Begonia bulbils culture question

[Hans J]

Hello
I have received on exchange Bulbils from Begonia ... now I look for culture instructions ...

soil mix ?
time (when the right time to force it) ?
temperatur ?
watering ?

The bulbils are in this moment in bags in my basement ( in coconut fibre  )...
more ( other ) bulbils will came in next weeks ...

I would be glad to get some advices 

Thank you in advance
Hans

[Cfred72]

Hello Hans,

What kind of Begonia are you talking about? Begonia grandis evansiana or others?

[Hans J]

Good morning Fred ,

I have now B.sutherlandii bulbils ....

in few days I will get : B.evansisana ,grandis,sinensis

Hans

[Cfred72]

I know Begonia grandis evansiana (pink and white). The other non (in culture). I started with bulbilles last year. I had sowed them in a mixture of very drained soil. The pots were in the refrigerator for two months. They then went into the greenhouse, into the shade. The bulbils gave small plants. A few weeks later, they were about 10 cm high.
The pots were replanted outdoors. Under the light shade of the trees, in a woody bed where Galanthus grows, Narcissus pseudonarcissus and corydalis.
The hot summer, it was necessary to water. We see the leaves hanging so dry.
In autumn, the plants had grown between 15 and 30 cm and many bulbils on the stems.
The first cold caused the stems to collapse. The bulbils are covered under the leaves of trees.
We'll see next year, how they're doing.

[Hans J]

Hi Fred ,

thank you for your informations ...this helps me 

I think your Begonia can survive in cool conditions ( ...but for B.sutherlandii is this maybe to cold)
the temperatur of a refrigerator is mainly between 2 - 8° C...

Good luck with your Begonia
Hans

[François Lambert]

These begonia seem to be hardy over here in Belgium.  I have B. Sinensis, arrived here as bulbills about the size of a grain of rice .  I planted these in March in my normal potting soil, a mixture of peat, home made garden compost, some sand and some garden clay.  I covered the bulbills with sand because my soil mixture tends to make a crust at the surface of the pot.  I just let the pots outside and waited for them to start growing.  Which happened rather late in the season, but I have read these plants often only start to grow late in may.  Last year I somehow forgot about them, they were growing between other pots and were watered together with all the rest - but I did not notice it growing between all the other plants.  In fall I found lots of bulbills.  To avoid that they would dry out I planted these bulbils immediately covered with about 1 cm of sand and since then the pot where I have 'sown' them has been stored in a barn - where I also store my apples to keep untill the spring.  Although outside temps were down to -6°C this winter it has not been freezing in the barn (but my guess is that temps inside must have been close to zero anyway.  I will try to remember to post a pic of them when they start growing this spring.
It is also my experience that they will grow much better if they are not in full sun but in a humid spot between other plants that shelter them from wind & full sun.

[Hans J]

Hello François ,

many thanks for your interesting answer .
I have in meantime planted some bulbils of B.sutherlandii ( just for testing ) :

5 bulbils in a plastic pot in a free draining substrat here in my room ( 21° C)
1 part Perlite
1 part Kokohum
1 part Seramis
1/10 part Zeolith

and 5 bulbils in a pot with a pure wet sphagnum moss in another room ( 18° C)

now I wait 

Hans

[François Lambert]

I also have Begonia Cucullata at home.  I got these as a 'weed' growing in the pot of another plant that I purchased.  It took me some time to identify these Begonia's.  Seems this begonia is the wild ancestor of all the lovely annual leaf begonia's that are planted 'en masse' in flower beds.  I don't have pictures of these, but they look like an annual begonia on steroids.  The roots seem to be winter hardy, but anyway they set seed very easily and I get seedlings everywhere in pots close - or less close - to where they have been growing.  It hasn't happened yet in my garden, but I think these plants may be somewhat invasive if they escape from culture.  2 year ago I collected some seed of these Begonia's, but have never sown these as I discovered they already took care of that by themselves