My begonias have been doing really well, and I got a couple new ones by mail-order. I will probably need to do some re-potting (the new ones from Logee's definitely) but have never had to do this for begonias and am worried about having continued good drainage. I happen to have some commercial cactus and succulent potting mix (Schultz) that the label says has about 30% peat, as well as perlite and sand included in the ingredients. Can anyone tell me if this might be a reasonable thing to use? I also have some Miracle-Gro potting soil and could mix it with Perlite, but am not sure if that would be better and what proportions might be suitable. I am not really in a position to be making large quantities of mix (I've seen recipes with leaf mold, perlite, vermiculite, etc. etc.) but I only have a few Rex begonias and a couple of cane begonias so was hoping I could use a less complex mix. Appreciate any input I can get - thanks!
repotting mix question
I make mine is small batches (sometimes in my kitchen mixing bowls ) and also in large batches. Here are some recipes that may interest you
http://cutebassethounds.com/begonia_web/images/soil_recipes_sac_ABS.jpg
I have yet to find a ready mix bag of potting soil/planting mix that works well for my begonias right out of the bag. Too much peat makes for too moist for my environment, and if I let them dry slightly the peat is difficult to re-moisten. Everyone has a different growing environment so you have to do what works best for you. At the very least, I'd add micro bark and perlite to a bagged potting soil. Hope this helps.
interesting mixes there. I don't usually like to add bark to my houseplant mixes but I might try it this time? Or I wonder if CHC would work - CHC+peat mix is what I'm using on some of the hoyas with success. It's time to repot the ones you sent me so I'm starting to match pots and mixes to them and hopefully will get to repotting them next weekend :-)
Until my begonias go outside, i always just use 1/2 soil-less mix and 1/2 perlite......even the rex begonias go for that...........because i am lazy I often use the African violet soil-less mix that is already made up with more perlite added............I know a lot of people don't agree.........
I have Metro mix 700 and Sunshine 5 on hand but it always seems to be more trouble.......because I still feel like I need to add perlite.........
Key, is CHC coco coir?
I find that the bark leaves lots of pockets of air and keeps the mix light. My mentor at the arboretum uses sand. But for me, here in the Napa Valley, sand (to the extent that she uses it down in SFO) is a death sentance.But she wont use perlite due to the dust. I do use sand when i have it on hand but much less. Gotta shift blends to what works for each gardener. =º)
Gail, sounds good if it's what works for you. Took me several tries to get a blend that worked well for our climate. Stay with your success, if you grow begonias anything like you do gessies, you'll be all the envy! ps, I was cruising Kartuz' web site and they have a section for mini rhizo begonias. I know you said you like the little ones.
CHC is coco husk chips. I use the large chunky ones - holds lots of air and lots of water - and you know how I need all the help I can get with the latter. Bark in my mixes dry as fast as peat and take as long (or longer) to re-wet. CHC rewets a lot more easily. The alternative I am considering is peatmix with lots of perlite and some water crystals - another blend that is working well with some hoyas.
I wish I could order from them but I just got burned badly..............almost 40.00 worth of plants plus shipping were dead upon arrival. They haven't indicated that they are willing to do anything about it..........Two of the episcias I ordered were 14.50 each and didn't have a leaf on them when they got here..........only stringy roots along a 4" piece of stem where they had grown it in a terriarium or something??????????
One Kohleria was broken at the base of the stem because it was rotten and overwatered......couldn't even use the cutting as the leaves were all brown????????????
They have a wonderful catalog........makes me sick.........they have a lot of plant I would like to have, but not when you get bad and dead plant material.
The two chiritas were fantastic!!!!!!! And one Kohleria was about 9" tall so I got 3 good cuttings plus the rhizome.........
if I'm off by thinking that a hoya mix would work for begonias, let me know ;-)
I've been warned of salt content and/or retaining salts with the coir - any thoughts on this for the chc?
Sounds like a good product (and since I've been watching the Live Earth concerts) and a renewable resource.
Could be Key, but would dry out a bit too fast here (it was about 100 today!) But the chunks in the soil seem right!
Gail, you should place a call directly to Mike Kartuz. He's a very genuinely nice man (I've met him several times, as have others on this forum) and I'm sure he would want to know about it. Even if it's been a while. I'm hoping that you can get a satisfactory response.
It's important to get CHC that has been washed as much as possible, and then orchid growers wash it again with a witches brew. (Actually, just calcium nitrate and magnesium sulfate, but I can't find calcium nitrate around here....)
I've heard that if the purchased CHC is prewashed properly, an additional wash in epsom salts is sufficient, followed by a couple of rinsings.
Yes, this is a ton of work, and actually the seller says it's fine to use out of the bag.... but I wash it for the orchids (but not so carefully as to really look for calcium nitrate). The benefits of it as a growing medium far outweigh the trouble I go to. (And making sure the gunk doesn't clog my drain is a lot of work. I wish I had a yard.)
Thanks, begoniacrazii........this happened only less than 3 weeks ago..........
LOL on the yard, I was thinking of you the other day as I was cruising this site http://www.florian-greenhouse.com/sierra_photo.html
One has a greenhouse on the roof and another sort of off the balcony. I figured it might be easier for you than moving!
http://www.florian-greenhouse.com/1pictures/350-north-st--Lifestyle.jpg
here's one off the balcony http://www.florian-greenhouse.com/1pictures/residential/Outside%201.jpg
I do know that shipping episcia can be problematic. They can be temperamental - especially the pink varieties.
LOL. No slugs :-))))
I am not ordering any more light episcias........can buy them too many other places.......
Ki, you must get a greenhouse out of your balcony............you really need the room.........we are all saving our seed pods of chiritas for you to work with..............
LOL Gail. 100F out there.... (ok, it's only 99F....)
I heard today that Los Angeles has only had 3" of rain in a year!!!!!!!!!!!!! The fires scare me more than anything in the city of LA.............but then last year they had 145% more snow in the mountains than before.......making the water situation not quite so critical.............
I don't fly, but I have a good friend who loves begonias as much as I do and would be willing to drive with me..............it is 565 miles to El Paso........and then we are home free to LA in about 14 hours...........Her son works a lot in LA and keeps an apartment there..........we could please ask him to go back to Houston for the begonia convention (LOL)
****************I think begonias would be enough to motivate me to fly into LAX?????
Yea! Head to El Paso and hook a sharp left! We'll see ya in LA!
I am too old to drive that far anymore, but i have driven to LA many a time!!!!!!!!