Begonia amphioxus grows on Windowsills!

Begonia amphioxus on my windowsill

Begonia amphioxus grows on windowsills!

 

This rare Begonia species is tougher than first thought.

 

            If you find this cute Begonia for sale on the internet, the seller may warn you that it must be grown in terrarium – high humidity conditions.

 

            This is wrong.  It does not.

 

I’ve proven conclusively that it will grow on your windowsill without any additional humidity.

 

Once considered very rare, now it is a commercial plant with limited production.

 

This story is to stamp out the myth that Begonia amphioxus is a needy, soft species what can only live in a terrarium, which few indoor gardeners want to deal with.

 

We have propagated and sold thousands of ‘Spotted Lizards’ into Independent Garden Centers on the East coast.  It holds up just fine.

 

How did the myth get started?  An unrooted cutting requires higher humidity while rooting.  Then they are weaned off mist and hardened off for sale.  Many internet sellers do not acclimate young plants, so warn you to immediately move them into terrariums.

 

Great advice, if you’re building a terrarium.

 

But for the rest of us, find acclimated plants that are ready for your windowsill.  They will thrive there.

 

Customers who sell our Begonia amphioxus by retail mail order are:

 

Hirt’s Gardens (hirts.com)

My Garden Channel (mygardenchannel.com)

 

Retail garden centers are found on our locator map:

 

garysspecialtyplants.com/locations.html

 

 

How to go from figuratively to literally?

Begonia 'Painted Lizard' -- Million Dollar Plant

How to go from Figurately to Literally?        

 

I talk about the Million Dollar Plants that are in the future.  This interests me and is fun to speculate.

 

Of course, nobody knows the potential of a new plant.  Who knew that the Chinese Money Plant --- Pilea Peperomiodes, would zoom up.  The species had been around for years, and nobody noticed.  A Canadian grower sensed a demand was showing up in Europe, took a chance and grew thousands for the North American market.  He guessed right and caught the demand going up.

 

We are still growing Chinese Money Plants and sell hundreds every week.  It has been a Million Dollar Plant, if you add up all who have benefited from it.

 

I want Begonia ‘Painted Lizard’ to be my Million Dollar Plant.  How can that possibly happen?

 

A new hybrid (malachosticta X amphioxus), there are less than 50 plants in the World.  If we could sell them for $6.00, we would need 166,666 pots per year.  If we could get 4 cuttings per stock plant, we need 41,666 stock plants to cut from.  If we could get two crops per year, we would only need 20,333 stock plants.  See the supply problem?

 

Going the other direction, who will buy the 166,666 pots @ $6.00?  That could be easy, given the current high demand for houseplants, especially a new one.

 

Can you literally make a million dollars with a new plant?

 

Yes, but there is a lot of work and luck in between. 

 

Will this Miniature Achimenes keep flowering?

Achimenes 'Petite Fadette, Buds, Feb 25, 2024

         The common question at garden centers is:  Will this keep flowering?

        Commercial flowering plants are grown to their peak capability of flowering so the homeowner can have a pretty decorative plant to take home.

        Most flowering plants sold in flower have buds that should continue to open in the house.  Some home gardeners give up too soon.

        The Achimenes 'Petite Fadette' growing at my West window has lost its original four red flowers.

        This is my test to see if the three buds at the top will open.

        I'll report what happens.

Begonia in Terrarium or Not?

Begonia with vigor.

          This Begonia is an unnamed hybrid of the cross of (B. malachosticta X B. amphioxus).

            Any reference to it on the internet says that it must be grown in a terrarium.   They said that about amphioxus also, but I proved that not to be necessary. Hundreds have been sold and they do just fine out on your windowsill.

            I'm betting that this newly released clone will be an exceptional plant that will survive in any good household environment.

            No known name is available, so I will call it 'Painted Lizard'.

            No terrarium required.

 

Roosters are Nearby

Roosters on Guard

           Sometimes you need a Sunny Rooster to watch over you.

And then what happened?

'Beyond' - Jan 13, 2024

 

'Beyond' - Jan 23, 2024

     This is not a trick.

     The pictures are 10 days apart.  How is xA. 'Beyond ' holding up at the windowsill?

Achimenantha 'Beyond' must be seen

Achimenantha  'Beyond'

             We knew Achimenantha 'Beyond' was a very good Achimenes X Smithiantha hybrid created by Serge Saliba, premier hybridizer from Romania.

              We had seen the big pretty pink flowers last year, but how to grow it for sale?

                A few pots happened to get in the mix with our Miniature Achimenes project under LED lights with 16 hours day length.  We learned that the plants grow and flower extremely short.  Can this be a good thing?  Maybe an inch taller?

            We have limited stock, having started with one rhizome.  The scaling method will give us more.

            A Little Spot of Color - There is great potential here.