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Flowering Begonias

Valued for both their leaves and their blooms, one of the hardest part about growing flowering begonias is picking out the varieties you want to grow. Begonias are a versatile group of plants that offer various shapes and sizes of leaves and plants as well as blooms in shades of white, pink,salmon, orange or red. Some of the most popular types of blooming begonias are wax, tuberous and Rieger.

Rieger Begonias
Rieger begonias are amazing plants. Their foliage is attractive all year and their flowers can brighten the darkest of winter days. They were developed by crossing several types of tuberous begonias to get their showy, glossy leaves and lots of delicate semi-double and double flowers. They are wonderful and will often bloom for months, but they can be difficult to hold and make rebloom. To keep your Rieger begonia healthy and happy, provide it with lots of light, but avoid the direct afternoon sun. It will last the longest if it is grown in cool temperatures(55-65º). Keep the soil evenly moist to slightly dry. Do not allow it to sit in a saucer of water. Feed Rieger begonias every other week while they are blooming with a water-soluble fertilizer such as Bachman's Excel Gro. As individual blooms fade, pick them off carefully avoiding damage to the flowering stem. That's where new flowers will develop. Because they aren't easy to bring back into bloom, consider enjoying the flowers and glossy foliage while they are in their prime and replacing the plant the next winter.

Tuberous Begonias
Many gardeners are familiar with the tuberous begonia varieties sold for hanging baskets in the spring. Their blooms are amazing, offering incredible colors and huge flowers, some resembling the prettiest of roses. One of their strongest virtues is that they will bloom in the lower light indoors or in light shade outdoors. There are varieties of tuberous begonias that grow with an upright habit and others with a trailing form. Non stops are a type of tuberous begonias. They offers lightly smaller double and semi-double blooms on compact, well-branched plants in a wide range of colors. As their name implies, Non stops bloom prolifically.

A healthy tuberous begonia planted in spring will begin blooming in early summer and continue until frost in fall.They do go dormant in winter, but the bulbs can be saved. Tuberous begonias can be started from tubers or purchased already growing. The tubers look a little like wrinkly potatoes.They should be cup-shaped with an indented area on one side. The indented side is the top of the tuber. You may see small eyes or sprouts emerging from inside the cupped area.Look over the whole tuber to make sure it is firm and doesn't have any soft areas. Tuberous begonias are planted 2-3 inches deep, cup-side-up, in a well-drained peat-based soil such as Exceloam or Hyde Park Professional Potting Mix. Once they are planted, they should be kept evenly moist, but not wet. They like warm soil and should not be put outdoors until late May or early June.Grow them in bright shade where they will receive plenty of light but none of the direct afternoon sun. To keep them blooming well, fertilize every other week.

While they aren't bothered by many insect problems, tuberous begonias can develop powdery mildew. This is most likely during periods of high humidity and cool weather.Powdery mildew will give the leaves a gray, dusty appearance. At the first signs of this problem, increase air circulation and spray with a broad-spectrum fungicide.

Tuberous begonias do go dormant even when they are growing indoors. When they begin to fade (or when cold weather approaches) allow them to dry until the foliage dies back.At that point, remove the browned tops and store the tuber for 3-4 months, or until spring. Begonia tubers should be stored where it is cool, but not freezing and dry.They can either be left in the soil or unearthed and stored in vermiculite. Check on them every few weeks and mist lightly if they are drying to the point of shriveling.

Angel-wing begonias are wonderful plants for indoor blooming. They can also be used in containers outdoors during the summer. Their delightful name comes from their wing-shaped leaves.Angel-wing begonias offer a wide array of attractive leaf sizes, shapes and colors and well as different colors of blooms. They prefer bright light but no direct afternoon sun.Fertilize every 3-4 weeks except during the winter. All fibrous begonias prefer well-drained soil and to be kept slightly dry.

To select a healthy begonia, look for a full plant with signs of new growth and some mature leaves so you can see what it will look like as it grows. If you are buying young starter plants,look for ones that are well-rooted. Begonias tend to have brittle stems, so watch for damaged branches and use them to set cuttings to start new plants.