How to Start Begonia Tubers

Spring is finally arriving. Well, it should be but it's still absolutely freezing today. Nonetheless, with spring coming in, it means we finally get to get back in the garden and start getting some colour going.

With that in mind, I'm starting my begonia tubers today. I like to start them nice and early to maximise the growing season.

These are really easy to get going. You just need a seed tray and some multipurpose compost. Fill the trays about a third of the way up with the compost.

Break up any big chunks of compost with your hands just to make sure it's really light and airy.

Then I like to wet the compost before planting my begonia tubers. My thinking behind this is to avoid getting the top of the tuber overly wet.

Wet tubers rot, which is obviously not a fun time.

Now its time to pop the tubers into the seed trays. These are trailing begonias which will be in some hanging baskets when ready.

These tubers do have a right way up and a wrong way up. You want to look for a little dip in the tuber. This is the top.

You can see the dip really clearly on this tuber.

Space them out, just leave a little space between each tuber.

They won't be in these trays for too long, so the positioning doesn't need to be precise.

Add a little more compost but don't completely cover the tubers.

You want to be able to see the tops of them sticking out from the soil.

Place the seed trays in a greenhouse or if you don't have one then a windowsill works fine. You don't want the tubers out in the garden just yet until the risk of frost has completely passed.

Starting the tubers off like this gives us a good head start and sets us up for really strong blooms come summertime.