Cultivar
B. ‘Bertha Bofinger’
Identity
- Genus
- Begonia
- Name
- B. ‘Bertha Bofinger’
- Date of Origin
- 1899
- Plant Type
- Semperflorens
- Publication Reference
- GC; WBHC-WW
- Article References
- Die Gartenwelt, Jahr 2, 1897
Plant
- Description
- Die Gartenwelt, Jahr 2, 1897 B. semperflorens: The cultivated and improved varieties of the Begonia semperflorens Link et Otto, originating from Brazil, have everywhere conquered a place in the garden thanks to their good qualities, which they have been able to use for many purposes, and now belong, as it were, to their iron constitution. They offer the gardener a splendid, easy-to-procure material for flowerbeds, can be used favorably in their dwarf shapes on carpet beds, are useful as potted plants for decoration purposes and, what cannot be said of many of our summer bloomers, are also valuable as market plants. Today we have a whole collection of beautiful varieties, all characterized by willing and abundant flowering, but of which we must attach different value to the overall effect they produce as group plants. Anyone who saw the ground floor of the Frankfurt Palmengarten this past summer will remember the brilliant effect achieved with Begonia semperflorens cultivars ‘Erfordia’ and ‘Vernon’. In the following, therefore, I shall limit myself to listing only those varieties which have proved to be excellent and deserve to be called summa cum laude. It is possible to distinguish two groups of Semperflorens-Begonia according to their specific abilities: seed-bearing and seed-failing. To the former, who are best suited to mass culture, I also count the beautiful 'Erfordia', although it brings seeds only sparingly and is necessary for obtaining the same selection of the best and best, and culture of plants under glass with free access to the air. Other Beg. Semperfl. coming close to the beauty of 'Erfordia' are the Pfitzer's breeds 'Perle von Stuttgart' and 'Vernon compacta', both improvements of the old preserved ‘Vernon’ begonia. The lack of a good, pure white flowering Semperflorens Begonia is remedied with the variety 'Helene Bofinger'. 'Bertha Bofinger', is a new carmine blooming new kind of ornamental growth. 'Zulu Konig' is a very recent breed, which I do not yet know from my own point of view, but this new begonia was highly praised by experts who had exhibited in Hamburg last summer. A simple but successful cultural procedure, which is also used in the gardening of the garden architects Gebr. Siesmayer, is the following: Sow early (as early as the second half of January) and not too thin, in shallow clay pits on prepared peat mire, For this purpose the peat cut into small pieces is cooked, and after it has been stored for a few days in a warm room, mixed with fine, sharp sands and ground, which is best served with a medium sieve. The cooking of the peat is required to prevent the appearance of mold and other parasites, also necessary to give the very dry and rough raw material the appropriate texture for propagation purposes. The property of the peat to retain a given degree of moisture for a very long time, and its porosity, not attained by any species of earth, ensures uniform germination, rapid development, and perfect rooting of the seedlings. Three weeks after sowing, the young Begonia semperflorens seedlings are clogged on a pique box; not one by one, but always three or five little plants together, with small peat bales adhering to each other, at a distance from each other, which makes a repeated stuffing in the house, which would take a great deal of time with large masses, superfluous. In two-week-old culture in the warm house and three to four-week in the temperate house, at + 10 to 12 degrees C, the begonias have reached the desired size for planting on, and now the division is made shortly. The Begonia semperflorens of the other, no seed-producing group also show magnificent forms, of which I especially highlight the Begonia semperflorens ‘Elegans’, the Indefatigable, who will never miss her beautiful flowers at any time of the year. Begonia semperfl. 'Corbeille de feu' is very suitable for pot culture and has also been well preserved as a bedding plant. Finally, the variety 'Teppichkonigin aka Carpet Konigin', a pygmy-like but probably the cutest of all that exists among the Semperflorens begonias, is very productive in propagation. In the propagation of these begonia, but especially with B semp. ‘Elegans’ it is advisable, if possible, to use only short shoots, which have eyes in the corners of the leaves, as cuttings, whereby the young plants are given the opportunity to branch off to assume the bush form. On the other hand, if we use shoots or those cuts which have no eyes, we must absolutely avoid squat plants. In spite of all efforts, such plants have only one shoot and are best used as outdoor bedding plants. But anyone who possesses Begonia semperflorens elegans and has recognized their peculiarities will never again want to part with it. - From M. Schmidt, Obergartner of the company Gebr. Siesmayer, Frankfurt a. M. Bockenheim.
Lineage
Parents
No parentage recorded.
Descendants
No recorded descendants.
Culture
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