Alan Bryce seedlings.

Countdown to the South Coast Area Show 2010
Some of my begonias being grown as cut-bloom plants for our Show. I do not profess to be expert grower, especially for cut-bloom exhibiting as over the years I have mostly grown pot plants, but with the limited space available I do try to support our local Show. I have a total of 25 plus 12 pot plants and require 10 (blooms) if I am to enter the 6,3 and 1 cut-bloom classes. All my begonias are grown in Scotts Levington Professional Composts, F1 with Irish moss peat for starting and M3 subsequently. The plants were stopped at 5 weeks with a bud of about ¾" 2 cm across and the 9" 22.5 cm plates added 2 weeks later. Watering is usually every other day with Chempak No. 4 added at alternate waterings. Brian Simmons
Friday 9th. July 3 weeks	Friday 16th. July 2 weeks	Friday 23rd. July 1 week	Friday 30th. July 1 day
Elsie Catterall 7" pot 2 year tuber
			10" but shape all gone
Joyce Mihulka 7" pot. cutting tuber
	Dorsal petals speckled		edging
Whispers 7" pot. 2 year tuber
		Slight edging	edging
Tequila Sunrise 7" pot. cutting tuber

Gypsy 8" pot. 2 year tuber
			just starting to edge
Golden Hind 7" pot. cutting tuber
			edging
Daisy Trinder 7" pot. cutting tuber

Fantasia 7" pot. cutting tuber
		Slight edging	edging
.

25 plants for cut-blooms	down to 22 plants for cut-blooms Most days have been hot & sunny here on the south coast.	down to 14 Most days have been hot & sunny here on the south coast.	Very disappointing! most of the blooms unusable. Luckily I have a few more not illustrated, but even some of these are starting to edge.
Conclusion Total failure - A combination of bad timing and mostly unfavourable hot & sunny weather throughout the 5 weeks that the blooms were developing has meant that I am left with virtually no cut blooms to exhibit. There's always another year! Luckily I will have a couple of pots to exhibit.
Postscript Early Saturday morning (the day of the Show) I was pleasantly surprised that there had been no further elimination and I had 10 presentable blooms remaining, I would be able to enter 6, 3 & 1 after all. These 10 blooms produced 2^nd. in the 6 bloom class, 1^st. in the 3 and 3^rd. in the 1. I was even awarded Best bloom in Show with John Harrison. Show results & pictures to follow.