Begonia deadheading

[Kittyluvr400]

Been gardening only a few months, so I am learning.
I lost a gaillardia due to the sun, humidity and 90* temps here on Long Island. That area of the garden in in full sun 12 hours a day. Didn't know I was losing it, as it looked fine on the outside but was fried underneath. Found a prettied potted wax begonia with the lighter great leaves and put the pot where I lost the gaillardia. They had the begonia in direct sunlight at the nursery, so I figured it could handle the location.

I read that begonias do well in that environment, and then I read they do well in part shade. So many opinions. Can it do well there? Direct sun, 12 hrs a day? I am leaving them in their pots as I am afraid to plant them in the bed during this heat.

Also...I looked up deadheading begonia (how to) on You Tube and there seem to be two versions of deadheading. One is the obvious...remove the flowers looking pale/dying. The other baffled me. Remove the little yellow (seedling) from the flowers. I actually like that extra color of yellow and would hate to remove it.

So, do I remove it, or just remove the dying petals? Is the 12 hr sun going to be a problem?
Hoping I can learn a bit about begonias. TIA

Rose
Thanks for

[rainbowgardener]

I have only known the begonias as part shade or morning sun only plants. I would expect it to burn up in that much sun. But I've never tried it...

The little wax begonias, like this:



are called "self-cleaning." I've never bothered deadheading them, because they drop the flowers on their own and make new flowers without seeming to set seed.

[Kittyluvr400]

The woman at the nursery also told me deadheading wasn't necessary for the same reason you gave. I am happy to hear that. So much color and no deadheading!

I have 5 potted and put them in various locations in the bed (100 ft long bed) from full sun to mostly shade. I'll keep my eyes on the one in full sun. That was why I didn't want to plant them in a permanent home until I see how they all do in their different spots.

Thanks so much.
Any other feedback from anybody else will be great, taking in all the advice I can get about begonias. I am reading all I can about them. The picture above is the wax begonia I have. Thanks again for your help.

[Mr_bobo_]

Send us some pictures @Kittyluvr400

[Kittyluvr400]

I looked into sending pics, but it seems very html. <IMG>. These pics are on an iPad and I can't figure out how to send them. I would LOVE to show off my masterpiece! I spend time on it twice a day, watering all 90 plants individually...some watered twice a day, others just after sunset every night. It looks stunning! I finally found a way to deadhead comfortably...an office chair! It's a 90 ft x 5 foot bed, between two houses. The landscaper who did the job did change my instructions on where to plant everything and some are hurting in the sun. Taking notes to move some around next spring.

[ButterflyLady29]

Didn't they tell you that begonias are not frost/freeze hardy? In order to have them there again next year you'll have to either overwinter some indoors and take and grow a lot of cuttings or buy and plant new plant next year.

[Kittyluvr400]

All I was told was they will do great in the sun. Sigh. Although I did look at them like an annual. I needed a splash of red and there they were. There are a few plants that need to be moved due to the sun holding them back. Wondering if the fall would be the time to move them around, or wait till spring next year. Mainly a few hostas and small grasses. I even have some coreopsis suffering from the sun. They need twice a day heavy watering to keep them from wilting. Hoping my changes for next year will help them...and me.

[rainbowgardener]

Coreopsis usually likes sun...

You can move your perennials in the fall.

[Kittyluvr400]

With the heat and direct sun 12 hrs a day, my coreopsis are doing fine, but the few in part shade are doing better. More blooms, less wilt. I give them all personal attention with heavy watering twice a day. If it weren't for the heavy watering, they would look pretty sad. The worst part is they are such heavy bloomers that the daily deadheading in such full sun is killing ME. just for my own comfort, we are giving them a bit of shade next spring.

I did end up moving the potted begonias out of the direct 12 hr sun yesterday. Their blooms were not as healthy as the ones in part shade. So, begonias do not cherish the sun as much as the nursery told me they would. I put a potted marigold in its place for now.

Looking for a long blooming (colorful) 6 inch perrenial for that sunny location. Will move a dwarf fountain grass there (in place of the coreopsis ) next spring and some color to surround it by my mailbox.

[rainbowgardener]

Not very many perennials stay as short as 6". Long-blooming, full sun, very short perennials is a very demanding set of specifications. If you are willing to have something that will be at least a foot or so tall, you will have a lot more choices.

One that sort of meets your requirements is basket of gold/ aurinia. It is very low growing 6-12", gets totally covered in brilliant gold flowers and is evergreen. But the flowers last for a month or so and in hot, humid summers it can die back in mid-summer.

Perennial salvia, like May Knight, blooms all season long, is very sun and drought tolerant, but 18-24" tall. True geraniums bloom all summer and into fall, also sun and drought tolerant, but are 18 -20" tall. Blue eyed grass (sisyrinchium) blooms late spring to mid summer and stays about a foot tall. Some of the bellflowers stay about a foot tall and bloom all summer in to fall.

At that height you are really talking about ground covers. Creeping thyme is a nice one, sun and drought tolerant, fragrant. It grows as a 1" tall mat and flowers for a month or so in early summer. Ice plant (delospermia) grows 6" tall, blooms profusely for three months in late spring/ early summer, is sun and drought tolerant and comes in a wide range of brilliant colors. That's the closest I can come to meeting all your requirements.

[Kittyluvr400]

Not very many perennials stay as short as 6". Long-blooming, full sun, very short perennials is a very demanding set of specifications.

LOL. I had no idea.

At that height you are really talking about ground covers. Creeping thyme is a nice one, sun and drought tolerant, fragrant. It grows as a 1" tall mat and flowers for a month or so in early summer. Ice plant (delospermia) grows 6" tall, blooms profusely for three months in late spring/ early summer, is sun and drought tolerant and comes in a wide range of brilliant colors. That's the closest I can come to meeting all your requirements.

Thank you, obviously I need to look into ground covers. Lengthy bloomers with color.