Can You Leave Begonias In Pots?

Begonias are a beautiful and versatile flowering plant that can be grown outdoors as annuals or perennials, or as houseplants indoors year-round. But can you leave begonias in pots? Yes, you can overwinter begonias in pots to keep them blooming all winter long! In this article, we’ll discuss the basics of overwintering begonias in pots and provide tips for success so you can enjoy your begonias all year round.

What Are Begonias?

Begonias are a group of flowering plants native to tropical and subtropical regions with over 1,000 varieties available today. They come in both fibrous and tuberous varieties and have been prized for their bright colors, delicate blossoms, and easy care requirements.

Fibrous begonias have fleshy stems and leaves with small flowers that bloom from early summer through autumn, meanwhile, tuberous begonias produce large flowers on tall stems with thick foliage and rhizomes (underground stems). Both types can be successfully overwintered in pots if given the proper care.

How to Prepare for Overwintering Begonias in Pots

Before attempting to overwinter begonias in pots, it’s important to prepare the plants beforehand by trimming off any dead leaves or flowers and removing any weeds or other debris from the soil around them.

Additionally, you should inspect the pot to make sure it’s clean, free of any pests or diseases, and large enough to accommodate the root system of the plant when it goes dormant for the winter months ahead. It’s also best to repot your begonias into new soil every couple of years during this time since old soil can often contain pests or disease that could harm your plants during dormancy.

Benefits of Overwintering Begonias in Pots

Overwintering begonias in pots has several advantages over leaving them outdoors during the colder months: they won’t experience frost damage or exposure to cold temperatures, they won’t suffer from too much moisture due to heavy rain, they’ll receive plenty of sunlight indoors, and they can be moved around easily if needed (e.g., if you want to change their position or get better access for care).

Additionally, overwintering begonias will help ensure that they stay healthier throughout their dormancy period since they won’t be subjected to harsh weather conditions outdoors that could damage their roots or leaves while they’re dormant.

Fibrous Types of Begonias

Fibrous types of begonias should be kept as houseplants during their dormant period since these varieties don’t require much special care during winter months (e.g., no repotting is necessary). To keep them healthy indoors during this time, make sure they receive plenty of sunlight (at least 5 hours per day) and water them regularly (but not too frequently) so that the soil doesn’t become soggy or overly dry—a moisture meter is a great tool for determining when your plant needs water!

Additionally, fertilize your fibrous begonia every couple of weeks with a liquid fertilizer formulated specifically for flowering plants like begonias, this will ensure that it continues growing strong throughout its dormancy period indoors until it’s ready to be transplanted back outside again come springtime!

Tuberous Types of Begonias

Tuberous types of begonias should be stored dormant instead since these varieties need cooler temperatures while they’re not actively growing (ideally between 45-55°F). To prepare your tuberous begonia for storage over winter months ahead, trim off dead leaves and flowers, remove weeds/debris from around them as needed, then carefully remove them from their potting container so you can inspect the root system before transferring them into an airtight container filled with damp peat moss or sand—this will help keep their roots from drying out while they’re stored away during dormancy!

Place this container somewhere dark but cool until temperatures outside begin warming up again come springtime, then transplant back into a potting container filled with new soil before moving outdoors again when conditions are ideal for growth once more!

How to Care For Overwintered Begonia Plants In Pots

Once your fibrous/tuberous Begonia is planted back into its potting container after being stored away during its dormancy period, make sure it receives adequate sunlight (at least 5 hours daily), water regularly but not too frequently (again using a moisture meter), fertilize every other week as needed with liquid fertilizer formulated specifically for flowering plants like Begonia’s so its roots stay healthy throughout its growth cycle—this will help ensure that it blooms beautifully all season long!

Additionally check regularly for signs of pests/diseases such as yellowing leaves which could indicate an infestation, if found treat immediately so your Begonia stays healthy all season long!

Tips For Overwintering Success

To maximize success when overwintering Begonia’s in pots there are some helpful tips you should keep in mind: choose containers that are big enough for root growth but still provide adequate drainage, use well-draining soil mixtures high in organic matter such as peat moss/compost mix, fertilize regularly with liquid fertilizer specifically designed for flowering plants like Begonia’s, water correctly making sure not to overwater/allow soil become soggy, inspect regularly for signs pests/diseases such as yellowed leaves/spider mites which could indicate an infestation which must be treated immediately if found, finally rotate Begonia’s position within pot every couple weeks so each side receives even light exposure—all these steps will ensure successful overwintering results come springtime!

Common Problems When Overwintering Begonia’s In Pots

Though not common there are some potential problems which could arise when attempting to overwinter Begonia’s such as root rot due excessive watering/poor drainage caused by soil being too dense, spider mite infestations which often occur when temperatures dip lower than 45°F/when humidity levels are too low indoors causing stress on plant resulting yellowed leaves needing immediate attention if found, finally insufficient light exposure resulting fewer blooms once warmer weather returns—all these issues can easily be avoided however by following tips provided earlier regarding proper care techniques before storing away over winter months ahead!

Conclusion

In conclusion we have discussed how easy it is leave Begonia’s potted over winter months by following few simple steps: preparing plant beforehand by trimming off dead flower heads/weeds etc., repotting tuberous varieties into airtight containers filled damp peat moss/sand when temperatures drop below 45°F storing away somewhere cool dark location until ready transplant back outside again come springtime, providing adequate sunlight at least 5 hours daily along with regular watering using moisture meter plus fertilizing every other week using liquid fertilizer formulated specifically flowering plants like Begonia’s ensuring roots stay healthy throughout entire process leading successful results come time bloom again next season!