plug plants

kannetha4599

In march ipurchased bedding begonia plug plants when i potted them on the roots were brown not a creamy white colour they looked perfectly healthy, Some had flowers on them
however vast amount have not taken when pottrd on have used general purpose potting
compost they been in  cold greenhouse since purchase

Posy

Hello and welcome. I believe that your plants got too cold. Plug plants which are tender, such as begonias, need to be kept above 5° and sometimes warmer. There have been some very cold nights and even some chilly days and I think the temperature in the greenhouse fell too low.

Yviestevie

Begonias hate being too wet so that could have been a problem.  I kept begonia plugs in an unheated greenhouse for weeks and they were fine I just didn't water them at all when cold weather was forecast.

Fairygirl

Wet cold is always worse than dry cold - for lots of plants, not just these.

Is it  also possible you potted into too big a pot? That adds to the problem, as there can be too much soil around small plants/roots, making it hard for them to thrive. 

kannetha4599

Hi thanks for the comments will try and save my own seed next year and start again

BobTheGardener

I got sent a few in a mix (I don't usually grow them) and did the same with identical consequences.  Lots rotted away with (I assume) Botrytis.  I moved the remainder into my conservatory which, although unheated, stays at least 5C above the temperature in the greenhouse at night.  They are beginning to grow very quickly indeed now.