Becky's Greenhouse
  • Home
  • BLOG: Gardening and You
  • Gardening Events
  • Flowers
  • About Us
  • Contact

My non stop begonias aren't doing so well...here is why?

8/1/2018

1 Comment

 
I know I haven't posted for awhile.  We got back from the Franklin Co Fair, and then had to spend that week getting ready for the Herb Fest in Greene.  So now got that behind us and now can get plants organized and growing for sale here.  We still have a nice selection of perennials and if you are in need of them come Monday thru Friday 9-6 for them.  We are closed on the weekends.  Always have something to do even if I am not open so will enjoy the weekends cleaning, organizing and seeing family and friends. 
I love non stop begonias but I have noticed mine aren't doing the best.  Too them to the fair, so maybe had them in more sunlight than I would have here.  But also I need to trim up the spent blossoms because now they are just making single blossoms.  They are the female part of the plant and all the energy is going into making seeds for survival.  If you are having not the double blooms that is what you need to do.
 
How to Grow Non-Stop Begonias  By Fern Fischer;
Non-stop begonia plants bloom all summer.
Non-stop begonias grow from tubers, and are also called tuberous begonias. They bloom continuously all summer. Just before the first frost, trim the foliage and dig up the tubers for winter storage. Non-stop begonias are not cold hardy, and they require a dormant period.
 
Non-stop begonias are available in dozens of color combinations; the plant habit may be upright or trailing. Choose the species with the characteristics that suit your purpose.
Select non-stop begonia tubers that feel firm and solid. Small sprouting buds may even appear on some tubers. These tubers are ready to grow as soon as you get them into soil.
Start the tubers indoors in flats for the earliest flowers. Start them about 8 weeks before the last expected frost for your area. Plant the tubers 1/2 inch deep in shallow containers. When two leaves appear from each tuber, move the tubers to individual 4- to 6-inch pots.
 
Pinch off the first early flower buds so the energy goes into growing stronger plants.
 
Prepare a garden bed by tilling the soil until it is finely textured. Add compost to improve the soil. Begonias need a location with partial shade and well drained soil. Dappled sunlight is ideal. Tubers will rot if they become water-logged.
 
To plant non-stop begonias in a container, fill a clean planting container with humus rich potting soil. Transplant the begonia plants to the garden bed or to outdoor planting containers after the danger of frost. Set the plants at the same depth they were growing in the small pots. Water and feed the begonias after transplanting. Allow the soil to become nearly dry to the touch between watering again, but don’t let it get completely dry. Check containers daily. Containers dry out quickly and need more frequent watering than garden beds.  Feed non-stop begonias with diluted fertilizer every two weeks. Remove spent blooms to encourage more flowers and keep the plants tidy.
 
Pinch off the female flowers to keep the plant from wasting energy developing seeds. Non-stop begonias bloom in groups of three flowers. The large flower in the center is the male, and the smaller flowers on each side are the females.  Very important to do.......
Tips
Examine your begonia tubers. One side is indented, or bowl-shaped. Plant this side up. The leaf and flower stems grow from the indented side, and so do most of the roots. You may notice small buds sprouting when you plant the tubers; they are leaf buds. Be careful not to disturb them.
For a fuller effect in a large container, use two or three plants instead of just one.
taken from https://www.gardenguides.com/112886-grow-non-stop-begonias.html
till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky's Greenhouse Dougherty Iowa beckmall@netins.net
Don't know if you can see the bottom of this bloom.  But there is a triangle piece that forms the bloom.  That is where the seed will develop as this is the female bloom.  All the energy will go to making a seed to survive so that is why the whole plant will look like it is struggling. 
1 Comment
JEANETTE PITCHER
3/9/2021 05:48:48 am

excellent information. This is my first time starting them from tuber

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    Author

    Hi! My name is Becky and I am a Master Gardener. I own Becky's Greenhouse in Dougherty, Iowa.

    Archives

    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    October 2014
    August 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014

    Categories

    All
    Planting

Picture
Gardening and You Radio Show 
KLMJ every Saturday morning at 7:20 a.m., station 104.9, Hampton, IA
Becky's Greenhouse
80 South Main
Dougherty, IA 50433
Phone:  641-794-3337 
cell 641-903-9365
​
Larry's Garage
Shop: 641-794-3337
Cell: 641-318-2007
2023 Copyright
Gardening & You Blog
Contact
Radio Show Recordings
  • Home
  • BLOG: Gardening and You
  • Gardening Events
  • Flowers
  • About Us
  • Contact