Bonfire Begonia Seeds

Plant Description

• Bonfire begonia plants grow upright and bushy to a height of 24 inches. The cascading stems are covered with dark green leaves that are 2 inches long and 1/2 inch wide. The leaf edges are red with tiny serrations. The bright reddish orange flowers droop from thick stems. The blossoms are 2 inches long by 2 inches wide and cover half the bush throughout the summer.

Seed Description

• The seeds of the Bonfire begonia are very tiny and high priced. There are between 1 million and 2 million seeds in 1 ounce. Plants started from seeds do not produce an exact copy of the parent plant like propagation from cuttings. Most seed supply companies coat Bonfire begonia seeds with clay to make them larger and easier to handle.

Sowing

• Start Bonfire begonia seeds indoors at the end of December or the beginning of January. It takes 18 to 20 weeks for plants started from seeds to flower. Fill a seed tray with potting soil and press the tiny seeds into the top of the soil. Cover the seeds with peat moss and moisten with a spray bottle filled with room temperature water. Cover the tray with clear plastic wrap and keep the tray in a location with a temperature of 70 degrees Fahrenheit. It takes 10 to 21 days for the Bonfire begonia seeds to germinate.

History

• The original seeds for the Bonfire begonia plants were collected in Northern Argentina and Bolivia in 1990. The mountainous forests where they grow wild have a similar climate to New Zealand where the begonia plants were bred. In 2009, the Bonfire begonia plants were released to the public in the United States.

Warning

• Do not grow Bonfire begonia plants in wet soil. Wet soil holds water too long for the seeds to germinate. Begonias planted in this type of soil suffer stem and root rot. Wet soil also promotes fungal plant diseases, which kills the Bonfire begonia plants.