It was the red hair that got me. The plant was not the best looking and the price was too high, but the red hair said buy me. In the sun it takes my breath away. I have never seen this one before. Anyone know which it is?
Anyone know the name of this one?
The leaf.
Fireflush or Curly Fireflush - not certain but I believe there are two.
I have it and it's just now starting is new amazing brilliant red growth.
Well I'll be darned! That is major kewl, kell!
Barb
I knew I should just email you direct Lali. LOL
It is amazing. I hope it does well, it is not the best looking plant and it is in a big pot. It looks like it had a lot of dieback. I probably should repot it.
And where did you find this beauty?
I think I got mine at Logees.com but cant remember. I think GHW carries it, maybe Kartuz.
Kell, if it's overpotted, it will likely just sit there until it fills out the roots in the pot. If it is, I'd say yes, down pot it. They do like to have tight 'shoes'.
It looks like Fireflush. Curly Fireflush has a spiral in the leaf. Though sometimes it takes a while for the curl to show up. This is a new leaf of Curly Fireflush.
And here is a full grown (now dead) Curly Fireflush.
DEAD? Awww, why, how?
Oh WOW tha ti sbeautiful. So sad it died.
Lali, I guess I should repot it. I have been trying to figure out a good potting mix for my begonias. What do you use?
Kell, I use Gardener's Gold (master nurseryman's product) and mix with micro orchid bark, coarse sand, lot's of perlite and now after hearing Rehkka Morris uses kelp, I've started adding it to my mix. I have both liquid and meal (GardensAlive), but I've only recently started this - since the convention.
(since I 'eye-ball' it, I think my mix is roughly 1/3-1/3-1/3 )
At the arboretum, they use their standard planting mix which has the red cinder (lava?) mixed in, and then add about 1/4 to 1/3 coarse sand and about 1/10 maybe 1/8 peat.
I think my biggest mistake in growing begonias is over potting them. With my 'Midnight Sun' being a good Guinnea pig. I got it last year from Logees in their standard 2.5" starter size and put it in an 8" pot (Duh!) needless to say it sat there and did nothing for nearly a year. Now it's busting forth and I just gave cuttings to the arboretum. So now I know, and learned the hard way, just up pot by one size at a time.
now that I think of it, I did the same with Fireflush. It's only got about 4 leaves now, but I'm pretty sure it's got rex in it ? (Joolz?) so it went dormant with the other rexies.
Joolz do you know? all I could find is this
Fireflush (seed parent) syn B. Bettina Rothdchild (type) rex (date) 1966
Yes, it is a rex. That's why I killed it. Some of my begonias look great for a while and then just crash. I've learned not to mourn them. Here's another leaf shot.
Curly Fireflush rex Fireflush sport Woodriff CA 194? (0)
Here is the info on Fire Flush (that's how it's listed).
Fire Flush rex syn. Bettina Rothschild France 1866 (0)
Kell, not trying to hijack your thread but since you did give these beauties to me, I thought I should post their mug shots.
Here's Mrs. Fred T. Scrips (sp?), who's moved out and is getting fresh air!
blooms starting
blooms starting
See how large her leaves are? WOW!
Kell, here's b. fuchsioides you gave me.
Hey Joolz, do you know this little pink rexie (poor thing has a fungi or something)
I know I've posted this picture before in some thread but since we're talking Mrs. Fred T. Scripps, here she is. Mine doesn't start blooming until summer. This is probably from last year.
Those spots are not a good thing, Laurie. Have you tried Rekkha's potion yet. I just ordered the dried neem leaf on the internet because no one in town had it. She said she uses it on everything and never has a problem. Oh, if only that is true!!!! Then maybe I could try Curly Fireflush again.
I have this one tagged fuchsioides floribunda. Adorable little flowers!
What a monster Mrs. Fred is!
Joolz do you have a link for the neem powder, I looked and could only find caplets.
I think the spots might be PM? But not sure. Do you know the name of that begonia?
Here's where I got my neem powder. Hope it's the right stuff.
http://www.bytheplanet.com/MoreInfo/details.htm?prod=107142&PropPass=neem
Oh, and no, I don't know the name of that begonia. Looks like a rex!
Thanks Sweetie-Pie!
I'll bug Butch, he's great at Rexie ID!
thanks again!! Sure looks like the right stuff!
And in case anyone wants Rekha's recipe for trouble free begonia's she told us at the convention that she uses
Rheka’s Neem & Kelp plant food
1/2 tsp powdered neem
1 Tbs. Liquid Kelp
Per gallon of water
no bugs, no mildew problems.
Oh SHoot I just walked in......I will be back to read this thread............ I can already tell I am going to end up with lust in my heart.
oh duh, I meant to post Midnight Sun and how it looks now that it's fill out the pot it was over potted in.
(see how my scattered brain works, I went out to take a photo of it and ended up getting side tracked on Mrs. Fred and the b. fuchsioides and noid rex, and totally forgot about Midnight Sun!)
A close up the red in the new leaves. Seems to lose it's variegation on the older leaves.
So when will you be ready for tours Laurie??!!
I joined the Begonia Society, got the latest 3 Begonian journals today. Not enough pictures. I'll take some at your place and we can swamp 'em.
trust me honey there isn't much to look at. I only just got my yard back from the marauding basset trio and their evil cohort c@ts!
We're getting ready to rip out the yard and start over - sort of. The lawn, after five dawgs and a well run dry looks like... well... it looks like five dawgs and a well run dry lawn. The carex has essentially taken over, but at least it's green and 'fluffy' for now, until the c@ts decide to lay in it.
Congrats on joining the ABS! Woo hoo, another one bites the dust! er.. uh ... what I meant was... great to have another begonia addict
Maybe a field trip to Joolz and Mikes would provide some good ones for the magazine. Hey Joolz, your beautiful photos should be in there!
Lali, your Mrs. Fred T. Scrips is looking good. Mine needs to be repotted. I want to get a good ceremic pot for her and leave her on my front porch. So far she loves it there. Jooolster, yours is so healthy looking!
I have never heard of Neem powder, I use neem oil all the time. I wonder if Neem oil would work instead. So Lali does she use this as a foliar spray or as a soil drench?
I have been meaning to join the begonia society too, Sue. So the magazines are not very entertaining? Oh BTW, I am about to potyour begonia up to a 6 inch pot Sue. Did I tell you I charge not only rent, but also board and keep?
Kell - you should join the begonia society! The Begonian is about 40 pages every other month with lots of good stories and pictures. There is also the seed fund where you can purchase seed packets of rare, newly collected & old favorites like B. kellermanni, carolineifolia, dregei, echinosepala., and many, many more. When you join, they send you a packet of mixed seeds.
And then you can find out about the conventions and board meetings/mini conventions. Like the fantastic one in SF last year.
Here is a picture of B. carolineifolia.
Oh my joolster, I knew that was on my wish list for a good reason (love palm shaped leaves of anything!) but that one is cool growing as a bonsai!
Now Kell, maybe I should come by today, bring Penny to meet you too! I may have a plant for you too, if I can give it up LOL!
Oh my that picture is incredible, Jooster. OK I will join. I could kick myself for not knowing about the SF convention. I so want to go to one to gawk.
Sue, I am off to Kaiser in a few minutes. Then I am doing the nurseries around there...Pleasanton on out. I am almost late now. We must do the San Jose ones. I am going to be so busy though for a couple of weeks getting my rented plots fixed. Weeds grew over winter.
This message was edited May 4, 2006 8:28 AM
Shoot, I just saw you wrote that yesterday, Sue. I actually went to work yesterday. LOL
Well, that's OK, I ended up working too and then going to Costco for a stockup on food. Today is work as well.
Are you going to the SF Botanical garden Spring Plant sale?
http://sfbotanicalgarden.org/plant_sales/annual_plant_sale.htm
My Mom just called me, wants to go and she had never been to the conservatory. Now I just have to convince my DH that he can be without me another Sat.
Hi Gang.....
My DD and myself are coming to SF sometime in July or Aug.
Other than the Golden Gate Park, where else should we hit for looking at plants....
Thanks.
Hap
PS...That's next year....ooops.
This message was edited May 4, 2006 2:18 PM
you mean 2007?
besides the SF Botanical Gardens and Conservatory, Berkeley Botanical Gardens are great too. http://botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu/