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. 
SPROUTING 
lt is of utmost importance that a 
sprout appear before the tuber is 
planted. 
You may move your tubers to a 
warm dark place to induce earlier 
sprculing. Placing tubers on damp soil 
or peat moss is not advisable as they 
will sprout without any dampness with 
less danger of loss. 
STARTING 
The sprouted tubers should be 
placed in shallow containers (nursery 
flats are ideal) of a mixture of leaf 
mold and sand or of finely divided 
reed peat. Cover tubers completely 
leaving only the tips of the sprouts 
showing as the roots develop from 
the top and sides of tubers. After 
planting the flats, the tubers should be 
well watered and should not be water- 
ed again until they show dryness. 
It is important to retain the tuber in 
the flat until the roots are well deve- 
loped. The plants may attain four or 
five inches of growth before they are 
removed. A good root system will 
insure a finer plant. 
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- 
ing the tuber or the seedling in a pot, 
a piece of crockery is placed over 
the opening to allow proper drainage. 
The pot is filled one third full with 
the potting mixture and two _ table- 
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. In choosing 
the pot it is well to allow room for the 
growth of the plant. A large tuber 
requires an eight or nine inch pot. 
After potting, the plant is _ lightly 
watered and is not watered again 
until the soil shows dryness. Too much 
watering may cause the soil to sour 
and a consequent loss of the tuber. 
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 
blooming season with better flowers, 
the application of fish emulsion should 
be used several times, at’ two week 
intervals. 
The flowers will continue to bloom 
from June 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 
the sun to dry. The stem should be 
removed, but not until it has dried 
sufficiently io pull out easily, as the 
tuber may be injured. When the tuber 
is thoroughly dry, it may be stored 
in a cool, dry place for the 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. 
