This is the new one I started in Aug or thereabout. Her lvs getting pretty
like she is enjoying the cooler temps. I will give her a couple inches of fresh mix
in the bottom of the pot soon. Last time I repotted from a 3 1/2 to a 5 inch pot,
I didn't fill it up. So now I will do that and it will hold her for a couple of months.
I hear Butch yelling, put her in a 10 inch pot and forget about it. LOL
Jackie
LOL You could be right about Butch!
Looks like she's doing well - congratulations.
Sharon
Thanx Sharon. :)
Jackie
Ladies, simmer down now. Jackie, I'm sure you will move her up to a big pot come summer - plenty of time before then.
I have most of my cuttings in 6 oz. plastic cups and some new begonias in 4 or 5 inch clay pots. One thing I've noticed is the clay pots sure get a lot of "fuzz" for lack of a better name when they are allowed to stay damp. I wonder if this is some form of mildew?
I have potted down several of my big pots this year (first time) to give me a bit more room to manage everything plus see if they grow faster come spring. This past year several of the big pots took a long time to fill out and some didn't even do that.
Here is my helper (or hinderance) in one of the rooms I've been trying to clean up for weeks.
LOL Butch. If your helper turns out to be more of a hindrance, send him my way.
I could sure use the help. I love your sun room/garden room. Very nice set up
with great lighting.
Butch, I thought I would have to pot down Phantom, but he has filled out the pot
so I'm not going to. That's one reason I like soilless mixes, the roots don't have any problem filling up the pot, no resistance.
Your plants looking great.
Jackie
Oops, forgot to add that it could be just fertilizer residue on the outside of the pot.
See if it will wipe off. That's the only thing I don't like about the clay. Everything
we do to our plants shows up on the outside of the clay pot. If you're plant looking
good, then the residue is bothering you but not the plant. LOL
Jackie
Jackie,
Show us a picture of Phantom. Sounds like a good grower.
That room is a big utility room in the basement without any windows - just a lot of shop lights.
As for the "fuzz" on the pots, this is not residue or build up from fertilizer or calcium deposits. It is some kind of fungus that also can spread on the top of the soil if it stays wet. It doesn't appear harmful, just ugly. As for clay it has lots of bad points and some good points. It's cheap and it breathes are it's good points. It's heavy which can be good and bad - good for not blowing over as easily as plastic, bad for moving about. Deposits, moss, and algae are a personal thing. I don't mind the moss or even some deposits but the algae is something else. The one thing I really hate is how easily it breaks. I've dropped a few pots this year and I hate it when it shatters. What I really hate is when you pick a pot up by the collar and it snaps off. I've had two pots do that to me this year. Is it the quality of the pots lately?
Here is a picture of some of the "fuzz". The pot in the middle (Palomar Prince) is the worst case. The one to the right of it (Fuscomaculata) has some as well plus some deposits around the collar. The one to the left (Mary Bucholtz) may just be deposits.
Butch, I see what you're saying. You might try googling for clay pots + mold and
see what hits. If it is mold, I would remove the plants from the pots and soak them
in a bleach and water mix. Then re-pot the plant/s and see what happens.
I wonder if when pre-soaking new or used pots, it would help to add bleach to the
water. Since clay pots are porous (why they breathe), I bet the mold will just come back.
That's one reason I stick to plastic. I've tried the clay a couple of times but always go back to the plastic pots.
I've sent this pic of Phanton before. He has filled the pot with roots. I'm going to
prune hard when the days start getting longer in late Dec. Come spring after he has
started putting out new growth, I will pot him up one size. He's already in a 10 gal.
I'm not terribly concerned about this white fluff since I've seen it in the past and it hasn't done any harm - it's more cosmetic than anything. It might be dangerous to seedlings but I don't grow that many things from seed any more. When it is on top of the soil it looks like spider webs. Anyway, it's interesting stuff - in a way. Reminds me of dodder. The first time you see it, you wonder what alien has come up in your flower beds. I did spray a lot of clay pots yesterday with Lysol disinfectant. I'll see if that makes any difference - a lot easier than bleach and repotting.
Clay pots are nice if you tend to water too much (like I typically do). Now I have a mix of plastic, clay, and glazed, with a smattering of fiberglass, resin, metal, and concrete. I have bought more plastic this year after years of not buying it (except for bowls) due to light weight and cheap cost (I bought a slew of 5 inch pots from Wal-Mart for 25 cents a couple of months ago). Clay is great for cactus and succulents but I also use glazed and plastic bowls (plastic can lead to an early demise for C&S if you aren't too careful on the water).
Are your begonias outdoors? Or is that an older picture? Now I'm wondering what ten gallons equates to in diameter size. Is that 'Ginny' next to 'Phantom'?
Butch, Yes that's Ginny next to Phantom. I've repotted her since this pic
This shot is from the summer when all
my plants were out of the g house. I'll check tomorrow and see what the dimensions are
on the 10 gal pot.
The lysol sounds like a good idea and a lot less work.
I like the soilless mix and since it dries out so fast, greatly reduces the risk of
overwatering. So it's great for plastic containers.
Jackie
Jackie,
I wonder if anyone doesn't use soilless mix for potted plants. I amend mine with lots of Perlite. I was using a 50/50 mix at one time, but have reduced the Perlite to about 30% now. Seven scoops of Miracle-Gro potting mix with 3 scoops of Perlite. I experimented with pea gravel which is okay but it adds a lot of weight. The bad thing about Perlite is the loose stuff on the top usually floats away with overzealous watering or a good rain. I wonder if there is a perfect medium out there.
Butch
Butch, I didn't realize your base mix was a soilless one. I knew you amended
whatever you were using. I bet we
would be surprised how many growers still use a soil mix.
I think Fertilome did come close to being the perfect mix. No longer, it now contains
a wetting agent which it did not need. I love Pro-Mix but, you have to pre-wet it. If you don't, the water just sits on the top, can't penetrate the mix. Also if you let it dry out completely, very difficult to
re-moisten. Have to submerge the pot under water and hold it under till it quits bubbling.
That's too much work for me.
I've switched to Miracle Grow for now, found one w/o the wetting agent at Wally's.
Here's my baby Sinbad in the g house this week. Not the best pic.
Jackie,
I forgot to mention that your 'Ginny' looks pretty good. Got any pictures of it by itself.
I used to get Hoffman's peat moss, Perlite, and Vermiculite and do my own mix but that takes a lot of time to mix and I usually got a lot of dust up the old nose. Then I got into Jungle Growth at HD and then they dropped it for awhile. So I found the large bags of Miracle-Gro at Sam's and have been buying it ever since. I can also get the bags with the water absorbing crystals in it, but I rarely buy it. I also buy the large bags of Perlite at a local nursery chain since it is the only place in town that seems to carry the big bags of it. I still get some dust up the nose when mixing but it is a lot less than the dry peat moss. I buy sand occasionally for some succulents and some cuttings.
It sounds like your old mix had a lot of peat moss in it with the drying out and taking lots of water to get it rehydrated. I get the large bales of peat moss for outdoor gardening and it floats out of the planting hole if you don't go slow on wetting it. Once it is mixed with the native soil, it does great.
If your 'Sinbad' takes off, it will fill that ten gallon container next summer easily.
Here is a rough estimate on gallons and pot size in inches. A ten inch diameter pot that is ten inches high is roughly 3.5 gallons. A fifteen inch diameter pot by 15 inches high is 11.5 gallons. If the same pot is thirteen inches high then it is almost ten gallons. These figures are for cyclindrical pots. Tapered pots would be less.
Butch, I meant to get those measurements for you, sorry. I stay so busy with
5 dogs, 3 cats and 6 stray cats next door. Not to mention a parrot and a Golden Palomino
But your measurements sound right. The 10 gallon is about 13 inches high.
These are pots given to me over the yrs by my friend that owned her own nursery.
These are the black nursery pots. I learned from her which one is a 5 or a 10 gallon, even the 20 gal and larger. Sometimes I am so dense that I have to set them side by side to
know for sure. LOL The 1 gal is not a true gal and the 2 gal is more of a gal size.
I used to give her starts off my exotics from Logees and she kept me supplied in pots. That worked well but she no longer has a nursery so I'm on my
own now. I've had some of these for 20 yrs and they are still in good shape.
I took a pic of Ginny a week or so ago but it was too washed out. She does look better since I repotted her but it was too late to get any blooms.
I will try and take a better pic soon. I have not been able
to propagate her.
That's a lot of pets. Better thee than me. One young dog and one old cat is plenty. Throw in some grandkids and it's hard to get anything done.
I think pot sizes in gallons is misleading since they are usually over or under the size they quote. I guess close counts in hand grenades, horseshoes, AND pot sizes. I do keep some of the larger nursery pots at hand for temporary use and a lot of propagation.
Your 'Ginny' looks like a pretty good size. I bought one last year from Lauray or Kartuz and eventually lost it but bought two replacements at PHOE this spring. They're doing good but we have a long way to go until spring. I did put a broken top of one of them in my aquarium and it is doing quite well. The other stem that broke off, I have in open air and appears it is on its way out I do believe (it has lost every one of its leaves). Humidity does seem key on this particular plant.
Butch, It's probably good that I have so many animals to feed. Keeps me active
when I would love to sit in my rocker and nap instead. LOL Plenty of time for that
a few yrs down the road.
Thanx for the tip on Ginny. Next time I try to root a cutting, I will increase the
humidity.
Butch, Here's a pic of Ginny. It's warmed up to 50 here today so I took her
outside for her pic.
Further out. I need a darker background than the lvs provide
Inside on my gaudy red tablecloth. LOL
I can't wait for summer and blooms on this one. She has a
bearded bloom, red hair, it's so pretty.
See my painted kitty on the wall. A piece of hinged barn wood found
at a flea market yrs ago. I didn't do it, was already painted.
Jackie
Oops, forgot about the copyright.
Jackie, your 'Ginny' looks very good. You should put it in a nice pot and display it. One of our members won the blue ribbon for showing 'Ginny' at the Southeastern Flower Show last year.
Thank you Butch. Maybe one day I'll try her in an ornamental pot.
Here is a begonia I've had for about a year and a half, nursing it from a small stick. It is 'Guy Savard'. The picture doesn't do it justice since the flash washed out most of the pink tones that are present in the silver. It has come a long way since I first got it but it wants to grow on one side of the pot only. I haven't had the nerve to cut it yet to start filling it out on the other side.
Here is another begonia I've had the worst time with. I bought it at Ace Hardware two or three summers ago. It seems to resent being watered. I finally put it into a glass bubble (kid's aquarium) and usually don't water it for months (literally months) although I do keep it covered. It has finally filled out pretty good but the soil looks pretty sick but the leaves have pretty much covered the soil now. I think it may be 'Texas Red Star' but I'm not sure.
Oh my gosh! It's drop dead gorgeous. I had one yrs ago but I killed it. I didn't find it
easy to grow nor did I get mine past the stick stage. I think it's notorious for being difficult. Just keep doing whatever it is you're
doing.. He seems to love it. Guy savard is one of the parents of Down Home.
No wonder I find Down Home a little trickey at times.
How Is Guy Savard classified?
Jackie
I'm not sure if Guy Savard is a cane or shrub. To me it is a dwarf cane/shrub. Shrub seems loosey-goosey to me since some I'd think as rex or rhizomatous are classified as shrubs. You can tell I'm no expert.
Here is a close up of an 'Art Hodes' leaf. I like how the hairs (fuzz) have some red/pink/purple in them.
Butch, I always thought Guy Savard was a rhizomatous but I'm not surprised
they consider it a shrub type. Maybe one of his parents is a rhiz type.
It took me an hour or two to post my response to Guy Savard. I had been trying
to post but had many interruptions.
The drop dead gorgeous could also apply to Texas Red Star. Looks like it too is
happy.
Art Hodes has a beautiful textured leaf but I killed one of those too. I
remember that it had the beautiful hair on the leaf surface.
Wish I could grow rhiz like you do but I can't get the hang of it.
Running to town but can't wait to get back in case you post more pics while I'm gone.
Hint, hint
Jackie
I guess 'Guy' is rather rare or fallen out of favor because it's hard to find. I saw one or two pictures of it a few years ago and knew I wanted this one. I found it at Kartuz (I wonder if they still sell it this year). The other one I wated was 'Miniperba' which I now have a few of. The silver really is catchy - at least to me. I'll see if I can find a picture of 'Guy Savard' from last year.
Meanwhile here is some of my recent starts. I started these in water a couple of months ago and once they rooted I moved them to some soilless mix. 'Midnight Twist' (left), 'Midnight Magic' (center), and 'Hee Haw' (right). The green leaf is crassicaulis and I just stuck it in with 'Midnight Twist'.
Here is an embarrassing picture of 'Guy Savard' and 'Miniperba' last year (mid-October). As you can see it wasn't very big at that time.
Found one good picture of it on the web - it is a Japanese site.
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&u=http://www.begonia-net.com/konsyu/040302-guysavard.html&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=2&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dbegonia%2Bsavard%26start%3D20%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26safe%3Doff%26sa%3DN
This message was edited Dec 6, 2006 8:42 PM
Butch, that's not an embarassing picture of Guy Savard.
That's how they look when we first get them rooted. Amazing that you have brought it from that size to the size it is now with all those lvs. It is a lovely begonia. That's the 1st time
I have ever seen Miniperba. She has nice lvs too. So she's a mini superba cane?
Wonder how large she will get?
Butch, I love the dark,dark lvs of Midnight Twist and the lovely red lvs of
Mignight Magic. Looks like Hee Haw will have huge lvs. You will
enjoy crassicaulis too. It sends out a creeping rhizome on top of the soil/mix.
I think it's one that blooms after it drops all of it's lvs. Very unusual for a begonia I would think.
Jackie
Jackie,
I saw a 'Mini-perba' at the Miami convention that was around 3 to 4 foot tall. Here is a picture of it. It's a shame it wasn't near a window. I wonder if the hurricane lamp is the trophy.
Heya Butch! The ABS database shows Guy as a cane (Worley is the hybridizer) and Orpha C. Fox as one of the parents) =º)
Love the green 'freckles' on that cutie rex!
Butch, Your miniperba already has a nice shape going. I bet your's will be as nice as the
one at the convention.
I don't want to get started about Logees. That's where I ordered my Guy Savard from that
is now very difficult to find just as you said.
You should see the list of begonias in one
of their older catalog's. I had just decided I would start adding some of the hybrids and
species in 95 or so. I had already ordered some begonia's from them by then.
I thought no hurry, I have plenty of time to order
Next thing I know, they had quit carrying over half of them when the new cat came out. I was so dissapointed and called them and told them so.
They had simply eliminated the begonia's that weren't selling as well. It's always
about the money. I want to send a list to this forum of some of these impossible to find begonia's
and see if anyone is growing them. Thought I would do this in the middle of winter
when there's not much going on.
Jackie
Baby panasofkee finally growing now. That's a rooted, tiny aconitifolia sp?/sceptrum behind
and to the left with baby ginger kiki's , Globba purple globe planted in the same pot.
Hi Laurie,
I saw that on the abastro site as well. The other parent is 'Corliss Engle'. Which cutie rex are you talking about?
Where you been hiding lately? Propagating 'San Miguel' and scores more?
Do you recognize this one you gave me last year? I prop'ed it a couple of months ago along with that curly beefsteak.
Jackie,
I see you got in before me. I wasn't big into begonias until about 5 years ago so I didn't really know much about Logees. As hobbyists we think all these wonderful begonias should be readily available but as a business, I guess it just isn't feasible. Something about that silly law of supply and demand. I see lots of complaints about the big 3 and their selection and care of plants but they do help spread plants that most of us wouldn't ever be able to buy, let alone know about. It is a business though. I think the big growers would behoove themselves to get some contracts with any of the big 3.
I can't make out much past your 'Panasofkee'. You sound like me where you plant more than one type of plant in the same pot. I'm trying to get out of that habit but it sure is hard.
Here is either U002 or 'Bonita Shea'. I think they are the same but who knows (or really cares).
Yes on the San Miguel! We've spent the last month or so doing begonia inventory at the arboretum. Then I've been entering it into a database that another volunteer had started a few years back and trying to improve on the way the info is listed. So been busy doing that and have had several design projects I have been working on. One was a music CD design (you know the booklet and inside tray graphics etc) that took a big chunk of my time. Not to mention that annual migration to the greenhouse that I tried to space out over several days instead of "the all-night panic it's gonna freeze tonight migration."
I think that looks like a baby Pollux that hasn't split yet? But you know Pollux so if it isn't then I believe it's a noid rex type that I picked up locally (seems like the real name had 'Boy' in it like 'Blue Boy' or something like that?? but I have no idea) . Not sure if you followed that thread about Cottage Gardens growing out Joan Coulot's collection but it may be one of hers. That grower still does not label their begonias but with the help of Paul T and some others, many were ID'ed at the nursery.
the rex I was referring to is in the ball terrarium http://davesgarden.com/forums/fp.php?pid=2974752
Went to Morris Meuller's house not long ago (be green with envy, that man has some serious collection!!) Paul T took me over there after the Sac show and sale and Morris turned me loose in his prop house and said help myself. Well after I fainted and regained consciousness, I came home with yet another B. brevierimosa, B. incisa, B. bipinnatifida, 'Holly's Marvel, U168, 'Red Sceptre', some obscure Chinese species and two bulbs of the coveted B. taliensis. so far one has come out of dormancy. the other is just sitting there.
I recently got a leaf of B. quadrialata subsp. nimbaensis that I though wouldn't make it but it has new growth! Woo hoo! So I read alot here, but haven't had time too much to post. CD project is done, for now and I'm down to some small advertising projects that are not too time consuming.
(photo is of Morris' B. taliensis mother plant)
p.s. did I send you the curly beefsteak? (B. erythrophylla helix?) I dont remember! (p.s. check your dmail)
Love the color and pebbled leaf of U002. Really nice
Laurie,
Sounds like you have been very busy. That must be great to help yourself to someone else's collection. That is a great looking plant but I think there is some problems on the web and elsewhere if that is indeed B. taliensis. Mine by the same name looks nothing like that.
You are right on the 'Pollux'. Just testing you.
Not sure what you're talking about on cottage gardens. Must be on another forum?
Yes, you sent the B. 'erythrophylla Helix'. I forget to water it from time to time and it gets all whiny on me but bounces back pretty good after a good soaking. I cut off 7 leaves this week and have them all in water. I have two others already pupped. Woo Hoo!!!
Seems like helix is a bouncer-backer isn't it. Mine was huge in a 10 in hanging basket when I bought it. Then some neglect and it dropped it's leaves. So I moved it out to the greenhouse where it's back to it's normal self but listing a bit to one side.
I left my huge B. poponoei out side this winter - planted in the ground to test it for cold hardiness. I have back up in the greenhouse and we grow it at the arboretum too so I figured if I lost it, I'd be safe. It was a tough decision because it was easily 2.5' across and 2' tall with big fat rhizomes. So we hit about 28 last week and the leaves are gone but the stems and rhizomes look fine, just a bit bald is all. So hopefully this is one I can continue to leave out each year. We'll see...
Believe it or not, my Pollux has been revived! Poor little struggling thing. Thought it was a gonner for sure.
Trust me, I had to show huge self control with such a generous offer from Morris! I behaved! But it sure was hard. Kind of like when a kid wins a 15 minute shopping spree at Toys-R-Us. Get a cart and stuff as much as you can in 15 minutes. At least that is how a part of my brain reacted. But the more well behaved part of my brain prevailed and I came home with what you see above.
Here's a fun one. A sport of Essie Hunt, cant recall what the name is but it's a variegated version. WOW is all I can say. this photo doesn't do justice.
Sorry to hijack your thread Patootie! =º)
That's ok Lali. Was wondering where you were at. The Essie Hunt sport
is a beauty.
