The best varieties of ever-flowering begonia

In this article you will find a detailed description of the Begonia Eternal Blossoming plant, its botanical and biological features, as well as reproduction (by seeds and cuttings) and care in the garden.

Begonia Eternal Blossoming - the secrets of growing in the garden

In the arsenal of florists and landscape designers, there are few plants that can bloom constantly.

Beauty of Eternal Blossoms - so they say about Begonia Semperflorens.

She belongs to the Begoniev family. This magical plant fully corresponds to its specific name.

This genus, and there are about 1500 species in it, was named after the Governor of San Domingo - Michel Begon.

Description of the plant

Begonias are annual or perennial herbaceous crops that grow in the form of bushes or semi-bushes.

They have creeping, bulbous-thickened rhizomes.

Sometimes the roots are in the form of bulbs or bulbs.

Begonia Eternal Blossoming is a complex hybrid species that is compact.

The main features of the plant:

1. The height of the culture is about 30 centimeters.
2. The stem is juicy and branched.
3. The leaves are rounded, with slightly wavy, slightly pubescent edges.
4. The petals range from light to dark green shades, and some varieties have burgundy petals.
5. The flowers of the plant are unisexual, placed in 2 or 4 pieces on a low peduncle. They can be double or plain.
6. The flower petals are colored in light tones of white and red. There are flowers that are colored in two shades: their milky white petals are bordered with bright pink, red stripes. Male flowers have four petals, while female flowers have five.
7. Begonia has very small seeds.
8. They are very similar to coarse dust, have a dark brown color and remain viable for 3 years. One gram contains about 85 thousand seeds.

The most popular varieties of ever-flowering begonia

View	Variety	Varietal characteristics
Tall species	"Volumia"	Above ground part with rich green foliage, resistant to heat and drought. Flowers are white, pale pink, pink, two-colored
	"Stara"	Aboveground is well covered with dark green leaves and relatively small, numerous medium-sized flowers.
	"Baby Wing"	It is a large bushy plant with green leaves, monochromatic and bicolor flowers of various colors.
	"Lotto"	Large but compact bushes with emerald green leaves and unusually large flowers of various colors
Medium vigor species	"Bada Boom"	They are compact bushes with bronze foliage, characterized by early flowering and simple white, pink and bright red flowers.
	"Vision"	Differs in dark green foliage and lush flowering
	"Bada Bing"	Highly decorative plant with rich green leaves with the finest white edging
	"Ambassador"	Weather-resistant perennial with green foliage with red edging and white, pink, red or bicolor flowers
	Senator	Variety with bright flowers contrasting beautifully with the bronze foliage.
Stunted species	Queen	Green-leaved hybrid with beautiful white, red, pink double flowers
	"Cocktail"	Abundantly and flowering bush with red-brown foliage and simple flowers of white, red, pink coloration
	"Luchik"	A short hybrid with increased resistance to adverse weather factors, with emerald green leaves and snow-white flowers with bright pink edging
	"Eureka"	Has greenish-bronze leaves and fairly large flowers, up to 3.5 cm in diameter
	Olomouc	Low-growing early variety up to 18-20 cm high with small but decorative snow-white flowers

Where can you plant begonia?

It is a great pleasure to grow Begonia Eternal Blossoming for flower growers.

In the open field, ever-flowering begonia can also be grown as an annual plant, planting flower seedlings after the threat of return spring frosts has passed.

Begonia Eternal Blossoms photo

Unpretentiousness, ease of reproduction and high decorative qualities make it possible to successfully use it both for interior decoration of residential, industrial premises or balconies, and for external landscaping (flower beds, ridges, borders).

Due to its long, abundant and lush flowering, Begonia Eternal Blossoms can be planted in any flower beds.

Including use it for "carpet" plantings, as an accent element, creating rich flower "blots".

It also has a spectacular appearance on flower beds with deciduous ornamental crops.

Important!

Begonia is good in combination with Santolino, Nemesia, Pyrethrum,

Chernobrovtsy

, Cleanup,

LobelieuAstroy

, Cineraria, Verbena, Balsamin.

How to grow Begonia Eternal Blossoms?

Begonia is a plant that loves warmth and moisture.

But its modern varieties have significant differences in relation to these indicators:

1. For example, for a too hot climatic zone, their own varieties have been created that can bloom intensively even at high temperatures and with low air humidity.
2. And there are varieties designed for the climatic zone with cool spring and autumn days. These are varieties that can withstand temperatures as low as 0 ° C.

Due to the different growing conditions of plants, their decorative qualities, especially when it comes to the height of crops, can vary.

• Important features of growing

Growing crops in high humidity with high temperatures, their pagons will become too stretched, which will lead to the loss of decorativeness of the entire flower garden.

This can also happen with seedlings when it is too hot in greenhouses or greenhouses in early spring and they are poorly ventilated.

Begonia growing in shade or partial shade can also stretch out strongly.

In such cases, anthocyanin bloom may disappear from their leaves, so they lose their shade, becoming just green.

And when crops grow under the scorching rays of the sun, they stop growing, remaining too low.

If there is too little moisture in the air and in the soil, then the number of flowers created decreases, and the green tint of the leaves turns into a dark green color.

It is interesting!

In seedlings planted in spring in places strongly lit by the sun, the leaves turn pale. But low temperatures and low humidity make crops more compact. Their leaves thicken, and flowering (its abundance) decreases, although the flowers themselves become a little larger.

• Soil for begonia

In spite of everything, Begonia Eternal Blossoms belongs to unpretentious crops.

It grows on almost any soil, although it blooms best on lightweight, fertile and well-hydrated soils with neutral acidity.

If the soil is too heavy, clayey, then to improve the growing conditions, it is advisable to add peat or humus to it.

In waterlogged places, in order to prevent decay of the root system, it is better to raise the flower beds.

For flowers grown in a container, a drainage layer of expanded clay or coarse river sand is poured onto the bottom of the dishes, and then the soil is poured.

Begonia Eternal Blossoms prefers semi-shady places (under bushes or trees). It is there that it will bloom profusely.

The flower also tolerates shade well.

• Watering and feeding

Begonias are moisture-loving plants, therefore, on summer days and hot weather, these flowers need to be watered twice a week, with settled water at room temperature.

In winter and autumn, watering is reduced to 1 - 2 times a month.

Fertilizing with mineral fertilizers is carried out every 2 weeks in the spring and summer. In autumn and winter, flowers are not fertilized.

Reproduction of begonias

Eternal Begonia is propagated by cuttings or seeds.

Cutting begonias

When propagating some varieties (for example, double and large double), preference is given to cuttings.

This method allows you to preserve the main characteristics of the variety.

For cuttings, pagons are used that have grown after the January pruning of plants. Cuttings are carried out at the end of March and April.

Pagons with 2-3 internodes are cut from Begonia and planted in clean sand, covered with glass.

After 3-4 weeks they are planted in boxes of 60-70 pieces or in pots one plant at a time.

How to grow begonia seedlings from seeds?

• Planting seeds

Begonia has very small seeds, so it is better to mix them with sand.

This helps to avoid too dense germination and increases its uniformity.

If you want Begonia flowers to appear in May, the seeds must be sown in the greenhouse in January.

Important!

They will germinate only in the presence of additional lighting. That is why it is possible to sow seeds in room conditions only when the day becomes longer (February-March).

As a soil for planting, a soil mixture of humus, deciduous soil and river sand is used in a ratio of 1: 2: 1.

Seeds are scattered on the surface of a moist substrate, but do not sprinkle with earth.

Spraying is carried out with a spray gun, in which the water temperature should be 2–4 degrees higher than in the room.

The sown seeds must be covered with foil or glass.

For the first shoots to appear on the surface after 14 days, the optimum room temperature should be between + 20-22 ° C.

At first, seedlings develop very poorly and slowly.

During this period, they will be helped by additional lighting, which will not only accelerate their growth, but also improve the quality of seedlings.

Cultures will bloom only 16–20 weeks after the first shoots appear.

After watering the crops, the seed boxes are not immediately closed. They are left open for 1.5-2 hours to ventilate well.

Important!!!

Do not allow condensation to form on the glass or film (inner side), which can cause rotting of seedlings.

At the end of the second week, after sowing, the glass is gradually raised, and after 14 days, it is removed completely.

Begonia Eternal Blossoming from seed

• Picking

A plant that has entered the phase of two true leaves can be dived according to the 5x5 cm scheme, and after 30 days, the 2nd dive is carried out, but according to a different scheme - 10x10 cm.

The temperature in the room is reduced to +17 or + 19 ° C, and the plant is darkened (do not allow direct sunlight).

• Watering and feeding

Watering in the evening or in the morning.

The flower is fed every 10 days, it is better if it is chicken droppings, diluted in a ratio of 1/20.

Top dressing alternates with watering, adding mineral fertilizers to the water.For example: 20 g - superphosphate, 10 g - potassium salts and 0.02 g - potassium permanganate diluted in 10 liters of water.

• Landing in open ground

Before planting in open soil, Begonia Eternal Blossoms can be hardened.

To do this, in May (in warm weather), greenhouses gradually begin to open, and indoor crops can be taken out to an open balcony.

The end of May or the beginning of June is the time when Begonia must be planted in a permanent place of growth.

Seedlings are well watered before planting in order to preserve a clod of earth around the roots of the plant. This will ensure that they are not damaged during transplantation.

If the seedlings have outgrown, then they are shortened by cutting off the lower long pagons, otherwise the culture will quickly discolor, spoiling the decorativeness of the flower bed or rabatka.

Having prepared a hole for seedlings, it is also moistened. The plant is laid in it along with the preserved lump of earth, and the soil around the stalk is tamped.

It is better to plant begonia 1 or 2 cm below the level at which it grew earlier. So it will create additional roots faster.

If this condition is underexposed or the plant turns out to be much higher than the previous soil level, the flower will dry out and take root badly.

• Distances when planting seedlings

To determine the distance, when planting seedlings, between crops in a flower bed, you need to take into account factors such as the height of the species and the purpose of the flower garden itself.

If you need the flowerbed to quickly gain decorativeness, then the plants are planted with small intervals between themselves (up to 10 cm).

In other cases - after 10-12 cm. But in a container or in a balcony box, the planting is carried out more tightly, so that their leaves are in contact with each other.

How to prune begonias and prepare them for winter?

Timely pruning is an element of proper cultivation and the key to a long and abundant flowering of begonias.

All over-stretched shoots are shortened, diseased, dry and damaged leaves are removed.

For more information on how to prune begonias and prepare them for winter, see this video.

That's all the wisdom of breeding Begonia of Eternal Blossoms. It remains only to wait for flowering, not forgetting to water and feed the flower beds.

Beautiful garden to you !!!

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Ever-flowering begonia is a perennial decorative flowering plant. The homeland of the flower is Brazil. The introduction of begonias into culture took place in 1821. Since then, reproduction has been possible by cuttings or by growing from seeds. It is important to note that begonia can take root in indoor conditions and delight with its beauty at any time of the year.

Description of ever-flowering begonia

Begonia is a small herb, which is distinguished by simple, whole, rounded leaves. The leaves can be light green-burgundy. Thus, begonia is ideal for creating parterre flower beds and contrasting borders.

Height varies depending on the type of plant:

• tall varieties - 25-36 centimeters;
• medium-sized varieties - 21-25 centimeters;
• undersized varieties - 8-20 centimeters.

The ever-flowering begonia boasts white, pink, coral, red flowers and a variety of shades. You can look at the photo and see the amazing beauty of the flower.

Types of ever-flowering begonias

Types and varieties

Begonia can be a shrub, subshrub, herbaceous plants. It is customary to grow hybrid varieties at home, but their photos prove the amazing beauty of the flowers. Please note that you can give preference to an ornamental flowering or decorative leafy plant... Whichever variety you prefer, you can also choose the ever-flowering begonia and enjoy its amazing beauty.

Ornamental flowering plants are also usually divided into several types.

1. The foliage may die off.The next generation can be grown from tubers.
2. Shrub species suggest that the plant falls into a state of deep dormancy and needs special conditions.
3. Evergreen varieties can preserve foliage and delight with beautiful flowers at any time of the year.

Tuberous begonias are the most effective, but you can also choose ampel begonias with small flowers.

Tuberous begonia should be noted among the tuberous varieties. It has leaves up to 25 centimeters long, the edge of which resembles a nail file, fleshy stems, double and non-double flowers up to 10 centimeters in diameter. Ampel species are distinguished by thin hanging stems and leaves.

Of the bushy group, the ever-flowering begonia is the most popular. The name confirms that the flowering period will be long. These flowers can be used to create private gardens and for growing in city apartments. However, you need to be prepared for the fact that ever-flowering begonia loses its original decorative effect with age. The plant is recommended to be renewed from cuttings every two to three years. The leaves are glossy, green or reddish in color and small in size.

Among the original varieties, fuchsiform begonia should be noted. In this case, the flowers are collected in several hanging inflorescences, which are so similar to fuchsia flowers.

Ornamental deciduous begonias have beautiful leaves for which people grow plants. However, some species may bloom. The leading position is occupied by royal begonia with leaves that resemble an irregular heart and reach a length of 30 centimeters. It should be noted that the leaf has a non-uniform color, which can be red, brown and dark green.

Other decorative deciduous varieties are also ready to delight in a variety of shapes and colors. For example, spotted begonia has green leaves with a speck of white that reach a length of 25 centimeters. Begonia Cleopatra resembles maple leaves. Mason's begonia is distinguished by leaves with an uneven surface, which are very similar to the skin of a frog. After looking at the photo, you can make sure that each of these species is truly beautiful.

Are you looking for the perfect garden plant? Hence, the choice should be stopped on ever-flowering begonia. In open soil, the plant can only be used as an annual. It is able to tolerate the sun and partial shade well and is unpretentious. Flowering lasts from June until the very frost, after which ever-flowering begonia can be transplanted into a regular pot and used as a houseplant.

Growing methods

Seed selection

Sowing seeds can be carried out from mid-December to mid-January.

The seeds are small in size. 1000 seeds weigh only 0.01 - 0.02 grams. Please note that granulated seeds are more convenient to use.

Use shallow boxes for seeding. The earthen mixture should consist of humus, leafy earth, and sand, which must be sieved. The ratio should be as follows: 2: 1: 1. Seeds should not be covered with soil. but they must be evenly distributed over the entire surface... Try to moisten the soil before doing this. If desired, a layer of calcined sand should be poured onto the soil, the height of which can reach 3 millimeters. The sown seeds should be covered with glass.

Several conditions must be met for germination. Only in this case, begonia shoots will appear in about 10 - 14 days. The temperature for germination should be 20-22 C, for the development of seedlings - 17-19 C. For watering, you need to use a sprayer (spray bottle). Waterlogging should not be allowed. If condensation appears on the cover, ventilate it.

After two months, the seedlings should be transplanted into large pots.Ever-flowering begonia can be planted in open soil only in late May-early June. Then you should carry out top dressing, given that the first is required in 10 to 12 days. In this case, picking with complex fertilizer becomes mandatory.

Propagation by cuttings

Seed propagation of begonias is troublesome. The fact is that sowing seeds should be at the beginning of winter and the seedlings need to be illuminated. However, if you wish, you can grow new varieties, hybrids, each of which will delight you with amazing beauty, which is proved by numerous photos.

It is truly easy to propagate a plant by cuttings. Ever-flowering begonia should be cut at the end of February. Cuttings must be cut from the mother plant, which will differ in the presence of three internodes. The bottom two pairs of leaves should be cut off and the cuttings should be placed in the substrate slightly at an angle. A box or pot of cuttings should be moderately moistened. The plant should then be covered with plastic wrap, which can only be removed after the cuttings begin to grow.

The mother plant of begonia, which is used for taking cuttings, should be transplanted into a pot in the fall before the onset of frost. The plant may shed its flowers at first, but soon it will pick up buds. As a result, you will receive planting material for the next year and will be able to decorate the room with ever-flowering begonia.

Features of home care

Ever-flowering begonia can be grown in a pot at home. However, what should be the care for her in this case?

Location

The location should be bright and sunny. Preference should be given to southern, eastern, western windows. Additional lighting is usually required on northern windows. In the warm season, ever-flowering begonia can grow in flower beds. in bright sunlight. Otherwise, when cultivation takes place in partial shade, the plant can stretch, lose its compactness, change the color saturation. If you are interested in beautiful ever-flowering begonia, look at its photo and make sure that proper care is required.

Temperature

The plant can tolerate high air temperatures. At the same time, low temperatures turn out to be extremely destructive and can even lead to the death of begonias. but in winter, the plant should not be placed near batteriesas constant high temperatures also become undesirable.

Humidity

The optimum humidity level is 50%. At low humidity, begonia begins to dry out and turn brown, and at higher humidity, it rot.

Watering

Ever-flowering begonia should be watered with settled or boiled soft water. Watering should be carried out while drying the top layer of the soil. If you are hesitant about the optimal amount of water, pour it into a sump.

Watering in the garden should be done in the morning or evening when there is no sunlight. Give preference to rainwaterwhich must be heated to ambient temperature.

Top dressing

Begonia needs mineral fertilizing, which should be done every two weeks in spring and summer. The procedure is of particular importance during the regrowth of shoots and flowering. In winter, feeding should be done once a month. If the plant is transplanted annually into soil that is fresh and rich in humus, organic fertilizing is no longer needed.

Now you know what it takes to please yourself with begonia.

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Very often, at the mention of begonia, a houseplant grown in pots and pots comes to mind. And we don't even think about how diverse begonia is. It can be root and tuberous, simple and terry, indoor and garden.And the richness of its colors never ceases to delight. Sometimes, looking at the chic flower beds, you don't even understand that all this beauty is created exclusively from amazing begonias. In ornamental gardening, tuberous begonia and ever-flowering begonia are most often used. We suggest paying attention to them.

Garden begonia and its types

Begonia (Begonia), a family of begonias, is a beautifully flowering herb, native to the tropics. The number of its species of annuals and perennials is enormous. It can be a bush, ampelous or creeping plant. (More information about ampelous begonia can be found here). Some begonias have very decorative leaves, while others have their main advantage - beautiful flowers. Their root system is different, there are rhizome, tuberous, with fibrous superficial roots. Although begonia has been grown as an ornamental culture for more than 200 years, scientists have not yet reached unity in the taxonomy of this plant.

The stems and leaves of begonias are fleshy, juicy, like those of succulents. Most often, the leaves are asymmetric, have a beautiful color (green, dark red, streaked or speckled). Flowers of irregular shape, unisexual (male and female) are collected in a loose panicle. The fruit is a capsule with yellowish-orange seeds.

The most popular species among gardeners are tuberous begonia (Begonia tuberhybrida) and evergreen begonia (Begonia semperflorens).

Tuberous begonia is a perennial plant. This species combines many hybrid and varietal forms. It has a branching fleshy stem (up to 70 cm), pubescent leaves, shaped like a distorted heart with a serrated edge. The top of the leaf can be green or reddish, while the bottom is dark green. Flowers are simple, double, semi-double, shaped like a rose or camellia. Depending on the variety, the size of the flower ranges from 4 to 20 cm. In winter, during the dormant period, the tuber is dug up, then stored until spring in a cool room, covered with peat. They are used to decorate balconies and to create various flower beds. Planting and caring for tuberous begonias is not easy and is more suitable for experienced gardeners.

But if we are talking about urban gardening, then the ever-flowering begonia is in the lead. It is its varieties that create picturesque patterns in flower beds and in parks. She is loved by gardeners for its unpretentiousness and long flowering. Therefore, we will dwell on this particular view in more detail.

Ever-flowering begonia and its varieties

The species of ever-flowering begonia (semperflorence) also includes a fairly large number of hybrid and varietal forms. She has a wonderful feature all summer long to please us with abundant flowering, despite any weather conditions. Therefore, it was called "ever-flowering" or "ever-flowering". This species is perennial, but in our climate it is grown as an annual.

For the first time this type of begonia was brought to Europe from Brazil in 1821 and fell in love for its unpretentiousness. Scientists-breeders immediately set about breeding various hybrid varieties. At present, their number has already exceeded 600. Thus, varieties with double flowers, dwarf forms, and new color shades have appeared. Currently, ever-flowering begonia is divided into two types:

• Semperflorence is a typical strong branching bush with smooth, shiny leaves and small flowers.
• Gracilis is a bush with delicate shoots and small pubescent leaves, but with larger flowers.

Also, this type can be divided according to other criteria.

• The color of the leaves is green-leaved (darker or lighter) and bronze-leaved (brownish or brownish-green).
• Plant height - high (26-35 cm), medium (21-25 cm), dwarf (8-20 cm).
• Flowers - in color, they can have different shades of red, pink, white, and in shape they are simple and double.

I would like to note some varieties of this wonderful plant.

Tall:

• Volumia is a rounded bush with rich green leaves, resistant to heat and drought, the color is white, light pink, pink, scarlet, two-colored.
• Baby Wing is a variety series with large, strong bushes, varieties have green and bronze leaf color, flowers are monochromatic and two-colored in various colors.

• Lotto is a large compact bush of ever-flowering begonia with emerald green leaves and simple flowers of various colors that are unusually large for this species.

Medium-sized:

• Bada Boom is a dense compact bush with bronze leaves, distinguished by early flowering, flowers are simple white, pink and bright red.
• Bada Bing - this plant has rich green leaves with a thinnest white border around the edge, and in the shape of the bush and color of flowers is very similar to its fellow Bada Boom.
• Ambassador - this variety series with green leaves, along the edge of which runs the thinnest red stripe, flowers, like most begonias, white, pink, red, bi-colored, tolerant to weather conditions.

Dwarf:

• Queen is a green-leaved hybrid variety series with white, red, dark pink double flowers, resistant to weather conditions.
• Cocktail is a very abundantly flowering undersized bush with red-brown leaves and white, red, pink simple flowers typical of begonias.
• Ray is a low-growing hybrid, has increased resistance to bad weather, against the background of emerald-green leaves, snow-white flowers with a bright pink border look especially impressive.

This is just a small drop from the vast sea of ​​interesting and beautiful varieties. Here is such a variety of ever-flowering begonia, you can see a photo of some specimens below.

Reproduction methods

Ever-flowering begonia is grown from seeds or by cuttings.

Sow seeds for seedlings in February. Begonia, like petunia and lobelia, have very small seeds, so they should be mixed with river sand or sown on snow before sowing. The soil mixture is bought or prepared as usual, for seedlings (garden soil, sand and peat). Sowing is done superficially, the seeds are not deepened or sprinkled. Germinate under a transparent film, lid or glass. Watering by drip or through a pallet. A pick is carried out when a pair of the first true leaves appears. They are planted in the garden or on a flower bed in June. Although it is a perennial by nature, ever-flowering begonia grown from seeds blooms in the same summer.

It is much easier and more convenient to propagate begonias by cuttings. Cuttings can be leaf and stem.

To obtain cuttings, in the fall, an existing bush of ever-flowering begonia is transplanted into a pot and kept on a windowsill with moderate watering. It is advisable not to let them bloom so that they grow intensively. At the very beginning of March, we cut the cuttings with two or three internodes, but not more than 10 cm. Cut the large leaves in half, and dry the cuttings slightly for 3 hours. Then we plant it in a prepared substrate from a mixture of peat and sand and tear it up with a transparent bag or PET bottle. Root at a temperature of about 25 degrees in a very bright place. Landless substrates such as perlite and vermiculite can also be used for rooting. Watering is moderate and careful, only at the root. The cuttings will take root in about a month, then they can be transplanted into suitable small containers.

Propagation by leafy cuttings of ever-flowering begonia is best done in August. For this, healthy, mature leaves are selected and cut off with a petiole near the stem with a sharp knife. Then they are planted for rooting in the substrate under the film. Substrate and further care as with stem cuttings. After transplanting into the ground, the old leaf dies off, and the young ones begin to develop intensively.

Sometimes rooting is carried out in water. Most often, leafy cuttings are rooted in this way.To prevent decay, an activated carbon tablet should be added to the water.

Necessary care

For your garden begonia to be beautiful and healthy, planting and caring for it must be correct.

Planting begonias in the garden should be carried out in early June, when they don't even remember about night frosts, because begonia is a tropical plant. Accordingly, the place for planting should be chosen light, but it is better not in the sun to avoid sunburn on the leaves. Interestingly, in the shade, plants with a bronze leaf color can change it to greenish, and in the bright sun it becomes rich burgundy. With strong shading, the plant stretches and blooms poorly.

Garden begonia prefers soil with neutral acidity (slightly acidic is allowed). The substrate should be light, nutritious and well-drained. Therefore, sand and humus should be added to heavy soil, and humus and sod soil should be added to sandy soil. In places where the soil is locked, the roots of the begonia will rot, in which case a small hill should be made to plant it.

Before planting, dig up the selected place well (about 20 cm), prepare the holes, water them well. Gently remove the plants from the pots along with the clod, taking care to minimize the trauma to the roots. Plant the seedlings in the hole 1 to 2 cm deeper than they grew in the pot. The distance between seedlings should be on average 15 cm. The larger the variety, the greater the distance between them. In flowerpots they are planted closer to each other.

The first week after planting and in dry hot weather, garden begonia requires abundant watering. Typically, the soil should always be moist, but not allowed to block. It is impossible to water the plant in the sun, as it will get burned leaves, for watering it is better to wait until dusk.

Like any plant, ever-flowering begonia should be fed. Moderation is important here, since with an excess of fertilizer, flowering will decrease. In the first weeks after planting, you can feed the seedlings with nitrogen fertilizers, and then once every two weeks with a complex fertilizer in a low concentration. Feeding is especially necessary after a sharp onset of hot weather or when the leaves are small and pale.

Most begonias shed dry flowers on their own, so you don't need to pick them off. For the correct formation of the bush, unnecessarily stretching shoots should be pruned.

Although in our area begonia is ever-flowering and is grown as an annual, but remember that it is still a perennial plant. Therefore, with the onset of cold weather, transplant it into a pot and bring it into the house. In the future, it can be used for grafting or simply put on the windowsill and enjoy the incessant flowering.

Diseases and pests

If you provide the ever-flowering begonias with proper and regular care, then the risk of being attacked by pests or diseases is minimal. Most often, problems are provoked by improper care and adverse weather conditions.

Yellowing, drying of leaves and flower buds indicates excessively dry air, lack of light or moisture. Plant care should be changed.

Fungal diseases such as root infections, gray and leaf rot, powdery mildew affect the ever-flowering begonia. In this case, you should tear off the damaged leaves, and then spray the plants with a solution of the fungicide.

Garden begonia is most often affected by insects in greenhouses and greenhouses. These can be thrips, aphids, whiteflies, root and leaf nematodes, false scutes. Here, various insecticides will come to the rescue.

In order to avoid mass infection, it is advisable to separate the diseased plant from the rest.

Begonia in landscape design

Unlike other species, ever-flowering begonia is quite unpretentious, therefore it is multifunctional in use.

Carpet monoplants from begonias of various varieties look very beautiful.This technique is often used in parks to create large flower beds with intricate patterns. Please note: ever-flowering begonia, photo of a wonderful monoclumba.

It fits wonderfully into the lower tier of various flower beds. Begonia is great as a low curb. Planted in flowerpots, it can adequately decorate the entrance area. It can be used in rocky slides.

The cineraria are very well emphasized by the cineraria of the seaside and dark-leaved begonia ever-flowering, the photo clearly illustrates this. Begonia is harmoniously combined with ageratum, coleus, marigolds. It is so versatile that it can be combined with many plants.

As you can see, the tropical beauty of the garden begonia is not whimsical at all. Growing it is not difficult. But how many positive emotions you will get by contemplating these cute and delicate flowering bushes on your site. And with the onset of cold weather, begonia will bloom all winter in a pot on the windowsill, prolonging your summer.

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Ever-flowering begonia wins the hearts of many amateur flower growers with its unpretentiousness, compactness, small glossy leaves and, of course, abundant flowering, which can last without stopping for a whole year.

One gets the impression that bright pink, red or white buds and flowers bloom incessantly, forever - hence the name of the species.

But what are the features and preferences of the ever-flowering begonia? What conditions does she need? How to reproduce it?

Description of the species and varieties

Ever-flowering begonia, or always-flowering, is a complex hybrid obtained by crossing several types of begonias: Graceful, Schmidt and Lanchion, which are native to Mexico, Brazil and Colombia. Ever-flowering begonia combines the best qualities of its "parents".

The plant is a perennial shrub, having fleshy bare stems and round-cordate smooth leaves with central veins. Their color can be red or green.

Flowers - white, pink or red - are collected in inflorescences of different size and shape, emerging from the axils of the leaves.

By the number of petals in a flower, male and female plants are distinguished: the former have 4-petal flowers, and the latter have 5 petals. Terry varieties have been bred, in which there are more petals, and the flowers themselves are rounded and resemble a miniature rose.

There are about 600 varieties of ever-flowering begonias., differing in color of leaves and flowers, as well as in size. It is customary to divide them into 3 groups by height:

1. Undersized - up to 20 cm high. The most popular series among them:

• Cocktail F1 - shrubs with brownish-red leaves and simple flowers of white, red and pink shades;
• Queen F1 - has small leaves and double flowers of 3 colors;
• Eureka F1 - with bronze or green leaves and large flowers, up to 3.5 cm in diameter;

2. Medium-sized - 20-30 cm high. Common series:

• Ambassador F1 - with large green foliage and medium flowers in 7 colors;
• Vision F1 - with dark green foliage and large flowers in 5 colors;

3. Tall - 30-50 cm high:

• Lotto F1 - with large green foliage and very large (up to 6 cm in diameter) flowers in 4 shades;
• Stara F1 - with dark green leaves and small flowers.

Lighting

Ever-flowering begonia is a light-loving plant that prefers bright, but diffused light. The best place for begonias will be the eastern or southwestern window sills.

In the south, it is necessary to shade from the scorching rays of the sun, especially on sultry summer days.

On the northern side and in partial shade, there will not be enough light, in these cases the plant stretches out, loses its compactness, saturation of the color of leaves and flowers.

In order for begonia to bloom all year round, it needs 16 hours of daylight.Therefore, especially in the autumn-winter season, additional lighting is needed, which can be organized using a fluorescent or phytolamp.

Temperature

The ever-flowering begonia comes from the tropics, so it loves warmth and does not tolerate cold. It is optimal to keep it at a temperature of 20-25 degrees. In summer, the stem and leaves should be protected from too high temperatures. If the thermometer shows above 30 degrees, it is imperative to take care of the high humidity of the environment.

In winter, it is necessary to protect the root system from hypothermia, so it is better to place the flower away from cold glass.

At the same time, it is not recommended to keep the pot near heating devices.... High temperatures and inadequate lighting will not benefit the plant.

If in winter for ever-flowering begonias it is not possible to create a long daylight hours, it needs a rest period. At this time, the temperature of the content should be lowered to 13-16 degrees, but not lower than 12, since this is a critical minimum for a guest from the tropics.

Watering and humidity

Watering ever-flowering begonia should be done in moderation. She does not tolerate stagnation of moisture in the soil, which is fraught with rotting of the root system, or drying out of the earthy coma, which can lead to drying out of the leaves and death of the flower.

The next moistening should be done only after the top layer of the soil dries.... In order not to miscalculate with the amount of water, you can use the bottom watering - in the pan. If the flower has "drunk" all the water, top up, and after 1-2 hours completely drain the rest.

Water for irrigation should be soft, room temperature, settled or boiled. If begonia is kept at rest in winter at a temperature of 13-16 degrees, watering is reduced.

The plant prefers a high humidity of the environment - 50-60%. In drier air, the leaves can begin to brown and dry at the ends, and too humid microclimate can provoke the appearance of rot.

You cannot spray begonia - Due to water droplets, dark spots appear on the leaves.

To create optimal conditions, you can humidify the air around the plant with a fine-grained spray bottle, place containers of water near it, or place the pot in a tray filled with wet expanded clay, sphagnum moss or pebbles.

Fertilizer

For a lush year-round flowering of begonias, fertilizing is necessary twice a month. For this purpose, complex mineral fertilizers for flowering plants or special fertilizers for begonias are used.

Top dressing with boron and manganese gives good results. To do this, 1 gram of boric acid and 0.5 gram of potassium permanganate are diluted in 5 liters of water.

Fertilizers are applied to wet soil after wateringa, so as not to burn the root system.

In winter, if additional lighting for flowering is organized, feeding does not stop. Otherwise, they should be reduced to 1 time per month or stopped altogether.

Transfer

Transplantation of ever-flowering begonia is carried out as needed: young specimens - more often, adults - less often. For the latter, the replacement of the topsoil in the pot is mainly used.

After several years of life, the stems of the plant become bare and lose their decorative effect, therefore they are replaced with new ones grown from cuttings. In view of this, an individual specimen will not need more than 1-2 transplants in a lifetime. The best way to transplant begonias is transshipment... Repotting is usually combined with pruning.

Begonia has a shallow root system, so it needs a wide and shallow pot.

With each transplant, the diameter of the pot should be slightly increased. The pot must have drain holes. A good drainage layer must be laid on the bottom. Expanded clay, clay shards, polystyrene, small pebbles can be used as it. This will help to avoid stagnation of water in the soil in the future.

The soil for planting or transplanting ever-flowering begonias should be slightly acidic, loose, nutritious, and allow air and moisture to pass through well. You can use a ready-made begonia substrate you bought from a store, or you can make your own soil mixture. To do this, take humus, sand and leafy earth in equal proportions.

Seedling

The optimal time for sowing seeds is early January. The seeds are very small, so in order to sow them evenly, it is recommended to mix them with sand. Purchased seeds are often covered with a protective sheath.

Seeds are placed on the surface of damp earth in a box or container; they are not sprinkled with soil.

The container is covered with polyethylene or glass and placed in a place with diffused lighting. "Parnichok" is aired daily, if necessary, the soil is moistened with a spray bottle.

Seedlings should appear in 10-14 days. The "little greenhouse" is slightly opened so that the seedlings get used to the room air, and after 2 weeks it is completely removed.

When 2-3 true leaves appear at the seedlings, the first pick is necessary. Seedlings are planted according to the 5x5 cm scheme. A month later, young specimens are planted in individual pots, the size of which should correspond to their root system.

Cuttings

In spring and summer, ever-flowering begonia can be propagated by cuttings. For this, the tops of the stems 7-10 cm long with 2-3 pairs of leaves are cut. The lower ones are removed, the sections are dried.

The cuttings are rooted in water or are immediately planted in the ground to a depth of 1-2 cm. Before that, they should be treated with a rooting stimulant, for example, Kornevin or Heteroauxin.

The container is covered with glass or foil, kept in a bright and warm (22-25 degrees) place. "Greenhouse" is periodically ventilated, the soil is moistened if necessary.

When the cuttings have new leaves, the shelter is removed. When the cuttings are well rooted, and this happens within 30-40 days, they are planted in individual pots.

Diseases and pests

Powdery mildew can attack begonia due to stagnation or lack of moisture in the soil. The combination of low temperature and high humidity can trigger the development of root or leaf rot.

To overcome the disease, first of all, the conditions of detention should be normalized. Then - remove all damaged parts of the flower, and treat the plant itself with a fungicide, for example, Skor or Fitosporin.

Of the pests, the whitefly, scale insect, thrips can pose a danger to begonias.

If found, the insects should be removed mechanicallyby wiping the plant with a cotton pad dipped in alcohol, or by treating the flower with soapy water.

If these methods were unsuccessful, treatment with insecticides is necessary: ​​Aktellik, Nurell-D, Fitoverm.

Care problems

• Begonia shoots begin to stretch, and the leaves turn pale due to insufficient lighting;
• The flowering intensity may decrease due to too high humidity and excessive lighting;
• The buds begin to fall off, and the flower buds dry out due to too dry air;
• Leaves begin to turn yellow as a result of excessive watering or low environmental humidity;
• Begonia can shed its leaves due to stressful situations for it: a sharp change in location, changes in temperature and humidity.

Ever-flowering begonia will become an elegant decoration of any room and facade of the house. In response to attention and love, she will give you a lush bloom throughout the year!