Maple leaf begonia monster

I started a plant from leaves given to me by a Russian lady. She worked in an office with no windows. I noticed how pretty the plant was under no day light conditions. She called it a maple leaf begonia and gave me some leaves. I stuck the stalks in water and after about 4 months roots grew and I potted it up.
It grew into a monster! I had it in a southeast facing room with filtered light. What can I do to grow a start that develops into a more tidy plant like she had?? Thanks!
PS does anyone know what kind of begonia this is?

Is it growing sideways or are the pix just tilted?

Ha! And would you believe I'm married to a photographer? Guess it's not catching. I wanted to show how it grows at the base. Here's another one:

Gosh I'm going crazy! Can't get it to rotate! Taken with ipad.

Probably a hybrid of Begonia manicata. You probably took photos with a tablet or a phone to get the sideways photos. Best to correct them on a computer before posting in the future.

I find on android if I just crop it, even just barely, it then posts the right way.

Thanks hcmcdole, that seems to be what it is when I looked up the name. I can't decide what to do with it. It's so huge, and we have such a little house, but also it's a memento fron a very nice lady.

Thaks Sallyg, I'll try cropping cause no matter how I rotated it in the ipad, it posted here sideways.

If you want a giant plant move it to a bigger pot, if you want a small plant, move it to a smaller pot (expect to water a lot more though).

Here is one of my Begonia 'Immense' plants I put in an 18 inch pot this past summer. It is filling a doorway in the basement this winter. A smaller plant of the same in a six inch pot.

Thanks, hcmcdole! So can I divide it this spring into smaller pots? I seems there are several groups formed that I could divide it into.

If you want more plants, you can divide it or let it as is (looks great the way it is).

You can propagate it by leaf cuttings as well. Due to the size of these leaves, you can divide it like a cake (wedges) with a major vein in each wedge or use the entire leaf with the long stem left attached (lay the petiole horizontally in a low plastic container with clear lid, with a small amount of potting mix over the petiole). Wedges will provide more plants but they will be smaller to begin with but will eventually become like the mother plant.

Here are a couple of examples of propagating both ways. The first photo is of 'Island Magic' where the leaf and petiole are placed in a small bed of potting mix inside a spinach container from the grocery store. The many shoots at the left edge are from the cut end of the petiole and the leaf itself is putting up pups as well.

The second photo is of a tray of Jiffy pellets using wedge cuttings.

Thank you so much hcmcdole, for your detailed instructions. I'm going to sit tight for awhile as we are having brutal temps so even repotting where I do in the semi heated garage would be too cold. But I was wondering if it would like being outside in the summer. The only place outside would be a semi shaded northeast area near the house. I am thinking its big leaves might whip in the wind too much. Also critters, six legged and four legged might bother it. Or it might bother them if it's poisonous!

I move my hundreds of houseplants outdoors each summer (usually May) and back indoors in late October. For the most part they all thrive. As for critters the worst ones are squirrels digging in pots and dogs that chase the squirrels. Most begonias don't have insect problems but slugs and snails can be a nuisance. Wind is not a problem but falling debris (pine needles, small limbs) can tatter the leaves. Sunburn, cold damage can be disheartening in the first few weeks after moving them outdoors but these leaves are usually replaced in short time with much healthier and sturdier leaves through the summer and fall. The worst thing is mildew when moving them back indoors for winter but the type you have is usually not affected by mildew (rexes, Mallets, a lot of canes, and some Asian varieties are more susceptible to mildew).

Here is a small sample of begonias in early September.

And a few indoors from yesterday.

Hi hcmcdole, I thought I had posted a thank you for your photos, but I don't see it in the forum, so thanks for your pics! Your plants are beautiful! I love the patterns on the leaves. I had another question if you don't mind. My begonia's outer leaves droop if I don't keep it constantly watered even if the soil feels wet. Is it ok to let them droop while the soil gets less wet? I don't want to over water. Thanks again. I bet you are looking forward to being outside more, or are you going to be able to move your plants out soon?

JoWalker,

That is a difficult question to answer. I'd hate to steer you wrong since some begonias don't mind extra water while some just quickly go downhill if overwatered slightly. I'd err on the side of caution until you had more of the same plant so you can experiment. Droopy leaves are sometimes the nature of the plant though. If they are healthy looking and have some rigidity to them I'd say that is the way it is supposed to be. Since the majority of leaves are upright, I'd also add that the plant looks close to perfection. You can trim the older leaves and try some propagation with those.

You are so correct on wanting winter to be over with but I know it will be early May or later before I begin the task of moving everything outside. Once I start moving things out, I do not bring them back inside until late October. Our alleged safe date is the middle of April but we've had a bizarre year a few years back where we got into the teens and then two years ago we had a begonia sale for our club and it was 34 the morning of (mid April).

Here are some photos of mother plants at the Orlando nursery I buy from for our club sale and my loaded pickup last May (the Saturday after Mother's Day).

I just love the gorgeous leaves! Wish I had a larger house to have more. Thanks for the info on watering. This one sure seems to like water.

Sure hope there are no weather surprises for you this spring for your sale and moving your plants outside.

I want to get the wood sides to one of my raised beds replaced, but it has been too bitter cold to be out. I'm afraid I'll be slingshotted into spring when the weather lets up before I have a chance to even get in shape for the season!

If you are ever in the Atlanta area send me a message and I will show you some begonias. The American Begonia Society will be having their annual convention in Boston this year (that is different). Begins July 28th and goes through August 2nd (I think that is the ending date). Check it out on the ABS web site (begonias.org). I will probably go up on the 29th and leave on the 1st (for Maine and Nova Scotia if I can arrange it).

I think I would wait on repairing any raised beds until the weather is warmer too. We are getting a little snow (our first this winter, well second if I lived in the next county above us). Camellias are blooming which is not good. Hellebores, Mahonias, and maples always seem to bloom this time of year but they seem to be fine with the alternating cold and warm. Next week it is predicted to be in the mid 60's here.

Thanks for the invite! I don't get to travel much, but if I am ever near Atlanta I'll send you a message. Sounds like you are going to have some nice activities planned. I'll bet the Boston show will be really pretty.
It is below zero here this morning. Temps this month are breaking all kinds of records. The Hellebore I have in a sheltered area usually blooms late February. Not this year! The Red Maple, however; in the front is trying to bud out. There has been no weather to encourage it, so I don't know why it is doing that, maybe day length?
Enjoy your mid 60s!

It was quite cold yesterday in middle TN (my wife and I went to help my parents out by picking up sticks from their earlier in the week ice storm which required a coat, gloves, and hood). Today it was warm enough to go without my coat all day. The prediction is 70 on Wednesday - that will get things popping.

I was in Boston many years ago in November (work related) - it was quite depressing due to the much shorter days than we have and the intense cold. I certainly hope it is a lot better in summer and I am looking forward to this trip.

Here is Selph's Mahogany - has dark, round, thick, fairly large leaves but the tiniest blooms. Same picture - just the blooms are cropped in the first photo. I wished rhizomatous would wait until they are outdoors to bloom but you cannot change nature much like the red maples.

Boston in summer will remind you of home-hot and humid, thunderstorms many afternoons. I hope you have time to see the Arnold Arboretum and Mt Auburn Cemetery while there.
Those are a lot of beautiful plants you have. How do you keep them watered properly while out of town?

Hi Pistil,

Oh wonderful - go north to get more of the same hot and humid. I was hoping it would be cool there. The conventions in Florida are usually in March and in California seems like they are in fall. I don't think the places you listed are on the tour so we would have to do that on our own or at another date.

I don't have a problem watering in summer - set up sprinklers on timers and hope the hoses don't burst while we are gone. Just have to remember to turn on the faucet and all valves before leaving. Went to Thailand for two weeks in July 06 and forgot to turn on the front hose that was hooked up to the drip line for the plants on the front porch. Most were toast when we got back home. In 2012 we went to Okinawa for two weeks again in July and I don't remember having any casualties but there were some that probably should've been closer to the sprinkler(s) as they were getting pretty wilted.

Winter time is a problem though since there are no timers and no sprinklers in the basement set up so I try to limit time away to 2-3 days. If I was going to be away longer then I'd water thoroughly the night before and probably flood the drip pan half an inch or so, that way they could wick up water. The more critical plants would get some kind of humidity cover over them. Joys of gardening.

Jo, the begonias love it outdoors. In weather like this when it is warm during the day, you can take them outside to play and bring them in at night. Begonias of all types are happiest with morning sun in the summer outdoors. It gives them a full complement of all spectrum light, and you can expect them to bloom with very little encouragement. Even the shade outdoors gives the frill spectrum of light even though you don't think it is getting any light. Shaded light outdoors is better than several hours of artificial light indoors.

In case you are interested, this shaded light is also perfect for coleus and androids, and the foliage is not so likely to burn.

I move 99% of mine outdoors for summer and may have close to half outdoors now even though we are still having some very cool mornings (46 this morning). Some plants can take full sun but acclimate them to full sun much like getting a tan. I start a lot of mine under the deck or under shade trees and then start moving them to more and more sun as the summer heats up. Most cane begonias can take full sun and bloom better but you must keep them watered. Even rhizomatous and the newer coleus can take full sun but do take note of any burning - if they burn, move them to more shade to find a happy location.

Elephant ears can take full sun as well. Here are a few of my "aroids" from last summer where they got sun from 10 until late evening. Some may have gotten some shade during the day but most were in full sun all day.