470 



BEGONIA 



BEGONIA 



501. Young plants starting from the 

 incisions on a begonia leaf. 



rhiioiiiatoiis; ami the_ fibrous-root etl. Tlic bedding 

 bojioniiis !in> nuistly of tho fibrous-rooted section, 

 fvirlieularly in tlie Seniperflorens group, iillliougli the 

 miprovcil tuberous kinds may be used for this purpose in 



special places. 

 . . , - ~^_ji_^__^ .'. -_- , . ( 1 ) Tlie senii- 



tuber o u s or 

 bulbous group 

 comprises such 

 begonias as B. 

 sdcolnina and 

 (Moire d e 

 Sceaux. They 

 re(]uire much 

 care and sliould 

 be grown in a 

 soil with more 

 leaf-mold than tlie filirous-rootpd, and a temjicrature of 

 65° to 70° in the daytime and 00° at night. Of (iloirede 

 Soeaux and some others, plants two jears old will be 

 found best for decorative purposes. For special notes on 

 B. socotrana, .see the treatment of that species, jjage 473. 



(2) The tuberous begonias are grown in pots, boxes 

 or ba.skets, under glass, or as bedding plants in a shaded 

 border. If the plant.s are intended for pot-culture in 

 the greenhouse, it is best to use the tubers. For early 

 flowering, start the tubers in February or March, either 

 in small pots or shallow boxes. The soil may be com- 

 posed of loam, sharp sand and leaf-mold, and the tem- 

 perature about (iO° to ti.")°. When the plants are ready 

 for repotting, well-rotted manure may be added, and 

 when the roots have taken a fresh hold a cooler tem- 

 |)erature may be maintained. For bedding purposes, 

 seedling jilants, as well as tubers, may be used, provid- 

 ing they are of a first-class strain. Tubers are preferred 

 if early-flowering plants are desired. For further cul- 

 tural notes, .see the discu.s.sion on |)age 471. 



(3) The Ucx begonias are grown entirely for the 

 beauty of tlieir foliage. Tliey may be propagated by 

 means of either shoot- or leaf-cuttings, the latter being 

 the better when plants have to be raised in quantity. 

 Large and well-matured, but still healthy and vigorous 

 leaves may have the jjrincipal nerves cut on the under 

 side. The leaf is then pegged or weighted down on the 

 surface of a well-drained i)ropagating bed. If care- 

 fully shaded, roots will be formed at everj' cut, a tiny 

 leaf will follow (Fig. .501), and the little plants may be 

 insertefl singly in small pots. Another method is to 

 cut the large leaves into triangular parts, with a bit of 

 the main petiole at the tip of each, and in.scrt the pieces 

 about 1 inch, with the lower or thickest end of the rib 

 downward (Figs. .502, 503). Still another method is 



to cut the leaf in two, across the 

 veins, and stand it edgewise in the 

 propagating bed. The young plants 

 may be potted-up into small pots, 

 u.sing a light, porous, sifted soil. 

 Keep shaded in a low house with 

 a moist atmosphere. 'Ihe soil may 

 be gradually made coarser with each 

 potting until in the final shift; an 

 unsifted ('ompost of two parts loam, 

 one part leaf-mold, one part well- 

 rotted manure, and one part sand, 

 is used, adding a sprinkling of lime. 

 While watering, avoid wetting Ihe 

 leaves as much as ijossible, and keep 

 large, well-<leveloped plants in a shaded house, with 

 plenty of ventilation day and night during the summer. 

 (i) The fibroas-rfxjt^^l begonias comprise such spe- 

 ci(« a.^ B. nilvla, B. HKmyfrjloTens var. gignnlen, B. (dhn- 

 j/ict/i, B. HiuigfjiTM, and B. Ducharlrei. Of these, cnt^ 

 tinj^i taken from clean, healthy stems in spring will 

 Btrike readily in an ordinarj' propagating-box or bench, 

 and if potted-on, a.i they require root-room, will make 

 fine plant- for late winter and .spring flowering. As 



502. Triangular leaf- 

 cutting of begonia. 



soon a-s one neglects good treatment, especially in re- 

 gard to light, fresh air antl fresh soil, the red sijider, a 

 physiological (lisea.se appearing like rust, and the 

 dreaded nematodes, will soon attack them and give 

 them a sickly and stiuited appearance. Thev require a 

 temperature of .').')° to 60° at night and 0.")° to 70° 

 in the da>time. The plants should be kept close to the 

 glass in the early stages of growth, on account of the 

 tendency of many of the varieties to send out rather 

 long shoots. A good compost is three parts loam, one 

 part well-rotted manure, and one part sand. 



While begonias in general are injured by too strong 

 sunshine during summer, they are benefited by all the 

 sunshine they can get during the winter and early 

 sjiring months. Strong sunshine, however, pouring 

 through imperfect glass upon wet foliage, is liable to 

 blister the leaves of any begonia. Such species as, B. 

 Dregci and B. welloniensis, which produce at their base 

 a thickened, fleshy stem like a potato, may be propa- 

 gated either by division or by cuttings. Many kinds of 

 the fibrous-rooted and rhizomatous sections can be 

 grown by amateurs, and make excellent house-plants, 

 especially B. manicata, B. coccinea, B. speculala, B. 

 argyrosHgma var. picta, B. ricinifolia, B. heracleifolia, 

 B. incarnula. Robert Shore. 



Begonia Gloire de Lorraine. 



Begonia Gloire de Lorraine (Fig. 505) was raised 

 by Lemoine by crossing B. Dregei and B. socotrana, 

 and is one of the most useful and beautiful deco- 

 rative plants introduced. If large 

 specimen plants in 10- or 12-inch 

 pans are desired, propagating 

 should be begun about November 

 or December of the year previous, 

 as these plants are generally at 

 their best about Christmas time. 

 The best plants are obtained from 

 leaf-cuttings. Select medium-sized, 

 well-ripened leaves, cut off with a 

 sharp knife, insert in a bed of 

 sharp sand in a temperature of 70° 

 and space them far enough apart, 

 so that they do not touch one 

 another. The propagating - bed 

 should be at least 2 inches deep, but 

 the stems should not be buried -so 

 deeply that the leaf lies on the top 

 of the bed. These precautions pre- 

 vent damping off. A further preventive against damp- 

 ing off is to dust powdered charcoal over the bed after 

 the cuttings have been thoroughly watered. The leaf- 

 cuttings of Gloire de Lorraine are far superior to shoots 

 that start from the base of a cut back plant, the leaf- 

 cutting having greater vigor and breaking more shoots 

 from the ba.se of the plant. The leaf-cuttings will root 

 in three weeks in the temperature recommended above, 

 but they should be left in the sand until they begin to 

 throw up shoots from the callus formed at the end of the 

 leaf-stem, after which they should be immediately 

 I)ottcd in 2-ineh pots, in equal parts of fibrous loam and 

 leaf-molil, with about a fourth part of charcoal. Never 

 allow the plants to become pot-bound imtil they have 

 attained the desired size, and for all future pot tings use 

 equal i)arts of the fiber of loam, half-decayetl flaky- 

 leaves, well-rotted cow-manure or horse-droppings, and 

 a fourth part of charcoal. I'se this compost as rough 

 as can be conveniently worked around the plant while 

 potting. During the summer, they should be grown in 

 a rather humid atmosphere near the glass, always 

 lightly shaded from the sun until they begin to flower. 

 Pinch the shoots two or three times during the season 

 as this encourages breaks from the ba,se of the plant. 

 When well rooted in the final shift, waterings with 

 rnanurc-water will be beneficial. When the plants begin 

 to flower, they should be neatly staked with thin twigs, 



503. Plant arising 

 from the base (or tip) 

 of a triangular leaf- 

 cutting. 



