TUBEROUS-ROOTED BEGONIAS 
Cultural Information 
This is what experience has taught us as the most 
successful culture of Tuberous-rooted Begonias in 
the northern half of the United States, especially 
in and around the region of the Great Lakes: 
The plants, when started, should not be planted 
outdoors until June 1, as a sudden drop of tem¬ 
perature that we are apt to have before June 1, 
would give them a very definite check. This can be 
avoided by waiting a few days longer for more 
settled weather. They must be planted in shade, 
receiving good light but no direct sunlight—the 
north side of a wall, hedge or building or under 
trees, provided the branches are not too close to 
the ground where the light is broken up by filtering 
through leafy branches. They also must have good 
air-circulation but dislike strong wind, as that may 
snap the stems at top of the soil. It is well, on 
planting outside, to stake immediately, especially 
if they receive any amount of breeze, for the con¬ 
tinual swaying is apt to injure cells at top of ground, 
and with an excessive rainy spell thereby provide 
an entrance for damp-off fungus. By keeping them 
staked, this can be nearly all prevented. The plants 
require a porous, well-drained soil such as % stone 
or gravel (garden pea to hickory nut in size), Lj 
clay loam, }/% rotted cow-manure or Peat Moss. 
If cow-manure is not available, use Peat Moss for 
humus and then add 1 pound Super Phosphate to 
1 bushel of soil for fertility. 
These plants are heavy feeders and can take a 
good deal of water, as the succulent-type foliage 
will indicate, but I would advise growing on the dry 
side until experience has taught how much water 
they should receive. If you want to give supple¬ 
mentary feeding, I find that liquid cow-manure- 
water, applied once a week from forepart of July 
on, is very beneficial. However, I find that more 
damage is done by over-feeding than by under¬ 
feeding. When first planted outdoors, keep surface 
of soil only moist until the plants have become well 
established, then heavier waterings may be just - 
fiable. 
One very important thing to remember with 
regard to cultivation is that it is best to just pull 
the weeds that grow around the plant, but do not 
disturb the soil any more than is necessary. Don’t 
hoe or loosen the soil around the plant, trying to 
get rid of weeds that way, as the Tuberous-rooted 
Begonia is a very shallow-rooted plant and any 
disturbing of the soil surface is bound to break or 
injure a good many of the small feeding roots of 
which some will appear at the surface. So don’t 
cultivate; just weed. 
As the season advances and we run into hot, dry 
weather, ofttimes buds form but drop off before 
they have opened, and this is due almost entirely 
to the lack of humidity in the air. This can be 
overcome to a great extent by spraying the blooms 
and foliage with a fine misty spray once or twice a 
day, raising the humidity around the plant. Don’t 
spray enough for much water to reach the soil. This 
is the main reason why the Tuberous-rooted Be¬ 
gonia does not make a good house-plant—the at¬ 
mosphere is altogether too dry in the average home. 
The Tuberous-rooted Begonia blooms appear in 
clusters of two or three to the stem, the larger center 
one being the male bloom and the one or two side 
ones being the female. The female blooms very 
rarely have more than five petals, regardless of 
variety, and are a great deal smaller. I hey are not 
essential because both male and lemale blooms lack 
honey and odor, and do not attract the bees, which, 
in turn, do not carry pollen, and so it is very rarely 
that the female bloom develops seed under these 
conditions. Therefore, to get the best and biggest 
bloom, remove the small female bloom as soon as 
possible. In other words, disbud as you would roses 
or chrysanthemums. T his will increase size and 
lasting qualities greatly. 
If Begonias are to be used as cut-flowers, pick 
early in the morning, leaving at least inch of stem 
on plant, which will mature and fall off, leaving no 
open wound. Spray the blooms lightly with water 
as they absorb more moisture through the petals 
than through the stem, then place in refrigerator 
for a period of 2 to 3 hours to help them harden up. 
When needed they may be removed and used for 
table decorations, bridal bouquets, corsages, etc., 
holding up much longer than any other flower at 
this time of year. If they have wilted some during 
the day’s wear, spray again with water and place in 
ice-box to revive. It is possible to use same corsage 
two or three times. 
The Tuberous-rooted Begonia will bloom from 
planting-time until frost cuts it down in the fall, 
increasing in size and in number of blooms as the 
season advances. Normally, the plants mature 
about the middle of November, but in most localities 
we have frost much before that time and therefore 
the bulbs are not mature, making it very difficult to 
carry them through the winter, so people have 
begun, in many cases, to consider them as annuals, 
trying to carry over all the bulbs possible, but 
realizing they are not apt to have much success. 
If desirous of carrying over some special or in¬ 
dividual bulb, try, by digging plant before frost 
with a large ball of soil, and potting or placing in a 
box, and gradually withhold water until growth has 
died down entirely. Then remove from soil, wash 
off, taking care not to bruise tuber, dry in sunlight 
for a day or two, and store in open boxes or baskets 
in a cool dry place, being sure all particles of stem 
are removed. 
Cut-Flowers 
Tuberous-rooted Begonias are unexcelled 
as summertime cut-flower material because of 
their lasting qualities. They last from 5 to 
10 days if floated in rose-bowls or shallow 
plates of water. Also wonderful material for 
corsages, brides’ and bridesmaids’ bouquets. 
The double and Fimbriata type are 
mostly preferred because of their slightly 
longer lasting qualities. We ship freshly 
cut flowers from June 20 until frost to any 
place in the United States, using 12 to 14 
large blooms of assorted or specified varieties 
or colors on a bed of white shredded wax 
paper, making a most beautiful gift-box. 
Price per box $2.00 F.O.B. Cleveland. 
Can ship to all parts of Ohio with great 
success by Express, and by Air Express to 
New York, Chicago, Philadelphia. Approxi¬ 
mate Air Express to New York is $1.50 per 
box, F.O.B. Cleveland; Chicago being $1.25 
per box, F.O.B. Cleveland. 
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