How to Stop Tuberous Begonia

Overview

Tuberous begonias have deep green foliage and continuous blooms throughout summer until the first frost in the fall. They come in a variety of colors and petal shapes, so even a bed of all begonias can have a varied and interesting look. Begonias are a tender perennial, so they do not survive cold winter temperatures. In early fall the begonias must be encouraged to stop producing and sent into dormancy, so they can be dug up and stored after the first fall frost with little to no damage.

Step 1

Stop fertilizing in late August or early September. Stopping feeding signals to the plant that it is time to begin entering dormancy.

Step 2

Begin decreasing the amount of water provided once you stop fertilizing. Pinch off any new flower buds that form after this so the plant begins stopping the summer cycle.

Step 3

Cut back the begonia plants once they begin yellowing or after the first fall frost, which ever occurs first. Cut them down to 5 inches above the ground using sharp, clean shears.

Step 4

Dig up the tuberous roots. Loosen the soil around the plant with a trowel. Slide the trowel under the begonia root and lift it out of the ground.

Step 5

Spread the tuberous roots out on newspaper in a dry room, out of direct sunlight for two weeks. Pull of the remaining stem and root, then brush off any loose soil.

Step 6

Fill a perforated plastic bag or shoe box with dry peat moss. Place the begonia roots inside and store at 40 to 50 F until spring.