Tuberous Begonias

The most popular types of tuberous begonias are the large-flowered begonias. These have double flowers and come in many colors, including rich-yellow, dark-red, orange, salmon, and white. Large-flowered begonias reach a height of 10 to 14 inches. They have an extremely long period of bloom, flowering continually from early June until far into September.

Small-flowered begonias come with a wide variety of color choices and offer an abundance of flowers. They do as well in containers on the balcony as they do in garden beds. Small-flowered begonias are an especially good choice in areas where rough weather can be a problem. Wind and heavy rain won't damage the flowers as easily as the larger, double-flowered types.

Particularly attractive are pendant begonias. These are hanging plants, usually displaying double flowers with pointed petals. A wide assortment of colors is available. Pendant begonias make especially good balcony plants and are great to combine in baskets with ivy leaf geraniums, lobelia, and pocket-book plant.

Begonias can be started indoors or planted directly into the ground. Start tuberous begonias indoors in February or March and begonia seed in January or February.

Begonia tubers can survive a touch of frost and can be put outside a few weeks earlier than those started indoors. Tubers should be planted at a very shallow depth, covered with about one half inch of soil. The hollow side of the tuber is the top.

With begonias begun indoors, you want to be particularly careful to delay your outdoor transplanting until after the last frost of the season. To be safe, wait until mid- to late-May to set them out. Select a spot that will help begonias thrive, one with rich, loamy soil and out of direct sunlight.