GARDEN CAPSULE
The challenge: You brought inside many potted begonias but don’t have room to save them all from winter’s cold.
The solution: Select one or two mature plants to enjoy all winter as houseplants. For remaining begonias, take stem cuttings and root in water. Or harshly downsize both shoots and roots, and replant what remains of each plant in a small pot. Provide bright, indirect light. (Line up cuttings and downsized plants under a fluorescent light, if necessary.) Tuck dormant tuberous and rhizomatous begonias away in a basement or cool closet for winter.
Pluses: A well-grown potted begonia can brighten a gardener’s spirits in winter. Angel wing begonias are particularly easy to grow near a bright window. Some are floriferous while others are grown primarily for their foliage. They come in a range of sizes. If large begonias grow too big for their space, cutting back canes or thick stems not only won’t harm a specimen but will also produce a fuller, prettier plant.
Minuses: Although generally easy to grow indoors, begonias can be killed by overwatering. Fancy-leaf rex begonias are particularly cantankerous, requiring higher winter humidity than available in many houses. (If they drop their leaves, you may be able to overwinter them in a dormant state.) Powdery mildew and mealy bugs sometimes infect some kinds of begonias. Sources: The American Begonia Society offers more growing tips at begonias.org.