Begonias

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I hope you can - Good Luck, and Best Wishes!

Could we have the answer here as well please because I have some lovely begonias this year that I would love to be able to keep. PS I dont have a greenhouse yet.
Lynne x

I wait until the leaves start to turn yellow- September-October, then let them dry out. Take all the leaves off and store them in a cardboard box in the garage. A friend puts hers in dry sand and I wrap mine in newspaper just in case one rots it stops it spreading to the others. Have managed to keep some for many years. Hope that this will help you and that you are successful.

When the first frosts are forecast, I move my begonias into my cold greenhouse and let them die down naturally. Then I remove the dead leaves and put the pots under the greenhouse staging until spring. The secret is to keep them dry and frost free. In spring, empty the pots and you should find a healthy tuber in each. Replant, the same way up, in fresh compost. Begin watering and your begonias should rapidly produce new shoots. Tubers grow each year and produce bigger and better plants than the year before. Another way to keep them and/or increase your stock is to take cuttings. Break off small side shoots, 2"-5" tall, where they join the main stem, snip off any flowers or buds and discard, remove lower leaves, dip the cut end in rooting hormone powder and plant cuttings around the edge of a pot of general purpose compost. Water well and cover with a plastic bag secured with an rubber band. After a couple of weeks, I remove the plastic bag to prevent rotting. These cuttings will need to be overwintered indoors. Hope this is helpful.