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BEGONIA BULBS COME IN A MYRIAD OF COLORS
Just to set the record straight I like to refer to a begonia as begonia bulbs but techincally they are a smashed bulb known as tuberous begonias. You can take a look at the photo wnich gives the appearance that all of the bulbs have been stepped upon and so you will still need to pardon me as I continue to refer to them as bulbs. I love this variety of summer flower because they come in so many colors and forms. There are,orange,yellow,salmon and pink colors followed by single or double flowers. However it does not stop because the begonia can be plain,ruffled, or toothed and the petals can be mixed with crests or blotches of contrasting colors. Begonia bulbs bloom through the summer and love shady spots where other plants with long blooming periods and beautiful flowers can not grow. This is what I admire the most about this plant. The impatiens are a great annual but here is one that rivals in both non stop flowering and variety. BEGONIA BULBS WHEN AND HOW TO STARTThe time to start your begonia bulbs are in the late winter. You can start them from ones you have stored or go to your local garden shop and purchase.Bulbs that are planted,indoors of course,in February should provide you with flowering blooms in June later in March or early April will result in blooms by July.I plant the bulbs in flats of either peat moss or vermiculite. I would examine my stored bulbs closely,if you over wintered them,to check for signs of disease. I always check to make sure none have become soft and mushy or dryed and shrivled. It is also a good idea to check the purchase bulbs for similar problems. If there are no signs you may use the same medium that the begonia bulbs were stored in for the winter. However,if you have just purchased the bulbs,then fill a flat with fresh peat moss or vermiculite. I think,after giving it some thought,I would start with fresh in either case just to be on the safe side. The most diffcult part of all this,and one I have received many inquiries about,is how to tell which side of the bulb should be face up. It is the side with the depression or hollow or if you are lucky there maybe the appearance of tiny sprouts in the hollow and place them in the flat with your medium just covering the bulb. It is important to keep the bulbs moist but not wet. The reason being that begonia bulbs are very suspectible to rot. You do not want water bunching up in the hollow of the bulb. The flats should be positioned in an area where the temperature is around 70 degrees and they receive indirect light. It contributes nothing to have fluorescent bulbs at this point as they may do more damage than good.
BEGONIA BULBS ROOT DEVELOPMENT IMPORTANTThe roots tend to begin their growth at the bottom,sides,top of the tuber,and stems will emerge from the top. When your begonias have been planted for approximately a month, the stems should be approaching 1" tall. This size requires repotting into a larger size container. I suggest either 5" or 6" pot. This could be their permanent summer home unless you have other ideas for display in the garden. Now would be the time for some addtional lighting or move the plants to a bright location where it will enable the plant to form short and sturdy stems rather than tall gangling ones.
The realization here is that small plants are produced by small tubers and large tubers produce large plants. This however does not have any impact on the size of your flower. The begonia bulbs flower size is totally controlled by the quantity of stems on each bulb. In order to produce larger flowers you will need to do what I did. This means thinning the shoots when they are about three inches tall. The relative measure here is that small bulbs should have two or three stems while their larger counterpart should have four to six stems. This suggests that you must pinch off additional stems.The varieties used in hanging baskets will not require thinning as these are grown to produce immense amounts of flowers not large flowers. This type will be bushy and bear loads of flowers especially if you just pinched the tips of the stems in May or Early June. Please note that the procedure is a lot different than thinning the stems.
The plant should have between 1.5" and 2" of new growth when you start feeding. Liquid fertilizers work well especially with potted plants. I would start with 10-10-5 or liquid fish emulsion if you can stand the smell. The measurement for this would be at the rate of one tablespoon per gallon of water. It is important here that you do not guess use a measuring spoon. I can tell you from experience it will result in new growth rapidly and the leaves will be lush and huge. Make an effort to fertilize every week to ten days. Now the buds are forming and it is time to change to a low nitrogen fertilizer as you need large blooms no more large leaves. I would switch to a 2-10-10 or 0-10-10 which will give you those large blooms. You can keep the same interval of application and some diluted fertilizer will not harm the leaves as some nutrients will be absorbed in this fashion. It maybe a good idea to provide one to three short bamboo stakes at this point to support the plant as these plants become very heavy during blooming. 
If you are going to remove the begonia bulbs from the pot and plant them in the ground make sure you provide a spot where there is some wind protection,well drained soil,and plants are shaded during most of the day. A spot with early morning sun and late afternoon sun will do just fine. Remember these plants are susceptible to drought so even though you have well drained soil during dry spells it is important that you water them. This also is relevant to your potted and hanging basket begonia bulbs.
These plants are not insect full proof. The begonia is susceptible to many of the same insects as other flowering plants such as aphids,spider mites,and one very bad plant disease powdery mildew. go to insects for up to date information and go to to plant diseases for more information If you observe any insects use a systemic insecticide every two weeks or organically control the insects with one of those sprays with Pyrethins contained in it. Soap sprays may discolor the blooms. BEGONIA BULBS AND STORINGBegonia bulbs will enter a period of dormancy no matter how well you have treated them. This makes them unacceptable for year round houseplants. This dormant period requires them to be brought in and stored indoors. The preparation for this dormant period that I have always followed is to gradually reduce watering and stop all fertilizing by the end of August. I would also encourage you to remove any flower buds in September to add to the encouragement of dormancy. This believe or not will assist the storing of energy for the following year blooming season. As the foliage begins to yellow or after the first real hard frost cut the stems to about 5 inches and dig up your bulbs being careful not to damage or injure your bulbs. I always like, as with other bulbs that have to be dug up, to dig around the perimeter five to six inches from the center of the stem. Let this be said that this is an argument for container plants. Let them dry indoors at room temperature out of direct sunlight until what is left of the stems are brittle and dry and loose enough to pull off the bulb. You should also remove any excess soil but DO NOT WASH THE BULBSas this will cause major problems over the winter storage.You can store the bulbs in a perforated plastic bag filled with peat moss or vermiculite in a cool dark place or you can store them as I have discussed before seeGo to headline digging up and storing Calla Lily bulbs The ideal temperature range is 40 to 50F which maybe much cooler than some basements. An insulated unheated attic or a porch that is used three seasons of the year would be ideal.You notice here I say a spare refrigerator is really the best solution to store your begonia bulbs.They can be checked occasionally for rotting and softening and discard the bad bulbs. This is why my recommendation of a storage box is so important where the begonia bulbs do not come into contact with each other.
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