How do I Overwinter these Begonias?

9 years ago

Good Morning!

Complete Begonia newbie here! I received these unknown begonias from my cousin, who got them in multipack from Costco this spring. She planted them and gifted them to me, but I have no idea as to the variety (tuberous, fibrous, etc), and have no idea what to do with them during my zone 7 winter.

They were pretty leggy when I got them, but since they are flowering so nicely, i've been resisting the urge to pinch them. For the summer, they lived (presumably happily) on the southeast corner of my deck (shaded from 1 pm onwards). I brought them inside last Saturday and they sit in an east-facing window now until I can decide what to do with them...

Do I keep them awake and watered all winter? Let them go to sleep? Dig them up? Keep them in soil? Without knowing what they are, i'm having a tough time coming up with a game plan.

Can you begonia experts help me with a possible ID and help me figure out what to do with them? If I need a better picture, please let me know and I'll snap a few more.

Comments (3)

hc mcdole
9 years ago
Let the frost kill the tops off and seal the tubers. Store the tubers for winter either in the pot or dig them out and put them in a cool dry spot and check on growth in early spring. Start watering then and bring them to a warm brightly lit area to resume growth. Fertilize as needed.

Other folks who grow tuberous can chime in on winter care for these types of begonias.
michey1st_gw
Original Author
9 years ago
Thanks, hcmcdole! So, it's a tuberous then? I've spent the last week looking at begonias until i'm blue in the face and was struggling for an ID.

They were purchased in one of those boxes from costco, so were either tubers or bare root. I just haven't had the heart to go digging around to see what's under the soil because i've neglected these for much of the summer and they are still putting on a show.

I guess they should go back outside and wait for the frost to do its dirty deed!
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hc mcdole
9 years ago
Yes, tuberous. You can leave them indoors and watch them slowly wind down for this year. Don't be alarmed when this happens though. Just do some searches on winter care for tuberous begonias and you should find plenty of advice.