Begonia: planting and care
Bright flowers always delight the eye. And it doesn’t matter where they grow, in the garden or at home in a pot. To plant and grow a beautiful plant yourself will require a lot of effort, as well as patience and a lot of care. However, in 90% of cases, efforts are not in vain. Ultimately, you will be able to admire beautiful flowers that will bring you joy and lift your spirits.
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Planting begonias
Begonia is a wonderful plant - very bright and beautiful. Rarely does a florist or gardener pass by it. Almost any type of begonia can be grown at home. However, if you care for it incorrectly or create the wrong conditions for it, it will not live long.
There are several ways to plant Begonia:
- If you are going to plant begonia using rhizomes, then you should not prepare large dishes for it. Ideally, the pot should be four centimeters larger than the diameter of the root system. If you choose too large a container, the flower will most likely begin to suffer from waterlogging. Planting Begonia in a pot is done a little more in the spring (as is replanting). The lower part of the pot is filled one third with drainage. Then comes a layer of charcoal. This will help prevent rotting. Next, you need to mix the soil enriched with vitamins with river sand and humus, you can also add peat. It should be remembered that young Begonia does not tolerate high soil acidity. Therefore, pay attention to this, it should be within 5.5 pH. The flower responds well to planting, so you can immediately place it in its proper place. With age, Begonia becomes very “thick” and grows a large number of young leaves. And gardeners most often take cuttings or rejuvenate it by dividing the rhizomes.
- When using the second method, planting tubers, germination must be done before planting them in a pot. This is done by planting the tuber in a nutrient medium, which is kept during this period flower in the light with high humidity and air temperature of eighteen degrees. Watering is best done in a tray. After the tubers germinate, they are planted in a pot. But this needs to be done in such a way that after the tuber has grown well, its base can be covered with at least three centimeters of soil. If you had large (adult) tubers that after germination produced several sprouts at once, you need to divide them. Lightly dry the separated parts, sprinkle with charcoal and plant in pots.
Tuberous planting is best done towards the end of March. This time is the most optimal for the development of a healthy and strong plant.
Begonia varieties
Everblooming
This type of begonia is a subshrub. It can be no more than one and a half meters in height. The flowers are collected in inflorescences and located on elongated peduncles.
This species includes several subspecies: Begonia Graceful, Begonia Schmidt, Begonia Lanciada.
Royal Begonia
It also has another name - Begonia Rex. Her homeland is India, namely the state of Assam. This flower is a herbaceous plant. Its stem is short, covered with red hairs and soft to the touch. The Queen Begonia bush looks very lush, due to the fact that many leaves are attached to the shoots by long petioles. The leaves themselves are very large and have edges in the form of pointed teeth. In addition, they have a very unusual and bright color.
Ampelnaya
A wonderful plant. Mostly gardening. It has bright inflorescences that seem to fall down. Hence, therefore, the name. If this flower is provided with proper care, it will delight you with its flowers from spring until late autumn.
Ampelous begonia is very easy to handle and not at all demanding. Its foliage is green and very bright. The flowers are located one above the other, cascading like a waterfall. The flowering time of one bud reaches ten days.
Elatior
A very beautiful plant with abundant flowering. She is loved because in winter, beautiful scarlet flowers bloom on her bushes.
The plant is herbaceous, perennial. It grows no more than forty centimeters in height. It is also noteworthy that its leaf shape resembles the shape of a heart, which looks very beautiful.
Mason
A small (up to twenty centimeters) Begonia, attractive with its unusual leaves. The leaves themselves are green, but their centers are chocolate-colored with a very interesting and peculiar pattern. Despite the fact that the height of the bush is small, the leaves themselves can grow up to twenty centimeters.
Tiger Begonia
A very bright and variegated flower with a large number of leaves, heart-shaped and pointed at the edges.
Begonia transplant
Replanting Begonia is done only as a last resort. When the flower has already grown so much that it is completely cramped in the pot. Or to get rid of diseased parts and the like. Transplantation is best done in the spring.
When getting started, proceed very carefully and carefully. Remove the flower from the pot. Clear the root system of old soil. Make sure that the stem and roots are intact.
To rid the roots of sand, dip them in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for just a couple of minutes. After such a simple procedure, you will see where your Begonia has vulnerable spots. Damaged areas should be removed by trimming with pruning shears. The clean plant is placed in a new pot. The earth is not completely filled. You should wait until the roots dry out and then add more soil. After replanting, the plant should be watered frequently, but it is best to water it in the tray or along the edge of the pot. This will help not harm the roots.
After replanting, Begonia should be pruned to form a fresh crown. And also place her in a quiet place where she can get used to it and get over the transplant. Avoid direct sunlight, this can have a detrimental effect on the plant.
Home begonia
Begonia growing in the house is very easy to care for. It also has excellent “immunity” to all kinds of diseases of indoor plants.
Despite the fact that caring for it is simple, but organized, it must be of high quality so that the plant grows correctly and looks healthy and beautiful.
Indoor Begonia loves warmth and the room temperature for it should be: in summer not lower than twenty degrees Celsius, in winter not lower than fifteen. However, it is strictly contraindicated to place it near heat sources - a radiator or a heater.
The lighting is bright, but not direct sunlight. This means that during the summer the plant must be shaded.
In spring and summer, Begonia is watered abundantly, but in winter the amount of watering is reduced to moderate.
Begonia in open ground
Due to climatic conditions, club Begonia, planted in open ground, becomes an annual plant, and the rhizomatous one is preserved by transferring the flower indoors for the winter. Most often gardeners use a little trick. They initially plant the flower in a flowerpot and simply move it from home to street according to the seasons. In order not to touch the root system once again during the process of transplanting from soil to pot. To plant begonias in open ground, you need to choose the right site. It should not be open to drafts and should be dominated by partial shade.
It is best to plant begonia in open ground using rhizomes. It blooms longer and grows better. The only negative is the growth of the root system, which complicates replanting into a pot for the winter.
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Begonia care
correct planting of the flower;
- timely watering;
- required temperature and humidity;
- moderate lighting;
- periodic feeding;
- if there is a need to replant and treat the plant;
- compliance with reproduction.
There is one more moment when a flower requires a little more attention - flowering is over. As soon as it occurs, you need to remove the plant to a dark place and give it time to dry a little. Gradually stop watering. This will help nutrients move from the leaves to the roots. Only after the ground part has dried out a little can the flower be replanted.
Begonia propagation
Begonia can be propagated using several methods:
- Children. In this case, the top of the rhizome is cut off from the flower, no more than five to seven centimeters. It is placed in a small container with mixed sand and peat in equal proportions. Then it is covered and placed in a warm, bright place. As soon as sprouts appear, transplant the flower into a pot.
- Using a tuber. The flower is dug up and divided into seven to eight centimeters so that each part has a bud. The place where the cut is located is treated with ash (charcoal). Then the tuber is placed in a container with moist soil and covered with oilcloth. As soon as the leaves appear, the oilcloth is removed. It is necessary to feed the plant so that the seedling grows strong and strong.
- A leaf. This method is used when propagating plants with a creeping stem. The leaf, healthy and strong, is divided into squares of medium diameter without veins. Next, they are placed in a container with wet sand and covered with film. Keep them in a dark and damp place for several months. As soon as the cuttings are strengthened, ventilation can be carried out.
- Seeds. In mid-winter, the seeds are planted in a pot or other convenient container. All this is covered with film and placed in a warm place. Watering is replaced by spraying. The soil is always kept moist. As soon as the seeds germinate, the pot is moved to a bright place. As soon as the first leaves appear, plant the flower in cups. After a week and a half, they can already be taken out into the air.
- Cuttings. Best suited for propagating bush begonia. The stem must consist of at least two buds. Stepping back half a centimeter from the lower bud, a cut is made. Leaves that are too large are cut in half. The cuttings are planted and placed under the film. Ventilate once every three days.
Begonia: photo
