Begonias are awakening a passion for collecting among more and more hobby gardeners. The joy of successfully creating two or more from one plant appeals to the green thumb. Most begonia varieties can be propagated. We'll show you what options are available here.
How can I successfully propagate begonias?
Begonias can be propagated by sowing, cuttings and tuber division. Cuttings are the easiest method: cut off shoots, remove lower leaves and let them root in water before planting in pots.
The three methods of propagating begonias at a glance:
- Sowing
- Cuttings
- Bulb division
Propagate begonias by sowing
Sowing, so much in advance, is the most laborious way to propagate begonias. It requires patience and is not that promising. One gram of seed contains up to 60,000 seeds! But only a few succeed. As light germinators, the seeds are only lightly pressed into loose sowing soil. Don't let it dry out. A plant lamp supports the seeds, which need a lot of light.
Cuttings – the proven method of propagating begonias
Propagating begonias is easier and quicker with cuttings. Because they root easily in water or moist potting soil at high humidity and around 20° C. This is how it works with the cuttings.
- Cut shoots from the mother plant to a length of about 10 cm
- remove all but the top two leaves
- Cut these two leaves cleanly – do not tear them out
- cover a glass of water with cling film
- puncture several holes
- Put the stems of the cuttings through
So the cuttings get enough water and the leaves stay dry. After a few days, tender roots will form. After four weeks they will be the right size to plant in pots. Proper care is now the be-all and end-all. This includes a bright, warm, damp place and weekly moistening with the spray bottle.
A more difficult variant is to propagate with leaf cuttings. To do this, you have to score the main leaf vein several times. Then place the leaf on moist potting soil and weigh it down with a little soil or a small stone so that it stays in the ground. Put a hood or foil over the cuttings and keep them warm and moist. Then wait until the young plants sprout from the interfaces.
Propagate begonia tubers simply by dividing them
To propagate begonia tubers, simply divide a tuber. Each piece must have at least one eye. The divided tubers are placed in pots with substrate and kept warm and moist until they sprout.
Tips & Tricks
Whether you're a beginner or a professional - if you want to propagate begonias, it's worth trying - because begonias are relatively easy to propagate and grow quickly.
