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Dividing Begonias

wintercherry1wintercherry1 Posts: 5
in Plants
Hi...I  have divided an enormous begonia corm into 4 sections.  I left the cut sides to callous over in a sunny place for the best part of 3 days.  There were many new buds on each section already visible. 

I then dusted the cut sides generously with yellow sulphur.  Placed each section into a pot and did not sink them into the compost too much. 

I then gently watered around the corm but not near the cut side. The compost is kept barely damp. The pots are on a south facing window sill. 

3weeks on each section has grown bigger shoots and a few small leaves are developing. 

I am now adding a very weak solution of seaweed extract to help stimulate growth.

So far my experiment seems to be working...

DebbieA 

Posts

  • LynLyn Posts: 23,089
    That is how it’s done but they won’t need feeding until about 4 weeks after you’ve potted them on into their big pots or baskets. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • wintercherry1wintercherry1 Posts: 5
    Thank you for showing an interest..yes you are correct begonias do not need feeding until they are in their final planting position.  The sea weed extract is given as a very very weak solution to offset the shock of division and act as a growth stimulant till new corm sections have settled down 😉
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,089
    I’ve got quite a few begonias,  they were my mum and dad’s favourites, so I keep the going,  they are very susceptible to vine weevils though,  when I get them out to store for the winter I find dozens of them. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • wintercherry1wintercherry1 Posts: 5
    Oh that's a nice thing to do....my mum and dad had a variety of geranium they loved because it kept its flowers for ages. They used to have them displayed in their copper trough in their lounge window.   So  like you, I try to keep a few going in their memory.
  • wintercherry1wintercherry1 Posts: 5
    Not had vine weevil...although I seem to have lost 3 corms from last year's storage. They are in their third year. Maybe I need to inspect them more thoroughly before storing them for the winter 🤔 
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,089
    In what way do you think they’ve been lost,  could they just be late or maybe the dreaded vine weevil have had them,  if you look at the base you may see holes channelled in them.  When I pick them up for storing I look at the base and pick them out with a pointy thing.  I have two  that have only just started budding while the others are well grown.

    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • wintercherry1wintercherry1 Posts: 5
    Yes...like you,  I have some that are well advanced. A few that have just started budding and 2 that are not doing anything at the moment 🙄....thankyou for the picture😉
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