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Choose a light potting soil with extra perlite if available, or create your own mix using equal parts of potting soil, perlite, and peat moss. Spacing: Begonia tubers should be spaced about 1 foot apart in the garden, but can be planted closer together in hanging baskets and window boxes.
What month do you plant begonias?
Plant tubers of tuberous begonias in spring. Only plant begonias outside in May, when no more frosts are forecast. Water regularly and feed weekly with a high potash fertiliser like tomato feed. In autumn, dig up tuberous begonias and store the tubers in a cool, frost-free spot for winter.
Where should I plant begonias?
Where to Plant: Tuberous begonias require bright light, but not direct sunlight. They will grow in full to partial shade, but will not flower in areas with dense shade and low light. Begonias are ideal container plants for shady gardens, patios, porches and patios.
How far do you plant begonias apart?
Plant wax begonia transplants 6 to 8 inches apart and others according to their mature size. Tubers can be started indoors by placing the tubers, hollow side up, 1 inch apart in a shallow tray with moist potting mix.
Can I plant a potted begonia outside?
Often grown in containers indoors, begonias also can be grown outdoors during the frost-free months. If you live in a region that doesn’t experience freezing winter temperatures or frosts, keep the begonia tubers in the ground year-round. Select a planting site for your begonias in partial shade.
Do begonias come back every year?
There are no perennial begonias. There are forms that make great houseplants and will grow year-round indoors, but outdoors the plants are all unable to tolerate frost.
How often should I water begonias?
Water Needs A good rule of thumb is to water every two to four days. When it’s hot and dry you’ll need to water more often than when the air cools down and the soil holds more moisture. Begonia plants in full sun will also require more water than plants in shady locations.
How do you make begonias bushy?
General Pruning Pinch the stems back to the first or second healthy bud from the tip. You can repeat this process two or three times at about four week intervals to encourage maximum bushiness. Pinching forces the begonia to branch at the pinch point, resulting in more stems, leaves and flowers.
Do begonias spread out?
Sometimes called fibrous begonia, these deer-resistant, non-invasive plants form small clumps that grow anywhere from 6 to 18 inches tall and spread 6 to 12 inches.
Can begonias take full sun?
Most begonias grow best in part shade (4 to 6 hours of direct morning sun a day), or filtered sun (as through trees). Most will tolerate full shade (no direct or filtered sun), but won’t be as dense and usually have fewer flowers. A few grow in full sun. They prefer moist, but not soggy, soils.
Can you put begonias in the ground?
Tuberous begonias can be grown in the ground under trees or in shady parts of your garden, or in containers placed in shady areas of your porch, patio, or yard. Watering: Begonias need moist soil, but are very susceptible to rotting under wet conditions. Water slightly every few days, or when the soil dries out.
How do you fertilize begonias?
Feeding for Blooms For healthy plants and abundant blooms, apply 10-10-10 liquid fertilizer (view example on Amazon) diluted at a ratio of three parts water to one part fertilizer when you first plant (or transplant) your begonias and approximately every 3 weeks thereafter.
How long do begonias take to grow?
Begonia tubers take 6-8 weeks from planting to sprout, which is another reason that starting them inside during the colder months of the year is a good idea.
When should you start begonia tubers?
Start Begonia Tubers 8 to 12 Weeks Before The Last Frost Use your growing zone to find the proper date for starting the tubers indoors.
Does begonias like sun or shade?
They do best in situations with shade or morning sun/afternoon shade. Most varieties have flowers that hang down a little, making tuberous begonias ideal for hanging baskets and window boxes rather than garden beds and borders. No matter where you grow them, make sure they have good drainage to prevent rot.
How do you keep begonias alive outside?
And here’s the best part: Unlike their tuberous cousins, annual begonias don’t require a lot of light. These are shade-loving plants outdoors; so any somewhat-sunny windowsill will keep them alive and flowering—just make sure it’s well insulated so they don’t get too cold at night.
Can you leave begonias in the ground over winter?
Leaving Begonias In The Ground As long as the type of begonia you have is hardy in your climate, then you can overwinter them right in the ground. If they have tubers, then they’ll survive as long it stays above 50° F. During the winter, the foliage on tuberous varieties may die back if the bulb goes dormant.
How do you winterize begonias?
Tuberous begonias should be dug up and stored indoors during winter until the return of warmer weather in spring. Begonias can be dug up in fall once foliage has faded or just after the first light frost. Spread begonia clumps on newspaper and leave them in a sunny area until thoroughly dry — about a week.
Do you deadhead begonias?
Hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture zones 6 through 11, depending on the cultivar, begonias (Begonia spp.) do not require deadheading to thrive. Rather they self-clean by dropping spent flowers on their own, says the University of Illinois Extension.
Should I mist begonias?
While rex begonias and many other houseplants prefer high relative humidities, misting is ineffective unless you’re prepared to mist the plants several times a day. Also, rex begonias are not fond of water on their foliage.
Can you use Miracle Grow on begonias?
Once a week apply half strength (1/2 T Miracle Grow or other soluble plant food per gallon) fertilizer solution in place of regular watering, being sure to give the basket enough so that liquid seeps from the bottom of the pot. Tuberous begonias are not heavy feeders, so don’t overdo it.
How do I take care of a begonia?
Plant both annual and perennial begonia types in partial shade, with moist, well-drained soil high in organic content. They need bright light to flower, but too much direct sunlight may scorch the leaves. Ideally, choose a site with morning sun and afternoon shade or dappled sunlight beneath an open tree canopy.
