Club Begonia "Bousin" F1

Begonia semperflorens "Bousin" F1.
A hybrid variety with green leaves and a height of up to 20 cm. The flower is pale pink.
Plants are oval and strongly branched. This is a special variety bred to achieve high resistance to adverse weather conditions. Shows a remarkable result when growing, both in sunny and cloudy weather. Plants are capable of "self-cleaning" (there is no need to cut off faded flowers because new ones grow in their place).
Plants bloom without interruption until frost. It is recommended to plant 30-35 plants per 1 m2.
1.0 g = 75,000 seeds.
Pack of 10 granulated seeds (pellets).

* Ever flowering begonia (Begonia semperflorens Link et Otto) was first brought to the Berlin Botanical Garden from Brazil in 1821. This year is considered the time of its introduction into culture. Successful results were later obtained when grown from seed and used as border plants.
The attention of flower growers was attracted by the ability of this type of begonia to continuously form flowers, that is, in favourable conditions, bloom all year round, which is why the name came from - ever-flowering begonia (semperflorens).
Location and soil: For the successful cultivation of evergreen begonias, sunlight is necessary, since even with light shading, the plants stretch and lose their decorative effect. It is suitable for light structural soils rich in humus and having a slightly acidic reaction (PH 6.2). On alkaline soils, begonia grows poorly, suffers from chlorosis, and is damaged by other diseases and pests. The soil layer should be loose, 15-20 cm deep, since the root system of this type of begonia is dense and superficial. To improve the structure and composition of the soil, organic fertilizers are applied - peat, compost, decomposed manure or leafy soil, 20-25 kg per 1 m2. Sand is added to heavy soils at the rate of 2-3 kg per 1 m2. Before treating the site, 100-200 g of ammonium nitrate, 250 g of superphosphate and 100 g of potassium salt per 1 m2 are added. Microelements such as boron and manganese give a good effect. To do this, 2 g of boric acid and 1 g of potassium permanganate are dissolved in 10 litres of water.
Sowing and growing seedlings: the best time for sowing seeds of ever flowering begonia is mid-December - the first decade of January. They are sown in shallow boxes filled with a sifted earthen mixture consisting of humus, leafy earth and sand in a ratio of 2: 1: 1. For disinfection, the substrate is moistened with a solution of foundational (0.1%) or potassium permanganate (0.1%). Seeds are sown on a slightly compacted surface, without embedding. The boxes are covered with glass and placed in a greenhouse with a temperature of + 20 + 22 ° C. Crops are watered in the morning from a spray bottle and the boxes are left open for 1-1.5 hours for ventilation. Drops should not be allowed to form on the inside of the glass, since, falling on crops, leads to rotting seedlings. To avoid this, the drawers are tilted slightly so that the resulting moisture flows to one side.
On the 10-12th day, the glasses are lifted onto stands, and after 2 weeks they are removed completely. The temperature in the room is reduced to + 17 + 19 ° C and shoots are shaded to protect them from direct sunlight. When two or three true leaves develop, the plants dive, giving them a feeding area of ​​​​5X5 cm. A month later, they make a second pick, doubling the feeding area. At the same time, the same land mixture is prepared as for sowing seeds, consisting of humus or peat with a pH of 6.2, leafy soil and sand in a ratio of 2:1:1.
10-12 days after picking, the seedlings are fed with a solution of bird droppings (1:20) and mineral fertilizers at the rate of 300 g of magnesium sulfate and ammonium nitrate, 900 g of potassium nitrate, 700 g of superphosphate, 2 g of boric acid, 15 g of ferrous sulfate, 1 g of potassium permanganate and 15 g of copper sulfate per 1 m3 of water.
Ever-flowering begonia seedlings do not respond well to waterlogging of the soil, especially if the temperature in the greenhouse drops to +15 ° C, so they should be watered very carefully. In early May, boxes with seedlings are taken out to greenhouses. On warm sunny days, they are opened, and at the end of May, the shelter is removed to harden the plants. A week before planting in open ground, seedlings are fed with potassium phosphate at the rate of 5 g per 10 litres of water. The dose of watering is reduced.
Planting and care: in open ground, ever-flowering begonias are planted in prepared ridges, flower beds or vases in late May - early June, after the end of frost. The surface of the soil is carefully levelled and moistened. The roots in the hole are placed freely, and the root neck is left at the level of the soil surface. The distance depends on the purpose of planting and variety. In the borders, seedlings are placed in two or three rows. The distance between rows is 13-15 cm, between plants -10 cm. On curly flowerbeds and lawns, ever-flowering begonias are planted in a checkerboard pattern in the form of spots with a distance of 10-12 cm (for tall varieties) and 8-10 cm (for short ones). In seed plots, the feeding area should be 20X25 cm.
Begonia care in the open field consists of weeding, loosening and top dressing. It is better to water it early in the morning or in the evening with settled water. After heavy watering and rains, the soil is loosened or mulched with humus or peat. For abundant flowering, once a decade, begonias are recommended to be fed with organic and mineral fertilizers. Good results are given by an infusion of mullein (1:10) or bird droppings (1:20) and mineral fertilizers: 20 g of nitrophoska or 5 g of monosubstituted potassium phosphate per 10 litres of water. After fertilization, the soil is loosened or mulched.
Under normal cultivation conditions, ever-flowering begonia is rarely affected by diseases. The most sensitive periods are the germination phase and picking when excessive moisture or dense planting leads to the mass death of plants from the “black leg”. This disease is manifested by root rot. The causative agents of root rot can be rhizoctonia, fusarium, afanomyces, etc. To prevent lesions, the soil is disinfected and loosened before sowing seeds, the number of irrigations is reduced, and the room is ventilated.
Plantings of ever-flowering begonias usually do not lose their decorative effect until constant autumn frosts. Under the influence of low temperatures, the leaves and stems freeze and turn black, so the remains of the plants are removed. Well-preserved specimens are transplanted into pots and brought into the room. In the early days, due to changes in humidity and temperature conditions, the plants drop some of the flowers, but soon recover and continue to bloom.
For room culture, ever-flowering begonias are first planted in small pots corresponding to the size of the root system. Subsequently, with the growth of begonias, they make transhipment into a more spacious dish, stuffing it with a good nutrient mixture consisting of humus, leafy soil and sand. You can also use ready-made peat substrates.
In the room, the ever-flowering begonia is placed on the east and southwest windows with good lighting. Regular watering with water at room temperature and top dressing once a month with a weak solution of mineral fertilizers (1 teaspoon per 1 litre of water) ensure good flowering even in the winter months, although lack of light leads to stretching of the shoots.
In the spring (March-April), begonias are transplanted into fresh soil and long, stretched shoots are cut off. With the onset of spring and bright days, it quickly grows and blooms.

Eng: Club Begonia, Clubed Begonia. Suom.: Kesäbegonia. Sven.: Isbegonia.