Marianne's Response
How to divide Bolivian Begonias
Hi Marianne,
I have two Bolivian Begonias that are three years old. I bought them in 4” pots at Molbaks and they have really thrived. They were originally in hanging baskets but we moved this year so they went into pots. I really had to cram them in and despite the hard start they have been beautiful. I will winter them in the garage but how do I divide them? The base is solid and hard so am unsure where to cut, or even if I can! If they can be divided, should that be done now or wait for spring ? Thank you!
Posted by Pat Hergert on October 9, 2021
Marianne's Response
Wow - great job on wintering over the begonia corms and that huge plant is beautiful! It is possible to divide up one corm into two or three segments and the time to do this is spring or late summer when the corms are not dormant but growing. You will want to cut the corm into segments getting at least one eye or growth point for each segment. Remove any top growth before you cut and then once the cut is made let the sections dry out for 2 to 3 days by sitting in a cool, dry spot. Then replant as you would a regular corm in well draining potting soil just covering the growth eyes an inch or two. This division process will delay blooming and you could lose the new corms. You may want to just invest in bigger pots and keep doing what you have been doing getting larger and larger plants as the corms keep growing. Keep growing, Marianne Binetti
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