I read that I should start begonias off in a shallow tray - how shallow and
how deep should i put them. I want to have cascading onesin the hanging
baskets this year. Anyone give me some tips please?

Ok I'll just have a go - some forum eh!
"Alan" wrote in message
...
I read that I should start begonias off in a shallow tray - how shallow and
how deep should i put them. I want to have cascading onesin the hanging
baskets this year. Anyone give me some tips please?

On Mon, 13 Mar 2006 15:21:02 +0000 (UTC), "Alan"
wrote:

Ok I'll just have a go - some forum eh!
"Alan" wrote in message
...
I read that I should start begonias off in a shallow tray - how shallow and
how deep should i put them. I want to have cascading onesin the hanging
baskets this year. Anyone give me some tips please?


I think you're supposed to put them into the compost with the cup side
uppermost, making a depression in the compost with your fingers and
just gently pressing them into the compost so the sides and underneath
are buried, but the 'rim' and 'cup' of the corm are still visible.
I'm even less sure about the depth but I'd say 3 or 4 inches of soil
below the corm would be enough for the roots to get going, as they're
going to be transplanted later.

Anyone else know?

Joan in Ayrshire
remove 'spam' from email to reply

On 3/3/06 8:41 pm, in article
, "Alan"
wrote:

I read that I should start begonias off in a shallow tray - how shallow and
how deep should i put them. I want to have cascading onesin the hanging
baskets this year. Anyone give me some tips please?


If you mean begonia seed, then yes, a shallow seed tray is what you need.
Pot the seedlings on and then plant them into your hanging baskets but they
possibly/probably won't mature quickly enough to do all that you want this
year. However, if you do plant them in this way, let them mature, cut them
right back in winter and keep them in a light, frost free place, you'll have
what you want next year. BUT, if you want trailing begonias this year,
start with corms or young plants from your local nursery, keep them frost
free now and plant them straight into your hanging basket. To keep them
through next winter, employ the method I've described above. You will of
course, have ensured that you've bought trailing begonias..... ;-))
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
)