Happypaphy7
Paphlover
I have Begonia odorata and not those with giant sized show flower type.
I bought a few tubers back in April and planted them in May. They started flowering as early as June and the flowering got better and better over the summer. They are supposed to wither down once the cold weather sets in, or after the first frost. Then they are supposed be stored in dry cool (10C/50F) location until they are ready to start growing again in the following spring.
Well, I left my plants until late November. They saw temperature reach down to freezing point and below on some nights. Only a couple of plants lost some leaves. The rest were not affected at all. All green and full of flowers. Once the nighttime low was expected to drop a few degrees below the freezing point, I brought them all inside. My plan was to dry them and force them to go dormant. The indoor temperature is around high 60s F.
Only one plant "went to sleep" while the rest kept on growing and flowering. When the soil in the pots dried, the plants would go a bit limpy but won't wither down. So I kept on watering but with much less frequency (every 2-3 days in the summer but every other week or so since brought inside).
More and more leaves fell off but there are still lots of leaves and flowers on the plants.
And the craziest thing is that today I saw that the plant that went dormant earlier this month has started two new growths!
I thought even with less-than-ideal storage temperature and water they should stay dormant for at least 2-3 months.
What would you guys suggest? I mean I could just let the plant continue on and have them bloom under my light during the winter/early spring and take them outside in May when it's warm enough to do so.
Has anyone tried keeping Tuberous Begonias in the fridge with success? I'm afraid it might be a bit too cold for these and they might rot in the fridge.
I bought a few tubers back in April and planted them in May. They started flowering as early as June and the flowering got better and better over the summer. They are supposed to wither down once the cold weather sets in, or after the first frost. Then they are supposed be stored in dry cool (10C/50F) location until they are ready to start growing again in the following spring.
Well, I left my plants until late November. They saw temperature reach down to freezing point and below on some nights. Only a couple of plants lost some leaves. The rest were not affected at all. All green and full of flowers. Once the nighttime low was expected to drop a few degrees below the freezing point, I brought them all inside. My plan was to dry them and force them to go dormant. The indoor temperature is around high 60s F.
Only one plant "went to sleep" while the rest kept on growing and flowering. When the soil in the pots dried, the plants would go a bit limpy but won't wither down. So I kept on watering but with much less frequency (every 2-3 days in the summer but every other week or so since brought inside).
More and more leaves fell off but there are still lots of leaves and flowers on the plants.
And the craziest thing is that today I saw that the plant that went dormant earlier this month has started two new growths!
I thought even with less-than-ideal storage temperature and water they should stay dormant for at least 2-3 months.
What would you guys suggest? I mean I could just let the plant continue on and have them bloom under my light during the winter/early spring and take them outside in May when it's warm enough to do so.
Has anyone tried keeping Tuberous Begonias in the fridge with success? I'm afraid it might be a bit too cold for these and they might rot in the fridge.
