You will have to acclimate it to sunny conditions over a couple of weeks. I would not put it in direct midday to early afternoon sun until late summer. New growth will harden in no time. As for top heavy that is a personal preference - do you like it tall? If so get a bigger pot or cache the pot in a heavy glazed or clay pot. You can also place large rocks on the soil surface to give it some weight. If you want to cut the top out, do so and start some new plants with the cuttings.

I always move most of my begonias outdoors for summer - easier to maintain (watering chores, grooming, potting, etc); the rain, wind, and sun just seem to make them grow more lushly; and it is easier for my guests and myself to see the beauty mixed in the landscape rather than cramped quarters in the basement under lights.

hcmcdole....thanks for that help! I think there is afternoon sun where I was planning on putting it, so I've decided to put something else there and find another place for it.

I do like the plant large and tall in the pot. I wondered if since all the growth on it now is growth that developed while it was in the house, that if I trimmed it back, any new growth would develop in stronger light and might be more sturdy. Would that be the case, or no? The stems that are there now are not going to harden, are they?

I have it in the largest pot I can put it and it has room for friends. [g] The rock idea is a good one. I think I could sneak a couple in there, to help out.
I suppose I could stake it too, without it being too noticeable. It is pretty shallow rooted, isn't it?

I like them outdoors in the summer too, all two of them. :-)

Thanks!

Eventually new growth will harden - become woody but it will be some time before then. New growth will be more sturdy from the wind and sun too.

Canes can have deep roots unless the bottom layer stays too wet which can become a dead zone. Staking is a good idea if you want to train it in a nice form. Some canes can become very twisted if you let them grown naturally although Sophia is fairly straight growing without any help.

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Hcmcdole, well I can see you really know your begonias!! Gorgeous, gorgeous photos! There's nothing like a healthy looking begonia, is there? So shiny and healthy looking and blooms to boot! That last photo of an angel wing is so full and nicely shaped. I got a kick out of the pot with all the different cuttings in it. I haven't seen that done before. Nice idea.

Well, the decision about whether to cut or not to cut was made for me yesterday by the squirrels. I was lulled into complacency because they hadn't damaged anything in the yard yet this year, and the day after I got Sophia outside and potted up, one of the varmints decided to have a good time with it. The pulled off leaves and broke off the top part of one of the main stems. I am assuming it was the squirrels but now that I think about it, when it's them I usually see bite marks. Hmmm....endless mysteries in the garden. So I got out there this morning and pruned it back and it actually looks better. I didn't have to cut it that short and now I have two stems for rooting.

Since you seem to be the begonia expert, how do you start cuttings? I usually put them in water and then forget about them. I never seem to have the potting soil and a pot when I need it.

I also have a Good and Plenty Begonia that I am trying to train into a standard and it was progressing pretty well but now it is not looking very good. I will get a photo of it and see if you can offer any suggestions.

Thanks for posting those photos. I LOVE them!

I haven't had squirrels break my begonias but they do like to root around in the pot (usually the extra large pots) burying acorns or other things. Part of gardening.

To root cane begonias is fairly easy. Either water root like you mentioned or push the stem in some good potting mix and keep moist. Cut the bottom leaves off and place in a semi-shady area or under lights until it roots and starts showing new growth before moving to sunnier positions. You want to have a node that has a lateral bud (which I did not know previously) for rooting and growing. Apparently a node that is/was for flowering is not what you want. Check out Brad Thompson's web site on propagation.

Brad Thompson

Thanks hcmcdole! I'll try to get a photo of the Sophia once I have the whole pot planted. It won't look as good as yours! :-)

hcmcdole,

Beautiful photos! In the third photo from the top, what is the name of the begonia in the upper left corner with the medium green leaves and pink flowers?

Thanks!
Carol

Carol,

I've been told by an expert that it is probably coccinea. The expert's opinions are good enough for me. I've had it over 20 years so it's pretty easy to grow and neglect.

My AW Begonia has brown spot on the leaves that almost look like blisters. I have kept it in the shade in filtered light all summer but it seems to be losing leaves rather than growing. I repotted last week and found that it didn't have very good drainage in the pot it was in. The new growth along each stem starts as green but appears to turn brown before it gets any size to it.

Any suggestions or ideas on the problem?

Also, I live in East Texas and it is VERY hot here. Would I do better to bring it inside to a brightly lit room where it is consistently 70-75 degrees?

HELP! I love my Begonia and don't want to lose it!

suzette, this thread is older and has been answered so most people are probably skipping over it. I would start a new thread with your question and you will be more likely to get an answer.

Suzette, it sounds like you found the problem with the drainage issue. Hopefully you repotted it into fresh mix and a pot that drains quickly. Remove ugly old leaves and they will be replaced in a few weeks. You can also cut semi-hard to hard stems (two nodes or more) and start these for new plants. Cutting should also encourage the plant to send up new shoots.

I would not move it indoors since they really do a lot better outdoors. You can also start inching the plant to receive more sun which should help it grow to its full potential. By fall, it should be able to take several hours of sun if you continue to move it to the edge of shade in weekly increments.

Check Brad's propagation page for more information.