Vol. 140 No. 15

AGRICULTURE

Jeneen Wiche
Tips from the weekend gardener

The begonia family is diverse, with about one thousand species recognized. Those most familiar to us include the dreadfully boring wax leaf begonia, obviously not one of my favorites; the elegant angel wing begonia; the meticulous bat wing begonia; and the regal rex begonia.
The standard rex begonia is one of the parents to the many exciting new hybrid begonias now available. These hybrid begonias are some of the more interesting plants to choose from if you want something different for your shade to part-shade containers this season.
The Royal Horticultural Society trialed rex begonia hybrids in 2005; the goal was to select varieties that had superior ornamental quality and “good constitution.” Of the 87 entries, about two dozen received the Medal of Garden Merit, including “China Curl,” “Escargot,” “Fireworks,” “Raspberry Swirl,” “Miami Storm,” and “Carolina Moon.”
The ornamental value of the rex begonia is seen in leaf texture and the combination of colors … swirled, streaked, spotted and striped. The foliage shape steals the show. “Escargot,” for example, has a leaf shape reminiscent of a snail’s shell, spiraling in silver and olive green with pink hairs on the margin of the “shell.”
“China Girl” is a similar spiral, but with ruffled edges in silver and maroon. “Fireworks” has a more traditional rex-shaped leaf, an elongated asymmetrical heart shape in pale green, with pink margins and maroon veins bursting from the center. Some varieties have deeply cut, serrate leaves, like “Martin Johnson” and “Sal’s Comet.”
There is diversity in growth habit, as well. Some varieties are upright in habit, like “Palomar Prince;” and others will cascade over the edge of the pot, like “Miami Storm” and “Raspberry Swirl,” these will work nicely in hanging baskets.
The rex begonias will do best in containers that are situated in part shade. Too much sun can make the vibrant colors fade. They love humidity, so a shady spot outdoors in the summer is perfect. They have medium water requirements and prefer little fertilization. Most, but not all, rex begonias grow from rhizomes which give them a vigorous reputation. After the second year of growth, they usually are spilling over the edges of the pot.
Rex begonias are typically zone-10 plants, but they can be long-lived because they perform well indoors during the winter months as houseplants. Although they are grown for their foliage, they do bloom. Usually the bloom shows up during the throws of winter as we long for spring. Bloom cycles last for months, which make the plant even more desirable.
Simplicity is elegant and a large pot spilling over with the spiraling, warm colors of the begonia can make any shady porch a bit warmer. Consider some of the begonias this season, they are undoubtedly a good “container” investment, because you can continue to enjoy them indoors and out for years.
Tip of the week
Ideally, we should wait to take plants outside after our frost-free date of May 10, but if you can’t wait (but be ready to bring them back in for a frost!), be sure to acclimate them to the sunnier conditions. Put them in the shade first, moving them into the sun gradually.

Market Report

Owenton Livestock Exchange, April 4
Last week: 1,380; previous week: 1,200. Compared to the previous week: slaughter cows 3.0 to 4.0 higher. Slaughter bulls 2.0 to 3.0 higher. Feeder steers steady to 2.0 higher. Feeder heifers 1.0 to 3.0 higher.Slaughter cows:
Breakers: 75-80 percent lean, 920-1,670, 46.50-50.50; high-dress, 52.50-54.50, ind. 56.50.
Boners: 80-85 percent lean; 950-1,305, 45.50-50.50; high-dress, 50.50-52.50.
Lean: 85-90 percent lean; 900-1,070, 40.50-44.00.
Slaughter Bulls:
#1: 1,475-1,900, 78-80 carcass boning percent; 55.50-60.50; 83 carcass boning percent; 66.50.
#2: 1,475-1,665, 75-78 carcass boning percent; 53.50-54.50.
Feeder Steers:
Medium and Large #1-#2: 200-300, 123.00-128.00; 300-400, 121.50-132.00; 400-500, 117.00-130.50; 500-600, 113.00-123.00; 600-700, 105.25-116.00; 700-800, 102.50-109.00; 800-900, 94.00-104.25; groups: 20 head, 557 lb., 120.00 bbwf; 20 head, 605 lb., 112.20 blk/charx; 26 head, 607 lb., 116.00 blk/charx; 42 head, 693 lb., 107.10 blk/charx; 26 head, 795 lb., 102.50 blk/charx; 65 head, 818 lb., 104.25 blks.
Medium and Large #2: 400-500, 105.00-118.00; 500-600, 110.00; 700-800, 100.50.
Large #1-#2: 700-800, 90.00-100.00; 800-900, 91.00-94.00; 1,000-1,100, 90.00.
Feeder Holstein Steers:
Large #3: 200-300,109.00; 300-400, 115.00; 400-500, 77.50-95.00; 500-600, 86.50-89.50, 600-700, 74.50.
Feeder Heifers:
Medium and Large #1-#2: 200-300, 110.00-121.00; 300-400, 105.00-120.00; 400-500, 102.00-114.00; 500-600, 94.00-106.00; 600-700, 89.00-97.50; 700-800, 87.00-90.00; 800-900, 81.50-90.00; groups, 20 head, 458 lb., 110.00 blk/charx; 37 head, 573 lb., blk/charx; 24 head, 621 lb., 97.50 bbwf; 72 head, 678 lb., 93.75 mostlyblks; 74 head, 696 lb., 94.00 blk/charx.
Medium and Large #2: 200-300, 107.00; 300-400, 101.00-108.00; 400-500, 98.00-105.00; 500-600, 91.00-96.00; 600-700, 89.00-91.00; 700-800, 78.50-80.00; 800-900, 81.00.
Small and Medium #1-#2: 300-400, 102.00-109.00; 400-500, 96.00-100.00; 500-600, 89.00-95.00; 700-800, 78.50.
Feeder Bulls:
Medium and Large #1-#2: 300-400, 110.00-127.00; 400-500, 115.00-130.00; 500-600, 109.00-127.00; 600-700, 96.00-110.00; 700-800, 85.50-99.00; 800-900, 70.00-84.00.
Small and Medium #1-#2: 400-500, 108.00-124.00; 500-600, 103.00-114.00; 600-700, 86.00-99.00.
Stock Cows and Calves: Medium and Large #1-#2: 3-8 year old cows with 100-450 lb. calves, 820.00-1050.00 per pair, several 1,090.00-1,285.00 per pair.
Stock cows:
Medium and Large #1-#2: 3-8 year old cows, bred 3-7 months, 550.00-750.00 per head.
Aged cows: 510.00-720.00 per pair.