HI, I am interested in starting a swap amongst DG Begonia lovers... I am gonna list all I have, and hope some of you chime in and lets see what we can't come up with then organize who is trading what with whom...of course cuttings would be welcome if plants are to valuable or the only one... ok if anyone has info on how to run this smoothly.. .I am all ears... here are my haves... and for all to know... I WANT ALL OF THE ONES I DON'T HAVE!!! :)
Haves: My Special Angel, Elephant ear, Medora, Frosty, Beefsteak, Palomar Prince, Maple leaf, Torch, Charm, Red Dragonwing, Pink Dragonwing, Pink Baby wing, Tiger kitten (leaves only 2 available..) Black Magic (leaves only 2 available), Richmondensis, Concorde, River Nile, Watermelon ( 2 small cuttings only), I have another unknown type that looks similiar to River Nile but the leaves are not swirly or as large (leaves only)..... I am not sure if I have more or not, will check and post if I do.
I will accept leaves off of Rhizo types also as on some of mine that is all I have to offer. I prefer the Rhizo types, and am highly seeking Iron Cross.
Ok, if anyone wants to see pics of mine, I have a lot of them posted on Marketplace.... Take care and dmail me if interested... Thanks, Laura
ANYBODY UP FOR SWAPING BEGONIAS??
HI Laura,
I am very intrigued with your swap idea. I just started collecting Rex begonias and other rhizomatous begonias this year. I've had some success propagating some of my cane begonias from stem cuttings but have not done the same for the Rex. I do have a very healthy Iron Cross but I don't know what kinda of swap I could do with you. For instance, how would I ship leaves? Then what do I do with your swaped leaves once I get them? Is it fair to swap leaves for baby plants? I saw your posting on the DG market place and am very tempted with some your baby plants. I like Frosty , Beefsteak, Palomar prince, Torch, maybe black magic, richmondensis and watermelon.
I have many of the American cities series like Chicago Fire, Boston Chocolate, Alberquerque sky, Charlotte Chiffon, Denver Lace, Hilo Holiday. Others include, beatrice haddrell, chocolate truffles, benitochiba, possibly cowardly lion. I also have many unamed ones I picked up at local nurseries.
Anyway, I am not interested in organizing a swap but will be glad to try it with you if no one else answers this thread.
Rosalie
HI, wow, you have a bunch! On the leaves, I think they would do fine if the stems were cut as close to the stem as possible and then the stems would need to be wrapped in really wet paper towels. Of course we would have to ship priority 2-3 days on them, which is not a problem here, their rates are not so bad, as most of my business is done online and that is what I use.
I have had good success with beefsteak leaves that I forgot about in the HOT Greenhouse for two days!! I have found a great site for info on propagation, stuff I never knew, and I have taken 2 yrs of Horticulture classes through a college! It is www.bradsbegoniaworld.com. I have been doing some research on begonias, as I own a nursery and plan to specialize in them, there is another site www.glasshouseworks.com, they have a bunch at reasonable prices.
I wanted to start a trade to basically get plants I don't have to propagate once they are older. So however it is done, no matter to me. I do have a zillion other plants, so if there is something else you want let me know and I am sure we can somehow organize this between us. Thanks a bunch!!! Laura
I wouldn't mind participating, but all I have is an iron cross begonia, and a small plant I got from a cutting of it . . .
Hi Laura I need to check out my yard for my inventory. I am a little hesitant about trading the trade named varieties since the breeders spent a lot of time and energy developing. I won't mind trading older varieties. I'll let you know tomorrow what I can trade. And yes Iron Cross is OK .
Rosalie
Let me see what I have available. Need to get into my terrarium for cleaning anyway ;)
Lana
Hey Laura,
Did you send your cuttings yet? I didn't get mine in the mail today.
Rosalie
Hi all, for some reason I can not get to the new people who have responded to my post. Please Dmail me until I can figure out what is going on! Thanks, Laura
Ok Laura I did get your Dmail OK. Can't wait to see what they will become!
Thanks
Laura, I met Brad of http://www.bradsbegoniaworld.com./ during a couple of visits to Kartuz Greenhouses http://www.kartuz.com/ where he works. He has the most amazing begonias. Just beautiful. He does his own hybridizing and has really special ones. Kartuz has beautiful ones for sale. I loved my trips there. Lali and Butch were there with me.
I do not think I have the time to get into trading. I am so far behind in everything I do!
Truongr, rooting leaves is such fun. I love doing it because it is like magic and besides setting it up you do not have to touch it for a month or 2. Not even to water.
Here is one that has been bagged and forgotten for about 2 months.
They love the high humidity.
I fill a 16 ounce red plastic cup with potting soil, wet it and drain. Then I just push the leaf stem into the soil until where the leaf meets the stem is firmly touching the soil. I then put it in a clear plastic bag that I have poured water in and then drained so water is beaded a bit inside. I put the cup in and close bag securely and place on my seedling table under lights. A month or 2 later I open bag and slowly get it used to low humidity.
Here is a Rex I did. You can see the original leaf dying off.
Of course you need to keep watering it after you take it out of its wet bag or it dies. Which is what this little one did. I am so bad.
Kell I am so glad to hear from you! The begonia forum seems a little slow during the summer. Anyway, I've read Brad's Begonia world tips on propagation and have started doing my own for fun. I found 3 begonias in a local public park that I really liked so I snipped one leaf from each plant and started doing as you've described. I actually have my leaves in dixie cups to start but instead of plastic bags I have all of them sitting in a nursery tray where I have poured a little bit of water at the bottom. I have a clear lid on top and I can see condensations on the plastic lid. They have been under my grow lights for a week now. The leaves still look healthy.
I 've read on another forum that some people like to do direct rooting in a small jar of water with the leaf cutting so I am trying that process next.
Rosalie
Hi Laura,
I just got the plants today. They were in good shape. I am planting them now.
BTw sorry for not wrapping the leaves completely; I didn't know... I hope my leaves cutting arrived OK.
Rosalie
Good luck Rosalie with all your new babies. I think it is such fun to start them. Yes, the begonia forum is slow and I do not know why more people do not grow them with fascination. There is such a variety with stunning colors, textures, shapes and even PINK polka dots. A most entertaining genus.
I agree with Rosalie (truongr) about not trading named varieties. The folks at places like Kartuz, Logees, Rob's House of Violets and Lauray of Salisbury aren't making a lot of money selling plants. They do it because they love the plants. I want them to always be around, so I'll stick to trading species begonias. I have purchased plants from all of the above internet sellers and I highly recommend all of them. Here's what I have to trade:
B. cubensis, soli-mutata, dregei, fischeri, prismatocarpa, solananthera, herbacea, foliosa, luxurians and 'Sophie Cecile'
I am looking for an old favorite called 'Laura' or Princess Laura' or something like that. It is a hanging basket type with double pink flowers. The nursery I once worked for stopped growing it because the fallen flowers made such a mess in the greenhouse and I haven't seen or heard of it since. I'd love to trade for one of those or any other species begonias.