The brilliant color and fantastic leaves of Rex Begonia Fireworks can brighten… (FRAN KITTEK, SPECIAL TO…)
September 20, 2013|By Sue Kittek, Special to The Morning Call
Begonias are a favorite garden plant and one that we often want to save from year to year. While the bedding wax begonias are relatively inexpensive and easy to obtain, other begonias are worth saving.
Rex Begonia (Begonia Rex-cultorium group) is a huge group of hybrid begonias grown for their incredible leaves, a feast of color, shape and texture. These should be rinsed to wash off pests, flooded to remove excess salts that accumulate in the soil (from fertilizers) and moved indoors before the heat is turned on for the season.
Place them in an area with bright, indirect light and away from drafts. Water when the soil is dry to the touch. Provide humidity by placing the pots in a shallow gravel-lined tray with water to just below the top of the gravel. Feed dilute balanced fertilizer at 4 to 6 week intervals when plant in growing. Rex begonias will not grow in temperatures below about 58 degrees.
Bedding and Cane Begonias (Angel Wing, Dragon Wing) can be saved over the winter but need a lot of light. Though their appearances are quite different, their needs are similar. Prepare the plants as above before bringing them in. Keep the soil slightly moist and feed very lightly during the winter. These plants do not go dormant so do not allow them to dry out.
Rhizomatous Begonias need bright indirect or filtered light. Identify rhizomatous begonias by the stem creeping along the surface of the soil. Again, these plants do not go dormant so they need slightly moist soil and light fertilization during the winter. Many bloom with sprays of pink to white flowers in late winter.
Tuberous Begonias (Begonia x tuberhybrida) go dormant and require a much different treatment than those listed above. They are grown for their beautiful flowers that brighten shady area all summer long. Cut back watering as fall nears and allow the tops of the plants to die back and the soil is dry.
Loosen the soil and remove the tubers, carefully brushing off loose soil. Cut the stems back to about 5 inches and allow the tubers to dry indoors for several days; keep them out of direct sunlight. Remove the stems, roots and any remaining soil.
Store the tubers in peat or vermiculite in a ventilated container or a plastic bag. Ideal conditions are a dark area with temperatures between 40 and 50 degrees. Consider a light dusting of fungicide as tuberous begonias are prone to rots and fungus problems. In early spring, repot the tubers, with the tubers just at the surface of the soil. Place on a bright windowsill, away from drafts and water well. Do not rewater until the tuber shows new growth or the soil dries out. Keep soil slightly moist and feed regularly with a dilute balanced fertilizer.
Hydrangea problems
Q: I have two large hydrangea bushes. I've had them for years. This year, only one had one bloom. They never were good bloomers. I see so many plants in the neighborhood with beautiful flowers. What am I doing wrong? I cut them back every fall. Is that wrong? Do they maybe need some fertilizer? I would appreciate a little advice. If not, I am going to pull them out, they are just taking up a lot of space..
—Helen Henning, Bath
A: The two main problems with hydrangea not blooming are bad light and bad pruning. Either will result in few, if any, blooms.
Hydrangeas need light to bloom. While the bushes may look healthy in the shade, they will not bloom. Often, plants once in part shade become deeply shaded as the surrounding trees grow. They grow best with morning sun and afternoon shade. Although lighting requirements vary a bit among hydrangeas, no hydrangea will bloom well, if at all, in deep shade.
If you have a mophead or lace cap hydrangea, if it blooms pink, purple or blue or if it blooms in the spring and early summer; pruning in the fall is a definite concern.
These plants bloom on old wood — growth from the previous year. Pruning any time after July will cut off the blooms for next season. If you need to prune, cut them within a few weeks of the blooms fading. Deer browsing is basically pruning so winter browsing can also result in few or no blooms.
Success with hibiscus
A reader shares this success story:
Dear Sue: I had the same problem — lacy leaves and veins with something eating all the leaf material for two years in a row. I used spinosad in the form of Captain Jack's Deadbug spray (available at Neighbors in Hellertown and completely organic) starting in early June after the plant had been eaten to shreds, figuring I had nothing to lose. Per instructions, I sprayed the plant to run-off every time I saw a sawfly, sometimes two or three times a week. It took most of June and some of July, but the plant has rebounded. Next summer, I'll know to get started spraying it just as soon as I see even one sawfly.
