checking my Begonia varieties~ordering new for next season!
7 comments
Well, i was going to add a picture of one of my own plants but it looks as if i can only choose one of the last 10 photos (and i cant see what actual picture i’m picking). Oh well Ice mint is a variety that i have ordered for next season (fingers crossed).
At this time of year i always look through the Begonia Society booklets to see which varieties have done well at the shows, compare it with my list of varieties that i have and decide which to keep, although to be honest it would have to be a really bad plant to just be thrown away. Once the tubers get too big i use them as stock plants if they are needed, or throw them. If there are varieties that are not doing well at shows i will decide whether i like it – sometimes there are some lovely plants that don’t do well at shows. If i choose to get rid i don’t throw the plant, i will just put a cross on my list of varieties and then stop taking cuttings next year, meaning that it will sort of fade out of my collection. I always have to get rid of some if i’m ordering some new ones just to make room for the new ones. This year i shall be looking at which foilage plants looked good on the stand. The foilage plants i had last year were: Red Robin, Silver Cloud, Escargot, Midnight Magic, Morning Dew, Curly Fireflush, Iron Cross, Silver Lace, Red Dragon, Fireworks, Silver Jewel, Tiger Kitten, Painted Lady. I also purchased a Spotted Angel wings near the end of the season – see what happens with that one, i think it’s a cane Begonia. Pendula varieties Aztec Gold, Babylon & Apricot Shades which i don’t think i will be keeping. Flamboyant, which is a flowering variety tuber but not double tuberous, which i will keep. The double tuberous varieties on last years list were: Masguerade, Candlelight, Party Dress, Venus, Guardsman, Melissa, Can Can, B, Rhodes, Powder Puff, City of Balleratt, Alexandria, Sea Coral, Monica Bryce, Tessa Robinson, Prima Donna, Zulu, E. McLauchlan, Roy Hartley, Linda Jackson, Buttermilk, Apricot Delight, Ellaine Tartelain, Apricot Loveliness, Sweet Dreams, Fred Martin, Fairylight, Westlawn Jill, Ziggy, Elizabeth Lee, Red Admiral, Corona, Preston Guild, Jennifer Wilson, Isabella, Jessica, Jessie Wright, Aromantics, Schweizerland, Jasmine, Snowbird, Majesty, Krakatoa, Lancelot, Starburst, Ballerina, Summertime, E. Thomson, Ruffled Lace, Harlequin, Kohima, Helena, Isobel Keenan, Walk Tall, Bali Hai, Ruby Young, Peach Melba, Bouton de Rose, Tigger, Whispers.
Some of these varieties i stopped taking cuttings last season and won’t be there next season, others were new last season and i’m still building up the stock of those varieties. Obviously i shall have to go through the tubers at the start of next season, there are usually some losses. When deciding which to keep i shall need to try and keep a balance of colour for any display i might decide to do next year.
I find it quite an enjoyable challenge to find new varieties and bring them into my collection, and build up enough to show. Some varieties don’t seem to do as well as others. A couple of years ago i had one called Saturn, took plenty of cuttings that were growing, thinking i was doing well with that variety, but lost them all including the main tuber over winter – haven’t tried that variety since.
21 Dec, 2007
1 like
Previous post: Icemint, Begonia.
Next post: In the greenhouse, looking forward to the new season!
Comments
Sounds like there's going to be a lot of improvements, reading what Peter has been writing and Ajay also improving pictures in blogs next year - looking forward to seeing what they all are.
21 Dec, 2007
My goodness, Mark - I hope you've been updating your filing system to cope with that lot! How do you label your tubers? I suppose each one has its own place for the winter, does it?
21 Dec, 2007
Each plant has a plant label kept in the pot until now when most have come out of the pots - Once they are out of the pots i have to be careful to keep the correct label with the plant. Once all the compost has been brushed off i put a rubber bad around the label to fasten it to the tuber.
I keep a list in the house, but i'm thinking of putting it on the computer instead to save making out a new list each year as i will just be able to alter it!
22 Dec, 2007
I am quite sure that you will find that the work of putting them all on the computer pays off - you can put them in aphabetical order, or as per the time they flower, different species, all sorts of lists come to mind! Much easier. By the way, a long time ago I tried growing one or two leaf Begonias as house plants. I was never very successful. Could you please advise as to the conditions that they like? I think they are beautiful and I'd like to try again.
22 Dec, 2007
2007 was the first year that i have grown the foilage or leaf Begonias, i'm therefore a bit unsure myself. However, a quote from the Dibleys website (where i purchased most of my foilage Begonias) is:
"Begonias make excellent foilage house plants. They do not tolerate direct sun and should be given shade to prevent leaf scorch. To obtain the best foilage colour, red leaf varieties should be grown in bright light and a lower light intensity will often enhance silver leaf types. A minimum temperature of 15 C (60 F) is required and given these conditions the plants will provide a colourful display for many years. While the plants are actively growing, the compost should be kept moist and after approximately a month, start to feed regularly with a liquid house plant ferteliser. Take care to avoid over-watering as wet compost can lead to rotting"
Hope this is useful, it's what i've been refering to - although they are now with the other Begonias in the greenhouse set at 40 F, If some varieties are ok that may determine which i keep, along with what they look like on the display. Otherwise i may need to bring them into the house once the greenhouses are turned down to 40 F, next year. Throughout the growing season i have had them in the greenhouse with the other Begonias, which was set at 54 F, although most of the time it's warmer in the summer. My greenhouses have all got shading on them as they all have the double tuberous Begonias in them which also require shade to prevent leaf scorch.
23 Dec, 2007
Thanks Mark - it sounds as if the conditions on my kiitchen windowsill might suit one. I think I'll give it a try in the New Year when the Garden Centres have got rid of all the Chrustmas stuff! I don't suppose I'll get a huge choice, we'll see. I'll post a photo if/when I buy one.
23 Dec, 2007
Recent posts by marksbegonias
- Prices
22 Jan, 2011
- Plants moved into greenhouse
1 Dec, 2010
- Shutting down and planning for 2011
28 Nov, 2010
- Shrinking Shrewsbury Flower Show!
11 Sep, 2010
- email from Shrewsbury show!
25 Jul, 2010
- @ Tatton Park
22 Jul, 2010
Members who like this blog
-
Gardening with friends since
1 Mar, 2008
Mark, we will be improving the photo insertion into blogs very soon. It is quite high up our list of things to do. Cheers
21 Dec, 2007