Tuberous begonia · Luxor, Luxor, Egypt
When to sow tuberous begonias in Luxor
Main outdoor window
not outdoors here
The window this page is built around.
Timed from last spring frost
no spring frost
In Luxor, on your chosen risk.
First autumn frost
no autumn frost
The far end of the outdoor season.
The average last frost. Half of all years are later than this.
Step by step in Luxor
Each window is a range, not a single day. Earlier in the range buys you a longer season; later in it buys you a safer one.
Tuberous begonias through the year
Against the frost risk in Luxor
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 Luxor 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. Luxor is zone 10b, comfortably inside the range this crop is rated for, so an established plant should come through an average winter without protection.
Also in Luxor
Other flowers to time
Growing tuberous begonias in Luxor
How much frost will tuberous begonias tolerate?
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.