Oh geez! What a dope I am. I planted them outdoors. I guess I need to do some work to see what annuals and perennials do well sowing them in the containers in my zone. I will toss the plant. I feel like an %##. Thanks.

Next time you buy seeds research each kind. They don’t all need the same conditions to germinate. Begonias come from warm climates and need to be started inside in cooler places. To be honest the package should have had instructions on it.

If I try any plants inside they get too leggy. I do not have proper lights and don’t think I can manage that now. I will do more research into seeds before sowing. I was not aware that only certain annuals will wintersow with success. I will try again. I did have some luck with other annuals. Thanks for your help.

Wow - what a begonia that would've been! If it hadn't been ragweed. That was the first thing that came to mind when I saw it. Glad floral_uk already ID'ed it.

There are some hardy begonias but most are tropical in nature.

Try Begonia grandis and the weedy B. cucullata for two hardy type begonias.

Here is grandis aka hardy begonia which comes back from roots, bulbils, and even seeds. It is in an aluminum pan for the past 3 years so I figure it likes it there so I won't mess with it.

The weedy begonia (parent to wax bedding begonias) is already in bloom and producing seeds - this was about two weeks ago.

PS destroy your ragweed before it blooms else you might be sneezing your head off.

Those are beautiful @hc mc dole. I really feel like a know nothing gardener. I would love a hardy begonia like one that grew in an aluminum pan. You must have the touch. I came home from work in one door and out the back and tossed my lovely weed I was caring for. Thanks for show of the lovely plants.

You should see the giant ragweed (which looks different than the regular one). I wonder why the botanical name is "Ambrosia"?

Here is a stretch of a trail we used to hike regularly with giant ragweed on the right (wife and dog)

Goldenrod usually blooms around the same time as ragweed and gets a bad rap due to this.

On further thought I’m suspicious that you never had Begonia seeds in the first place. It is like dust and yet you say you planted 10 individual seeds. That sounds well nigh impossible give their tiny size. What was your source? I’m wondering if you’ve been scammed.

This picture shows about 1000 Begonia seeds. See what I mean?

source

floral_uk, they could've been pelleted seeds which are much bigger. Look at Park Seed for example where you can buy them - 10 seeds for close to $7 today. I might've paid $5 years ago for the same 10 seeds. They did well until I neglected them.

https://parkseed.com/san-francisco-begonia-seeds/p/51075-PK-P1/

I had a mix of cuttings and different seeds in this pro Jiffy greenhouse (wicking mat and higher lid). This was way back in 2013.

Here is my example of regular begonia seed (there are some begonias that have much larger seed but I think this was from a cane so there may be some that are even smaller)

Yes, pelleted seed did cross my mind, too. Maybe OP can elucidate.

Yes. I bought pelleted seed from Parks. I hold myself accountable for the lack of germination. I never knew I should have started them indoors and not try to winter sow. I will have to research what flowers sow easily. I have been trying to start seeds for the past few years because of the variety of great flowers that can be grown and seeds are less expensive when they are grown correctly. 😉

The seller really should have included instructions.....

Oops, I see they do (from Parks website)

Funky® Pink takes about 14 to 16 weeks to go from seed to bloom, so start it indoors in mid- to late winter in a humid setting (the bathroom windowsill is ideal if it's broad enough and reasonably draft-free). In the garden, it is content in any good soil with reasonable drainage and consistent moisture. Pkt is 10 pelleted seeds.

Lesson learned.... read the instructions😉

I did but I thought I could wintersow them in a container as well. Lesson learned for sure. I need to read what annuals and perennials do well in the containers outside all winter. I wasn’t aware that only certain flowers do well and thought I could do any flowers. Maybe that is why the last two years some things never germinated. Thanks again.

Just a quick comment, Patti. Do take hc mcdole(z7) comment of having "hardy begonia" with a grain of salt. Being in zone 7, his/her winter conditions will be radically different from yours. As far as I know, there aren't any Begonia which are hardy for those of us in zone 5/6 or lower. (If there are, however, I would be very interested to hear about them. :) )

Paul MI, that is true that hardy in one region of the world may not be hardy in your region.

BUT, B. grandis is still affectionately nicknamed "The Hardy Begonia". YMMV.

I think I will read about the annuals I plan to winter sow before looking at the seed catalogs. Lol. I learn so much at gardenweb. It is great the different issues we all have and the wonderful knowledgeable folks who answer and help us all for the future of our plants/trees or in my case a big ol weed.

Patti, when you're looking at the seed catalogs, look for the words "direct sow," "hardy annual," "self-sows." These are good wintersowing candidates. You want the annuals that can handle cold weather, then grow fast and bloom fast. They usually don't need to spend winter in the containers and can be planted in March or later. Annuals that grow slowly and take a long time to bloom are not good for wintersowing. They spend all spring and summer getting ready to bloom and then autumn comes and they're still not ready, but frost kills them and that's it. Tropical plants are not good for wintersowing; the seeds may be killed by freezing conditions, rot in the cold damp soil, or survive but wait until late August to sprout. Wintersowing is ideal for perennials hardy to your zone that need a cold damp period in order to sprout. Remember that with perennials from seed, you're in for the long haul and you probably won't get blooms the first year.

If you haven't already, please try wintersowing annual bachelor buttons. They are excellent wintersown. They sprout early so you know it's working. Calendula and nicotiana reliably self-sow and bloom in my containers which are outside all winter.

@edie. I just received some blue bachelor button seeds to try this coming year. I read that they are a hardy annual. So glad someone suggested I try them. I sow two different salvia every year and that worked well for me for two years in a row. This is only my second try at this. I have no lights or set up for many seeds indoors. Should I sow all hardy annuals in March with the salvia like I did last year? I think I understand now, the perennial flowers should be started at Winter Solstice or Fall and the hardy annual flowers In March?

As far as hardiness goes, I grow begonia grandis in my Ohio zone 6 garden.

@carol I will have to research that plant for sure. It is just great. I have about 2 hours of morning sun on the front of my east facing house with a big tree in front. I need shade plants that will add some interest. I wonder if they grow well in a container. I grow the big begonias now in pots in this area every year. It is one of the plants that don’t mind all the shade.

Thank you carolwoh for that information about hardy begonia.

Mine is blooming crazy this year,

backside August 23

front side in dappled shade this time of day (3 PM)

August 10 at 10 AM just showing the blooms starting