Rules for planting and caring for begonia at home, methods of selection
Caring for begonia at home requires careful attention to all activities. To achieve good results in growing a crop, it is worth carrying out planting work correctly. It is imperative to water the plant in a timely manner, apply high-quality fertilizers and prune. Adequate protection against plant diseases and pests is of great importance.
Description and characteristics
Begonia is one of the most famous representatives of the Begoniev family. The genus includes about 1000 plants grown in tropical and subtropical regions. The plants are naturally present mainly in South America.They can be seen in Africa and India.
Currently, the flowering plant is actively used in indoor floriculture and for decorating garden plots.
Types and varieties
There are a huge number of varieties of culture, each of which has certain characteristics.
Deciduous
This culture has no stems. Its leaves grow from rhizomes and have long legs. You can propagate the crop by cutting or dividing the leaves.
Royal
This plant reaches 30 centimeters. It has an original heterogeneous color, including red, green, brown tones. Culture flowers are suppressed as they are small and disrupt leaf development.
masoniana
This variety is characterized by light heart-shaped leaves. They have a beautiful dark pattern. The leaves reach 15-20 centimeters.
Metallica
This variety is characterized by branching bushes up to 1.5 meters. The plant has reddish stems and 10-15 centimeter dark leaves. The culture develops all year round, the most active development is observed in spring and summer.
carolina
It is a stunted plant that is distinguished by flowers of a rich pink hue. Flowering cultivation begins quite late.
giant hogweed
This culture is characterized by a pink stem and large leaves with sharp veins. In appearance, they resemble the foliage of a giant hogweed.
Cuff
This plant has a thick stem that has red hairs. It is characterized by large toothed leaves. Culture can reach 1 meter.
tiger
This small plant is a shrub of 20 to 25 centimeters. It is characterized by small dark green leaves covered with light spots.
black Prince
This culture is characterized by original leaves with a velvety surface. They have a dark tint.
Bush
The crop has a bamboo-like knuckle stem.You can propagate the culture by cuttings, seeds or shoots. The flower should be grown at home because it grows well indoors.
Eternal flowering
This plant has a long flowering period. The leaves are characterized by a shiny surface that has a red or green tint. The culture is covered with white, red or pink flowers.
red
It is a tall plant that has red inflorescences. They form dense clusters. The foliage has a smooth shiny surface and is characterized by an oval shape.
coral
It is a tall plant with leaves reaching 10-15 centimeters. They are covered with white spots. Culture is characterized by flowers of a rich pink hue.
Fuchsia
The plant is characterized by beautiful small leaves and small red flowers. Flowering lasts from December to March.
tuberous
The culture is perfect for decorating gardens. Flowering lasts from June to October. Culture does not tolerate drafts and direct sunlight.
Ampelnaya
The culture is characterized by branching stems and curly flowers. They are used in landscaping. The ampelous variety is characterized by constant flowering. It hangs in a flowerpot. The shades of the inflorescences are different - purple, yellow. There are white and orange tones.
large-flowered
This plant is characterized by fairly large inflorescences, which reach 25 centimeters in diameter.
Elator
It is allowed to grow such begonias only at home. This tuberous hybrid is characterized by fragile red branches that require support. The flowers are different - white, orange, pink. The diameter of the inflorescences is 6-7 centimeters.
Lorraine
The flower grows up to 0.5 meters in height.It is characterized by wavy leaves of a dark shade. They reach 7-10 centimeters. The flowers are pink, red or white.
Crisp
This plant is characterized by delicate flowers that have a wavy shape. They are white in color, with a pink border and a yellow center.
How to take care
To achieve excellent results in growing a crop, it must provide suitable conditions.
Lighting
Begonias require bright lighting. This is very true for flowering plants. In summer, it is recommended to grow the crop in the shade, as there is a risk of burns on the leaves.
Deciduous species love diffused light. It is better to put them on the east or west windows.
watering
The plant is considered moisture-loving, but it does not require frequent watering. It is much more important to maintain high air humidity. Otherwise, the tips of the leaves may begin to dry out. In the heat, the flower requires more abundant watering. But it is important to avoid stagnant moisture in the roots.
To moisten the soil, it is worth using water at room temperature, which must be protected for at least 24 hours. It is worth moistening the soil when the top layer dries by 1.5 centimeters. In winter, the culture needs more rare and moderate watering. Tuberous species should not be moistened at all.
Fertilization and feeding
For the normal development of begonia, it must be fed in time. It is recommended to fertilize flowering species during budding. It is worth feeding the culture every 14 days with complex fertilizer. When forming the ovaries, the flower requires potassium and phosphorus preparations - pollen, bud are suitable.
Nitrogen-containing products are used exclusively for decorative varieties of deciduous culture. Otherwise, flowering will not begin.
Transfer
For the normal development of the culture, it needs systematic transplants. This should be done in the spring, before the start of the growing season. The procedure is carried out when roots appear drainage holes.
To do this, it is recommended to remove the flower from the pot and get rid of the remaining substrate. After that, the roots are dipped in a light pink solution of potassium permanganate. Then the roots should be rinsed with settled water. Inspect them carefully and remove rotten areas. After the roots are dry, the culture is transferred to a larger container.
Young plants are fairly easy to replant. They tolerate this procedure well. Adult flowers have many fragile leaves. Therefore, plants older than 3 years are divided into several fragments.
Soil requirements
The plant requires planting in nutritious soil. The composition should contain 2 parts of leafy earth, 1 part of black earth and the same amount of peat. Coarse sand should be placed at the bottom of the container. The pot is half covered with leafy earth, then peat and black earth are placed.
Tuberous winter storage
A continuously flowering begonia is characterized by an inexpressible period of rest. Tuberous plants require wintering. After flowering, the tubers should be placed in peat or left in a pot. It is worth drastically reducing the number of waterings.
Place the pot of tubers in the basement or another cool place. The temperature regime should be + 10-15 degrees.
air humidity
Cultivation requires high humidity. However, you should not spray the flower. If moisture gets on the leaves, there is a risk of brown spots. To avoid dry air, the pot should be placed on an inverted tray.
This structure should be placed in a larger container, pour moss or expanded clay into it and periodically moisten it. As the liquid evaporates, normal humidity will be maintained.
How to choose the right pot
To ensure the normal development of the culture, it is worth choosing the right container. A regular round pot works well for this purpose.
Plastic
A plastic pot is suitable for begonias. At the same time, it is important to choose the right soil and ensure high-quality drainage. Hypothermia or overheating of the container should be avoided.
Ceramic
Ceramic pots are the best choice for begonia roots to work properly. This material does not retain liquids and provides excellent air circulation.
Dormant period
In conifers, this period is poorly expressed. At the same time, tuberous varieties need a long rest. Since mid-autumn the leaves die off, so it is worth stopping feeding and reducing the amount of watering. After the ground part of the pots is completely extinguished, it is worth moving to a dark, cool room.
Accompaniement
To make a crop look good, you need to pay attention to the formation of its crown. To do this, pinch the shoots. The procedure can be carried out before or after flowering. To do this, it is worth pinching the upper growing point of the main stem. This is done by 1-2 centimeters.
the reproduction
Begonia propagates by various methods. For this, cuttings or a division of the bush are used. It is also done by seeds.
Leafy cuttings
Most begonias have large, dense leaves. Therefore, they propagate by cuttings, using a whole leaf or its fragment. At the same time, on the underside of the plate, the main veins should be cut, laid on wet sand and fixed. Moisten the soil through the pallet.
After 2 months, roots will appear in the incision areas, then new plants. When the culture becomes stronger, it is transferred to a separate container filled with a mixture of peat, earth and sand.
stem cuttings
This is the easiest way for a culture to spread. To do this, cut cuttings with 3-4 leaves of the plant and treat the cuts with charcoal. Place the material in a mixture of peat, topsoil and sand. Place in a warm place with plenty of light.
It is recommended to water the culture in moderation. The soil should dry out a few centimeters between moistening procedures. Rooting can be done directly in water. The roots will appear after about 1 month.
Divide the bush
To implement this method, the plant must be pulled out of the ground in the spring, and the roots must be divided into fragments with a sharp knife. Each of them must have roots, at least 1 shoot or bud. Plant the shoots in different pots.
Grow from seed
Seeds should be planted in winter in a special mixture of soil, sand and peat. To improve seed germination, good lighting, optimum humidity and low air temperature are necessary.
It is important that the soil does not dry out. Before the appearance of sprouts, the container can be covered with glass.When seedlings appear, it is worth applying nitrogen-containing fertilizers. Grown bushes are moved to separate containers.
How to Propagate Tuberous Begonia
Cultured tubers remain viable for 5-6 years. From 2-3 years they can be used for vegetative reproduction. To do this, in the spring, break off all the shoots that have emerged from the tuber, except for one. Cuttings should be placed in moist sand, covered with a jar and shaded.
At the same time, it is important to maintain normal humidity. After 2-3 weeks, the cuttings will take root. It is recommended to transfer them to a medium for adult cultures. In the fall, a tuber with a diameter of 1 centimeter will appear at the base of the stem.
Problems, pests and diseases
Begonia can cope with various diseases and attacks of harmful insects. It is very important to identify the problem in time and take measures to solve it.
red spider
This pest often settles on begonias. Insecticides will help control insects.
Powdery mildew
This is a fungal disease caused by excess moisture in the root zone. At the same time, rot appears on the lower leaves and trunk. If a disease is detected, it is worth getting rid of the affected leaves and reducing the number of waterings.
falling buds
This problem is caused by improper watering. Excessive or insufficient lighting of the plant also leads to it. In addition, the problem is caused by the lack of fertilizer.
Lack of flowering
Begonia does not bloom for various reasons. Most often this is caused by a violation of the rules of care - low humidity, insufficient lighting, temperature fluctuations, drafts, excess fertilizer.
Vascular bacteriosis
In this case, the edges of the leaves are covered with a yellow border. It gradually takes on a brown hue. In this case, the leaf vessels turn black. Removing the affected leaves and treating them with fungicides will help cope with the disease.
Shield
The shield is a dangerous pest. When the plant is damaged, the leaves become sticky and covered with dark growths. The appearance of insects causes a weakening of the culture and provokes the development of a sooty fungus. Insecticides will help to cope with the problem - for example, Aktara.
Illnesses that cannot be cured
Viral or bacterial diseases cannot be cured. These include bacterial wilt, spotting. In this case, the plant must be destroyed.
Tips & Tricks
To obtain good results in begonia cultivation, it is recommended to provide it with good conditions:
- required temperature regime;
- high quality lighting;
- moderate watering;
- timely fertilizing;
- good air humidity;
- correct transplant.
Begonia is a beautiful indoor or garden plant that has good decorative properties. To successfully grow a crop, it is recommended to provide it with comprehensive and high-quality care. This should include timely but moderate watering, maintaining optimal humidity and temperature parameters, and proper fertilizing.