Can anyone help I have some beautiful begonia plants that are still in bloom is there anyway of keeping them for next year I do have an unheated greenhouse. Hope this is in the right section . Thanks
X Chas
Did you grow them from corms? If you did then once the foliage has died down, cut it from the corm, remove the corm from the pot and let it dry for a day or two. Remove all the old compost then sprinkle with sulphur powder to prevent mould and put in dry compost or sand and keep somewhere cool and dry. Just shake them out and plant up again in spring when you spot a couple of growing buds and away you go!
I love begonias and buy them every year as tiny plug plants. I noticed this year that one had survived the freezing winter outdoors with just a covering of straw over it (meant for a nearby dahlia) I will try doing that to some of them this year and see if it works again.
I think Mimi's advice is correct though, take no notice of me!
I have lost all of my begonias during the last 2 winters so this year I am going to keep them in the spare room in some sawdust until the spring.If they have been growing in a pot check for vine weevil larvae in the tubers, they luv em. Mine are all in baskets so they should be ok unless the peskers can fly
Apparently they peskers can't fly, which is good news :D I never had trouble overwintering Begonias.....but I haven't grown them for a few years. And the winters are much harsher now.
I would say the spare room would be better than a cold greenhouse.
Thank you everyone
have a spare room so will give it a go. They have really been beautiful this year so hope it works.
X Chas
I have bought mini plugs of begonia's for years, but last year decided to save money by overwintering the corms in my garage. When I dug them up there was vine weevil so I washed them and stored in dry peat. In spring I set the survivor's in damp peat and as shoots appeared I cut them up with a shoot on each piece. I tripled my plants and have had the most gorgeous display ever. I have this week bought bulbs for the planters but the begonias are still very colorful so I will wait till the frosts get them before storing them for the winter.
i read in an old magazine fiber rooted begonias can be over wintered by wrapping in news paper and storing in a frost free place it was reconmended to put them in a suit case under the bed also geraniums could be treated them same has any one tried it and does it work