While their flowers are insignificant, their foliage is like a royal robe with purple, pink, maroon, pewter, silver and shades of green splashed on the foliage in dazzling combos. Martin's Mystery was my first back in Feb '06. Rex Begonia Plant Propagation. Rhizome cuttings are a type of stem cutting. Origin: The initial species, B. rex, originated in the forests of northern India.Today, there are countless cultivars derived from this species enjoyed around the world. Rex begonias grow from a rhizome, which is a root system that sprouts buds and roots to grow into the plant. Propagating a Begonia rex doesn’t have to be difficult. The easiest method to turn one Rex Begonia into two (or more) Rex Begonias is by dividing the rhizome. Begonia Rex Propagation Steps. To make new copies of begonia hybrids, cuttings are the only way they can be reproduced. Select a healthy leaf. Dip each piece into hormone rooting powder and shake off the excess. Divide a Rex begonia when it begins to outgrow its pot or once the plant is at least three years old if you want to add more begonias to your houseplant collection. Like cane, shrub and other stem cuttings however, you do have to use cutting with nodes. Around 1850, this species was introduced into cultivation and rapidly became popular as a houseplant. Different Types of Rex Begonia Plant . Simply put a leaf cutting in a mixture of moist peat moss and perlite and wait for it to root. Most rhizomes can be rooted directly into your potting mix without any special considerations. Propagation: Propagate by leaf cuttings, stem cuttings, or rhizome division. Signs of a problem usually show at the base of the plant first where black, mushy lesions develop on the lower leaves and stems. Fortunately they're part of the rhizomatous begonia group and that means you can take leaf-cuttings and save money. Propagate by seed or tip cuttings. Photo - Eve81/Shutterstock.com . A rhizome is a thickened stem from which leaves arise. Rex begonia hybrids, in the case of your plants, have been developed to feature beautiful, unique leaf shapes, markings and colors. It's also an easy and quick way to make new plants of begonia species. The resulting hybrids are often known in the trade only by fancy trade names dreamed up by growers looking to market their plants. Sunday, 24 March, 2019 at 3:00 pm . Then place the leaf with its top surface uppermost on a seed tray of sandy cuttings compost. Conditions: Considered perennials in tropical and semitropical climates, Rex begonias are frost tender and typically grown as annuals or houseplants in North America. Fibrous begonias have roots like most plants. Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec; To do; To do: J Do not To do in January F Do not To do in February M Do not To do in March A Do not To do in April M Do not To do in May J … The escargot begonia is a one of the most popular Rex Begonia hybrids. Instead, its green, purple leaves are the stars. The leaf pieces are laid flat on the planting medium, and plantlets will form along the cut edge. We’re going to walk you through how to propagate using root division. Wedges of leaf tissue that contain at least one main vein take root in moist, warm soil, creating a tiny plantlet that then grows into a new plant. Tuberous begonias produce a fleshy tuber at the base of the stem, similar to a bulb. There are two main types of rhizomatous Begonia: the Asian ones, which include Begonia rex and which are hard to grow successfully in Sydney as long-term plants; and the South American ones, which do brilliantly in our climate, and which are discussed here. Most rex begonias grow from rhizomes on or near the soil surface, and have shallow feeder roots. Rex Begonias are not difficult to divide and propagate, which comes in handy as individual plants usually don’t have a very long lifespan. Rooting tips (the plant tops) is simple, and can be done in much the same way as rooting tip cuttings for other plants (see, for example, the lesson on kohleria).). Begonia is a genus of tender perennial flowering plants, in the family Begoniaceae. I'd like to propagate this plant, but don't have 6 months to do a leaf cutting propagation technique. The first thing you must know before propagating begonias is that there are three basic types: fibrous, rhizomatous and tuberous. Most rex begonias sold today are named hybrids, although they are not always labeled as such. There are hundreds of cultivars of B. rex to choose among, usually classified by leaf size—small (three inches or less), medium (three to six inches), or large (more than six inches). Rooting cuttings to form new plants is basically a type of cloning. Rex Begonias are beautiful tropical foliage plants, but they are expensive to buy. Before cutting a rex begonia leaf to propagate … Propagating begonias is actually quite simple and easy. Preparing rex begonia leaves for propagating is a matter of preference because you have several approaches, all of which result in root formation. The leaves grow on short leaf stalks, from the plant’s underground rhizomes. Related plants How to grow Begonia × hiemalis from cuttings The reason for this is its stunning spiral-like pattern on its leaves that look like the tiny snails. This method involves cutting leaves in multiple places across leaf veins. Divide the rhizome to develop more new plants. Growing Rex Begonias Indoors. Begonia Leaf Cuttings Easy Propagation Method Begonia Leaf Cuttings are the easiest way to propagate these plants such as the beautifully foliaged Rex types as they really have no significant stems to work with. How to Propagate Rex Begonias. Propagation by cuttings is done by obtaining … Unlike many begonias that people are familiar with, this one isn’t known for its large, colorful showy flowers. Let the soil dry between waterings and avoid overwatering as it may cause fungal diseases or rot. Rex begonias don’t mind being a bit root bound, but repotting each spring is beneficial to the plant. Semi-tropical in origin, they are ideal for life outdoors in warm, humid climates such as Sydney. Known most for their ornately shaped and colored leaves, rhizomatous begonias (those growing from swollen underground stems called rhizomes) propagate readily from leaf cuttings. Rex begonias (Begonia Rex-cultorum group), with their large, colorful leaves, can be propagated from leaf cuttings or seeds. This can be done by tip cutting, by rhizome, or by leaf cuttings. Rex and rhizomatous group: - Most of the rex groups are evergreen, rhizomatous begonias, though some have a tuberous character. Remove the stem with a sharp knife and slice the leaf into wedges, each piece with a main vein. A table displaying which months are best to sow, plant and harvest. More infos: the black leaves are from a cultivar named Begonia × rex-cultorum “Dark Mambo”. About the Rex Begonia. We’ll also teach you how to propagate this plant using leaf cuttings. Joan enjoyed growing Rex begonias so much she began propagating them herself. There are different methods of propagating begonias based on their group category. This species is typically propagated by leaf cuttings. Wax begonias are propagated with stem cuttings and leaf cuttings. After seeing how one of our local begonia club members did almost all her propagation that way and knowing I have had problems with this particular begonia, I gave it a try and became a champion on this method. By dividing/propagating plants you can continue to enjoy them throughout the years. These plants were noted for their dark leaves with prominent silvery grey bands. Contents. Increase your stock of rex begonias by taking leaf cuttings. Choose newly matured leaves. Rhizomatous begonias sprout from a thick, fuzzy stem-like structure, or rhizome, which grows on the surface of the soil. Begonia propagation is an easy way to keep a little bit of summer all year long. You may get several cuttings depending on the size of your leaf. I had several pots of Rex Begonias this summer that I grew outside for their coloured leaves and because they tolerate quite deep shade. By BBC Gardeners' World Magazine. Leaf cuttings of certain types such as Begonia masoniana and B. rex hybrids may be taken in May or June. In the illustration the rhizome is cut into two inch sections. Using Root Division . The easiest and most straightforward way to propagate rex begonias is by whole leaf cuttings. Rhizomatous begonias have similar roots to normal plants but produce large puffy rhizome out of which the roots grow. The rhizome is cut apart and divided in order to propagate new plants. Columbus, OH . Rhizomatous begonias range in size from quite small to immense with 3-foot (1 m.) leaves, although their size is in breadth not height. Prevention is as easy as following a proper watering schedule and water only when the top of the soil is dry. ChaCheeB May 3, 2018 4:41 PM CST. I've been experimenting with propagating begonias for a few years but never knew I could water root a leaf until last year. When the soil is kept too wet, root rot can develop in Rex begonias. Begonia Rex-cultorum group, (bah-GO-nyah). It’s best to discard the plant and start over with a healthy one. one side larger than other. How to Care for Rhizomatous Begonias. This article will describe the various ways to propagate begonias through cuttings. They are actually a type of rhizomatous begonia. Rex begonias require high humidity and heavy fertilization during the growing period. Rex begonias (Begonia rex) are tropical plants, prized for their colorfully patterned and intriguingly shaped leaves.Although they are at home in a shady garden, they are also popular as houseplants.Many people collect and display several varieties. Begonias can also be propagated directly through seeds. She explains the process: Rhizomatous cuttings. Interestingly, Rex begonias are tolerant of juglone toxicity produced by black walnut trees. Leaf cuttings are the easiest method of propagating rex begonias. Tuberous and rhizomatous begonias can be propagated through their tubers and rhizomes. The first thing you do is to dig up your Begonia rex plant. These are herbaceous perennial plants with watery stems and mainly asymmetrical leaves i.e. The Rex cultorum group originated from an Indian species, Begonia rex. Cut off the leaf stalk, then, using a sharp blade, carefully cut through the major veins, spacing cuts about 2.5cm (1in) apart. I have a somewhat large Rex Begonia Plant and I am in need of two. Views: 1296, Replies: 6 » Jump to the end. Propagate by leaf cuttings or sections of rhizome; No pruning required. Is Rhizomatous Begonia Different from Tuberous Begonia? It has a high success rate, and new plants are formed in about 6 months. Remove dead leaves promptly and keep the soil surface free of debris to avoid disease problems. As such, it gets its nickname. Propagating Rex Begonia. They grow from rhizomes underground, hence the name. Use either a single piece of rhizome (stem) with a … Does anyone know how I could propagate this plant using … Being that the plant is rhizomatous, it is important to pay close attention to the soil and root care to ensure the plant has the best chance of proper development. Rhizome cuttings can be made any length. 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