Begonias have rose-like inflorescences of various colors. They are plants that are born in spring from tubers that many people generically call 'bulbs'. The process of growing with tubers is simple and saves you the money of a plant that has already started, plus it allows you to choose from numerous varieties, and there are hundreds of them. Begonia tubers can be purchased online or from the catalog. Here's how to plant your begonias.
Steps
Step 1. Purchase the tubers in mid-winter
- Buy them in advance for a good choice, as they are usually grown in greenhouses.
- Buy the largest tubers you can afford to be successful. Even the small ones usually bloom in the first year, but the large ones have a better scenographic yield.
Step 2. Soil and pots
- Buy good potting soil, preferably with a slow release fertilizer included.
- Find and buy pots with good drainage.
- For tubers 2.5 to 7.5 cm in diameter or a large one, you will need a 15 cm pot.
- For three small bulbs, take a 25-inch pot or basket.
- Use larger containers depending on the size of the tubers and the number you want to plant. Each tuber should have at least 2 cm of space around it.
Step 3. Plant the tubers three months before the last frost
Step 4. Moisten the soil with warm water
Step 5. Fill the pots up to 1cm from the rim with soil
Step 6. Make a hole for each tuber so that the tip of the tuber is above the soil level
Step 7. Place the tubers in the holes
- The concave side goes up.
- Look for small pink shoots on an old incision if the bulb does not have any concave parts. The shoots indicate the top and should be placed upwards.
Step 8. Lightly cover the tuber with no more than 5cm of potting soil
Step 9. Place the pots in a lighted location where temperatures are above 7ºC
Step 10. Water with room temperature water as the surface dries
- Check frequently as the plant grows, as it will need more water.
- Try to keep the water away from the heart of the leaves. As soon as the stem stretches, this will no longer be a problem.
- Water until the water drains through the holes in the pot and discard any that accumulates in the saucer.
Step 11. Fertilize every other week with a plant fertilizer, following package directions if the soil did not contain fertilizer
Step 12. Move the pots outside once the danger of frost has passed and place them in the shade
Advice
- Begonia tubers will grow every year. However, begonias are not long-lived plants, and each tuber will no longer be good after a few years.
- Before the frost returns in the fall, remove the tubers or move the pots inside. Cut the stems and place the bulbs in the middle of the sphagnum in their pots, keeping them in the dark and dry until the following spring when you can plant them again.
- At the end of the season the tubers will have to rest and even if placed under cover they will not flower during the winter. Plants in milder climates also need rest.
Warnings
- Prevents the jars from filling with water. The new tubers and stems would rot.
- Very hot and humid climates are not optimal for begonias.
