Begonias are easy-to-grow plants with stunning flowers and attractive leaves and should be a must in every garden. Here’s all you need to know about growing them
LIKE GROWING BEGONIAS: Growing amaryllis
5 Good reasons to grow them
- Most are evergreen.
- They have a long flowering period.
- They’re low maintenance.
- They’re reliable, quick and easy to grow and generally disease free.
- They make good alternatives and/or companions to impatiens and plectranthus in semi-shaded areas.
READ MORE: Evergreen late-flowering agapanthus
![novemberbegonias01gh](https://www.gardenandhome.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/NovemberBegonias01gh-678x1024.jpg)
‘Dragon Wing’ begonias growing in pots mix prettily into this raised shady garden
At a glance
- SOIL: Moisture-retaining, well-drained, hummus-rich soil.
- LIGHT: Begonias require bright or dappled shade; some take morning sun. In deep shade they become leggy and less floriferous.
- MOISTURE: Water when needed; don’t overwater. Try not to wet the leaves if they get morning sun as this can burn them.
- FERTILISE: Feed bedding begonias every 4–6 weeks and container-grown plants monthly (or fortnightly with a half-strength dilution). Use a soluble high-potassium feed like Multifeed Flowergro 3:1:6 during summer.
- FROST: They’re frost tender. Grow them as annuals in cold regions or in protected areas.
- PROPAGATION: You can buy mature hybrids from garden centres. Bedding varieties can be grown from seed or bought in six packs; grow tuberous types from tubers. The old familiar rhizomatous species are easy to propagate by division of the rhizomes and from stem or leaf cuttings.
READ MORE: How to Propagate hydrangeas
![‘Mistral Red’ - growing begonias](https://www.gardenandhome.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/NovemberBegonias09gh-1024x683.jpg)
‘Mistral Red’
Many begonias thrive in the garden and on patios, while others make excellent house plants.
In frost-free zones, perennial begonias can go on and on for years and the annuals often act like perennials in (warm) temperate climates, although they’ll die back in cold gardens.
![‘Bonfire Orange’ - growing begonias](https://www.gardenandhome.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/NovemberBegonias10gh-777x1024.jpg)
‘Bonfire Orange’
Types of begonias
Cascading
The trailing habit of these begonias makes them ideal for pots, hanging baskets and window boxes.
Make the most of them: Mass plant them in semi-shady beds and borders. Drought and heat tolerant, they’re ideal for Cape gardens, if sheltered from the wind.
![‘Bon Bon Cherry’ - growing begonias](https://www.gardenandhome.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/NovemberBegonias11gh-1024x680.jpg)
‘Bon Bon Cherry’
Bedding or wax (begonia semperflorens)
These familiar, compact, cushion-like plants grow 20–25cm high and have green or bronze foliage and white, rose pink, red and even bicoloured flowers. They’re aptly named semperflorens, meaning ever-flowering, as they bloom from late spring to the first frosts. Considered by many as perennials, they’re used as annuals in cold gardens.
Make the most of them: Plant en masse for colourful displays, pot up in containers and use them as an edging. Grow them from seed (don’t cover the fine seed) or buy seedlings. They’re a good choice for Cape and Johannesburg gardens.
![‘Glowing Embers’ - growing begonias](https://www.gardenandhome.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/NovemberBegonias12gh-680x1024.jpg)
‘Glowing Embers’
![Tuberous begonias -- growing begonias](https://www.gardenandhome.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/NovemberBegonias05gh-680x1024.jpg)
Tuberous begonias
Tuberous
When you want glamorous summer colour on sheltered patios and indoors, nothing beats tuberous-rooted begonias with their clusters of big flamboyant single or double camellia-like flowers.
Buy ready-grown plants or plant the tubers, placing them with their rounded-out (convex) side down on your potting mix; barely cover them with soil. Feed them regularly; don’t overwater them in the growing season, but never let them dry out. They need a winter rest so encourage this by holding back on watering in autumn. Heavy bearers, they may need staking.
Make the most of them: Plant the compact, upright 25–30cm Nonstop series in pots and window boxes and the cascading Illumination series in hanging baskets.
![B. coccinea -- growing begonias](https://www.gardenandhome.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/NovemberBegonias03gh-632x1024.jpg)
B. coccinea
Evergreen perennials
These free-blooming begonias reward you with flowers for most of the year.
Make the most of them: Plant masses of them as fillers in shady areas. Plant B. coccinea at the back of semi-shaded borders or to give height in corners.
![B. corazon-de-jesus -- growing begonias](https://www.gardenandhome.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/NovemberBegonias04gh-598x1024.jpg)
B. corazon-de-jesus
Foliage begonias
Easy-to-grow rhizomatous begonias have beautiful tropical-looking leaves, often with amazing patterns. They thrive outdoors in frost-free areas but are equally at home in containers which can be moved into shelter in winter. Many have eye-catching flower spikes. Grow them from leaf cuttings or by dividing the rhizomes.
Make the most of them: They’re perfect for containers and as indoor pot plants.
![B. manicata -- growing begonias](https://www.gardenandhome.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/NovemberBegonias08gh-681x1024.jpg)
B. manicata
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