Need pictures on this forum!!! (LOL)

We are all getting into some type of terrarium growing..........be it simple or complicated.....just a couple of posts from me on Episcia 'Cleopatra'
She is growing in a big corsage clear container

Episcias like this spot for light on the sofa!!!!! Notice that the 'Tropical Topaz' on the left blooms wonderful yellow blooms with the lime colored foliage...

here are a few terrarium begonias from my friend Carol's collection.

This is Begonia soli-mutata in a 24" ball terrarium (it may be 30" but I'm not sure) either way, it's huge!

A Vietnamese species begonia collected by Mary Sizemore - aptly named B. sizemoreae

Note the 'hair' on the leaf surface!

Another huge ball terrarium begonia - of which I don't know the name but I am pretty sure it's a species.

begoniacraii, please tell me where to order these!!!!!! I am in love with them...............in the meantime, I have 5 rex begonias that aren't doing particularly well (but OK) in the bath room.....could I take a couple or just one and put them in a big bowl?????? Do you ever mix two kinds if you don't have enough of one?????
Thanks so much!!!!

A great friend of mine let me in on a secret. He buys plastic disposable salad bowls from the restaurant supply store and then trims the edge of one so it fits into the lid of the other and voila, a ball terrarium for about 5 bucks. The local store where I bought them is called 'Smart and Final' not sure if they are located in Tx or not.

One of my ball terrariums has 6 or 7 different mini terrarium begonias growing in it. That ball T I bought from this company http://www.gizmos-gadgets.com/buy_terrariums.html

Some of my rexies do well in terrariums other wise I just grow them outside. I suspect your wind is drying them out. Perhaps try them in your screened patio?

Here is the terrarium I made a few months ago. Bad image quality, I know, but I think you can see what I was doing.

Here you can see where I trimmed the edge so it would nestle into the lower salad bowl.

I used a soldering iron to put three small vent holes in the lid and then glued a big porcelain bead to the center of the lid so I can take it off (a handle)

Gee, thanks..............I just ordered the very big corsage containers from a local florist who only charged me wholesale.............100 for 42.00.............good price but i need these !!!!!! it seems I looked one time where you ordered yours and they were expensive....will go back and look......at gizmos gadgets......A restaurant is the perfect place.........thanks so much.....
Now, what is a good online site where i can order the begonia that you showed here, L....

another big thank you...........love the porcelain bead for the center!!!!!

Just another view of the finished terrarium. I have only had to water this one two or three times since I planted it back on April 17th

The begonia called B. sizemoreae is offered on eBay every so often by a seller called Aurikab http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZaurikab she is very good to deal with and I wouldnt hesitate to bid on her auctions. They are pretty easy to start by leaf if you can get someone to trade with you, and I'd offer but mine is completely defoliated and going into ICU. I have one itty bitty leaf started that is taking it's own time.

Kartuz might have it for sale now too. As for the other, I can only suggest you email the Dallas branch of the ABS and ask for local sources. I dont have that begonia but will try to find it at the convention in September.

I know Dallas isn't close, but North Haven garden center has a large selection of begonias listed on their site. No mail order (boo hoo!)

Here is the link to their begonia list (click the green link on the right, it's a PDF file http://www.nhg.com/products.htm)

Also, if you have a thrift store near, I always check mine and nearly every time I find smaller ball terrariums (perhaps they were once used as fish bowls?) and Beverly's has larger ball terrariums too. Cheaper than the site I linked above, and made from glass. I then go to TAP plastics and they sell plexiglass circles that I use as a lid. http://www.tapplastics.com/

I've also bought their largest clear container like this and have B. prismatocarpa growing in it ( i saw you post yours a while back) http://www.tapplastics.com/shop/product.php?pid=220&

Oh My Goodness .... Now y'all are gonna get me hooked on Begonia's! I tried Rex Begonia's a couple of times many years ago and didn't have much luck with them....don't know what I was doing wrong! Oh, those are so Gorgeous! What am I gonna do .... such enabler's y'all are! I might just have to buy a couple to try again .... this time in terrarium settings!

Since we're talking about begonias...Can I ask a stupid question? I've tried to find the answer myself, but can't. What's the difference in a Rex Begonia and a Rhizomatous Begonia? To make it relevant, I have a rhizo. growing like a weed in a terrarium! Literally, it gets larger every day! I really want to get some more begonias, but don't know exactly what to get, since I have had trouble with some of them before.

Thanks, begoniacrazii for all that information................no , (LOL) I won't be going to Dallas anytime soon......it is about an 8 or 9 hour drive one way!!!!!
I sent my B. prismatocarpa to jannich........oh how she loves the little plants!!! I jokingly told her to grow some for me again......
You have given us a wealth of information.............again, thanks

Amy, you can remove some leaves from your rhizo begonia to reduce it's size and then put each leaf petiole in a dixie cup with some sphag/perlite mix, ziplock bag it and in a few weeks you'll have lots of begonias to share. Here's a rex I did not long ago. just stuck it in a tray of perlite/vermiculite with a dome over it and they shoot up little ones pretty quickly.

That's what the one I posted a picture of is. I broke that one off the larger plant, and stuck it in a cup o' mix to see what would happen. It worked beautifully! I posted several pictures in this thread. http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/736658/ It's amazing how quickly this thing is growing. I never imagined!!

And, my goodness, that one in your picture is beautiful! I thought you had a picture of an Episcia there. :o)

ok, rain, I am doing the same thing that lali just showed us.............I have some great little rexes.....tomorrow I am going to start all the leaves like she said (can I leave the original rhizome without any leaves????)

I wouldn't take all the leaves off the plants, Gail. Maybe just take one or two off each plant to start with, and then you could put more down as they grow more leaves. They've gotta have leaves to photosynthesize. :o) The two leaves I did that way rooted really quickly and easily. I don't think you'll have any problem with it! :o)

thanks....

If the plants you're working with are large plants, then you could take more than one or two. I just meant that I wouldn't take them all off. How big are your begonias? Listen at me giving advice like I know what I'm talking about. LOL Lali, please come in here and tell her what she needs to know! ;o) I still know nothing about Begonias, I was just thinking about other plants, and thinking I wouldn't want to take all the leaves off, but with those rhizomes, I just don't know...

don't worry about it..............won't even get to them today...............

GAIL!!!!! Thank you for posting your pic here!!!

Hey, it's such a beauty & an attention grabber,too.
I love my terrariums and the episcias do very well in them. I personally love the 10 gall aquariums cause it gives you enough room to grow stuff BIG or add lots of plants.You can get a light that fits it easier than all the different bowls etc...
Can you just imagine what a 50 gallon tank would look like filled with E.Cleopatra????
Oh,I saw on 14 incher bubble bowls for $20 plus shipping...on ebay of course.
I hope he doesn't sell out of them cause I have to wait til next payday... already spent my plant budget..lol

Wow, have I got catching up to do threads gallore....

MsC

I spent my year's plant budget in only 6 months (LOL(

Great pictures everybody and so many good ideas, now where to start??

I'm with you MsC, I have a lot of catching up to do on a few forums, not going to be tonight though, maybe this weekend. Something to look forward to!

Gail the picture you posted of a strep, I believe, with Cleopatra in the back ground (can't remember where) really gives an idea of how large she really is. Just something to compare to I guess, she really is a big one!

~Brenda

gessiegail, you must be in the Southern part of Texas- when I lived in Topeka, it took me 9 hours one-way to get to Dallas. And there's Oklahoma between here and TX...kinda eye-opening whenever I think of how big that state is...(and even more eye-opening when I think of how big Alaska is). lol

hey begoniacrazii, thanks for sharing those awesome photos- those plants look GREAT! Where is that restraunt supply store for the salad bowls? I need to get into that like a need a new hole in my head, as the saying goes....

The interstates are so ugly to drive now............i actually prefer to take the back roads and see something while i am driving!!!

BUMPING to say that I found an online source for the disposable plastic salad bowls from post http://davesgarden.com/forums/p.php?pid=3640914

http://www.acemart.com/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=AM&Product_Code=SAB12160A&cm_ven=BizRate&cm_cat=CPC&cm_pla=13040203&cm_ite=Bowl_Disposable_Plastic_Clear_160_oz_(SAB12160A)

Photo below from http://www.sabert.com web site. It is not my photo.

I am so excited..........leaving for out of town in the morning but will look for a location around here from Sabert.com.........they have a phone number to ask, also!!!

Begoniacrazii did the hard work!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks begonia! ; D Free shipping, too. Whoo hoo! lol

(I think that is if you spend $400 or more)

lol Okay...I missed that part. Good to know!