OUCH! First things first, 'Escargot' is one of the worst begonias to start with and is NOT a rex. I find it better to use it as an annual than trying to nurse it through winter but I keep trying to keep it over winter. I think this begonia being very popular just frustrates any newbie of begonias to the point of never trying this wonderful family ever again.

That said, it is a wonderful robust grower outdoors in summer (for me at least) so the last few years I usually buy 3 and pot them in a much larger pot and let nature take its course.

Answers to your questions:

1) yes, do raise your rhizomes above the soil. I noticed that in your pictures that they are buried too deep and will definitely lead to rot.

2) I try not to fertilize in winter - yes, it will bring on a flush of growth (if you have space you might try it). I find that by fertilizing there will be new growth and then more or less a crash indoors. If you potted with some mix that already has fertilizer in it, then you are all set until spring. If you do fertilize, the rule of thumb is to use a weak water soluble once a week (weakly weekly) and/or a slow release fertilizer as prescribed on whatever brand you choose. Lots of folks will try the newest gimmick in hopes of being a miracle cure or buying into the hype. One of the "experts" who has visited us a couple of times in Atlanta said she buys whatever is on sale when she is shopping for fertilizer. That's good enough for me.

3) Is the pot too big? It looks big, surface-wise but how deep is it? If it is shallow like a bonsai bowl then you are fine (I am playing with growing some bonsai begonias for giggles this year). If it is deep (say 3 inches or more) then yes, I would repot in a much smaller pot.

If you want a big plant then put it in a big pot, BUT that is only when it is actively growing which means spring through fall. If the plant is small or weak (not growing or performing poorly) then pot it down (a lesson I've learned the hard way). A big pot can lead to root rot if the soil gets wet and the roots cannot breathe. A small pot means a lot more attention to watering. So this means pick your poison based on your watering hand (mine gets heavy at times).

4) Most experts say you should remove the leaf stem when you pinch a leaf off since the leftover stem (petiole) will fall off eventually and can become a breeding ground for germs. I typically pinch what I can and worry about the stems later on, so when they become easy to pull off or drop on their own, I will pick them up and dispose of on the compost heap.

PS - you can use the ugly leaves you pinch off to start new plants but newer healthier leaves are your best bet to start new plants with.

5) There are a lot of arguments out on the web on what you can and cannot do with patented plants. My own take on this is you can propagate your plants as long as you do not make money off of it. So folks who sell a patented plant on line are opening themselves to lawsuits by claiming ignorance of the law. Will the patent owner chase down every mom and pop who makes a buck off a plant?

I moved my Escargot indoors 10-19 and took off several leaves for propagation as well.

Here are a couple already rooted and new plantlets. I will try it again as a lot did not make it (I think old leaves was the major reason a lot failed) I think these have been in place about 3 to 4 weeks.

This is what it looked like Oct 11 before I brought it inside last week.

And Oct 3 which was a bit weepy because it dried out some.

PS, you do not need rooting hormones but it won't hurt either. I rarely ever use rooting hormones unless a plant is hard to root.

Thank you for taking all that time to reply, you rock! Atl is zone 7 too? No way!! Didn't see that one coming!

So this is an escargot but escargot is not a rex... Well that explains why I was so confused trying to Google how it grows so I could take better care of it! The lady at the nursery I got it from doesn't speak English very well and just pointed to the sign that said "rex begonias" when I asked her what it was. Im new to all gardening, just getting my start this summer. I've heard of begonias and rex begonias but I never saw one that really tickled my fancy until I spotted this little guy (and it was the last one left so I had nothing to compare it to. I didn't know it was in such bad shape until I googled it! Oh well, practically free).

Yeah the pot is about 4 inches tall. I think what I'm gonna do is repot it and fertilize it and see what happens. I've never used fertilizer on a houseplant before so I can at least learn from it (I also want to take a closer look at the rhizome to figure it all out). And hopefullyully I will have something to take some cuttings from so I can practice my propagation in that jiffy tray on it later on this winter! That is so perfect- Go jiffy, way to think of everything!! I fully agree with the patented propagation and personal vs commercial intent but i was reading a different thread somewhere before and a couple ppl jumped in to say 'oh no, the one you have is patented, don't you dare grow your own!" So I wanted to put it out there so people didn't feel uncomfortable giving me advice on how to do it.

Yours all look great! Oh brother, mine looks even worse after seeing yours! You're like the begonia whisperer! Do you have any as houseplants or just as annuals outside? Id love to get your opinion on specific begonia recommendations for either!

And lastly, I always come across rex begonia on lists of plants that love low light... Is this true or exaggerated?

Thanks again for your time!

I think with climate change, Atlanta is now considered z8 but we still have six months of possible freezing weather which I hate.

Rex is overused in the begonia world. There are some growers (big growers) that must've had a million tags printed that simply say Rex Begonia and so they elect to use them in any pot of begonias so they won't lose their investment. The original rex Putzey may be in the genetics of a lot of modern "rex begonias" but then again it may not. Often a begonia with very colorful leaves is considered a rex. Rexes are all rhizomatous but not all rhizomatous are rexes. Kind of like saying all cacti are succulents but not all succulents are cacti.

If you have a plant that looks a bit sickly, has yellowing leaves, is going downhill; then I would use a small dab of fertilizer just to see if it needs some food. One of two things will happen - it will just check out or it will perk up and start growing.

On another forum for begonias, we've had a commercial grower (or two) jump into the fray about propagating patented begonias. They pay a royalty fee for every patented begonia they grow for sale so I get their point. They (or he) gave in and said that no one will object to you multiplying your own stock. It could backfire on them as they would seem to be bullies on the block. If you on the other hand sold hundreds (or thousands) of patented plants, then you are open for a lawsuit.

I grow 99% of mine outdoors six months out of the year. I am running around 85 shop lights in the basement for winter care and still need a bigger space and more lights. It is a labor of love.

I have too many to really take the best care of each and every one but I try to test as many as I can.

Begonias and other "houseplants" can be acclimated to lower light levels. From the store, I would say they were treated in the best of light and humidity though. So love low light? I doubt that but they can eventually put up with low light if forced to survive. My youngest daughter had a rex I gave her many years ago, that stayed on a pantry in their kitchenette - very low light and every time I checked the soil for moisture, it seemed to be quite dry. It held on for at least 3 years and I was amazed at it (and her).

Here are some of the rexes I started from leaf cuttings in late Feb. This photo was about two months later.

some growing outdoors with partial shade from a big beech tree.
3 red rexes I bought at our local nursery in May, filled this 10 inch pot nicely (this is late September)
Beware of rexes (and Escargot) of mildew attacks. These are very mildew prone and can kill the plant if not kept under control.

Walmart and Lowe's starts getting in some smaller rexes in March/April and is always a good addition to your color palette.

another rex from Walmart that was already starting to show signs of mildew attack. I pulled the worst leaves off and started new plants.
more Lowe's and WM early spring plants. They range from $3.50 to $5. These are from Exotic Angels (Costa Farms)
Even mixed in with green leaf begonias adds a splash of color.
this bowl is sitting in deeper shade than most but the silver shines

"My youngest daughter had a rex I gave her many years ago, that stayed on a pantry in their kitchenette - very low light and every time I checked the soil for moisture, it seemed to be quite dry. It held on for at least 3 years and I was amazed at it (and her)."

Back in '73 when I was 17 my aunt Nelle had a rhizo of some kind in a corner of her living room in nothing but ambient light. It was beautiful and healthy. Leaves over a foot long and it grew from what seemed like a crown not creeping rhizomes. She gave me a leaf to prop but I promptly failed with it. I haven't found a begonia resembling it yet in the years since.

That is a shame Kyle that you haven't found another one like it in all these years. I am guessing your aunt Nellie and the begonia are long gone too? Any descriptions of it may aid in helping ID it.

The leaves were spider-like, about 7-8 inches in diameter on stems more than a foot long. Black. Leaf stems were hairy. It was spectacular to my young eyes and helped spark my obsession with plants along with a summer job that year in a greenhouse.

Spider-like? I think you mean it has long finger like projections (palmate).

I'm guessing here but it sounds like it may be heracleifolia or one of its myriad hybrids.

I don't even know if this is the genuine heracleifolia or a hybrid but were the leaves similar to this? There are dark forms of this as well.

I don't know what this one is.

Here is Black Falcon which doesn't look at all black to me.

One of my favorites of all time is Bashful Bandit

The first pic is fairly close. Could be it. Is it 'undemanding'?

Fairly easy to grow Kyle.

I'll add to my list.

This was a great thread for a beginner with rhizomatous begonias like me. Thanks, hc and all!

Carol in Jacksonville, FL