Friday, October 4, 2013

Saving Begonias for Next Season

What are you going to save for the spring? I will attempt three "saves." Begonias, black and blue salvia and fuchsia. First, the begonias. I grew "angel wing" begonias in outdoor planters. Sure, I could probably dig up the entire plants and bring them in, but space is an issue. So I took stem cuttings. I cut about 1/4 inch below a "nodule." Then trimmed all the leaves and flowers off except for two leaves near the top. I placed them in pots prepared with "sponge wet" potting soil, and popped them into plastic bags. I puffed in a little air before sealing and set the bags in an area with indirect sunlight. They should start growing roots in a few weeks, and probably sending out new leaves. Their care will change when that happens. By the way, some people use rooting hormone for stem cuttings, but angel wing begonias are so easy to grow from cuttings, it's not required. Others put stem cuttings in a glass of water. It's important to note, however, that the roots that grow in water are not "true roots." Trim them by about 2/3 before putting in potting soil.

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