Average annual humidity is ~60%
September is our dryest month at a little over 50% — while, December and January are usually the wettest at ~75%
Houseplants are a brand new obsession for me. I started snagging some of the traditional houseplants a couple weeks back, but I am deeply into plant breeding/genetics and that seems like a huge hassle with most (if not all?) of the aroids.
Last night, I went down a begonia-YouTube-rabbithole, and they seem like they'd be perfect for that purpose! The variety of leaf traits is absolutely mindblowing- I can't believe I didn't fall for them sooner!
The majority of my plant experience is growing cannabis- I think that's what really kicked off my interest in breeding/genetics. Cannabis plants are annuals that generally die after they bloom, but they're photoperiodic, so it's relatively easy to keep them as pseudo-perennial houseplants. A quick google shows that there are some begonia varieties that can also be steered via photoperiod, which feels like a good sign 🤔
How long lived are begonias, in general? Is it generally the frost that does for em? I'm sure it varies by cultivar, but assuming I keep them inside, or greenhoused, in the fall+winter, with an 18/6 (or 20/4) light cycle, can I get a couple years out of each before I'm forced to prop? That would make things a little easier from a breeding perspective 🤞
One of the old growers, who I used to trade seeds with, was also into breeding begonias. He had a whole 8×4 flower tent dedicated to the purpose. I wish I'd looked more into them back then, but I had no interest in non-psychoactive plants at the time 🙄
Some photos of the specific plants that I saw last night, that hooked me, and a shot of my first decorative, non-utilitarian houseplant- my cannabonsai.
Especially the ferox(?) and pavonina(?) — my goodness those things are incredible
by Survey_Server