Repotting Begonias in My Greenhouse
I have long loved begonias - with their bold, beautiful foliage and delicate flowers, it’s hard to resist such an amazing family of plants.
There are thousands of species and varieties of begonias. Some are classified as tuberous, and others as fibrous, but it’s the rhizomatous begonias that make beautiful houseplants all year long because of the amazing colors, shapes, sizes, and textures of their foliage. During the winter months, the plants flower, but they are mostly prized for their extravagant greenery. Last week, my head gardener, Ryan McCallister, potted up several new specimens for my collection.
Enjoy these photos.
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- I have a large collection of beautiful begonias. Some were purchased from various nurseries over the years, but many were also grown from leaf cuttings right here in my greenhouse. I keep these beautiful begonia plants on a long, sliding table where they can be watched closely and maintained in a temperature and humidity-controlled space.
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- We store many of the empty pots underneath the sliding tables where they can be accessed quickly. Clay and terra cotta containers can be stored anywhere where the temperatures will not fall below freezing.
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- I like to use clay pots for my begonias. They allow proper aeration and moisture to penetrate through the sides and to the plant. When potting, always place a clay shard over the hole in the bottom of the pot to help drainage.
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- Here, Ryan begins to fill the pots with the appropriate medium.
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- For growing begonias indoors, use a soil-less mix – one that is mostly peat-moss based with additional perlite and/or vermiculite to improve aeration around the roots.
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- Ryan pots up the specimens in the head house – the work center of any greenhouse operation. It is specifically designated for potting, transplanting and other plant care tasks. It is connected to my main greenhouse where all my begonias are stored. Begonias are considered cool temperature plants and do best in temperatures ranging from 58 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit.
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- Next, Ryan gently removes the begonia from the plastic pot, loosens the roots with his hands, and places it into the new vessel.
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- More potting mix is added around the plant, and patted down.
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- Here is another begonia ready to move into a clay pot. I am always on the lookout for rare and unusual varieties.
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- Before transplanting the next specimen, Ryan gives the roots a slight pruning to encourage new growth and aeration. Any viable leaves that fall off during repotting are always saved for future rooting purposes. Begonia leaves root easily – just push its stem into potting soil, and keep it moist. After a few weeks, new leaves emerge.
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- Ryan cuts this leaf from the base of the stem. Because these plants store water in the rhizomes, which are their thick, fuzzy stems, it is important not to overwater them. This leaf is not viable – it will be discarded.
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- For trimming, Ryan uses a Fiskar’s Multipurpose Garden Snips – a versatile tool featuring fully hardened, precision-ground, stainless steel blades that cut all the way to the tip and stay sharp through heavy use. It has an outer, serrated edge for sawing twine or light rope, while the other straight edge cuts open boxes and bags. There is also an integrated wire cutter. Additionally, an Easy Action(TM) spring gently opens the blades after each cut to help reduce hand fatigue, while Softgrip® touch points enhance comfort and control.
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- Ryan pots this one as he did the last and packs the soil down around the plant to remove air pockets which could fill with water.
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- All the pots are put aside and saved. I always save these plastic containers – they’re great for potting up bare root cuttings and other small seedlings.
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- This rhizomatous begonia has silver with green veining on the top.
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- And dark burgundy on the undersides – such a beautiful plant. Begonias should be fertilized with a balanced liquid fertilizer during the active growing season in summer. Flowering begonias can benefit from pinching back long stems to encourage more side branching and overall fullness.
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- Here are the begonias all potted up in their new containers. It’s good to repot or change the soil every couple of years – potting mix elements break down over time and lose draining qualities and airspaces to hold oxygen.
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- Ryan moves the begonias into the greenhouse and arranges them so there is ample space in between each pot.
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- Finally, they’re given a good drink. After the initial watering, water these plants only when the top one-inch of soil feels dry.
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- These new begonias are great additions to my growing collection. There is no end to the variety of leaf shape, color and texture in the begonia – what are your favorite cultivars? Share them in the comments below.
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