Latest Prices for Tuberous Begonia Seeds and a Detailed Guide to Growing Them

The tuberous begonia is a plant of the genus Begonia in the family Begoniaceae. Its flowers are large and abundant, brilliantly colored and graceful in form, combining the form, color and fragrance of such famous flowers as camellias, peonies and Chinese roses, so it is hailed as the queen of begonias. There are three propagation methods: seed sowing, tuber propagation and cuttings propagation, but in production seed sowing is mostly used. Now let us take a look at the prices for tuberous begonia seeds and how to grow them!

How much do tuberous begonia seeds cost?

Tuberous begonia seeds are very cheap, generally around 3 to 5 yuan per gram, and one gram contains several hundred seeds. The tuberous begonia is a garden hybrid created by crossing several wild tuberous begonias native to South America, Asia, Central America and South Africa, and it is now cultivated all over the world. It likes a warm, humid and semi-shaded environment. The optimum growing temperature is 16 to 21°C, and it is not tolerant of high temperatures; above 32°C the stems and leaves are liable to wither and the flower buds to drop, above 35°C the underground tubers rot and die, and the ideal storage temperature for the tubers is 5 to 10°C.

Sowing methods for tuberous begonias

1. Sowing method: Tuberous begonias can be sown in 200-cell or 288-cell plug trays. Use imported seedling peat moss for the seedling medium and add 10% large-grain perlite of 3 to 5 mm. The seedling-raising cycle is about 10 to 12 weeks, and the seeds should not be covered during the seedling stage.

2. Seedling stages

(1) The first stage is at a temperature of 22°C to 24°C and takes 7 to 10 days. The medium must be kept moist, and this stage requires full light.

(2) The second stage is at a temperature of 21°C to 22°C, with fertilizing once a week, alternating different ratios of N, P and K, for about 14 to 21 days.

(3) The third stage is at a temperature of 20°C, with a fertilizer concentration of 100 ppm to 150 ppm, fertilizing twice a week, and takes 35 to 42 days.

(4) The fourth stage is at a temperature of 15°C to 17°C, takes 7 days, and the fertilizer concentration is the same as in the third stage.

3. Seedling management: During the seedling stage of tuberous begonias, the water pH should preferably be 5.5 to 6.5, and the medium pH should preferably be kept at 5.8 to 6.2. At the same time, pest and disease control should be carried out; after the cotyledons emerge, spray with 1000-fold chlorothalonil or thiophanate-methyl once a week, for 2 to 3 times in a row.

How to grow tuberous begonias

1. Soil: Growing tuberous begonias in peat moss is beneficial to tuber growth. The medium pH should preferably be slightly acidic at 5.5 to 6.2, and a mix of peat moss : perlite : vermiculite at 3:1:1 can be used.

2. Temperature: The optimum growing temperature for tuberous begonias is 16°C to 25°C, but it should not go below 10°C in winter or above 28°C in summer, and it likes conditions with a large day-night temperature difference best.

3. Light: Tuberous begonias can be encouraged to bloom under long-day conditions, while under short-day conditions they enter dormancy early. In summer a shade net is needed, otherwise diseases are liable to become widespread.

4. Humidity: Tuberous begonias are relatively fond of moisture, and a humid ecological environment is extremely favorable for their growth. When growing them, simply keep the air humidity at 60% to 80% throughout the growing period.

5. Fertilizer and water: During the growing period the N:P:K ratio for tuberous begonias is 1:1:1, and during the flowering-forcing period it is 1:2:2, with a fertilizer concentration of 0.1 to 0.2%. Fertilize once every 3 to 4 days, and the EC value should gradually increase from 1.0 to 1.6 as the seedlings grow from small to large.

6. Pests and diseases

(1) Stem rot and root rot can be treated by drenching with 1000-fold carbendazim wettable powder solution or 1000-fold benomyl solution.

(2) Scale insects can be killed by spraying with 1000-fold 40% omethoate emulsifiable concentrate.

(3) Leaf roller moths can be killed by spraying with 10% pyrethrin emulsifiable concentrate and 2000-fold derris extract.

(4) Thrips can be killed by spraying with 4000-fold potassium permanganate.