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saving begonias

dd99dd99 Posts: 3

Can i save my trailing begonias and trailing sushias from my hanging baskets for next year as they grew really big and it seems a shame to waste them.

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  • sotongeoffsotongeoff Posts: 9,802

    Begonias-yes-remove form baskets shake off as much of the soil as possible-there will be a small corm with foliage attached

    Lay them on some newspaper to dry out-don't remove the old stem until it wilts and comes way from the corm easily

    Then store the corms somewhere cool and dry-start back into growth next February /March

    The thing too look out for is the dread vine weevil grub that will burrow into the corm and ruin it

    Suchias??-fuschias??

  • dd99dd99 Posts: 3

    Sorry yes Fushias. Many thanks for your help.

  • sotongeoffsotongeoff Posts: 9,802

    Fuchsias -different treatment and a bit more tricky and they don't always survive

    First thing to do is to take cuttings as insurance-that way you won't lose out.

    Remove the plants from the baskets and remove all the foliage it is going to drop off anyway-cut them back by around half and squeeze into as small a pot as possible-you don't want them growing at all just keeping barely alive-keep them somewhere dry and cool but frost free until next Spring then increase watering to get them going again

    Hope all this helps-good luck

  • dd99dd99 Posts: 3

    That really is a great help as tried keeping them last year without much luck but didn't think to get cuttings first.

     

    Many thanks for all you help.

  • Thanks Sotongeoff - about keeping begonias. I did keep some over last winter but just hoped for the best. I wasn`t too sure when to bring them in as they are still in flower. They were not quite as good as last year, even new corms but we have had terrible weather. Hoping for a nice weather next week to go out in the garden. I know - I`m a wimp!

  • Thanks for all those tips about begonias. I have 18 pots/baskets with them and they make a lovely show and i want to keep them. I managed to keep 6 over last winter but forgot when I took them in. Hope its nice for the next 2 weeks to get the garden straight and plants inside. 

  • mike wmike w Posts: 43

    I am not sure whether it is worth saving the Begonia bulbs over winter (unless for a few of your favorites ) I have done this in previous years with mixed results This year I bought a few bulbs from Wilkinsons at less than a £1 each, Then 72 plugs mail order,the grown plugs were magnificent. 

  • dear Mike W thanks for your suggestion not to keep begonia corms, I might try to keep a few that are really good but put the rest in the compost. Were the plugs fibrous root begonias? This year I tried plugs of new ground cover sweet peas - hopeless untidy mess!

  • mike wmike w Posts: 43

    Mirabelle,The plugs were fibrous root which were grown on in 75mm pots with heat.As sweet peas can be grown without heat I would not use plugs. Plant sweet pea,s can be planted  this month.

  • I wanted ground cover & as I like sweet peas thought they would be nice & give me a few cut flowers all summer. They just were untidy & all over the place. I tried to grow some upright but they did not reach the height of normal ones. I simply will not go for new `novelty` plants again. I like the large double flower corm begonias they are so `look at me` but make a good show.

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