I have grown tuberous begonias from seed a few times quite successfully. I buy my seed from Antonelli's, so that I don't miss a step I've copied their instructions verbatim. GROWING TUBEROUS BEGONIAS FROM SEED Tuberous Begonia seed is sown in January and February. Best germination results are from seed sown February 15th to March 1st. Begonias require soils rich in humus or other organic matter such as leaf mold, forest humus, shredded firbark or spagnum peat moss - from best to worst in the above order. To this humus material should be added light sandy loam or river sand. The usual recommended mixture is 2/3 leaf mold to 1/3 sandy loam. An alternate could consist of 1/2 well decayed forest humus or redwood soil conditioner, 1/4 sandy loam or river sand, and1/4 spagnum peat moss. Packaged seed mixes like Jiffy-Mix, Pro-Mix, etc., are excellent for Begonias. Planting medium and containers should be sterilized with steam or soil fumigant to prevent growth of fungus and weeds. Use shallow flats or seed pans with ample allowance for drainage. Fill to a depth of one-half inch with moist, planting medium and level. Using a piece of ordinary window screen, sprinkle a thin layer of planting evenly over the surface. Sterilize soil and containers. Moisten throughly with a light spray of sterilized water. Broadcast the seed, taking care to spread it evenly over the flat to avoid overcrowding. Dusting the seed with Rootone wil make it easier to see on the dark soil. Water carefully with a light spray of sterilized water. Do not cover seed. Cover the flats with sheets of glass and darken with newspaper (about 2 sheets thick) until germination. Seed will germinate in six to ten days at a constant temperature of 65 to 75 degrees. Fog lightly with sterilized water during the fourth day. As soon as the seed shows small white specks, the paper should be removed. Do not remove glass until after the tiny plants appear. Use extreme care in watching that the surface of the soil does not dry out at this stage of growth. Two or three days later small plants will show. The glass should be gradually propped open and then removed. Water carefully with sterilized water as needed. Sterilized water should be used, at least, until the third leaf shows on the small plants. Then the plants may be watered with fresh water for fifteen to twenty days before transplanting. At first transplanting, the seedlings are spaced one inch apart in flats filled to a depth of 1 1/2". When they become crowed they are transplanted again. This time they are spaced two or more inches apart. After the first transplanting. the seedlings respond very well to weekly or bi-weekly applications of fertilizer solution prepared by diluting one tablespoon of Romeo Soluble Fertilizer in three gallons of water. In five or six weeks they will be ready for potting or planting in the garden. ANT NELLI I have grown some very nice exhibition type Begonias from Antonelli's seed. The main thing is to get your seed from a grower instead of off the rack. The seed has to be fresh to achieve any kind of success. You don't want to go through all of the above and then be disappointed if nothing germinates. Hope this has been of some help. A......

vickie- thanks and i will do that. i always like to get geographical feedback though. nothing like a real experience in the ozarks. george- the seed is pellitized and came in a vial. i remember planting strawberry seeds once and sneezed and they were gone. william

Don't worry about it, Sue. I got plenty of Goose Creek seeds and no plan to grow them again soon. Ok...great. I can strike that off my list of worries. I also have a blue million other seeds that you may be interested in for 2009. Hmmmm...just so you know, I know you are an enabler, enabling me! Though I don't 'need' any new (to me) varieties for probably umpteen years, I sure cannot pass up a chance to at least find out what you might have that I don't....I admit I am addicted and weak,. By next season I hope to have some great tomato cages that I can just plop a variety here and there...out by the road, up the road, down the road, out on the corner, as I have lots of road frontage here. You're lucky to have any kind of tomato garden in Indiana this year considering our wacky, wet, wild and fungal spring followed by a sweaty summer and this just past awful August.. Considering the past 2 seasons have been a bust for me (problems and the plants got absolutely no attention after being planted out), this has been a late, but great season for me. I was just thinking I will welcome the tomato season nearing the end as I have been trying to keep up with pretty well all that ripens as I hate seeing them rot, and everyone close here grows there own and have too many also. I've lost a lot to rot, insects, sunscald, and critters, but there are still more than enough for my fresh eating and canning needs. I guess I will just continue canning until I run out of jars, which will never happen. Sue

I am always learning. Its a challenge to water enough but not too much. Protect from too much rain and watch and spray for fungus and stem rot (first year for my using this). I also found a fertilizer (Romeo 18-18-18) that I liked. I did have some nice plants towards Sept/Oct that were blooming beautifully, especially the plants I grew from tubers from Cal-Begonia (my first year buying these). I'm hoping with better care next summer that more plants will make it to that stage and earlier! Its a challenge for sure but the effort will be worth whatever comes to fruition!! I love them! Our last frost can be as late as May 31st, but our first frost isn't as early as yours- more like end of October. That low humidity sounds nice and I bet that keeps yours from getting fungus and stem rot. I know what you mean about not expecting so many to live- last winter I grew coleus cuttings that were so hardy and so many lived that I had coleus ALL over my yard! Although they were very nice, they're not as spectacular as tuberous begonias! I'm thinking your abundance will be much appreciated come this summer!