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Begonias

Orchid LadyOrchid Lady Posts: 5,800
in Plants
I'm going to try and not ask too many more questions, but there is a special offer in this month's magazine for Begonias, how easy are they to grow, I have never bought plug plants and never grown begonias either but they looks so lovely in pots and baskets. Very tempted!
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  • Ryan LloydRyan Lloyd Posts: 395

    I bought these exact plants, think it was early last year, they were giving them away, all is had to pay way 5 quid p&p. Potted then into 9cm pots with JI no 1 and left them in my conservatory. then planted them in my brackets in may. Flowered fine and don't really require much fuss, just dont ever let them dry out and don't waterlogged them either, as I believe they're tuberous,so need to be taken out around october time and stored in a gh. Feed them every couple of weeks too. Begonias are notoriously hard to germinate, so go for it! image

  • Orchid LadyOrchid Lady Posts: 5,800
    I've just googled Begonias and they are perennial, is that right? I always thought they were hardy annuals (that shows how daft I am!!). So if I do as you say and out them in the GH they will be ok again next year??? Wow, even better bargain - if I don't kill them!!
  • Ryan LloydRyan Lloyd Posts: 395

    Pretty much tracey. Begonias are half hardy perennials, so most people treat them as half hardy annuals and chuck them on the compost heap every year. Now I'm going to confuse you even more...Most begonias are tuberous, so they have a swollen root system, a bit like dahlias, and some aren't. The ones that aren't usually worth keeping for another year, but the tuberous ones are and that's what these begonias are, so yeah, an even better bargain image

  • Tropical SamTropical Sam Posts: 1,488

    Tuberous Begonia you do keep and you will see something if they die back.

    Sempervivans begonia are half hardy and treated like annuals as they normally look like crap after winter.

  • Orchid LadyOrchid Lady Posts: 5,800
    So how do I know which is which if it doesn't tell me? The ones I am looking at are on the offers on here, the ones that are red and apparently fill a container with only 1 plant (not sure I believe that!).
  • Tropical SamTropical Sam Posts: 1,488

    It says annual on the website

    http://www.thompson-morgan.com/flowers/flower-plants/begonia-plants/begonia-whopper/t47393TM

    These ones are tuberous (you lift and keep the brown 'bulbs' and regrow each year)

    http://www.thompson-morgan.com/flowers/flower-bulbs/begonia-tubers

  • otnorot but just call me Billotnorot but just call me Bill Posts: 311

    Tracey-Newbie tuberous begonias look like this.

    image

     

    image

    And fiberous begonias look like this.

     

    image

     

    image

     

  • Orchid LadyOrchid Lady Posts: 5,800
    I missed your above post earlier Bill, thanks for the pics and thanks for clarifying. I have done some more research and found an RHS article, on that basis I have decided I need bothimage Thanks for your patience and help.
  • Tropical SamTropical Sam Posts: 1,488

    The annual/fibrous ones tend to be sold cheaply in the likes of B&Q and Homebase, esp after a week of bad weather! You can get trays of them for a few quid if that. Tuberous ones are worth keeping and paying that extra for. Watch out for vine weevils grubs though - been a pest on mine this year.

  • Orchid LadyOrchid Lady Posts: 5,800
    Thanks Blair's, will keep a look out for bargain fibrous ones and get the others from the GC, but maybe wait until Match time?
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