Catching Up On Odds & Ends

Strawberry Begonia

I added this picture and more to my Pinterest Board "Beautiful Foliage"

For the record, a strawberry begonia is neither a strawberry nor a begonia.  I do not know why it is called this except that it has a begonia looking leaf and it has marvelous runners like a strawberry that can grow up to two feet long.  

This plant is a Saxifraga Stolonifera which is an all together different family.  The runners make it a good grown cover in the frost zones between 7 and 10, but is favored as a houseplant because of it's beautifully marked foliage and the runners that will trail over the lip of a hanging pot. 

To grow inside, the Saxifraga Stolonifera likes a cool filtered sun.  It will grow in height to about eight inches.  You should feed it a standard fertilizer during the growing season.  Cut back on both fertilizer and water over the winter rest period.

Gardenia radicans?

 I have added some new pictures of this flower to

 my Pinterest Board "The Gardenias Are In Bloom".

Remember me telling you that the Gardenia is a large genus of plants?  Well here is one that I think is a good one to find.  As you see, the blossom is much smaller than the Gardenia jasminoides that I mentioned in a previous post.  This is a miniature Gardenia.  It grows in my neighbors yard and smells divine. Unfortunately, I am having difficulty finding out anything about this variety. It might be part of the radicans family but the ones I find on line do not have as many petals.  I am hoping that there is someone out there who might recognize it and tell us all more about it.  The plant is only about 3 feet tall which would make it a good plant for a conservatory or a large sunny window.  I will keep searching for answers.

I Guess I Know More Than I Thought

In February, I mentioned that sometimes plants do things that we don't think they should do.  My example was a flower stem of a phalaenopsis that I had cut off the plant after it was finished blooming.  I had stuck it in the dirt and to my surprise I watched it create two new buds.  I did not know what to think but hoped that the buds would become the beginning of plants, since I was sure that they could not really be flower buds.

Here is the update on this strange phenomena.  The buds dried out without producing anything.  Two more developed with the same results.  I finally removed the stem from the soil to see what was going on below and there was nothing.  So, my plant was the liar not me.  Do not let this discuorage you from trying something new.  My friend Rhona thinks that you can stick anything in the soil and it will grow.  Many times she is right.

Next time, we will talk about the wonderful world of colorful coleus.  These are great plants that can bring a myriad of color to the house. Until then, write me at houseplantsos@gmail.com or add any comments right here.

Begonia Part 2 - Tubers and Corms

Regal Begonia

Beauty from a Corm

I love this flower.  It is as beautiful as a rose and much more sturdy. The stem is short which means that it would be hard to place it in a bouquet but a single bloom in a shallow dish can really make a statement.  This is a Begonia Rex or sometimes called a Regal Begonia.  It is grown for it's majestic flower and it starts with a corm.

Corm of a Rex Begonia

For those of you who do not know what a corm is, it is a type of tuber.  The tuber most people are familiar with is a potato. As potatoes come in all different shapes and sizes so do tubers.  Corms are in the specific shape that is referred to as a button. Much like a bulb, it has an up and down side to it and needs to be planted correctly for the best results.  Unlike a bulb new plants will grow from the same corm and it can be easily propagated by cuttings the corm into pieces.  You just need to be sure that there is a good "eye" on each piece.  The corm is planted quite shallow in a wide mouth pot and placed in a well lit location.  You can buy this Begonia already blooming but for a bigger variety you can start with corms from a number of good growers.  I do not want to endorse any in particular so I will suggest that you ask the experts starting with The American Begonia Society .

Tubers That Are Not Corms

Also, included in the tuber family is the Begonia that they call a Rhizomatous Begonia.  This tuber looks more like a lumpy potato  and as you can see it can be quite large.  If you go to my Pinterest board on Begonias I have included a picture of a tuber without dirt and you can see that this style of tuber is more complex but much easier to cut apart for creating new plants. You plant it the same as you would the corm.   I have added a planting diagram at the bottom of the page to help answer any questions you may have.

The Rhizonatous Begonia usually does not have a showy flower and is mainly grown for its interesting leaf.  This is mine.  The leaves are about the size of a man's hand and have a hairy surface that kind of feels like new beard stubble.  The stems are very hairy.  I added a picture of the flower on the last posting so I will not take up space here.  What you do not know is how small the flower is.  Look closely at the upper part of the picture and you will see a small branching to the back of the plant.  This is not another plant behind my Begonia. It is the flower.  I will be adding some more of these beauties to my Pinterest board so you can see how beautiful they are.

Care

Like the rest of this family most tuber Begonias like bright but not direct sunlight.  It will be quite happy in an Eastern window.  If you need to put it in a Southern or Western window you would be wise to keep it back from the actual light by about 2 feet.

Some tuber Begonias will become dormant.  If yours starts to look peeked then this may be the problem.  Stop watering and allow it to rest.  If you loose all your leaves you will need to check the the tuber to be sure there is no rotting.  Replant in new potting medium and wait to see new growth before you begin to water.

Begonias like damp soil but not wet so be careful not to over water as they will rot.  They would prefer to be misted daily or placed on a humidity tray like I have mentioned.  

Well, that is it for today.  I hope you like my posting today.  I got more into the how and would like your opinion on this posting.  Would you like more postings like this, that would cover things like propagation through cuttings and seeds?

Add your comment to this blog or email me at  houseplantsos@gmail.com . Remember  to send me any questions you have or you can contact me through Fiverr to set up a Skype  diagnosis visit.

Til then, all my best.
k.k.jones

One last word, a Strawberry Begonia is not a Begonia.  I think it is called that because of the shape of its leaf.  We can discuss that at another sitting.
 

The Humble Begonia

From the Website of
The American Begonia Society

You know the cute little flowers that your grandmother put in her garden as an annual?  That is the Humble Begonia.  But it really is not as humble as you would think.  This little Begonia is part of a genus that has 1500 species and is the sixth-largest angiosperm genus. Not that you really wanted to know that but I thought it highlight the importance of this little "disposable" plant.  It is from the subtropics much like the Gardenias that we spoke about last time.  It is commonly called a Wax Begonia though its proper name is a Semperfloren.

Why Talk About An Annual In Houseplants?

Because it is it did not start out as a garden annual.  The Semperfloren is a shrub which is one of four divisions of Begonias. In areas where there is no danger of frost the Wax Begonia will continue to grow year round.  Many will also do very well indoors as a ever-blooming houseplant.   These little plants and other Begonia's like the Angel Wing Begonia have been staples in the English Conservatories and Greenhouses for years.  In fact there has been a National Begonia Society in the UK since 1945.  The Angel Wing Begonia is the closest in looks but it usually is collected for its beautiful foliage.  If you look at my Board on Pinterest I have shown two different examples of the beautiful Angel Wing.  Below you will see a Begonia that has the waxy look of a Semperfloren but the leaf shape more angel like.  I do believe that this is a Wax Begonia because of the size of the flowers.

So How Do You Take Care Of Your Begonia?

Taken at Rockledge Gardens, Rockledge, Florida

The best time to buy a Begonia is the Spring for obvious reason.  You can let them summer outside but I would not put them in bright sun or in the ground.  The reason for this is because when you bring them inside it will take longer for your plant to acclimate itself to its new home.  If you have a greenhouse window your Begonia will be very happy there.  Southern windows make nice homes, as well as a Western or Eastern. Since you can buy Semperfloren in six packs go ahead and try different locations throughout your home.  If your plant is getting too much sun, It will have burn marks on its leaves and if there is not enough sun, then it will get tall and lanky with leaves being sparse.

Flower of a Rhizomatous  Begonia
which we will talk about another time

Now for watering. 

Like many of the plants we have spoken about in this blog, the Begonia does not like wet feet.  In other words, too much water is a bad thing.  The best way to water is to place it on top of a saucer like you did your Gardenia. Water from above and let the excess fill the sauce below.  Make sure that the pot stays above the waterline.  A larger saucer will create a micro climate for humidity that most Begonias like.  Do not over water.

One last thing. 

 Begonias like to be a little pot bound.  If you place them in too large of a container they may die. If your plant is staying wet too long and looking peaked, then this might be the problem. Repot into a container that is the same size as the root ball after you have removed all the wet soil.  Use a good soil-less potting mixture for the best results. 

Well that is all for today.  Next time I will tell you about the Rhizomatous Begonia which is grown more for its beautiful leaves rather than its flowers.  The flowers are small and almost inconsequential as you can see if you again go to my Board on Pinterest .  I have added one more link for you to use as I have found it very useful Brad's Begonia World . Until next time I hope that this blog give you a home greener than before.

Please email me at houseplantsos@gmail.com or add your comments below.  If you need special help you can contact me through Fiverr where we can set up a consultation through Skype or a phone conversation.   

k.k.jones