Rooting Begonia luxurians cuttings - any tips?

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This section is for discussion on all methods of plant propagation
weve

Rooting Begonia luxurians cuttings - any tips?

Post by weve »

I wish to try to propagate my Begonia luxurians from cuttings next year. Some suggest they are easy to root, whilst others say the exact opposite.

Has anyone succeeded? if so can you pass on your methods and any tips please.

The only info I've sourced about this is here: http://www.bradsbegoniaworld.com/prop.htm
(the advice specific to shrub & cane begonias is near the bottom of the webpage)

Thanks

weve
bev

Re: Rooting Begonia luxurians cuttings - any tips?

Post by bev »

hopefully petefree can help you when he looks in, i think he grows them.

gorgeous plant though and one i must get!

cheers

lee
weve

Re: Rooting Begonia luxurians cuttings - any tips?

Post by weve »

Bev,

If I'm successful with a few cuttings, I'll send you one!

Trying one outside this winter, but I have one indoors as a back-up and 'stock' plant.

cheers
weve
bev

Re: Rooting Begonia luxurians cuttings - any tips?

Post by bev »

weve wrote: Trying one outside this winter, but I have one indoors as a back-up and 'stock' plant.

cheers
weve
good luck with the outside one! you should have more chance than most of us being down on the english riviera.

good luck with the cuttings too

cheers

lee
Petefree

Re: Rooting Begonia luxurians cuttings - any tips?

Post by Petefree »

Wish I could help - but I've had no success so far with B luxurians from cuttings. I have two plants which are doing fine. I've tried lots of cuttings at different times of year but with no success. Not sure where I'm going wrong as I seem to be able to propagate other Begonias without too much difficulty.
I think Chad has had some success though - hopefully he'll look in.
Pete
weve

Re: Rooting Begonia luxurians cuttings - any tips?

Post by weve »

Thanks Pete, my plants are big enough now to take cuttings, so i'll give one a try next spring, i think. This winter I intend to stand a step ladder straddling my outside plant (its quite tall) and wrap fleece around the ladder on frosty nights. (if i get any :) ) If I can propagate more for next year than I'll try overwintering it without protection. The one in the ground seems happier than my potted one, which hasn't put on much height but has become quite bushy, so I have a number of shoots to use for trying cuttings.

Hill House nursery propagate theirs from a stock plant, all i know is that they root the cuttings in their "hothouse", and their plants become "sellable" in March/April.

Cheers

weve
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Dave Brown
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Re: Rooting Begonia luxurians cuttings - any tips?

Post by Dave Brown »

Pete you don't say what methods you used. I have no idea about proping this plant, but not all plants can be propped from tip cuttings. One of my main problems with cuttings in gerneral was bacterial or fungal infection. In future, now that I have discovered it, I will bathe the cuttings in dilute Hydrogen Peroxide to disinfect them before planting :wink:

There is some information saying that a section of some beginias that has flowered will not take as a cutting. Also there is lots of information on Begonia cuttings HERE icon_thumright
Best regards
Dave
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Petefree

Re: Rooting Begonia luxurians cuttings - any tips?

Post by Petefree »

Hi Dave
I've tried loads of different methods from the Begonia Society members' sites and the Begonia book. Leaf cuttings, stem cuttings, etc. Some died more slowly than others and did look like they may work for a while.
I think Chad mentioned he'd tried leaf cuttings and the seemed to grow but not root properly.
Others though, have rooted B luxurians with no difficulty - so I suspect it must be a combination of the cutting material and timing...
I will persevere!
Pete
Nigel Fear

Re: Rooting Begonia luxurians cuttings - any tips?

Post by Nigel Fear »

weve wrote:Bev,

If I'm successful with a few cuttings, I'll send you one!

Trying one outside this winter, but I have one indoors as a back-up and 'stock' plant.

cheers
weve
Let us know if you have success with this one outside, that would be really interesting. [assuming i eventually get one myself].
weve

Re: Rooting Begonia luxurians cuttings - any tips?

Post by weve »

I'll keep all posted on my "outside" one. My potted one is still outside but its still very mild at the moment. These, which I purchased on my visit to Hill house, were packed ready for mail order, but the customer cancelled the order before dispatch. (lucky for me, they were the only stock they had left!). They were excellent quality plants and were well packaged. At £7.50 each, a good buy (but I think their postage is quite dear if only buying one or two plants).

Re propagation. I know people have rooted separated leaf stalks of luxurians, but these will not develop into viable plants as they won't form a growing tip. Might be tempted to try rooting one shoot indoors overwinter in water.

best
weve
Petefree

Re: My Begonia luxurians

Post by Petefree »

It's one of my favourite plants, Weve. My two plants were planted out from May to October, then lifted, potted and brought into the greenhouse for winter. Similar to Grenville, my greenhouse is kept above 5C in winter although we did have a power cut during the cold/snowy snap and the greenhouse electricity supply tripped out and the greenhouse went down to -1C overnight. Both of these Begonias seem to have been unaffected by it. The only plant I think I have lost as a result of that one night is Jatropha.
Unfortunately I've still been singly unsuccessful in getting any cuttings of B luxurians to root - but will try again in spring.
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Chad
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Re: My Begonia luxurians

Post by Chad »

Begonia luxurians behaves as an herbaceous perennial here. It survived last winter's -9C and sprang back from the roots with no problems. It was only protected by 2cm of composted bark as mulch.

Since you get bigger and better leaves on the new growth coming from the base, even if the stems survived the winter I would cut it down in the spring.

I do always keep a spare indoors though. I don't think it is 'reliably' hardy.

I have no trouble with stem cuttings, but leaf cuttings rooted and then never made a growing point, so finally withered away. Quite long stem cuttings in a long tall pot give you a vigorous plant quickly. I guess I am using 10 - 15cm lengths, and only leaving a leaf on if it is the tip of the shoot. The rest of the stalk gets cut up into the same length bits, and planted vertically with one node just above the surface of the compost. I use a sharp draining and open mix [1:1:1 perlite: coarse vermiculite: soil less potting compost], and never let it dry out.

In a propagator with bottom heat I don’t think one has ever not taken.

Chad.
Last edited by Chad on Wed Feb 17, 2010 8:32 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Dave Brown
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Re: My Begonia luxurians

Post by Dave Brown »

You could go into business then Chad icon_thumright All form an orderly queue :lol:
Best regards
Dave
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Adam D
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Re: My Begonia luxurians

Post by Adam D »

Sorry to here about your Begonia weve.

It is a lovely plant, which I always admire when I see your avatar.

Chad, if you are looking to sell some of your cuttings on then I would be interested in buying some.
weve

Re: My Begonia luxurians

Post by weve »

Thanks for all the extra info and concern about my Begonia, folks!. I haven't written off the planted one yet, just hopefully waiting until spring...................

Many, many thanks, Chad for giving the cuttings advice. Can't wait to try it.
You must be the forum's Begonial luxurians expert! (It was you who told me previously not to write mine off as it may shoot from the base). Just one question tho', when do you take the cutting, late summer? or doesn't it matter.
best
weve
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