TUBEROUS BEGONIA GROWING HINTS 
SEED O. 
Seed may be sown from December 
until March but the best results are 
obtained from those sown in Februray. 
Seed are sown in well-drained flats 
containing an inch and a half of well 
decayed leaf mold. The seeds are 
watered with a light spray, covered 
with glass, and darkened with paper 
until germination. In a temperature of 
60 to 70 degrees germination will take 
eight to ten days. As soon as the seed 
shows small white specks, the paper 
should be removed. Two or three days 
later small plants will show. The glass 
should be removed and the plants 
kept moist. 
To avoid the growth of weed and 
fungus it is advisable to sterilize the 
soil with steam or soil fumigants be- 
fore planting and to water with ster- 
ilized water until the third leaf shows 
on the small plants. The plants may 
then be watered with fresh water for 
fifteen to twenty days before trans- 
planting. 
TRANSPLANTING: 
A good mixture for transplanting 
contains two parts of well decayed leaf 
mold to one part of top soil with a 
light application of well decayed 
manure. At first the seedling are 
planted one inch apart and when they 
become crowded they are transplanted 
again. In five to six weeks they will 
be ready for potting or planting in 
the garden. 
POTTING: 
For the soil content of the pot, we 
use seven parts of rotted leaf mold 
mixed with one part of barnyard man- 
ure and three parts of sandy loam. 
These proportions may vary depend- 
ing on the difference in soils. In plant- é 
ing the tuber or the seedling in a pot, « 
a piece of crockery is placed overs] 
ral 
the opening to allow proper drainage.§ 
The pot is filled one third full withl , . 
the potting mixture and two table-M 
spoons of good organic fertilizer, 

(preferably fish meal), are sprinkled 
over this. The fertilizer is then covered 
with potting mixture and the plant is 
placed so the roots are about one 
inch above the-fertilizer. After potting, 
the plant is lightly watered and is not 
watered again until the soil shows dry- 
ness. Too much watering may cause the 
soil to sour and a consequent loss of the 
tuber. | 
In GARDEN PLANTING, one should 
not ‘over do” the soil preparation. 
Such practices as digging trenches 
and filling them with loose leaf mold, 
should be avoided. The most desirable 
soil is fairly loose but yet has suf- 
ficient body and nutrients to allow the 
plant to develop. A sandy soil requires 
the application of humus whereas 
heavy soils require sand and leaf 
mold. 
PINCHING: 
To attain large flowers all shoots 
should be removed except one on 
the standard or upright type. On the 
hanging basket type grown from 
tubers, all the sprouts should be kept 
and the crown should be pinched 
from the first main sprouts. This in- 
duces the development of the lateral 
growth and the growth of new sprouts. 
Lateral sprouts should not be pinched. 
The sprouts may be pinched before 
or just after potting. Do not pinch the 
plants of the seedling hanging basket 
type the first year, as this does not 
allow time for flower production and 
does not allow the tuber to develop 
properly. 
DROPPING OF BUDS: 
Begonias, although hardy and easily 
grown under favorable conditions, are 
effected by over watering, too dense 
shade and lack of air, and as a result 
will not blossom properly. Tuberous 
Begonias will not grow indoors. When 
the plants are tall with large leaves 
, and no blossoms, there is insufficient 
light. This may be remedied by re- 
moval to a less shaded location. 
