BEGONIA 



THE BULB BOOK 



BEGONIA 



sand, as stated above, with a sprink- 

 ^ ling of fine bone-meal or basic slag. 



Shading. — TMs is only necessary 

 for a short time after the plants have 

 been disturbed, merely to check 

 evaporation from the fleshy leaves, 

 and to enable the injured roots to 

 heal, and throw out new fibres. 

 When well established again, plenty 

 of light and air should be given, 

 taking care in the early part of the 

 season not to allow the temperature 

 in the greenhouse to fall below 60° F. 

 by means of cold draughts from the 

 ventilators or open doors. 



"Wateeing.— This should always be 

 done early in the morning or late in 

 the afternoon, so as to avoid wetting 

 the foliage in the middle of the day 

 when the sun-heat is likely to be 

 powerful, and cause brown blotches 

 where drops of water have rested. If 

 the soil contains a fair amount of 

 humus in the form of leaf-soil — say 

 about one-third of the whole compost 

 — the soil will keep moist and cool 

 for a much longer period than if only 

 a small quantity be present. At each 

 time of watering any plants that are 

 actually dry, or nearly dry, should 

 have a thorough soaking. If, how- 

 ever, the soil is sufficiently moist to 

 go from one period to another, it is 

 better to wait, rather than to give 

 water to a soil already fairly wet. 

 The amount of water supplied will 

 vary according to the weather and 

 the growth of the plants. Thus, 

 during warm weather, when the 

 plants are growing freely, more water 

 wUl be required than later on in the 

 season, when growth is ceasing, the 

 flowers withering, and the stems and 

 leaves begin to turn yeUow and drop 

 off one by one. 



Pinching and Disbudding. — To 

 make fine bushy plants, any early 

 flower-buds that appear after the 

 plants have been finally potted 



101 



should be pinched out, so that the 

 plants may first of all develop greater 

 strength. The leading shoots may 

 also have just the points nipped out, 

 to encourage side shoots from lower 

 down the stems. In this way, strong, 

 sturdy, bushy plants may be formed 

 that will throw large quantities of 

 blossom during the summer season. 



Manueing.— Once the plants are 

 really well-established, and more than 

 ordinary results are required, it will 

 be found necessary to give weak 

 liquid-manure water two or three 

 times a week. This may be made by 

 placing a little guano, soot, and well- 

 rotted cow-manure into a bag, and 

 dropping it into a tank or tub of 

 water. The liquid should be stirred 

 up well with a stout stick before use. 

 About half a pint to a pint of liquid 

 manure — according to its strength — 

 wUl be sufficient to dilute a gallon of 

 clear water. Whenever rain-water is 

 available it is always to be preferred 

 to tap-water. 



Planting out. — Tuberous Be- 

 gonias are not grown in the open air 

 nearly so much as they ought to be. 

 The single - flowered varieties are 

 particularly useful, and need staking 

 but little to keep the blossoms off the 

 ground. The beds in which Begonias 

 are to be planted out for summer 

 decoration should be deeply dug, and 

 as the plants are gross and rapid 

 feeders, plenty of well - decayed 

 manure should be incorporated with 

 the soil, as well as some leaf-mould 

 and grit, if the land is inclined to be 

 at all heavy. The plants may be 

 started in a greenhouse, as advised 

 above, but excellent results may be 

 obtained without the aid of any heat 

 whatever. Tubers may be started in 

 coco-nut fibre in a cold frame in 

 March, and by the first week in June 

 will have growths 2 or 3 ins. 

 high. They may be then planted 



