Growing begonias from seeds at home

Begonia is a houseplant with a rich history. Its wild species was first discovered by a scientific expedition led by the French botanist Plumier. In 1690, three years after completing his journey, he described this plant in his book and named it after his friend and colleague Begon. This was done in gratitude for the fact that the philanthropist took an active part in the plans of the naturalist monk and provided this expedition with money.

Thanks to the selection work of scientists from many countries, today we have hundreds or even thousands of varieties and hybrids of decorative begonia. Begonia and its cultivation from seeds at home is the topic covered in our article.

Classification

Decorative begonias for growing at home are divided into two main groups:

1. Decorative blooming Begonias are indoor herbaceous plants with solid green leaves and flowers of various colors and shapes.
2. decorative leafy begonias – a plant of the same type, but it is distinguished by the iridescent color of the leaves, flower ovaries are almost not formed.

In the photo above you see a representative of the first group, and in the photo below you see an instance representing the second class. As you already understood, in morphology, these two begonias are slightly different from each other. In a brief description of the plant, we will note these differences.

Morphology

The main characteristic features of the structure of decorative begonia:

• roots – tuberous, fibrous or with a vertical main root, on which many shoots are formed, the depth of occurrence is not more than 20-25 cm (the same type for both classes);
• begonia stems are erect, covered with small hairs, the main color is green, but depending on the variety it can have a different tone, from light green tones to brown-lilac shades (the same for species 1 and 2);
• leaves – you can talk about them endlessly, for each variety or hybrid of begonias they are all different and peculiar in shape, color, structure, look at the photo:

  

• flowers are of an irregular asymmetric shape, unisexual and monoecious, that is, begonias cannot reproduce by self-pollination (if leafy begonias have inflorescences, they do not have decorative value, it is better to destroy them so that the plant does not spend valuable nutrients on their development).

Sorts

We have previously noted that the number of begonia varieties is in the thousands. For example, let’s make a brief description of the representatives flowering and leafy flower varieties.

1. decorative begonia flowering variety Elatior (for growing at home). Flowering occurs twice a year in early summer and late autumn, flowers (up to 5 cm in diameter) have different very delicate shades of yellow, pink or red palette. There is also a rare one for this variety. snow-white “bouquet”. The height of the bush is about 40 centimeters. Leaves are deep green. The stems grow densely, the foliage and flower ovaries are abundant.  

   

2. Begonia Massona decorative-deciduous – this is a squat bush (height 45-60 cm) with large leaves about 20 cm long. The stems are brownish-greenish or burgundy in color, pubescent with small hairs. The leaves are fleshy, pressed, bright green in color with a pattern in the form of a cross in the center (distinguished by a brown spot contrasting to green), the surface of the leaves is glossy, the edges are serrated, the shape is oval, pointed at the end.

Here is a description of the most popular begonia varieties that flower lovers grow at home. In what ways you can grow or plant this flower, we will consider further.

Reproduction

If you want to get several new plants at once, then you will need how to propagate begonias by leaf, in this case, take 2-3 large leaves, cut them so that the large veins and petiole remain intact. These parts are placed in a container with a wet substrate. A week later, small roots appear on the handle. The plant is ready to be transplanted to a new location.

RџSЂRё tuberous reproduction it turns out not so many new begonia sprouts, 2-3 no more. The tuber must be cut so that two viable buds remain on each. These pieces are completely buried in the ground to a depth of 3 cm. The soil must be sufficiently moist, and when it dries, it must be constantly moistened. Nodules will take root quickly, so they can be planted directly in a new pot.

Florists who want to get as many plants as possible use the method growing begonias from seeds. It is easy to do it yourself at home. Let’s dwell on this method and talk about it in more detail. In the video at the end of the article, you will clearly learn how to do it right.

Cultivation from seeds

Seed propagation of begonias at home is used in the following cases:

• if you want to grow new variety plants;
• if there is a large area in the house or in the garden that needs to be decorated with your favorite flowers;
• in order to obtain a large batch of seedlings with its subsequent implementation;
• or because you really like to give potted houseplants to your friends and loved ones.

We will not argue that the whole process of planting begonia seeds takes a lot of time, as well as further care for seedlings. Weigh the pros and cons, and decide for yourself whether it is worth spending time on such work. For those who do not consider this work burdensome, but rather see pleasure and satisfaction in it, we will continue our story.

Prepare

Before planting begonia seeds for seedlings, it is necessary to carefully prepare all the components for this procedure, and the main thing here is the seeds. The seeds of the plant are tiny, it is difficult to work with them, but with some tricks, you can handle this even at home.

As already mentioned, begonia seeds are very, very small, so manufacturers package them in special capsules, several pieces in one dragee. In the photo (see below), we invite you to consider in detail how full-size begonia seeds look.

The usual procedure for preparing seeds for sowing includes soaking and disinfecting them, but due to the size of these seeds, it is impossible, we will disinfect the substrate. This will be discussed in the next paragraph.

The name of the manufacturer also plays an important role. It is better to buy from a company that is already known to you or your friends.

Sowing

In the top photo you see the planting of begonia seeds in peat tablets. Florists recognize this as convenient and less costly than harvesting individual containers or pots for seedlings. To do this is easy and simple, even at home, follow the following order:

• several peat tablets are placed in a waterproof and heat-resistant container;
• hot water is poured to the bottom of the container up to + 50 ° C so that it does not cover the upper part of the substance;
• during swelling, about 15-20 minutes, water can be gradually added;
• each begonia seed is placed in the center of the swollen tablet;
• the container is closed with a lid (if any) or with polyethylene and placed in a warm place;
• when the plant takes roots, and two cotyledon leaves appear on the surface (after 5-7 days), the lid can be removed and the container rearranged closer to the light or lightened in the same place;
• do not let the peat dry out, regularly moisten the surface 1-2 times a day;
• the development and vegetation of begonia seedlings in the first month after sowing seeds is slow, to speed up the process, use chemicals that accelerate the growth of seedlings, add them in small doses when watering;
• after the growth of 2-3 true leaves, you can transplant the begonia to a permanent place.

When is the best time to sow (or plant) begonia seeds? According to experienced flower growers, this should be done in December or January. They believe that the main reason is that over a longer growing season, begonia manages to form a larger, and therefore more viable root. The period of relative dormancy for the plant begins at the end of autumn. For almost a year before “hibernation”, the plant will actively increase the root system and green mass, it will be ready for propagation by tubers, leaves or cuttings.

What affects germination

Sometimes flower growers, having sowed begonia seeds, wait a long time for the first shoots to appear, but for some reason they are not there, or 10-2 sprouts grow out of 3 seeds. There are many explanations for the reasons, we will cancel only a few main ones. High-quality seeds from a reliable manufacturer should sprout in 7-10 days, some varieties – in a maximum of two weeks.

The reasons for the non-germination of begonia seeds are as follows:

• storage periods are violated – small flower seeds can be stored from 1 to 3 years, preference should be given to material collected in the previous year, the longer the storage period, the lower the germination rate;
• the substrate should always be wet, peat is very difficult to re-wet if it dries;
• for the germination of begonia seeds, it is very important to maintain a constant temperature of at least + 25 ° C, use additional heaters when this figure drops;
• monitor the humidity of the air, if the room is dry and hot, you should spray the plant with water using spray guns or use special devices to humidify the air.

Moon calendar

Flower lovers who are interested in getting an abundant flowering of begonias or its foliage time the sowing of seeds for favorable days according to the lunar calendar. They believe that the plants planted these days form more flower ovaries, their roots become strong, and their leaves are brighter.

We will not assure you of this, and we will not deny the influence of the Moon on plants. Such information is not scientifically substantiated, but is based only on many years of experiments by amateur gardeners and the calculations of astrologers. You can do your part by having hands-on experience growing your own begonias. Share the results and conclusions with relatives and friends, let them become interested in this scientific process. Someday your contribution may affect agronomists, they will finally create a scientific base on the topic: “Do the Moon and Constellations affect the development and growth of plants.” Good luck.