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mkmullis

I need help, please

mkmullis
19 years ago

I am not very good with plants, but I am trying. If anyone knows the answer to this, please help. I am planting dark leaf begonias around the tree in my front yard. I live in Georgia, so we have that thick red Georgia clay. Do begonias like that? Or do I need to dig it out and replace it with potting soil. I've heard the clay is acidic. Thanks for any help you may be able to give me!

Comments (8)

  • bmchan
    19 years ago

    Go here:

    I suspect they will rot in the moist clay soil. I only grow them in containers.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Mike Stevens page:

  • mkmullis
    Original Author
    19 years ago

    Thats what I thought, though I was hoping otherwise. I planted them today in enriched soil, so hopefully they will do well. This is my first attempt at begonias, so I'm a little clueless. Thanks for the reply.

  • Georgia_GA
    18 years ago

    HI all,
    I went to Mike Stevens page and found that R. Begonias don't flower? Is this right? I was just given two with different colored leaves. I had asked my friend why the first one was not getting flowers and she thought maybe it needed to be older. You see it was a cutting from hers. I do love the leaves but I was so hoping for flowers. Now the 2nd R.Begonia she gave me had different leaves that aren't varigated and she said hers had flowers on it. Maybe it's not a true Rex?
    Any info would be great.
    Thanks,
    Georgia

  • hc mcdole
    18 years ago

    Sure rexes have flowers but they are grown for their foilage primarily. Most rexes bloom in late summer or the fall but there are always exceptions.

    Here is a picture of Mr. Kartuz in bloom from last summer.

    {{gwi:431476}}

  • Khushabi
    18 years ago

    The begonias like very loose soil. You would need to combine Peatmoss, vermiculite and perlite in order to prepare the bed to plant begonias.

  • Georgia_GA
    18 years ago

    Thanks so much about my flowering question. Yours is beautiful!
    Georgia

  • mkmullis
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    Thanks Khushabi! I appreciate it. They are doing alright in the enriched soil, but I think they would do better in the combination you suggested. I'm contemplating taking them up and replanting them with what you said to use. Surely this early in the season, it would be beneficial to them I would think.

    Thanks again for the response.

  • kdjoergensen
    18 years ago

    If you are looking for the flowering kind, you may be thinking of tuberous begonias. Sure, some of the foliage begonias flower, too, but the large showy flowers you get with tuberous begonias.

    I have attached a link to be begonia growing article below.

    Also see these picture of some of my tuberous begonias. If you can't see them on the email, go back to the gardenweb begonias forum and look at your original post.
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    Here is a link that might be useful: Growing Tuberous begonias - article link