# Begonia issue



## grendel88 (Oct 19, 2006)

Ok I was at Lowe's and picked up some sweet begonias. I took them home, soaked them in a 10% bleach solution and add them to a viv. They were kind of musshy and heavily wilting, but I figured they would pick up after drying out and getting some sun. 2 days later, they still look dead. Any insight as to what I can do to get them going/prevent future plants form dying on me?


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## toostrange (Sep 19, 2013)

I've had same problem. Some will take off and grow good some are dead in day or so just wilt away. I'd like to know also.


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## phender (Jan 9, 2009)

In general, begonias that you can buy at Lowe's/Home Depot, etc., won't do well in a vivarium. The begonias that are used for landscaping and the Rex begonias with the pretty leaves, are not suited do the high humidity and moist soil of a vivarium. 

Even begonias that are suited for vivarium life will often "melt" when they are transferred to a tank that has different conditions than they are used to. Sometimes they will regrow when they look like they are dead, sometimes they won't. If begonias aren't being grown in vivarium/terrarium conditions when you buy them, chances are, they aren't going to do well in your viv.


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## MELLOWROO421 (Feb 21, 2007)

I have had some luck with nursery store bought begonias, but not by planting them directly in a viv. I have always had to take a leaf cutting and lay it on sphagnum moss in a grow out tank or in a 16oz or 32oz fly cup with the lid on and wait for it to begin growing a new plant. Then I use the new plant in a viv and have had pretty good success in the past. I just cut about 2" of the stem below the leaf and shove the stem into the moss until just the very tip of where the stem meets the leaf touches the moss. Try and keep the rest of the leaf from touching the moss or else it will melt. Once the new plant begins growing you should be able to put it in a high humidity environment. 

I don't know if this works on all begonias, but the "Rex" begonias I have purchased in the past have done fine. 

Good luck!


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## ndame88 (Sep 24, 2010)

Its been hit or miss with begonias for me, I have had more success with Rexs, but even then, I purchased a potted rex from a local nursery that had 2 plants in it, put one in my leuc viv, melted within a week, put the other in my Green Sip viv, and it is the strongest fastest growing plant I have in any of my vivs, though conditions are about the same in both vivs. So who knows.


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## grendel88 (Oct 19, 2006)

Thanks for all the info, everyone!


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