Germination Disclaimer

Begonian Express can't guarantee an individual germination rate, and it's worth being upfront about why. So much depends on what happens after the seeds arrive, and those are things we can't see or control:

• How the seeds are stored and handled. Most species lose viability quickly if kept somewhere warm and humid, or exposed to high heat.
• What they're sown on. If the recommended ingredients aren't available where you are, or you'd rather use something else, that changes the odds in ways we can't predict.
• Whether the general advice below was followed, which we have no way to verify.

That said, we're always glad to help with a legitimate, good-faith complaint, we appreciate the feedback, and we do replace seeds now and again when a restitution seems warranted.

Opening the packet. Before unfolding the wax paper envelope, take care not to press it between your fingers, since the seeds crush easily. Tap the packet on the table so they settle to the bottom, then hold it up to the light to see them. Always open it slowly over a clean white sheet of paper, because most begonia seeds are tiny, some barely visible, and if they spill elsewhere they're impossible to retrieve. Check them with a jeweller's loupe for any damage. We pack carefully, so this is rare, but rough handling in the mail is always possible, so if many of the seeds look crushed, please let us know as soon as you can.

The sowing mix. Because horticultural products vary so much from place to place, we can only suggest what experienced growers most commonly use, and no single recipe suits every species. Some prefer a more acidic mix, others a limier one, so it's worth researching your particular species. The usual ingredients are peat, Fluval Stratum or a similar volcanic aquarium media, akadama, pumice, perlite, and vermiculite.

Sowing. Choose a small container with a tight lid to keep humidity high. A microwave-safe Pyrex dish with a clamp-down seal is ideal, since the mix can be heat-sterilized in it before sowing, which helps keep down the algae, slime moulds, and mosses that smother tiny seedlings. Let it cool to room temperature before sowing.

Light and temperature. Keep the container under full-spectrum fluorescent or LED light at least twelve hours a day, somewhere the temperature stays steady, so not a windowsill. Start checking for germination with a loupe after the first week, but avoid leaving the lid off for long, as very small seedlings dry out quickly. Most species germinate between the second and fourth week, though some take much longer, up to six months. Check early with the loupe rather than waiting to spot leaves with the naked eye, because seedlings can begin to wilt soon after germinating when conditions aren't quite right, and by the time that's visible unaided it's often too late.