BEGONIAS 



357 



The tuberous-rooted begonias make excellent bedding plants for 

 those who learn their simple but imperative requirements. They 

 are also good pot subjects for summer. 



The amateur would better not attempt to grow the tuberous bego- 

 nias from seed. He should purchase good two-year tubers. These 

 should be able to run for two or three years before they are so old or 

 so much spent that they give unsatisfactory results. 



In the North, the tubers are started indoors, for bedding, in February 

 or early March in a rather warm temperature. They will fill a five-inch 

 pot before they are ready to be turned out into the ground. They 

 should not be planted out till the weather is thoroughly settled, for 

 they will not stand frost or unfavorable climatic conditions. 



The plants should be given a soil that holds moisture, but is yet 

 well drained. They will not do well in water-logged ground. They 

 should have partial shade ; near the north side of a building is a good 

 place for them. Too much watering makes them soft and they tend 

 to break down. Keep the foliage dry, particularly in sunny weather; 

 the watering should be done from underneath. 



After blooming, lift the bulbs, dry them off, and keep overwinter 

 in a cool place. They may be packed in shallow boxes in dry earth 

 or sand. 



Florists sometimes divide the tubers just after growth starts in the 

 spring, so that a good eye may be got with each' plant; but the ama- 

 teur would better use the entire tuber, unless he desires to increase 

 or multiply some particular plant. 



If the house gardener desires to raise tuberous begonias from seed, 

 he must be prepared to exercise much patience. The seeds, like those 

 of all begonias, are very small, and should be sown with great care. 

 Start the seeds in late winter. Simply sprinkle them on the surface of 

 the soil, which should be a mixture of leafmold and sand, with the 

 addition of a small quantity of fibrous loam. Watering should be done 

 by setting the pot or box in which the seeds are sown in water, allow- 

 ing the moisture to ascend through the soil. When the soil has become 

 completely saturated, set the box in a shady situation, covering it with 

 glass or some other object until the tiny seedlings appear. Never 

 allow the soil to become dry. The seedlings should be transplanted, 

 as soon as they can be handled, into boxes or pots containing the 



