"Bashy" wrote
,

I wonder if anyone can give me some advice.
I live in Essex & this year I have 12 Dahlia and 18 Begonia
bulbs/tubers to plant.
This is the first time at planting bulbs (I am a relatively new
gardener) and have read conflicting arguments on various forums.
I would like to get the best and earliest start to my plants. Currently
I do not have a greenhouse or a coldframe. I do however have a 5 tier
growhouse (It cost me £30 from the local Garden centre).
I have read that I can start the begonia bulbs indoors about a month
before the last frost.
Is this true, and when do I know that the last frost has gone?

These tubers are not frost hardy so any frost will kill them and the plants
that grow from them. The last date for frost is normally accepted to be
about the same time as the Chelsea Flower show ( end of May) but we had a
bad grass frost a few years back on the 9th June, killed some of our
cucurbits and damaged other stuff.
It is typical of a new gardener to want to start stuff into growth asap,
don't be hasty, you may get away with it a couple of times but then one year
it will all be killed.


I have not found any decent advice when it comes to the dahlia's.
When can I start these tubers indoors?
On the instructions that came with the Dahlia's it say's 'plant from
March onwards' , but then further on, under EXPERT ADVICE, it say's
'for early blooms, start the bulbs indoors in April' ???????

I'd go with mid April.
If you live in the south you could get away with planting these new Dahlia
plants extra deep in early June, then after the growth is killed by the
first frost next winter leave them in the ground with a covering of straw
over the top. Just do not forget the slug pellets under the straw in the
following spring or they will eat all the new shoots before they show and
you will think the plant has died and curse me. :-)


Can anyone give me any advice on when's best to start these two plants
indoors and any general advice on planting.
I have already planned my garden plants this year and the Begonia and
Dahlia's are a big part.
I was hoping to put each tuber/bulb in a pot, keep it indoors and when
I start seeing activity, plant it outside in the final position
(obvioulsy as long as it isn't too cold).
Am I wrong in thinking that I can get away with doing this?
If I do plant them in pots and keep them indoors, do they need to be on
a windowsill, or just is a warmish room?

A cool room! The coolest room you have that is frost free or they will bolt
and grow weak and leggy.


Sorry about this, but this really is only my second year of gardening,
last year I bought all the plants from the Garden centre and it cost me
a fortune. This year I'm hoping to save money and also put on a better
show of flowers.

Also, I've found some good advice on planting the begonia bulbs (on the
surface with the 'hollow' part facing up, but strange advice with the
dahlia's.
I've read that they need to be planted horizontally with the eyes
facing up. What are the eyes? I don't think mine have them, although
they are still in the packets though.

In the center of the tubers are the remains of last years shoots, point
these upwards.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden