CULTURE OF TUBEROUS BEGONIAS 
Seed ... Sow from January to March. Place 
one or two inches of gravel in flats or seed 
pans, to insure good drainage, over which 
place a fairly coarse, well decayed mixture of 
leaf mold, about one inch deep. Smooth the 
surface with the same mixture, finely sifted, 
not more than one-eighth inch deep but do 
not press it down. It is necessary for the sur- 
face to be of a spongy character, so that when 
the seed germinates, the young roots can get 
into it. If surface is too fine and packed, the 
seedlings will often fall over, as the young 
roots are unable to get in... Place the pans 
in shallow water until thoroughly soaked up 
from below, then broadcast the seed. Cover 
with glass and a sheet of paper or keep it in 
the dark until germination takes place. Night 
temperature of 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit 
is necessary for quick germination. Lower | 
temperature than 65 degrees will consider- 
ably slow up germination, with poorer results 
... As soon as germination takes place, take 
the paper off and in three or four days lift 
the glass also, otherwise the little seedlings 
will get too spindly. Warm temperature, pro- 
tection from direct sunlight, and uniform 
moisture, are absolutely necessary. Even a 
slight drying out of the surface will be fatal 
to the delicate young plants. Very gentle 
overhead watering should be used when nec- 
essary ... Dampening off will occur only if 
flats are kept too wet in greenhouse without 
proper ventilation. 
Transplanting . .. When the third leaves 
are developed, transplant one inch apart in 
flats containing the same mixture as for sow- 
ing. No finely-sifted surface is necessary any 
more. Do not put more than one to one and 
one-half inches deep of soil in your flats. Deep 
flats filled with several inches of soil are not 
necessary. Usually they do not drain well, soil 
will get sour, and checking of the growth will 
be the result. Before they get too crowded, 
transplant in the same manner again farther 
apart, until strong enough to be planted out 
in the open, or, if desired, potted up. If plant- 
ing in open ground, enrich the soil liberally 
with well-rotted cow or sheep manure and a 
sprinkling of bone meal. If soil is heavy, add 
plenty of either leaf mold, peat or sand or a 
mixture of all, so that the ground will be light 
and porous. Plant in a shaded position, such 
as under the trees or north side of the house, 
where direct sunlight cannot reach them. 
Keep well watered; fine, overhead sprinkling 
preferred. 
CULTURE OF HANGING BEGONIAS 
Hanging basket Begonias have the same cul- 
tural requirements as all other types, with 
minor exceptions. For good results one should 
have large tubers, as the larger tuber will have 
more shoots come from it and consequently 
the plant will be larger and more effective. 
Tubers can be started from January to March, 
the same as any other type, but when the 
growth reaches three or four inches trans- 
plant them in a light mixture of soil; if pos- 
sible, two-thirds coarse leaf mold and one- 
third sand, as they are very sensitive to 
perfect drainage. Containers should be large 
enough; a minimum of 8 inches in diameter 
for small tubers and up to 12 inches for large 
ones. Shallow pots are better than wire or 
any other type basket, as the plants do not 
dry out in these types so severely and can 
produce far better growth. Wire baskets, lined 
with moss, can be utilized but one can not 
expect to grow excellent specimens by this 
method. Tubers started in peat will develop 
a sufficiently large root system so that they 
can be planted immediately in pots large 
enough to carry them through the season. 
Feeding . . . It will be necessary to mix a 
small handful of fish meal with the soil going 
into the lower half of the pot, which will sup- 
ply the plant with sufficient nutrients to start 
with. Later in summer, when the plant shows 
a decline in growth, another small handful 
dug into a shallow trench around the edge of 
the pot and covered with soil will revive it 
completely, and bring a new profusion of 
blooms. 
Pinching ... Hanging types, which do not 
show more than one or two shoots at the be- 
ginning of the season, should have the heart 
pinched out when the growth reaches the first 
flower bud. This will induce the side shoots 
to develop fully and form a better balanced 
plant. 
Digging and Storage . In autumn, 
when the foliage turns yellow, withdraw the 
water gradually and when all growth dies 
down entirely, take out, wash off all soil, tak- 
ing care not to bruise the tubers, dry in sun- 
light for a day or two until thoroughly dry; 
then store in open flats in cool, dry place. See 
that all particles of the old stem are removed 
until healthy tissue shows; otherwise, if left 
on, they will decay and destroy the tuber. 
