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Begonia Propagation
One Of The Easiest Of Plants To Propagate
Begonias have a part of my heart; I remember my parents growing the flowering types from the meaty tubers in their attached conservatory, and their gorgeous dangling flowers, in two kinds.
The two kinds of flowers are fancy female ones, and more streamlined simple male flowers, all on one plant. Combine them into a seed pod, by rubbing the male flower on the female, and you might create a whole new type of plant.
Where the seeds form on Begonia flowersThey are easily hybridized, and simple to grow from seed in a humid, moist environment. Grow them under lights in a closed, covered container for best results.
Begonia flowers - male and female - the difference is obvious, once you know what to look for.Other methods for propagating begonias include taking a single leaf of a Rex begonia, and either sticking the stem into water until roots emerge, or cutting the leaf in several places and weighing it down on moist soil until it roots.
This method will get you several to many new plants, so be prepared to give them as gifts to your friends.
Begonia Rex (and other species) are most often grown for their colorful foliage, not so much for the flowers, so they are usually propagated vegetatively, by parts of the stem or leaves. In the picture below, you can see the best place to cut the leaf stem - not too long, and not too short.
Where to cut a begonia leaf for propagating - not too long, not too short.If the petiole is too long, it takes forever to root, and then you'll have a very tippy leaf that wants to uproot itself. Too short and it won't be able to reach the water.
In the case of the leaf rooting from the petiole in water, once roots show, then you can put the stem in a pot of soil, and give it fairly bright light, until you see new leaves emerge from around the base.
You can take the whole thing out and cut the plants apart if you want more than one, or leave them in a clump.
However you choose to do it, begonias will be happy in a bright environment with moist soil. What an easy plant, and lovely to propagate as it seems impossible to fail with them.
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