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birdsnblooms

Newest Begonia

birdsnblooms
12 years ago

Howdy. I received this Begonia last week. Does anyone know what its height 'should' be at maturity and the amount of humidity is needed?

B. bippintifida

{{gwi:439154}}

I actually got two. They're smaller than I expected, but healthy looking.

I also puchased B. aconitifolia. All are from GHW's. Thanks much, Toni

Comments (7)

  • hc mcdole
    12 years ago

    The tallest one I saw was in Orlando and it was probably two to three feet tall and about that wide too but then they grow it in a greenhouse.

    Mine has been in a tall glass cylinder jar with a glass lid ever since I brought it back from the LA convention. I bought it in person at Kartuz in '07. I've been cutting it off when it pushes against the lid (the jar is about 18 inches high) and only recently tried growing some more from those cuttings.

    Definitely put this in a terrarium.

  • birdsnblooms
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    H, You're Kidding!!!? No, guess you're not..All year?
    I'd have never bought it had I known it needed super-duper-high humidity.

    Why not just grown hydroponically? Can it be?

    Also, I bought two.

    Kartuz has nice plants. Very nice.

    I forgot about Kartuz..Wonder if they have the luxurians??

    Oh, well, got to figure a way to keep these Begonias humid, other than moving to Florida. lol.

    How wide is your jar??? Thanks, Toni

  • hc mcdole
    12 years ago

    I had a real stocky bipi before and it did wonderful outdoors but died fairly quickly once it was moved inside for winter.

    Here is that big bipi at the nursery in FL.

    {{gwi:439155}}

    The stocky one that lasted one summer. I think I paid $8 for this from a local nursery.
    {{gwi:439156}}

    The one from Kartuz in its original pot. I should repot it one day.

  • birdsnblooms
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    H, What a Gorgeous Begonia. Too bad it needs so much humidity. I'm going to place one in a tank of some sort, and the other on gravel plus daily misting.

    How often do you water? I like your glass container, it's so pretty. Does it have any ventilation at all? Do you open to get fresh air or always keep closed?

  • hc mcdole
    12 years ago

    I usually water that begonia once a month, sometimes every two months - the soil dries but the humidity stays high. I typically pull the plant out and water thoroughly and let it drain. Then I wipe the inside of the jar with paper towels - sometimes wash and rinse all the yucky stuff out if it needs it (usually dry paper towels is all it needs). I may vent once in a great while. The problem with that is if you forget to put the lid back on - it dries out and you set the plant back.

    I started some new ones but they seem to grow slowly. My last batch I took leaves and top growth and put them all in a lettuce container from the grocery store filled halfway with perlite - moistened it, and dropped all the cuttings into it. I placed it outdoors in a shady area and the last time I looked they all seemed to be doing fine.

  • birdsnblooms
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Howdy, H. Although B. bipp is lovely, heck, more than lovely, I don't know if I should have bought it.

    There were times house humidity was as low as 5%. I do everything possible to keep it at the minimum, 55% and higher.

    Two humidifers, 2 indoor fountains, daily misting, treys with stones, and weekly showers.

    I'll have to search for a glass container. Those I have are being used with plants that require high humdity, including a 10-gallon aquarium, 'used to breed fish.'
    Sorry I got rid of my fish tanks now.

    Maybe Walmart or a big-box store will have a container w/lid. Don't want to buy an ornate jar sold for plants..prices are sky-high. 25.00 plus. 'For a jar! lol'

    Does your Begonia ever get buggy being confined to a jar? What about root rot?
    Plants in jars/tanks have ventilation, but none need 100% humidity, and in fact need fresh-air to thrive. Know what I mean?

    I have a smll gh, out back, but it gets pretty chilly on the coldest days of winter. Most plants in the gh are Citrus, certain succulents, and a few tropicals.

    Anyway, I love your jar, it's perfect and nicly made. Perfect for your Begonia.
    Did I ask the type of soil you use for Begonias? How about fertilizing? How often? Do you fertilize Begonias in winter?

    Sorry for all the questions, H, but your Begonias are so beautiful and you know a LOT about them. Whom better to ask.. :)

    What grows slowly? The cuttings or the plant itself? Or both? lol. By its looks, seems to be slow-growing, but I could be wrong.

    Are you talking about the plastic, 'see-through' lettuce or other veggie containers at the grocery store? That's interesting. And they're rotting bip leaves? Toni

  • hc mcdole
    12 years ago

    You can buy ten gallon aquariums at Walmart for $10 but no lid. Saran wrap works until the plants start pushing it off.

    Never had a bug problem in this container or most containers (I said most because I had small snails in one tank - 120 gallon tank and mealy bugs in another container (acrylic ice bucket) which I used some kind of organic pest control in it to get the population back under control).

    No root rot but I've had leaves rot when it is too moist but the leaves are easily plucked out. The biggest concern would be mold but again just keeping the rotting vegetation picked out keeps any fungus problems at zero or very close to zero. Algae can be a problem so rinsing the jar out or wiping with a dry paper towel helps keep it in check.

    Fresh air? The plants can survive forever if the seals were perfect - no leakage and the water was "just right". Unfortunately sometimes we have to add a little water and sometimes we add too much water - hence the problems.

    Soil was from Kartuz but after 3 years it looked pretty bare so I top dressed it earlier this year with Miracle Gro potting mix. It has slow release in it. Seemed to help a lot.

    B bipinnatifida grows slowly (at least for me). My cuttings are very slow and it looks like even a leaf cutting will produce a new plant. Not many shrub begonias do that, that I know of.

    Yep, plastic see through containers (the rectangular ones). Not sure if Taylor Farms is national or just local. Dole Food Co. (same one that is famous for pineapples and part of my last name (McDole) - Irish Pineapple) also makes similar plastic containers for their lettuce/spinach products. Eat the lettuce and get a small terrarium. Buy two and use one inverted for an extended lid!

    I hope you meant rooting instead of "rotting" leaves. Yes, rooting leaves and small stem cuttings in a terrarium is quite easy (don't use too much water though or you will have rot).