Topic: Storing Begonias

[Shirley]

When is the best time to lift and store begonia tubers?    Should I leave them out until the first frost? The trailing variety which I have is still in flower and have put on a good show this year.  I would love to keep the tubers to use again next year.

[teresa]

very easy to over winter begonia tubers, take them in before the frost, if you have a greenhouse they can continue flowering inside, I let mine die back naturaly this way the good ness goes back into the tuber no watering.
Once all top growth has died off remove and clean tuber of old peat, store in fresh dry peat ( this way if vine wevel is present you get rid of them) frost free untill spring bring out and start in damp peat trays and off you go again.

 

[shirlton]

I love trailing begonias and have kept them for years until they get too big for the basket. Mine have been indoors for a week now after drying them off in the greenhouse, I leave them in dry boxes in the spare room or anywhere frost proof will do. the beginning of Feb I put them in up to half way in some damp peat and keep them on the window sill until the weather improves and then they are planted up into baskets and left out on nice days. Make sure you put them in at night if a frost is forecast and cover with fleece

[Shirley]

Thanks both, I shall get them into the greenhouse to dry off within the next couple of days.  Some are in baskets, others a tub, and one (!) in the ground tumbling over a wall.  I don't have any dry peat, but I do have some vermiculite which I can store them in and keep them in the the spare room

[teresa]

Your spare room may be too warm,
I just use a cardboard box with peat and store them on the bottom shelf in my greenhouse.
It may be worth getting a bag of bulb fibre witch is peat to put them in.
the one tumbling over the wall you can dig it up and place it in a pot for the green house.
If you have paper bags you can lable them as to the colour before putting in peat and box so you will know what they are come spring.
hope this makes sense ha ha.  ;)
I always try to lable my dailias so I know which is which come spring.

[shirlton]

OOps!!!!!!!!!!!!. Ive just had central heating in this year so my spare room may be too warm as well. I think I might just turn the heating off in that room just for the begonias. I don't fancy leaving them in the greenhouse cos mine gets really cold

[teresa]

I bubble wrap my greenhouses all two of them just enough to protect things from the frost. They dont mind the cold its just frost, even a attic would do? just dont forget they are up there  ;)