I live in Pakistan and am a great fan of flower gardening. This year I imported plug plants of primula, begonia, and calibrachoa from UK and tried my level best to protect them from the extreme heat of Pakistan; unfortunately none survived although I provided them with ideal controlled temperature in a glassed refrigerator and under grow lights.
Could you suggest some measures to protect them? My local primula are thriving in the refrigerator and have come to flowering, therefore it is strange for me as to why imported ones have not survived. Then I have planted geraniums in Jiffy's; they are growing very fast, but I suspect that they might wilt; the only cause that seems to me is excessive heat around 90 F. Kindly give me some advice.
I would suggest trying to grow them underground in a basement or other area because I do not know how else to protect them from the awful heat. As well, they might need specific nutrients that your soil is just not providing.
Certain plants are suited for certain areas. Never buy or try to grow anything that is not for your area. In my area, I can't grow any fruits that need 90 days of very hot weather.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
Can you remove some of the leaves from Begonias?
Hardiness Zone: 1
By shelley from UK
Yes, very easy, grab the leaf stem close to the branch & just bend it down, the opposite direction it is going. They are crisp & brittle when not drooping. They snap off clean.
Caring for a Tuberous BegoniaQ: I was given a tuberous begonia, which is beautiful, but I don't know how to care for it. Should it rest for a while after the blossoms go by?
Anna from Maine
A: Anna,
In the summer, tuberous begonias appreciate consistently moist (not wet) well-drained soil that is slightly acidic. Over-watering can cause stems to rot off at the base and can make plants susceptible to powdery mildew. Tuberous begonias do best when located in light shade positioned so plants get plenty of air circulation. Fertilize them once a month with a balanced fertilizer and remove spent blooms. After your tuberous begonia spends the season producing beautiful flowers for you, it will need to rest.
The main thing I know about this type of begonia is that the tuber will rot if it gets too wet. The best way to water them is to put a saucer under the pot (preferably a terra cotta pot) and put the water into the saucer. The plant will drink the water from the bottom up, and that way, you won't over water it, and the tuber won't rot. I have always been under the impression that certain types of begonias can be made to continue blooming. I would feed it with a good plant food every several months. I prefer the longer acting kind. I would also continue to water it even when it isn't blooming. Just because it isn't blooming doesn't mean that the foliage and roots don't continue to need the nourishment.
Would be nice to have a picture to be able to identify the plant. I don't know if this is the plant I am trying to identify.
I was told to wet pine straw to line a hanging basket. Will this be safe for all kinds of begonias?
By Bobbye
Check out these photos.
I purchased it two summers ago, and it half-heartedly bloomed. I decided to look through the dirt inside the flower pot last spring, and found her dried-up little tuber. On a hunch, I placed it in a new flower pot with quality soil back outside, watered her when dry.
This yellow Non-Stop Begonia is beautiful and has been blooming constantly.
