Storing Tuberous Begonia for Winter
Did you believe you had to throw out your beautiful plants at the end of each season? Nope. Don’t! I’ll show you how easy storing tuberous begonia for winter really is.
I’d like to show you how to store your tubers and replant them next year to make showcases of stunning hanging baskets, potted plants and garden plants
I was surprised when my neighbor lady, told me it was time to take down and throw out her potted tuberous begonia plants last year.
Tuberous begonias cannot survive our Wisconsin winters and have to be lifted from the ground or stored indoors in pots.
Each year when the weather turns cold she takes down all her plants and throws them out.
I was flabbergasted when she told me that she pays a whopping $100.00 for her plants each year.
I told her I would take all of her baskets and pots back to my home and next year, I’d bring them back for her.
She had been spending money on additional plants and bulbs that could be easily overwintered. Like geraniums and dahlias.
We struck a bargain between the two of us. I became her gardener. In the spring and fall, I take care of her yard work for her.
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How to Store Your Potted Plants
1.) Wait for your first hard frost.
2.) Cut the plant to about an inch or two above the soil and store the entire pot / basket in your basement.
3.) The basement should be dry, dark & around 50 degrees.
4.) Do not water the soil over the winter.
Begonia Tubers Planted in the Ground?
Tuberous begonias will not survive winters in the ground in my location. If it is the same in your location and you have planted the tubers in a bed, they have to be removed.
1.) Wait until your first hard frost.
2.) Cut the foliage back to an inch or two above the soil.
3.) Carefully dig and lift your plant / tubers. Make a note of which end is up before store them for the winter.
CC BY 2.0 Maja Dumat
4.) Store in a dry place for a few weeks.
5.) Then, gently remove soil, roots and stem. Sprinkle with a fungicide and put into a paper bag to distribute the powder.
6.) Stored where it’s dark and very dry.
Replanting in Spring
1.) In March, bring out your potted plants and your tubers.
2.) Place the tubers on top of the refrigerator (it has a little warmth there). They will begin to grow a root and form eyes.
Place the potted plants in a sunny indoor location. Water.
3.) Pot up your growing tubers covering them just barely under the soils surface. It is ok for the tips to even be seen after watering.
4.) Give them sunlight and pretty soon a little bit of fuzz shows on the surface. It sort of looks like mildew at first but it’s not, it’s the bulb beginning to grow.
5.) Keep the soil damp but not wet during the growing process.
Other Posts That Might Interest You:
Overwintering Geraniums
Digging Up Canna Bulbs for Winter
Fall Bulb Planting Basics
Bowling Ball Gazing Garden Project
That tuberous begonias are one of the slowest forming bulbs and it might be June or July before you see sizable growth and blooms.
Do not use liquid fertilize plants until they are at least 2 -3 inches and have healthy growth.
That really is all there is to storing tuberous begonia for winter. A few short steps will save you money. Money that you can spend elsewhere. That is a win – win for everyone.
Until next time friends. Take care!
