bring them down to the basement so they can go dormant??
What type of soil should I buy - I'll be going to Home Depot or Walmart - so nothing too exotic please!
Thank you, and glad I found DG:)
Ellen
PS not sure why it doesn't say Zone 7 under my username. I'm in Baltimore, MD, and it was a surprise to find out that I'm zone 7 while my childhood home right near NYC is only 4 hours away and zone 5!
20 Begonias as Houseplants- Questions
Looks like a fairly nice selection. I especially liked the Ma-dam Queen. She can be cantankerous but she is a beauty when she is actively growing. Some are mildew magnets but it depends on your conditions in the house. Cool conditions usually make mildew spores ripe for outbreaks. You will learn as you go along your merry adventure.
Neem oil can usually be found at the big box stores during the growing months or a nursery store should carry it most of the time. It has a pungent smell so you probably want to do spraying outdoors.
You will find which ones need more light and which ones don't. Most like a lot of light to grow to their full potential. I was in Tampa earlier today where the morning sun was brutal. The begonias in the yard I went to seemed to have no problems with the morning HOT sun and humidity. It's the humans that have the problems.
Soil - you should get a quality potting soil and if you are a heavy waterer then you should amend it so it is fast draining (perlite is pretty good). Do not get cheap heavy potting soil - it will probably kill your new begonias quicker than anything else.
I'm in Z7 so it is surprising to see you in the same zone. I saw a person or two saying coastal SC is Z9 which is really weird because I thought south GA, north FL were zone 8. What's the harm anyway what the number is? The plants will let you know what is too cold, too hot anyway (dumbplants can't read zone maps anyway).
(dumbplants can't read zone maps anyway)- LOL!
Thanks for the advice. What do plants consider "cool"? In the winter it gets to be around 62 in here- is that too cool?
What's a good soil that I'd find at Home Depot?
Do you think I can pot 2 or 3 together in a 10" pot?
I think 62 would be fine. Some do better if they have a cool spell anyway. Some can go close to freezing but 50 is better (don't push it to freezing).
Jungle Growth or Miracle-Gro potting soil is pretty good. A lot of times price is a good indicator. Lots of people recommend Pro-mix and some of the begonia growers in FL recommend Fafard.
Yes you can put multiple plants in a 10 inch pot but there are some caveats:
1) Small plants can easily "drown" in big pots because the soil doesn't dry out so it is better to move them up to the next bigger size when they fill the pot they are in.
2) If you do put multiple plants in the same pot, make sure they are compatible. i.e. Big plants can quickly take over a pot crowding out small plants. Some might want water more than others so one may dry out and die or one may rot due to too much moisture in the soil.
Thank you very much.
I'm expecting this order at the end of this week and very excited!
Are any of these more suitable than others for a hanging basket? How would I judge that?
Should I spray Neem oil on them as a preventative on a regular basis?
Thanks so much:)
Ellen
Most can be grown in a hanging basket. I don't think you would want to grow tall canes in a hanging basket but there is no rule against it. Rhizos would probably be a better candidate.
It depends on how ambitious you are on spraying and keeping up a regimen. Most begonias do not need anything special except light, water, and some food from time to time. If you had insect problems or mildew then you might want to spray as directed to get rid of the problem.
Thank you! I really don't want to "kill" these plants, so I want to make sure I do everything right. If they die, it's God's will, not my fault, lol!
I am worried about the lack of humidity in my home in the winter, perhaps I'll lay trays of pebbles under the plants- but my kids play ball (nerf balls ONLY in the house!) near that window, so I don't want the watery trays of pebbles being knocked over!
Most begonias should do well in a normal house environment if there is good light. The ones that require extra humidity can be put in a tank, a glass jar, or have a plastic bag put over if need be.
hcmcdole- Was just reading this thread, now you have me scared, I just bought a Madame Queen this weekend, - tell me about the cantankerous...give me the whole scoop on her. I want to be prepared!
Thanks!
daylily_lady
She grew very well for me in summer and I got it through one winter but the second winter is when she kicked the bucket. You might have better luck. I have a feeling this is one that needed either more light or more humidity or both. I think it is one for a greenhouse.
Madame Queen R.I.P.
I just got my order! Must post pictures.... tomorrow!
How long can a well-taken-care-of Begonia live indoors? Should I expect to take cuttings every year or so and start anew, or can they live a few years?
Begonias can live for years but at some point (sooner than later is the best motto) you should start some new ones for insuring against loss. You could have your favorite plant that is looking grand one day and dying the next for no known reason so if you had started at least one more then you can start a new one from it and so on. Also if you share new starts with friends and family then there is another resource you have in case something goes wrong.
I understand that the nurseries get cuttings from a mother plant and that they eventually (after a few seasons) get rid of the mother plant but only after they started a new one to replace it.
Why I did not think to read this thread BEFORE I bought a small collection of begonias too?
So am I correct in understanding that some begonias undergo dormancy, loosing leaves and blooms in winter months??
Some how I remembered the begonias of my childhood (circa: almost DinosaurDays) to be a sun loving green leaf, vibrant blooming item. The ones I bought are house plants for my zone - 7b.
So does that mean they will maintain their leaves over winter??
Am I asking for too much to hope ANY may bloom over winter too??
Hope to get some answers - the plants are coming. . .
Tuberous begonias do a full dormancy. Some begonias are semi-dormant (oxymoron?) such as rexes and can shed every leaf but that doesn't mean to let them dry out completely either - just cut back on watering until they start growing again.
There are a lot of oldies that are still as popular as the day they were introduced. There are thousands of hybrids but a lot of them look like twins of older hybrids. Choose your first ones for ease of growing and space requirements so you don't get frustrated on why they quit growing and eventually die. Some are very picky on growing conditions but you won't see a lot of warnings about them when you place your order(s). It isn't until they start going downhill that you find out from other growers how finicky some of these can be.
As for keeping their leaves over winter it depends on what type they are and what conditions you will be growing them in. As for blooms you may get some to bloom off and on through winter depending on type and how much light and warmth you give them.
Semps and Dragon Wings can bloom non stop, canes can be very sporadic, rexes are grown more for their leaves but typically can bloom any time the conditions are right, and rhizomatous are usually spring bloomers. Tuberous are variable - some are non-stop, some have a flush of blooms but most are grown for summer with a winter rest.
Blooms are icing on the cake when it comes to begonias (except for tuberous where the blooms are center stage).
Winter growing can be fun in a way but it is usually a challenge.
Summer growing is where they strut their stuff. All these begonias in this pot are from the West Palm Beach convention in May. They've grown quite a bit in less than 4 months.
Thank you, Hcmcdole, for all this advice. I hope I can make my begonias live for a while!
Here is my living room display. I found these stands on ebay and bargained down to about $12 each. These are the begonias I bought from DG plus about 8 more plants I ordered from Logees. (love that catalog!)
This is an East window, but with the bushes outside and the roof overhang, they get direct sun for only about 3 hours in the morning.
Here is each window individually.
another window
last window!
Oh, forgot to upload, here it is!
and, I went all out at VioletBarn.com- I 'm going to post those pictures in the African Violet forum. They're on my West window. That's all for now- I've used up all my window space in this house!
If the windows are all used up then it is time for some lights then!
I know! I already told DH I want a huge light shelving unit for my birthday... but that's in January!
Hi there, you have wonderful window set-ups there! I just wanted to say that I have a couple Rex begonias that get filtered light through a lace curtain during the day in a south window and seem to be doing very well. I use african violet soil mix (Lambert) with added vermiculite for my begonias & violets and that seems to work well; I have a rooted begonia leaf in that mix too. I also feed them with an African Violet liquid food (Schultz) at 1/2 the recommended strength. So, pretty much, I treat them about the same way as I do my violets. I also lightly mist them (and the violets) once or twice a day. ChuLin
Thanks for sharing, Chulin.
so far, they're doing well! I hope they can live through the winter on my windowsill!
Beautiful picture.