Egypt4u

I've never kept a close watch on Begonias when starting in the spring before. the rate of growth once the leave start to open is scary!

I'll try to get some pics over the weekend.

My Mandevilla which looked dead has exploded into growth also my Gardenia from last year is full of bud - just one opened so far, but smells wonderful. I have shoots on a Stephanotis and the Amaryllis leaves are huge and showing no sign of withering.

This is my begonia. I have 3 stalks coming which is pretty good IMO from the one huge tuber. Didn't really get a clear shot of it but give you an idea that I have the first leaves now showing





Wish I had of gotten more but I think most of the places that sell them also pot them up themselves and then sell them as planted too. Wasn't fast enough to get out there and get them. Will have to be more on the ball next year.

Will have to pot on some of the Begonias before the weekend, though some have hardly moved!

I've identified the source of the tubers by different coloured pots. I have a few that are very fast growing and look identical - luckily one of them is from last year, bought for about £5 in bloom and with a label. So as they all come from different places, it looks like this amazing fast growth is a variety trait and they should have orange flowers. We'll see.

I still only have one tuber. I think by the time I got it it was the tail end of selling so by the time I went back they were potted up. It is now going great guns. I didn't look at it for a couple of days coz silly me thought I'd be able to put my jade & Christmas cactus outside and suddenly I realized my begonia tuber was starting to stretch to the light.

I've moved them around now so it is getting full light but I've got to watch cause it could also get burned through the window.

Soon as the monsoon season stops and if I ever see any of the bright sunny stuff again I'll get all my plants situated outside.

Good idea to organize by plant pot colour

The bigger plants I have to turn several times a day, they are so eager to get in th light. They will be going on the
three window sills in the south facing bedroom. My bedroom faces north but it's warmer at night. I should be able to get at least 5 pots on each window sill until they are ready to go outside.

The big problem then is to keep the slugs and snails away.

Begonia potting is the order of the day. I have been amazed at the speed they grow from tubers, having only bought plants before. Next time I think I might use larger pots at the beginning, but space is severely restricted with me, so not sure.

I'm turning my 1 begonia tuber almost every day (every day I remember and think about it or see it). It really shot up and looks a tad leggy but overall looks fairly healthy. Will get a photo of it soon to show you. I'm wondering too if I put it into a overall big enough pot so am probably looking at having to do a transplant of it when it goes outside.

Three plants have flower buds just showing colour. One is a tuber from last year, orangey pink. Actually it's still in last years 4 inch pot which is really quite small, it sort of got lost in my bay window jungle, but is quite a big plant

I'm glad I have a record here of the progress, but it has inspired me to keep a notebook for each species that I have.

I put my one and only (so far) gangly begonia outside on the back deck. It is under cover where it is so not getting directly sun (and might not even be getting enough daylight but at this point I don't think it'll make lots of difference. Pretty tall and am thinking too much space between the leaves so IF it ever does bloom I'm not sure those skinny talks will carry the weight of a flower. IF it should bloom I'll move it out front but am kinda inclined to let it have its time in the sun and then remove it somewhere else to gasp its last prior to Bin Day.

First flowers open on a plant in a small pot which got overlooked when I got more compost.

Busy day but I'd like to take some photos of the begonia army that has invaded my house.

Love to see your tubers MD!

I started taking photos last night and hopefully will continue this afternoon.

I'm absolutely fascinated by the wide variety of leaves and their textures and the unexpected growth habits of individual plants let alone the actual flowers.

I'm absolutely fascinated (I say sarcastically) that my spindly begonia tuber is still alive. I've got it outside but it is still growing upright but not terribly strong with no signs at all of a flower but even if it does flower I'm not sure the 3 skinny stems which I now have propped up would hold a flower.......

Looking forward to seeing your photos MD!

Photos? Ah!
I took photos with my sturdy camera until the battery finished, then used the little Nikon Coolpix.
Yesterday I had planned to download them all and put them on here..................but............. I couldn't find the little USB for the Coolpix initially, so Ithought I'll charge up the other camera. I couldn't find the charger for either camera, so I'm stuffed.

They aren't in their usual places, but may have been moved in the heroic clear out when my daughter was here. Looks like I'll be ordering new ones from Amazon before I can show you my "Girls" which are many and various, even between the same type grown next to one another.

One has the biggest Begonia first flower I've ever seen at 6 inches across in a lovely transluscent peach colour. Surpringly it came from Tesco Supermarket.

I would always advise you folks to keep one of these handy
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Vanja-Adapter- ... dhc+reader
Card readers are very cheap and you can pop all sorts of camera and other memory cards into them, just plug into a USB socket on your PC, Laptop or Tablet.

Good Advice Horus. You nudged my memory so I took the memory card from the camera and put it into my laptop, I've never thought of doing it before so was a bit anxious. Piece of cake! I won't be bothering with wires when downloading in future.

Thank you very much for making my life more simple.

Dunno about making my life simple, I think I'm simple. True I am enjoying the benefit of Tramadol and a recurring migraine (excuses, excuses) today but I've got my first picture as far as the gallery and can't remember how to move it from there to here!


Anyway more on the way, probably tomorrow Inshallah.

MD, just make sure you are replying by using the FULL EDITOR mode alongside of the Submit button below, that way the GALLERY option will appear in the list of options at the top of the reply box. Click the Gallery box while typing your text and choose the 'Insert image into post' located under the picture you have chosen to add.

Thank you yet again Horus. I was trying to push it in from the gallery rather than just invite it from here. Very senior moment.

This is the 6 inch bloom, there is a bit of anothor bud showing in the photo on the righthand side. The colour when we get sun behind it is lovely. Tesco supermarket too.

No problems MD
Lovely bloom and as you say a very nice colour