When to sow tuberous begonias in Kom Ombo

Why these dates

Start the tubers indoors eight weeks before the last frost, hollow side up and barely covered, then plant out a fortnight after the frost date once nights are above 10C. Starting them in warmth is not optional in a short season - planted straight outside they flower six weeks late.

Damaged at 0C and killed by any real frost. The tuber cannot survive a frozen soil at all, so lift it when the leaves yellow in autumn and store it dry and frost-free everywhere below zone 9.

Tuberous begonias are planted once and then left in place, so there is no sowing offset to resolve. Nor is there a dormant season to plant into: this crop keeps its leaves and keeps growing through the winter, which is exactly why cold damages it. The window on this page therefore waits until the last frost in Kom Ombo has passed and the soil has begun to warm, giving the roots the longest possible run before the cold returns.

Hardiness is not the obstacle here. Kom Ombo is zone 10b, comfortably inside the range this crop is rated for, so an established plant should come through an average winter without protection.

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