BEGONIA FROM CUTTINGS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 263, 5 November 1932, Page 6 (Supplement)

BEGONIA FROM CUTTINGS.

Begonia Gloire de Lorraine forms a most useful autumn and winter flowering plant, while possessing the peculiar feature that, although very free flowering, seed is not produced, the reason for this being that staminate or male blooms only are borne. Plants cannot, therefore, be raised from seeds, and propagation has to be effected by means of cuttings, which may either be stem cuttings or leaf cuttings, the former as a rule being most satisfactory. In order to obtain suitable growth for preparing into stem cuttings, old plants which have finished flowering or are not required should be stood on a sunny shelf in a greenhouse having a temperature of about Sodeg and water gradually withheld, the soil being, however, kept just moist. In this way the plants 'will be rested and strengthened, and after an interval of three weeks the tops should be cut off within a few inches of

the soil. In a short time a number of shoots will make their appearance, when the plants should be placed in a warmer temperature, say, 60deg, and provided with their usual supply of water. When the growths are large enough they can be cut off and prepared into cuttings by removing the lower leaves and cutting the stem across immediately below a leaf joint. Growths carrying flowers or bloom buds are quite useless for propagating purposes. Compost, composed of four parts loam, two parts leaf soil, one part peat and one part coarse sand, should be prepared. After filling the pots and making the soil level and fairly firm, the surface of each must be covered with a layer of sand. Make the holes with a blunt stick and see that a little sand is carried, to the bottom of each, as this induces more speedy rooting and prevents decay at the base of the cutting. Make the soil immediately firm about the cuttings, water the latter in plunge, where a bottom heat of not less than 65deg can be maintained, and keep close until rooting has taken place, when air must be gradually admitted, and after a time the pots removed and stood on a shelf near the glass, \vhere shade from bright sunshine can be provided. Before the pots become potbound, th'ey must be repotted into

larger sizes, the compost being as before, except that decayed dry cow manure should be substituted for peat. The young plants should be pinched and stopped as required when bloom buds commence to show. Weak liquid manure should be applied once or twice a week. When the plants are in flower a temperature of 55deg suits them best. Perfect, well-developed leaves only are suitable for leaf cuttings, and each must have a reasonable length of stem attached. A shallow pan should be filled with soil as before and after the surface has been made firm and level the leaf stems inserted so that the leaves themselves rest upon the soil. The pan should be plunged into a propagating frame where a temperature of not less than 65deg is available, and kept close. The leaves must be dewed over occasionally with tepid water. The appearance of new top growth will indicate that roots have been emitted from the leaf stems. When well rooted pot off each singly into small pots and treat in a similar manner to rooted stem cuttings.'