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Frequently Asked Questions |
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Every year at
our Shows throughout the country we have an information bureau where we
try to answer the many and diverse questions relating to begonias that
visitors bombard us with.
Inevitably many of these questions keep
coming up again and again year after year.
Listed below are just some of them. |
Q. What ever do you feed them on to get them that big?
A. Feeding is only a very small factor in growing exhibition
standard begonias. You must start with good stock but this in itself
will not guarantee good results. Having the right conditions,
doing the right thing at the right time and having an understanding of the
plant's needs are key factors. |
Q. Where can I get some tubers that will give me begonias like
yours?
A. The main specialist nursery in Great Britain is Blackmore &
Langdon. Expect to pay £10 - £20 for a dormant tuber. £30 for
a new introduction. Sometimes advertisements appear in gardening
magazines offering named varieties. |
Q. Why do the flowers keep falling off my begonias?
To answer this we must first ask where the plants are being grown, to
which the reply is invariably "indoors by the window".
A. Large flowered tuberous begonias are not suitable as
houseplants, a conservatory can sometimes give good results if it does not
get too hot and has plenty of ventilation but a greenhouse is really
required to achieve their full potential |
Q. Where can I buy the supports that are holding your
flowers up?
A. They are manufactured especially for our Society and are
usually available at shows where we exhibit. Price 50p each. They are also available
from Society Chairman Len Gill (this will incur an additional charge for
postage). |
Q. How many tubers are there in that pot? referring to
a large specimen plant on the show bench).
A. The rules state that only one tuber is allowed except in
the pendula (hanging basket) classes. |
Q. My begonias have white spots on the leaves, can you
please tell be the problem.
A. It is
mildew
a fungal disease which first appears like cigarette ash on leaves, if not
treated promptly it will quickly spread, especially on yellow varieties.
Some years it is very prevalent, other years it is hardly seen.
Spray with a systemic fungicide. Prevention is better than cure and
a precautionary spray early in the season before the buds are allowed to
develop is good practice. |
Q. When I removed my tubers from their pots at the end
of the season they were covered in grubs that had eaten right into the
tubers, what are they?
A. They are
vine
weevil grubs. There is now a very effective treatment on the
market called Provado, it is available from most garden centres. |
Q. I have some large tubers, can they be divided?
A. They can but we do not recommend this as roots will not
grow on the cut areas, it is better to increase stock by taking cuttings. |
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There
is a section on PESTS, DISEASES & PROBLEMS in
The Editor's
Tutorial
More advice can be found throughout this website especially
in the Cultural section |
