B. ‘Whopper’ series’

Whopper begonias offer super-sized performance which means maximum enjoyment for customers. Whoppers are a big vigorous plant which will fill out beds and large containers equally well. Truly a 50 MPH drive-by color which will brighten up any landscape. Grower Information: Whopper produces extra large flowers up to 3 in. (7 cm) across from Spring through Fall…A must for creating 50 MPH drive-by color! Big, vigorous plants have excellent heat tolerance. Good in 4-in. (10-cm) pots to sell green to landscapers, or 4-in. gallon containers in bloom. Current colors in the series include red with bronze or green leaf, and Rose with bronze or green leaf.

• Classification: Cultivar
• Plant Type: Semperflorens
• Origin: Europe, Germany
• Originator: Ernst Benary

Germination*:Begonias require light to germinate, do not cover seed or pellets. Germination occurs in 5-10 days at 73-80 °F (23-26 °C), with a relative humidity of 95 % or higher. For pelleted seed, slightly higher temperatures and 100 % relative humidity aid in uniformity of germination. Germination media with a pH of 5.5-6.5 is optimum. Uniformly moist and well-drained soils are important. Growing On:6-7 weeks after sowing transplant 1 plug into 12-13 cm pot (12 cm: 35-40 pots/m2, 13 cm: 30-35 pots/m2). The plugs should have 2-3 sets of true leaves. High light conditions promote better branching and earlier flowering. Media:Sowing media: pH 5.5-5.8; EC 0.5-0.75 No covering required. Growing on: pH 5.5-5.8; EC 1.2-1.5 Alternate between moisture levels wet and medium. Let plants dry back to at least a moist before re saturating to a wet. Extremely dry plants will have a grayish cast to the leaves. Avoid watering plants under high temperature and light when the leaf temperature is excessive. Temperature:Plug culture: Temperature: 22-24 °C days 1-11. For irrigation use warm water (above 18 °C) only. Growing on: 20-21 °C nights, 18-19 °C days for the first 14 days or until the roots reach the bottom of the container. Thereafter temperatures may be lowered to 16-18 °C day and night. An ADT (average daily temperature) of 19 °C will give the fastest finished crop. Once well established in the final container, approximately two to three weeks after transplanting from a 288 plug the temperature can be lowered further to 13-15 °C. This will keep the plants toned and prevents too large of leaves. Fertilization:Moderate fertilization levels are required. Fertilize at 150 ppm nitrogen weekly, watching excessive salt built-ups. sun to bright shade