April part 2
Most of the
work has now been done, one more potting still to do for the flowering
plants, some more thinning out of plants to be undertaken and the last
of the future stock (cuttings) to be potted into their final pots.
Everything else is what I would call maintenance.
I did say
that I would not go into detail about taking cuttings and that is still
the case with a comprehensive article on that subject having been
reproduced within the National Begonia Society Hand Book.
I tend not to take cuttings for the sake of it but only take those which
I need and discard any unwanted material. This year I took my cuttings
on 27th March removing all surplus basal shoots from both
adult and cutting tubers and almost all of those selected have rooted
and are now in their final 1 litre pots.
With the
removal of the propagator lids the inside of the small greenhouse has
now taken on a different appearance. My cuttings are still on a little
bottom heat, the last of my outdoor begonias are pipping and a few of
the good cultivars which were slower to develop are still within that
greenhouse.
I have a
reasonably large cold frame which hopefully in a week or two (too early
yet as we are still experiencing hard night time frosts) will house my
garden begonias such as flamboyant, Peardrop and one or two others for
garden display work. At one time I produced in excess of 2,000 bedding
plants when I used to compete in local gardening competitions but I am
now quite happy to restrict my displays mainly to hanging containers and
pots. I find that if I require any additional plants it is more cost
effective to just buy them in from one of the local major supermarket
chains provided that I can get them within a few days of being offered
for sale. These plants are being sold earlier and earlier each year and
the general public would appear to be of the opinion that having bought
them it is safe to plant them outside. Sadly, in Scotland it is not
until the end of the second week in June that the risk of frost has
gone.
As I sit
here typing this article (10th April) I look out of the
window and see hard frost everywhere. According to the weather forecast
it is to remain like this for a number of days but with a bit of luck
night time temperatures will soon start to rise.
Description
of Photographs
1. General view of small greenhouse.
2. Right
hand side of small greenhouse showing most of this year’s cuttings in
their final pots.
3. and
again.
4. Rear
of small greenhouse showing the last of the Flamboyant to be planted.
5. Left
hand side of small greenhouse showing some of the later to develop
doubles.
6. and
again.
7. General view of the large greenhouse.
8. Left
hand side of the large greenhouse.
9. Right
hand side of the large greenhouse.
10. Photograph of one of the pot plants made up of three cutting
tubers.
11. Close-up of the same plant showing stem growth.
12. Close-up of one of the pot plants (three cutting tubers) with
the front plant having been stopped and the side shoots developing
quicker than had it not been stopped.
.
