I have been reading posts in this forum for some time now and found a lot of
useful information.
So, I have a question.
Begonia tubers. Do you cover the tubers with compost or do you leave the
top half exposed.?
last year I covered them and lost at least half.
Instructions that came with the tubers were.
Fill a shallow tray with good compost and press the tuber gently in?

Bill.

"Bill P" wrote in message
...
I have been reading posts in this forum for some time now and found a lot
of useful information.
So, I have a question.
Begonia tubers. Do you cover the tubers with compost or do you leave the
top half exposed.?
last year I covered them and lost at least half.
Instructions that came with the tubers were.
Fill a shallow tray with good compost and press the tuber gently in?

They must have said that for a reason. Same thing as with peonies then. I'll
be doing begonia tubers later, so I'll do what they say, since ours came
from a neighbour with no instructions.

Steve

On 1/4/09 10:23, in article , "shazzbat"
wrote:


"Bill P" wrote in message
...
I have been reading posts in this forum for some time now and found a lot
of useful information.
So, I have a question.
Begonia tubers. Do you cover the tubers with compost or do you leave the
top half exposed.?
last year I covered them and lost at least half.
Instructions that came with the tubers were.
Fill a shallow tray with good compost and press the tuber gently in?

They must have said that for a reason. Same thing as with peonies then. I'll
be doing begonia tubers later, so I'll do what they say, since ours came
from a neighbour with no instructions.

Steve


Ray just came in so I asked him and he said the just pressing them into
compost, leaving the tops uncovered thing, is what he does.
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
Exotic plants, shrubs & perennials online

Thanks each for your help. I will plant my tubers this afternoon.
The ones that failed last year must have rotted off.

Bill.

"Sacha" wrote in message
...
On 1/4/09 10:23, in article , "shazzbat"
wrote:


"Bill P" wrote in message
...
I have been reading posts in this forum for some time now and found a
lot
of useful information.
So, I have a question.
Begonia tubers. Do you cover the tubers with compost or do you leave
the
top half exposed.?
last year I covered them and lost at least half.
Instructions that came with the tubers were.
Fill a shallow tray with good compost and press the tuber gently in?

They must have said that for a reason. Same thing as with peonies then.
I'll
be doing begonia tubers later, so I'll do what they say, since ours came
from a neighbour with no instructions.

Steve


Ray just came in so I asked him and he said the just pressing them into
compost, leaving the tops uncovered thing, is what he does.
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
Exotic plants, shrubs & perennials online


That's interesting. I've always just lightly covered mine and been
successful, but it's always worth trying something different.

It's probably also worth mentioning for the OP's benefit, that the tuber
should be planted hollow side up, as this is where the growth buds develop.
Also, because of this dished upper surface, watering should be done
carefully around the outside of the tuber or from below (if potted) so that
water doesn't collect in the hollow and rot the tuber.

Spider

On 1/4/09 11:39, in article , "Spider"
wrote:


"Sacha" wrote in message
...
On 1/4/09 10:23, in article , "shazzbat"
wrote:


"Bill P" wrote in message
...
I have been reading posts in this forum for some time now and found a
lot
of useful information.
So, I have a question.
Begonia tubers. Do you cover the tubers with compost or do you leave
the
top half exposed.?
last year I covered them and lost at least half.
Instructions that came with the tubers were.
Fill a shallow tray with good compost and press the tuber gently in?

They must have said that for a reason. Same thing as with peonies then.
I'll
be doing begonia tubers later, so I'll do what they say, since ours came
from a neighbour with no instructions.

Steve


Ray just came in so I asked him and he said the just pressing them into
compost, leaving the tops uncovered thing, is what he does.
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
Exotic plants, shrubs & perennials online


That's interesting. I've always just lightly covered mine and been
successful, but it's always worth trying something different.

snip

Maybe size does make a difference. ;-) He's usually working with quite
large ones.
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
Exotic plants, shrubs & perennials online

"Spider" wrote in message
...
That's interesting. I've always just lightly covered mine and been
successful, but it's always worth trying something different.

It's probably also worth mentioning for the OP's benefit, that the tuber
should be planted hollow side up, as this is where the growth buds
develop. Also, because of this dished upper surface, watering should be
done carefully around the outside of the tuber or from below (if potted)
so that water doesn't collect in the hollow and rot the tuber.

Spider
Thanks Spider,
I did and will do, plant them hollow side up as you say. I will take note of
your advice on watering as well.
I planted twenty last year, but I put a layer of compost ( about 2 inchs )
over the top and about eight of them just failed, When I looked at them they
looked as if they had gone rotten.

Bill.

On Wed, 1 Apr 2009 10:14:04 +0100, "Bill P"
wrote:

I have been reading posts in this forum for some time now and found a lot of
useful information.
So, I have a question.
Begonia tubers. Do you cover the tubers with compost or do you leave the
top half exposed.?
last year I covered them and lost at least half.
Instructions that came with the tubers were.
Fill a shallow tray with good compost and press the tuber gently in?

Bill.

I always understood you should not cover the tops. Then I watched
Alan Titchmarsh, when he was doing GW, plant some big ones to enter in
a show, and he covered the corms.
The top of the corms is concave, and maybe water can collect there and
cause rot.
Another thing to watch out for, is vine weevil grubs. I have lost
corms overwinter, finding just a shell, with a few vw grubs inside.

Pam in Bristol

"Bill P" wrote ...
I have been reading posts in this forum for some time now and found a lot
of useful information.
So, I have a question.
Begonia tubers. Do you cover the tubers with compost or do you leave the
top half exposed.?
last year I covered them and lost at least half.
Instructions that came with the tubers were.
Fill a shallow tray with good compost and press the tuber gently in?

I don't repot mine in the spring until I see growth. After repotting I
sprinkle compost over the tuber but only very lightly and I'm very careful
about watering until good growth is showing. It's a tuber so it does have
some reserves anyway.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden

"Pam Moore" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 1 Apr 2009 10:14:04 +0100, "Bill P"
wrote:

I always understood you should not cover the tops. Then I watched
Alan Titchmarsh, when he was doing GW, plant some big ones to enter in
a show, and he covered the corms.
The top of the corms is concave, and maybe water can collect there and
cause rot.
Another thing to watch out for, is vine weevil grubs. I have lost
corms overwinter, finding just a shell, with a few vw grubs inside.

Pam in Bristol

Thanks Pam,
I did not know about vine weevil grubs.

Bill P.

"Bob Hobden" wrote in message
...

I don't repot mine in the spring until I see growth. After repotting I
sprinkle compost over the tuber but only very lightly and I'm very careful
about watering until good growth is showing. It's a tuber so it does have
some reserves anyway.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden


Thanks for that Bob. I am taking note of all the information I am recieving
from these posts.

Bill P.

"Sacha" wrote in message
...
On 1/4/09 11:39, in article , "Spider"
wrote:


"Sacha" wrote in message
...
On 1/4/09 10:23, in article , "shazzbat"
wrote:


"Bill P" wrote in message
...
I have been reading posts in this forum for some time now and found a
lot
of useful information.
So, I have a question.
Begonia tubers. Do you cover the tubers with compost or do you leave
the
top half exposed.?
last year I covered them and lost at least half.
Instructions that came with the tubers were.
Fill a shallow tray with good compost and press the tuber gently in?

They must have said that for a reason. Same thing as with peonies then.
I'll
be doing begonia tubers later, so I'll do what they say, since ours
came
from a neighbour with no instructions.

Steve


Ray just came in so I asked him and he said the just pressing them into
compost, leaving the tops uncovered thing, is what he does.
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
Exotic plants, shrubs & perennials online


That's interesting. I've always just lightly covered mine and been
successful, but it's always worth trying something different.

snip

Maybe size does make a difference. ;-) He's usually working with quite
large ones.
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
Exotic plants, shrubs & perennials online


:~O Fascinating! .... but I didn't really need to know about his private
life! Maybe I'll continue to cover mine up ... :~)

Spider

On 1/4/09 21:01, in article , "Spider"
wrote:


"Sacha" wrote in message
...
On 1/4/09 11:39, in article , "Spider"
wrote:


"Sacha" wrote in message
...
On 1/4/09 10:23, in article , "shazzbat"
wrote:


"Bill P" wrote in message
...
I have been reading posts in this forum for some time now and found a
lot
of useful information.
So, I have a question.
Begonia tubers. Do you cover the tubers with compost or do you leave
the
top half exposed.?
last year I covered them and lost at least half.
Instructions that came with the tubers were.
Fill a shallow tray with good compost and press the tuber gently in?

They must have said that for a reason. Same thing as with peonies then.
I'll
be doing begonia tubers later, so I'll do what they say, since ours
came
from a neighbour with no instructions.

Steve


Ray just came in so I asked him and he said the just pressing them into
compost, leaving the tops uncovered thing, is what he does.
--

That's interesting. I've always just lightly covered mine and been
successful, but it's always worth trying something different.

snip

Maybe size does make a difference. ;-) He's usually working with quite
large ones.
--
:~O Fascinating! .... but I didn't really need to know about his private
life! Maybe I'll continue to cover mine up ... :~)

Spider

Shrewd move...... ;-))
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
Exotic plants, shrubs & perennials online