# begonia pavonina care



## winstonamc (Mar 19, 2007)

So I have finally gotten a B. pavonina, which is now the creme de la creme of my modest collection and have struggled to find any good advice on this. The post history mostly has to do with people selling cuttings or desperately seeking them out.

So, any advice on growing these? Humidity? Viv. v. house plant, etc. I really, really, really want this one to do really well so any experience would be supremely appreciated.

Thanks in advance,
Adam

P.S. no photo can do these babies justice!


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## tclipse (Sep 19, 2009)

Put me first on your list, thanks  I have heard its a slow grower but should do well in viv conditions.


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## JoshH (Feb 13, 2008)

I grow mine in a mix of longfiber sphagnum, ABG mix, and perlite. Soil always kept moist, but not soggy.....really high humidity at about 100%, and low low light. The shadier the better for best coloration. Often found along stream banks in dense shade.

Here was mine in its prime....


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## winstonamc (Mar 19, 2007)

@Teddy, you're giving me a lot of credit, but hopefully I'll grow it well enough to get cuttings ...

Josh, thanks for the advice, exactly the kind of info I was hoping to get. I've got it around 75% humidity right now, and hopefully it will manage till my big 90g project arrives. So thanks so much for the advice (just read through your design pages on your website, super nice articles)


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## andersonii85 (Feb 8, 2004)

JoshH said:


> I grow mine in a mix of longfiber sphagnum, ABG mix, and perlite. Soil always kept moist, but not soggy.....really high humidity at about 100%, and low low light. The shadier the better for best coloration. Often found along stream banks in dense shade.
> 
> Here was mine in its prime....



The only thing I would add is that this is a highland species, which likes temps on the lower side. This was my problem. I kept it like an ordinary tropical. As Josh said- shade!!! Otherwise, it will just look like an ordinary green begonia. 

On a side note, if you know of a supplier please let us know.


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## tclipse (Sep 19, 2009)

andersonii85 said:


> On a side note, if you know of a supplier please let us know.


Yes, definitely.


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## poison beauties (Mar 1, 2010)

I have 3 mother plants, started them off what I got off Harry on here in one of his posts before he started scaling back. I would also add in its not a great inviv plant. Needs some air movement and keep the leaves dry for its own sake. Drainage for sure I made up a nice mix mostly charcoal, sphagnum, perlite and orchid bark but it thrives well as I have it in a custom bucket garden container in a 8'' hydroponic pot. Low light, I have only fertilized it once in a year or so and I have just started breaking offsets off to start new plants.

Michael


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## winstonamc (Mar 19, 2007)

hey Michael, thanks for the input. Could you describe a little more how you set up your container for them, as I am way more invested in growing the plant than in keeping it in a viv. Thanks in advance!


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## winstonamc (Mar 19, 2007)

as an update,
about 2/3 of the leaves melted and I'm just starting to get some new growth. Pretty standard behavior with finnicky begonias like these?


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## toksyn (Mar 5, 2011)

I don't know about pavonina, but that doesn't appear to be uncommon with some of the other touchy Begonias. I've had B. bipinnatifida appear to completely melt on me, only to spring up new growth shortly afterward. I've also had B. chlorosticta melt _as I watched it_, and I pretty much threw it in my orchidarium in a last ditch effort to save it. Now I have a smattering of little B. chlorosticta seedlings popping up from what can only be the remnants of the original plant's leaves scattered throughout the substrate. Perhaps next time I should treat these things like moss and blend them up . . . hmm .


If anything, I learned a few lessons about when to open / not open a package of Begonias.


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## poison beauties (Mar 1, 2010)

I keep mine in natural light, not in vivs, when not in the greenhouse the room is kept decently humid and the fan stays on. I mist the plant once a week but other than that I water the soil mix only. I have a chopped up tomato screen around mine as it has gotten pretty thick and drapes a bit having a few over 2 dozen shoots on the big one. I find it that the less you do for them the better.

Michael


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