As we’ve discussed in other Tech On Demand videos and podcasts, the key to successfully producing high quality crops often starts at the very beginning. How you and your team approach the earliest stages of germination and propagation sets the stage for uniformity down the line. We’re pleased to welcome back frequent guest Dr. Will Healy, who continues to think about ways to share his knowledge and decades of experience working with growers of all shapes and sizes. This time, he's here to focus on seed-raised begonias

Will begins by explaining the germination process, defining terms and talking about the importance of melting the coating on pelleted seeds. After establishing the importance of proper moisture management to melt pellets effectively, he digs deeper into flat filling and seeding best practices including properly centering the seed in each cell and not burying them.

Then the discussion turns to why you should treat begonias like unrooted cuttings in the after germination—they’re a monocot, with root clusters instead of a taproot. As a tropical plant, Will reminds us that cold water in germination is not ideal and tempered water should be used. Lighting is also recommended—immediately after trays leave the water tunnel. You’ll also hear protocols for irrigation management and nutrition to help get begonias off to a strong start. The discussion wraps up with quick looks at other begonia species often started from seed, like tuberous, interspecific and boliviensis types.  

WATCH THE FULL EPISODE AS A VIDEO PRESENTATION: https://youtu.be/fXpHI6hhmsA?si=oG-5Zv5v72-Z8uPE 

Resources:

Training Your Team to Water Properly (VIDEO): https://youtu.be/SCPPT0IXlLY?si=qh5wqFp7dF8Xmx1q

Mystery Solved! Slime, Moss and Algae (VIDEO): https://youtu.be/Qjh0BcwkqqI?si=2pftpc_IEgJHLO-S

Starting Strong with Seed Propagation (VIDEO): https://youtu.be/cH-lbXGn24U?si=2wRz6VsYM7_NDJMS