hi, hoping for some quick replies!! i live in ontario, and i have some tuberous begonias in my outside garden. i'm a beginner gardener, i grew them myself right from the garden last spring. i've been reading that i HAVE to dig them up or they won't survive for next spring. do i absolutely have to? also, if so, can i store them in lightly wrapped newspapers after they dry out? thanks in advance!!

Yes Michelle, you absolutely have to dig them up.
But first, let them be touched by frost which will wilt the foliage. Then remove that, dig them up, let them dry for a day or so in your garage or shed, brush off the soil around them before storing them in a cool, dark and dry space.

Begonia can sometimes give you fits about which end is up. The concave up end is sometimes not so noticeable so when you dig them up take note where 'up' is and where the roots are. They too will disappear. So when you store them, place them so you know which end is up.
Whenever you run across a begonia bulb and cant decide which is up and which is down, plant them sideways. The bulb knows which end is up and will grow accordingly.
If you wish you can dust the bulb with a fungicide to prevent mildew. Just be sure the place you store them is cool, dry and safe.

thanks so much!!! when i planted them, i had a hard time figuring out which way was up, lol. but i guess i did it right because they turned out beautiful!! i'll remember to pay attention when i dig them up. thanks for the detailed response!

Michelle, tuberous begonia is one of my favorites. They tend to take their sweet time in the spring to show they are indeed growing something. But when they do show they explode in bloom. I do mine in pots only--clay pots--and with added annuals gather them around in a pyramid scape which shows them off well.
If you prefer to start them early, you can use the top of your refrigerator. The warmth there is ideal for starting many plants.
I generally go on winter vacation and sometimes delay in not starting my begonia and pelargoniums until well into March.
They are started just barely under the soil surface so when doing, don't be tempted to plant them like a tulip.

thanks, thats what happened to me last spring. i planted them too far down, and they took forever to come up, but they have turned out to be my favorites!! they have lasted soo long, and look beautiful. i probably won't start them inside next year, just out of pure laziness, lol. but i won't dig them as deep as last year. i also started them last year in april i think, i just saw the box for sale, and decided they looked pretty and i'd try them. so, even if its cold in march, is it still okay to plant them outside then? when is generally the best time to plant them?

sorry, i'm confused? so which month should i plant my begonia's outside? late march?

Michelle, in Ontario, the frost doesn't leave the ground until well into April.
Your begonias are too tender a plant to ever put outside into the garden until at least when the annuals go in, around the 24th of May.
Start them first in pots or on a shallow tray on top of the refrigerator. There is enough heat there to initiate growth. Within 2 - 3 weeks roots will be seen.
Before that you may wish to soak them in a warm water bath of 43ºC. Put a couple drops of bleach into the water to kill any held over mildew.
Leave them there for no more than 15 minutes.

In potting soil then into pots. Bury them just under the surface...barely under.
Water and see the pot drains with every watering.
Don't leave the pot sitting in the drainage water for more than 10 minutes before dumping.
Give the pot a sunny window with an eastern, southern or western exposure.
Use your finger to test the dampness and when felt to be dry, water and water to drainage.

Don't be in a hurry to fertilize because the begonia will start out with a bit of fuzz showing. Let them grow some leaves before feeding.

Begonia do wonderfully in pots because, while they can take some sun, they do much better in shade and pots can be so arranged to give them the best of no-sun or low sun.

oh gosh, you make it sound like soo much work!! lol. honestly, i think i'm just going to do what i did last spring, wait till the frost is gone, and then plant them outside, i thought i planted them in april last year, but maybe it was may. anyway, i will wait till may to plant them and hope they turn out as beautiful as they did this year. thanks for all the advice.

Michelle, why don't you wait for a few more posters to add their two cents before you make any decisions...then you can 'weigh' your options! Just a suggestion.

honestly, i just don't have the space to start them inside, my fridge has a built in cabinet around it, so no room there. the only real place i have is the basement, which obviously isn't real hot or light.

i guess i just figure that if i started them in the soil last year and they worked out great, why not save some hassle and do it again this year?

Michelle, I'm gonna try and get someone in here to answer your questions...wish I could help ya but I can't.

Here's a couple sites to help you out.

http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/home_lawncare/115526
You have to scroll down the page a bit for the info.

Here's a very good site ot explain what to do in winter and when spring comes.
http://www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/hortnews/2004/2-27-2004/begonias.html

Finally. Here is a short video to help you out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbktws3347g

Hi Michelle...what you did last year is absolutely correct. You plant them when the frost has left the ground. I don't know where your live or what your zone is. But if you had great success this year do it again next spring. Don't get confused with too much information. You're doing great so far. Ooops, sorry. I just re-read your original post...you're in Ontario.

quote:

when tuberous begonias are
injured by the first fall frost, gently lift the plants and cut back the stem to the soil line. Leave the ball of roots and soil intact.
Place the soil and root masses in a dry, cool storage area, and allow the tubers to cure for 2-3 weeks. Then remove the balance of the soil, stalks, and roots, cut out any rotted spots, and dust with fungicide*

Storing them in dry paper is a fine idea.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: mgt,

quote:

You put it out into garden soil in March---goodbye charlie.

Nobody said to put them out in March.

I am by no means an expert as some here are but my rule of thumb in gardening is if you are doing something that works just keep doing it.
I would do next year just as you did this year.

wow, didn't mean to stir up any controversy!! anyway, thanks for all the posts, but i think i am going to do just what i did last year, plant them outside once it's staying decently warm, and hope i have the success i had this year. I just don't see why i should make it any harder than it has to be, and last year was pretty simple for me. thanks.

Michelle, as others have stated, do what you did last year and most likely you'll have the same results.