Begonia Hanging Baskets

Yes, it is March and still lots of winter weather, but as a gardener I can plan and dream about my summer garden.

Pendular begonias in hanging baskets are the feature on my summer patio.  These tuberous begonias will bloom from June to October.  After first frost,  I lift the tubers clean and dry them and then they are stored in a cool area, the garage.

This week I planted my begonias into their hanging baskets. These tubers are over ten years old and that is why they are so large.  Every few years, I break off a piece and a new plant is created.  The smaller upright begonias go into smaller pots and then in May transplanted into permanent containers.

I use a moist Sunshine Mix #4 which is a sterilized soil of peat and perlite.  The basket is not filled to the top and the tubers are pressed in firmly with the growing pink or green tips up.  It is important to keep the growing mix moist, not wet.

Begonias require bottom heat to encourage growth and the stems will sprout.  In the greenhouse they are placed on a propagation bed with a heated soil cable.  A few hours of supplementary light with grow lights in the greenhouse will give these plants a head start.

My cool greenhouse has a night temperature of 45 F degrees (5-7 degrees C).  In the greenhouse it is very important to keep the circulating fan on to provide necessary air circulation to prevent mildew on the begonia leaves.

Starting my begonias always makes me feel like spring is just around the corner.