Begonia Corms
Rosecottage2
Posts: 14
My begonia corms have been in their pots outside for the last few weeks and have got very wet. I know I should have lifted them earlier - I don't usually leave them out to get a touch of frost - but have been busy with building work indoors and they've been neglected. I've now lifted most of them and brushed off as much of the wet compost as I can. They are lying on newspaper on the shelves of little plastic covered greenhouses, but will have to be protected before the frosts forecast for the end of the week. I usually wrap them in newspaper and put loosely in plastic tubs (to protect from mice) and then check on them after Christmas and re-wrap in dry newspaper. What is the best way to dry them off before packing away for winter? Should I bring them indoors for a few days? I always find they survive best if they are not put away too damp. Some of them are 12 inches across and several years old.
Posts
I'm sure lots won't agree with me on this but it worked for me last year. I cut the stalks of the begonias while they're in the ground/pot. Lift the corms, take as much soil of them as I can and stick them in new dry compost and put them in the garage over winter. As soon as it starts getting warmer next year, I'll take them out of the garage, leave them in a very sheltered place and then put them in the places I want them as soon as they start growing.
I think people have differing ways of looking after them. It used to be to dry them on newspaper in the airing cupboard and then dust with sulphur powder. If charleyd's method works no reason not to give it a go. As long as there's no excess moisture they're pretty tough.
Thanks for those thoughts. I had wondered about that, but isn't new compost rather damp?
I think I've usually had the compost in the garage for a couple of weeks and would tend to avoid buying bags of compost that have got wet, for the simple reason that they are too heavy to heave around. Certainly the compost I put the corms in, is bone dry.
Bit late for me now! I've got them all in the kitchen drying off on the little greenhouse shelves! Hopefully I can then get them wrapped up for winter. Thanks for your replies.