Hi,
I have grown begonia tubers for my hanging baskets for the last few year and to start them I put them into individual pots in soil from a peat based grow bag and they grow great. I have just planted them in the pot's for this year and I have just noticed the grow bag is Peat Free which I must have bought by mistake. Will they still grow OK as I know they like peat. Or will I have to re-pot them.


Thanks.

On Thu, 21 Feb 2008 13:23:17 +0000, chazer
wrote:


Hi,
I have grown begonia tubers for my hanging baskets for the last few
year and to start them I put them into individual pots in soil from a
peat based grow bag and they grow great. I have just planted them in
the pot's for this year and I have just noticed the grow bag is Peat
Free which I must have bought by mistake. Will they still grow OK as I
know they like peat. Or will I have to re-pot them.


Thanks.


I'm not a begonia expert but I suspect there will be a "set back" if
they have been in their new pots for over three weeks. I'm sure you
don't have to repot them. If you like to experiment, repot one in
your favored peat mix and see which one grows better.

"chazer" wrote in message
...

Hi,
I have grown begonia tubers for my hanging baskets for the last few
year and to start them I put them into individual pots in soil from a
peat based grow bag and they grow great. I have just planted them in
the pot's for this year and I have just noticed the grow bag is Peat
Free which I must have bought by mistake. Will they still grow OK as I
know they like peat. Or will I have to re-pot them.


I've started my begonias in both kinds of potting soil. Both work fine IMO.
You'll have more of a set back disturbing the roots repotting them than if
you just let them go. I found bottom heat was more of an advantage to
starting the begonia tubers than type of starting medium. I keep my home
relatively cool. I just slide an old heating pad under the pan my starter
pots are in and keep it on the low temperature setting. I've found this
brings on a better root system and has a 2-3 week jump than when I used no
bottom heat.

Val

Hi,

Thank you both for replies.

Val,
Thankfully I will not have to re-pot if you say they were ok with you. I have always used peat based soil but for some reason I picked up wrong bag and planted tubers. That's a good idea for the heat underneath. I plant mine in pots put them in a propagator then bring them into the house at this time of year until it gets a bit warmer.

Thanks again.

On Feb 21, 8:23*am, chazer wrote:
Hi,
I have grown begonia tubers for my hanging baskets for the last few
year and to start them I put them into individual pots in soil from a
peat based grow bag and they grow great. I have just planted them in
the pot's for this year and I have just noticed the grow bag is Peat
Free which I must have bought by mistake. Will they still grow OK as I
know they like peat. Or will I have to re-pot them.

Thanks.

--
chazer

HI,
Begonias are so very pretty. I think they must be the most difficult
to get exactly right -
mine are usually too wet then they rot... any ideas?