The American Begonia Society has a long history of providing valuable educational programs to its members, including its Virtual Education programs. The Virtual Ed programs range in topics from how to produce and collect Begonia seeds, to conservation of species, to very important basics for growing begonias.
One important basic of growing begonias is knowing how to keep them pest-free. Here is a great Virtual Ed program on this topic by Glenn Dickerson, Curator of the Begonia Collection at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden, Texas, presented on January 28, 2023. Please share this lively and helpful presentation with any Begoniacs you know so that they can benefit from Glenn’s expertise!
About the Program: Glenn’s program is a great introduction and guide to common Begonia pests and pathogens. Some topics include: How to recognize, identify, and control common Begonia pests and diseases, including: snails and slugs, mealy bugs, thrips, scale, powdery mildew (fungus), bacterial, and viral pathogens. Glenn will also discuss the use of biological control agents to battle Begonia pests and some basic hygiene tips for preventing pests and diseases on your begonias!
About the Presenter: Glenn has been involved with horticulture and greenhouses for over 30 years and is the curator of the Fort Worth Botanic Garden’s Begonia Collection, the largest collection of begonias in the United States. The Begonia Collection is separated into two greenhouses – one filled with species begonias and the other with hybrid begonias. Glenn oversees all aspects of the collection, including pest control, providing the optimum Begonia environment (temperature, humidity, water, and feeding), as well as supervision of employees and an enthusiastic group of ABS volunteers. Glenn also grows begonias at home as houseplants and has experienced many of the same issues most begonia lovers experience!
ABS members enjoy access to videos of a Virtual Ed programs as well as other valuable resources in the Member Portal. The Member Portal is available to members by logging into the website. Once logged in, members have access to Virtual Ed videos, all past issues of The Begonian, and numerous other resources. If you’re not a member of ABS, join today!
