The appearance and development of buds on leaf cuttings of Begonia × hiemalis in long and short days

Abstract

Bud initiation in leaf cuttings of Rieger begonia ‘Schwabenland Red’ was not affected by daylength. Approximately 30 buds per cutting were observed 13 weeks after insertion. Of these, an average of 8.2 developed into fully grown shoots in long days as opposed to 1.9 in short days. Competition between buds was apparent in both treatments, its effect being greatest on buds with fewer than 4 leaf primordia.