Begonia Tubers

Tuberous begonias can be used as bedding plants, in containers or hanging baskets, the trailing begonia being especially suited to the latter medium. Tuberous begonias thrive in sun or light shade but require to be kept watered. They can be kept indoors if these conditions are met. Some feeding is often needed for improved displays.

Tuberous Begonia Species

The most well-known type is begonia tuberhybrida which creates large, showy flowers in a wide range of bright colors and large dark green leaves. Begonia tuberhybrida develops smaller female flowers beneath the large male flowers. The female flowers should be pinched off to encourage further growth of the showier male flowers.

The trailing begonia or begonia pendula has long stringy but still strong stems which produce smaller flowers and leaves which can be equally dramatic as their larger counterparts when in full bloom. Begonia multiflora, as its name suggests, creates a wide range of generally more dense but bright and bushy displays.

Begonia Propagation

Tubers are an enlarged root or underground stem that used annually by the begonia plant to store food. As they are not hardy, tubers need to be protected from frost. After they die down in autumn they should be dug up and their stems and any stray growth removed. They can then be stored in dry peat or dry sand while dormant before preparing them again in spring.

For begonia propagation itself, when there is no longer any danger of frost, begonia tubers can be placed in trays of moist peat, with their hollowed top showing and the tuber covered. They need to be kept damp during the growing period. As peat tends to dry out quickly if draining and takes a while to absorb water, experienced begonia gardeners using peat prefer to soak the peat for a few days prior to planting the tubers. Compost or a peat substitute is often preferred to peat.

A popular alternative method is to start begonia tubers in a greenhouse. Though they need to be kept reasonably warm at 55F, they will flower earlier than tubers planted out directly. This method also allows the gardener to grow more begonia plants in a confined space as they can be placed more closely together at this stage prior to planting out in summer. The tubers need deep soil with good drainage which should nevertheless be kept damp and not allowed to dry out. If retained in a warm environment, they can be transferred to pots as soon as buds appear.