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Big Begonias

staffsmagsstaffsmags Posts: 230

When my begonias get bigger should I pinch out the tip of the main growing shoot?  Last year they just kept growing from the one shoot (on each plant) and got so long most of them broke of. It happened on 4 out of 5 plants.   Yes, I know it might be a silly question, and I can't find anything about this so what's to be done?  Many thanks Mags.

Posts

  • Matty2Matty2 Posts: 4,817

    I have never pinched out the shoots on mine as if you look they do not 'branch but grow stems from the corm

  • staffsmagsstaffsmags Posts: 230

    Matty,  Would pinching out the tip when the main is growing well encourage the corm to produce more shoots from the corm then?  Mags 

  • Matty2Matty2 Posts: 4,817

    I think that may be to the detriment of the flowers. Not sure but have grown them for some years and would hesitate.

    From one corm you should get several main shoots from which will come the flowers

    The stem bud shoots should be growing now.

    Others may think differently. You could experiment with one to see what happens but...........

     

    There are different types of begonias, sometimes it is just the weight of the flowers that make them trail downwards.

  • staffsmagsstaffsmags Posts: 230

    I've got lots of shoot on all 5 of them.  BUT this happened last year and then only on shoot on each did well to give lots of flower - then the broke in August and Sept.  Howerver, I've found one of last years corms just starting to sprout so I will experiment with that as it's a different colour so I don't really want it  and can afford to sacrifice it! Many thanks all, Mags

  • I have the same problem. I have several red pendula begonias which I have had for about four years, but every year four or five stems appear and just keep growing longer and longer  until they are about three feet tall. I make sure they get enough sun and feed so I am at a loss as to why. I also have some white ones bought at the same time and they remain bushy! Any ideas, anyone

  • Thanks Verdun I'll give that a try this year and let you know what happens.

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