Begonia Tuberous
Other Name(s): Tuberous Begonia
Flowers: Various colors; pink, orange, yellow, white, picotee
Bloom Time: Summer
Height x Width: 12-16” x 12-16”
Type: Tender
Zones: 5, 6
When to Plant
Like Caladium’s, Tuberous Begonias make better plants for starting either indoors in pot in mid-April, or buying plants already growing in mid-May-June.
Where to Plant
Tuberous Begonias are best planted in light shade to morning sun. They also like to be in an airy planting site that helps the dry the dew off the plants as soon as possible each morning. They like fairly good soil to grow in as they have a very fine root system.
How to Plant
Tuberous Begonias transplant very easily from containers into your soil. They also come available in hanging baskets which will give you instant results. When starting from purchased bulbs, place each one in a five-inch pot in mid-April in a soilless potting mix.
Care and Maintenance
They can be tricky to water, especially in containers like hanging baskets because it’s easy to over-water begonias. Always check the soil and be sure the plant’s soil feels dry down a couple of inches. If you want to recover and save the bulbs for next year, dig them up after a killing frost and store the bulbs in a cool, dry place for the winter, covering them with moist, but not wet peat moss.
Additional information
Do not water your ground planted Begonias with overhead irrigation. This could lead to mildew on the leaves. Water directly on the soil. The same risk is there if you don’t plant your Begonias in a planting area that gets lots of natural wind.