Begonia Growing Guide
Growing Guides › Begonia Growing Guide
Planting Begonia
- Plant in spring after the last frost.
- If you cannot plant your bulbs and perennials right away, store them in a cool, dry, dark location, like a basement.
- Plant in the garden when soil temperature reaches 10 °C (50 °F) or more.
- Position tuber flat, with the curved/hollow side up, just barely below the soil surface and 25 to 30 cm (10 to 12 in) apart.
- Since the tubers are susceptible to rotting, keep the potting soil moist, but not wet.
Growing Begonia
- If early blooms are desired, pot up and start indoors up to six weeks ahead of last frost date.
- Plant your begonias where they will receive partial shade. The hotter your growing region, the more shade they prefer.
- For best results (stronger stems, fewer but more spectacular flowers), pinch off all but 2 to 4 stems while the plants are young and developing.
Care Begonia
- Water as needed during active growth periods, but allow the soil to become dry between watering.
- Keep them healthy by removing dead flowers, leaves and stems, and fertilize once a month.
Winterizing Begonia
- These bulbs cannot tolerate frost.
- In fall, once flowering ceases and before the first frost, bring in begonias for the winter.
- Lift the bulbs: gently dig up bulb and allow to dry off.
- After drying a day or two, dug tubers can be stored in layers of vermiculite or sawdust at approximately 5 °C to 7 °C (40 °F to 45 °F).
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