Practical recommendations for propagating elatior begonias by seeds and cuttings at home

Air humidity

The indicators should be in the range of 65% - 75%, that is, quite high.

It is better to maintain the necessary environment with the help of special household appliances - steam humidifiers or installations, such as "Climate Control". Some growers use home conditioners. It is worth remembering that by adjusting the temperature in the room, they dry out the air. If this device does not have an additional humidifier, then you need to build it yourself.

The simplest design is an open container of water, which is placed next to the plant to evaporate moisture. When empty, the dishes are filled with fresh portions. To humidify the air, use warm, not hard water.

Transfer

That's why beginners in this business can fall in love with begonia, so it is for its rapid and grateful growth. From the first planting to the first flowering, no more than three months will pass. It is necessary to plant and transplant a flower in the spring, in winter it is better to leave begonia alone

It is important to know that begonias really need an annual transplant, and it is best to do this in early spring in order to be in time before May. If you linger, then the flower will be much slower and worse to acclimatize in a new place.

In a professional store, begonias can be purchased either as seeds or as an already germinated seedling or tuber. After buying a seedling, a sprouted tuber or bulb, the begonia can already be safely planted in its new pot. Planting or transplanting begonias at home is a simple process - you only need a suitable pot and soil.

The pot should be chosen under the rhizome of the plant. The roots of begonia, depending on the species, can be branched, in the form of tubers or horizontal rhizomes with small lateral processes and pubescence. Such roots are located more at the surface, therefore, a wider capacity is required. Accordingly, the diameter must be greater than the height

It is important to take into account that when transplanting, the pot should grow 2-3 centimeters larger every year. Material - any

Ready-made soil suitable for begonia can be purchased at any specialized store. The main parameters of the soil that begonias require:

• must be saturated with trace elements, nutrients;
• loose and breathable;
• has a low to medium acidity.

If the soil was bought in a special store, then it is not necessary to process it in any way before planting flowers. If the land is of unknown origin, it is advisable to decontaminate it in one of the following ways:

• soak the ground with boiling water;
• "Bake" in the microwave for up to 6 minutes;
• hold the soil until completely frozen in the freezer and leave it in this form for three hours;
• bake in the oven.

To plant or transplant begonia, you need to follow these steps.

• Prepare a container with soil, put drainage on the bottom of the pot (expanded clay, pebbles, stones or even polystyrene), pour the soil halfway on top, tamp it a little.
• The tuber or rhizome must first be cleaned of dry or spoiled elements and adhering soil, if any. Treat the root with a special disinfectant, for example, a weak solution of potassium permanganate or fungicide, where you need to hold it for 20-30 minutes.
• We plant it in a pot shallowly into the ground, in a previously prepared hole and lightly sprinkle it with earth, if it is a tuber. Or in a half-filled pot, carefully install the rhizome of the plant and add the remaining half, making sure that the soil lays down tightly, without air voids. After that, carefully spill the soil along the edge of the container with water with dissolved "Fitosporin" or thoroughly settled water. Then we put the pot with the watered flower in a warm and bright place.

Home care

Watering

Begonia Elatior can be watered only after the earthen lump dries out (at least to the middle).You need to water in moderation, do not overdo it with water - the flower does not approve of dampness. Water should not stagnate neither in the pot nor in the pan, otherwise the plant stems will begin to rot. It is better not to add water than to pour it over; there will be nothing from a smaller amount of begonia water, but overflow is fraught with serious consequences.

Top dressing

You need to feed Elatior very carefully. For feeding, only specialized mineral complex fertilizers are used. It is undesirable to use organic feeding, because the frequent use of organic nitrogen will make the flower stems watery, transparent and brittle. After organic feeding, begonia flowering leaves much to be desired, and the flowers themselves do not look as impressive as they should.

Pinching

This method allows you to make a flower bush decorative and give any shape you want (pyramidal, spherical, and so on). How to pinch begonia correctly? This procedure should be carried out either before flowering, or after (in autumn or spring). And you need to pinch like this:

1. First you need to find the highest point of growth on the main stem of the plant.
2. Now you need to carefully pinch it off by one or two centimeters.
3. After two to three weeks, active growth of lateral shoots will begin.

Diseases, pests and other problems. Let's analyze it step by step

When growing begonias, flower growers are often faced with the fact that the flower becomes inconspicuous, loses leaves, begins to dry

It is important to understand why home begonia is disappearing in order to eliminate the cause and help the plant. Mostly flower diseases are caused by improper care

If the case is not running, then the problem is simple to solve: you need to optimize watering, adjust the indoor climate. Pests can also settle in the flowerpot, which kill the plant in the course of their life. You can determine the cause of the problem by the characteristic features from the table.

Table - Problems in growing begonias and their causes

If insects are noticed on the plant, then the treatment should be carried out immediately. For this, insecticides are used. They are sold in flower shops. Use drugs according to the instructions on the package: do not overdo it with processing.

Growing begonias at home may seem difficult only for beginner growers, experienced growers know how to please a beauty. Begonia not only decorates the house, but also creates an optimal microclimate in it. It has been proven that the plant is able to cleanse the air from bacteria, stop the reproduction of molds. Interestingly, with the advent of begonia in the house, cleaning will have to be done less often: the plant prevents dust from settling. Isn't there a reason to look into the nearest flower shop for a wildly blooming beauty? The basics of successful care can be seen in the video and photos.

Transplant features

Begonia must be planted in loose, breathable and permeable soil (a mixture of peat soil, humus and sand). The flower pot should be compact, as its root system is very fragile and it is undesirable to transplant it too often.

You can transplant a flower only after the end of the winter period. Before planting, it is necessary to shake off the roots of the plant from the ground and put in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for one hour.If the plant has weak and rotten roots, they must be removed.

The new pot should be three centimeters larger than the previous one. The transplant soil should be loose and nutritious in order to retain moisture well, but at the same time dry well. You can make your own earthen mixture.

For this you will need:

• peat land;
• greenhouse humus;
• leaf humus.

All these components must be mixed in equal proportions. Coarse river sand or perlite must be added to the soil ready for transplanting begonias.

Transplant frequency and time

Many gardeners are interested in the question of how often begonias need to be transplanted, what period is most suitable for this. Experienced flower breeding masters argue that the transplant of this plant should be done in two cases.

• Begonia will need to be transplanted after purchase. It will be necessary to do this, but it is not always necessary to rush in this matter. If you leave the flower in a purchased container, then over time it will simply fade. You can't fix this problem no matter what you do. To avoid this, the plant needs to be transplanted into a new pot with fresh soil.
• The transplant is an annual event. It is carried out in order to restore all the necessary nutrients of the begonias, since throughout the year the old soil is inevitably depleted. You must not forget about the annual transplant of this plant, otherwise you will simply ruin it.

The main rule that must be adhered to in matters of transplanting begonia is that you cannot transplant a flower during its flowering. Do not violate this condition in any way. If begonia blooms, do not rush. It is better to wait until this process stops, and proceed to the transplant only after that.

How to care for begonias

All decorative leafy begonias require high humidity. But the first problem of care is that almost all of them do not tolerate spraying, and need very good ventilation of the room. Therefore, if the room has central heating and the air temperature in winter rises above 22 ° C, then it is necessary to try to maximize the air humidity.

If you happen to be the owner of chic hybrids of begonias with pubescent leaves and a painted pattern, then it is best to purchase an air humidifier, otherwise you can place the pots on wide trays with damp pebbles (expanded clay or sphagnum moss). At the same time, the water from the pallet should not get into the pot. In winter, central heating batteries will have to be covered with damp towels, which are moistened in the morning and evening. At the same time, it is not advisable to place the pots in a crowded, large, dense group, this makes ventilation difficult.

Wild begonia, Borneo. Begonias naturally grow on leafy ground - a loose pillow of decaying leaves and woody litter.

The second problem is that most begonias are not as hygrophilous as they seem. Those. increased requirements for air humidity do not mean an increased need for soil moisture. Watering should be done in moderation, so that the soil has time to dry out in the upper third or even in the upper half of the pot by the next watering. You can check this only by touching the ground with your finger.

And the third problem is weak air movement in the apartment. When the air is very humid, above 60-70%, there is always a risk of developing pathogenic microflora - a fungal and bacterial infection, from which moist brown spots appear on the leaves, roots and parts of the rhizome rot. So, in the absence of air circulation, with a large crowding of plants (group plantings, closely spaced pots), the risk of developing these infections increases many times. Even if you ventilate twice a day, this is usually not enough, because in natural conditions, plants are constantly blown by the wind.

Therefore, if you have high humidity at home, and black spots appear on the windows or walls - fungi, then you should think about whether not only your flowers, but also the health of all family members (allergies, asthma, etc.) are at risk. Usually, fungal stains on the surface of the ceiling and walls are a sign of not just high humidity, but poor ventilation. By itself, air humidity of 50-60% is necessary and important for flowers and man... But it is necessary to check why there is poor ventilation in the apartment: there is no ventilation, no draft, after all, tightly closed plastic windows block oxygen.

But condensation on the windowsill does not mean at all that there is high humidity in the whole apartment. In the room, it may not be enough. It is best to buy a hygrometer and find out for sure. In the event that a fungal plaque appears, the only correct solution is to install a ventilation hole in the wall.

Ornamental-deciduous begonias are mostly very shade-tolerant. They grow well on northern windowsills, but farther from the window, in the depths of the rooms without additional lighting, they will be dark, it all depends on how much sun the tulle curtains let in (or what hangs on your windows). There is no concept of shade-loving plants, it was invented by people who are far from understanding how a leafy plant should look good. And many consider deciduous begonias to be shade-loving.

In fact, most begonias prefer bright, diffused light, with some direct sun in the morning or evening. Those. ideal will be east windows, north-west, north. The windows of the south and west orientation need shading, but here begonias feel bad not only from the sun, but also from the heat. In general, on especially hot days in summer, it is better to put pots with begonias on the floor, where the temperature is 2-3 ° C lower.

• Decorative flowering begonias
• Decorative foliage begonias (species)
• Family of begonias

Varieties

The world leader in the creation and distribution of elatior begonia varieties is the Netherlands. Some species were specially adapted to a changeable climate (they prefer cool conditions), others, more delicate, bloom only indoors.

Borias

Begonia elatior borias resembles a lush rose bush during flowering. Corollas are large, double, with petals filling the core.

Painted in lilac or scarlet shades with white edging. The stem does not exceed a height of 30 cm, and the green leaves are covered with a shiny skin.

Charisma

Shrub about 25 cm tall with glossy leaves. Terry flowers, 5 cm in diameter. Depending on the variety, their color can be orange-red or pink.

Baladin

It differs in an almost tree-like shape due to a thick erect stem. At the top of the bush, a cap of bright red flowers is formed.

The variety is often found on the shelves of flower shops and can be presented as a living gift to relatives or colleagues. It grows well only in high-quality soil, does not tolerate a drop in air temperature, blooms with an abundance of heat and sunlight.

Annabelle

A universal variety for both home and balcony conditions. Annabelle (elatior yellow begonia) forms inflorescences of yellowish buds with a bright lemon core.

Medium-sized bush with pink double flowers. It is grown only as a houseplant.

Bellona

Begonia elatior bellona grows well in a home microclimate, blooming double red flowers from spring to winter.

A beautiful variety for home cultivation with snow-white double flowers.

Renaissance

A tall shrub up to 60 cm, despite its size, is not adapted for growing in the fresh air. The leaves are strongly divided into lobes, wavy, flowers in a red-orange range.

Compact shrub up to 30 cm tall with crimson flowers.

Mix

In stores, begonia mix is ​​often sold - a small bush with several inflorescences in beige-yellow or red-pink tones.