CULTURE OF TUBEROUS ROOTED BEGONIAS 
Tuberous Begonias are produced 
from seed and from tubers. They may 
be purchased in either of these forms 
or they may be secured as plants 
produced from seeds, tubers, or cut- 
tings. Tuberous Begonias are a very 
satisfying plant to raise and with 
reasonable care can be raised in most 
climates. 
The size of the tuber does not in- 
dicate the size or quality of the flower, 
however, the large tuber starts easier 
and will form larger plants. The 
natural dormant period of the tuber 
is the winter season and in the spring 
the tuber will form sprouts. It is of 
utmost importance that a sprout appear 
before the tuber is planted. 
The sprouted tubers should be 
placed in flats of finely divided reed 
peat to develop a good root system. 
A mixture of Leaf Mold and sand may 
be used. After planting the flats, the 
tubers should be well watered and 
should not be watered again until 
they show dryness. It is important to 
retain the tuber in the flat until the 
roots are well developed. The plants 
may attain four or five inches of 
growth before they are removed. A 
good root system will insure a finer 
plant. 
The tubers may now be planted in 
pots or in the garden. In choosing the 
pot it is well to allow room for the 
growth of the plant. Begonias can not 
stand direct sunlight during the day 
(in most areas), therefore, it is well 
to choose planting sites that accord 

the early morning sunlight or the late 
evening sunlight. The more sunlight 
the plant can receive without burning, 
the more flowers may be obtained and 
the larger the blooms. The begonias 
should be planted in order that the 
point of the leaves face the observer. 
This is known as facing the plant and 
it is important if one is to see the 
bloom well. 
After planting, the begonias require 
a minimum of watering during the 
early stages of growth. As the plant 
develops, the watering will become 
more frequent. A repeated simple 
rule is to ‘water only when the soil 
shows dryness.” For a longer bloom- 
ing season with better flowers, the 
application of fertilizer emulsion may 
be used for two or three times, at two 
week intervals. 
The flowers will continue to bloom 
from July through October. As the 
plant starts to die in November, the 
water should gradually be taken a- 
way. When the plants are quite 
yellow and falling apart, the tuber 
should be dug, washed and put in 
tne sun to dry, The stem- should ibe 
removed, but not until it has dried 
sufficiently to pull out easily, as the 
tuber may be injured. When the tuber 
is thoroughly dry, it may be stored 
ino cool, dry place for ihe. “winter: 
In years of early rainfall, there is 
danger of losing your tubers by 
rotting. In this case, dig and place 
the plants in trays until they are suf- 
ficiently cured and a slight pull will 
remove the stem from the tuber. 
ln Eo ALP nn I I I NE lI Ale, ale. ll ll 


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