Begonia: how and with what to water the plant at home?

Types for breeding at home

In nature, there are about 800 species of begonias. About 2 thousand more varieties were bred by breeders. All varieties are described in specialized reference books. But the novice florist is interested not so much in dry information as in the answer to the question of which species is better to buy for the home. Tuberous plants are ideal for landscaping and vertical landscaping. They "leave" for the winter. For the home, it is better to choose unpretentious hybrids of root begonias. Begonias can be conventionally divided into two groups.

1. Decorative blooming. Varieties from this group are “favorites” of flower growers. They are unpretentious and grateful: if the begonia care is correct, it can bloom on the windowsill almost all year round. The best option for beginner growers is the Begonia semperflorens cultivar. The lush bush is covered with flowers 12 months of the year. In the summer, this species can even be planted in a flower bed, and with the onset of cold weather, it can be returned to the windowsill. But planting in open ground is an optional condition.
2. Decorative deciduous. Although plants of this species cannot boast of beautiful flowers, for which everyone loves begonias, they look no less luxurious than flowering ones. Large, bright leaves with a bizarre pattern are the "highlight" of this species. Experienced growers recommend starting your acquaintance with decorative leafy varieties with Begonia rex ("Royal"). For all its truly royal beauty, the plants of this variety are so unpretentious that even a person far from floriculture can grow an object of pride on his windowsill. And there is really something to be proud of: the leaves of the begonia "Rex" are so original, as if they were decorated by the artist, having connected all his imagination.

If you want to buy a plant with both spectacular leaves and beautiful flowers, pay attention to the coral begonia. Its flowers are like delicate roses, and the leaves are speckled

Plant impossible do not notice - it stretches per meter in height: so be prepared to move the flowerpot from the windowsill to a special stand.

Begonia: home care - plant species and reproduction

Home-grown begonias are symbolically divided into two groups - flowering and deciduous plant varieties.

Deciduous varieties are distinguished by their unusual shape and original color of the leaves.

Flowering specimens are categorized as tuberous, evergreen, and bushy.

The most popular types of begonias:

• Tuberous variety - has simple and double petals of flowers of various colors from bright white to red and orange. The petals can be a combination of two colors or have a border. The sizes of the inflorescences range from 5 to 18 centimeters, and in shape they are very reminiscent of roses, peonies or carnations.

• The ever-flowering variety is the most common bushy plant. This variety is grown as a garden culture, and planted at home in indoor conditions. At home, this variety of begonias can bloom all year round, delighting their households with glossy leaves of red and green. This homely beauty dissolves small flowers in bright shades - red, pink and white.

• Royal variety - refers to deciduous begonias and has a striking difference in the form of leaves of various colors, shaped like a heart and reaching a length of 30 centimeters. The green, brown and red tones of the leaves of this variety delight and surprise at the same time.

• Ampel subspecies of tuberous begonia - similar to ivy, which is strewn with small flowers that have white, yellow, ruby ​​and orange hues. Hanging garlands of this begonias provide gardeners with flowers throughout the growing season.

• Elatior is a tuberous hybrid of begonia that is grown only at home. This species begins to bloom in the fall. Flower petals differ in a variety of shades. It has round-shaped leaves, shiny with greenery.

Seed propagation of begonias is more expedient to carry out at the end of the year, or rather, in December. Begonia seeds are delicate and sensitive, as a result of which, when planting them in the ground, you do not need to use any substrates. In half a month, the seeds planted in the soil will sprout. During maturation and growth, the shoots must be dived and gradually accustomed to the sun's rays.

Also, begonia grown at home with ease lends itself to propagation by cuttings of stems or leaves. To do this, it will be necessary to pick up a strong and healthy specimen of a plant, measuring 10 centimeters or more, and plant it in a moist soil made of sand or peat. For better rooting of begonias, you can resort to the use of phytohormones.

Important! In order for the seedling not to rot, the plant must be planted so as to completely exclude its contact with the ground.

Reproduction of begonias

Sometimes in the process of leaving home for a begonia flower there is a need to increase the population. To get new plants, use the method of dividing tubers, propagation by cuttings, leaves and seeds.

Reproduction by dividing tubers

This method is suitable for the tuberous variety of the flower. In early spring, a bush with a lump is removed from the pot and divided into parts, each of which is planted in a separate pot. When cutting a common tuber, try to have leaf buds on each part. Then the workpieces are dried and planted in light soil, which is watered moderately, avoiding waterlogging.

Propagation by cuttings

A suitable period for growing cuttings is spring. Shoots with 1-2 internodes are cut from the tops. The flowers, buds and lower leaves are trimmed, and the upper leaves are shortened by 1/3 to reduce the rate of evaporation of moisture.

The cuttings are planted in a pallet with drainage and covered with foil to make a mini greenhouse. A substrate made from a mixture of vermiculite, sand and peat is suitable for rooting. The shoots are regularly sprayed, and the greenhouse is opened for ventilation. The container is placed in a warm place, but not in direct sunlight.

Seed propagation

Only Ampel begonia, evergreen and tuberous varieties, are suitable for seed propagation. The method allows you to get many new plants at once. Sowing of seeds is carried out in the middle of winter. Usually, shallow containers are used, filled with a mixture of leaf earth, sand, peat and compost, taken in equal quantities. For the purpose of disinfection, the soil is watered with Fundozol solution. You do not need to bury the seeds in the ground.

The container is covered with foil or glass and placed in a warm place. Seedlings will appear in a couple of weeks. The greenhouse is periodically opened for 1-2 hours for ventilation, and the soil is sprayed from a spray bottle, condensate is removed from the film. After 2 weeks, the pallet is opened and placed in a place where the temperature is maintained within 17-19 ° C, but not in the sun. Seedlings are transplanted into separate pots when 2-3 leaves appear.

Propagation by leaves

For this method of reproduction, they take old leaves, from which the cuttings have grown by 2-3 cm. The leaf is buried in a pot with a substrate for the length of the petiole. A large leaf is divided into parts, and small leaves are planted whole. If a fragment is used, then it must have a petiole and a vein. It usually takes 4-6 weeks to root. After the emergence of young shoots, the plant is transplanted into a separate pot and begins to feed.

Air humidity standards

At the very beginning of the article, we already wrote that indoor begonia is very whimsical in care. Growing a plant will be more successful if you take care of such little things as air humidity - plants are very sensitive to these indications.

This plant is very fond of high humidity. But on the forums devoted to the care and cultivation of begonia Elatior they write that when spraying, brown spots appear on the foliage. In the case of other plant species, the same trouble happens. And if I don't spray. then the plant begins to wither, foliage and buds crumble. What to do in this case?

If you don't have a humidifier, you can create an acceptable environment yourself. There are two options:

1. When there is heating, put wet towels on the radiators, they will evaporate, and this moisture is enough for the health of the begonia.
2. When there is no heating, place the begonia pot in a pallet, then in another pallet (the first will prevent moisture from penetrating to the roots). Pour expanded clay into the second pallet, and moisten it regularly. The water will begin to evaporate and get to the plant in the right amount.

Top dressing

You need to start feeding as soon as begonia begins to bloom. At home, caring for and growing a plant will be productive if fertilizers are applied correctly:

1. Top dressing is applied once every two weeks from the moment of flowering.
2. Nitrogen fertilizers inhibit flowering, but have a beneficial effect on the quality of the green mass, therefore, they should be used only for decorative flowering species.
3. Choose fertilizers in specialized stores, the packaging should be marked "For flowering indoor plants."
4. Do not exceed the specified rates when applying top dressing, as you can ruin the plant.

Care and cultivation of root begonia cannot do without transplanting, since the roots have a habit of constantly growing, and the old pot becomes cramped for them. We need to expand the living space. How to do it correctly?

Botanical characteristics of the flower, description

The ever-flowering home begonia is a semi-shrub, represented by a series of hybrids, different in color, size of flowers and leaves, appearance and flowering time.

The main external data of a plant include:

• stem - naked, fleshy, 35−45 cm high;

• leaves - glossy, round-heart-shaped, smooth, dark green with veins located in the center. In some plant varieties, the leaves have a characteristic bronze, brownish or red tint;

• flowers are a simple or terry scattering of red, white, salmon or pink petals, collected in inflorescences of various shapes and sizes that emerge from the leaf axils. There are two-tone varieties with pinkish edging of the petals. By the number of petals, female and male plants are distinguished. Males have four petals, females five;
• after flowering, dark brown, large fruits are formed - boxes with dusty seeds.

How to keep a flower in an apartment?

From the very beginning of November to the end of February, begonias are dormant, i.e. gain strength after flowering. And during this period, tubers of different sizes are stored in different ways:

• Young tubers that emerged from seeds should be in a moderately lit and cool place, they need occasional watering. But if it is not possible to dig out a small tuber, then it can also be left in the pot, while cutting off the ground part.
• Large tubers that bloomed in pots, after the shoots dry out, remain in them and are placed in a cool place, their dried up aerial part is cut off so that 1 - 3 cm remains.
• Begonias that bloomed in the open field, after digging up (this must be done after the end of flowering), are stored in dry peat or sand and removed to a cool place, and at the end of the dormant period are taken out for germination.

Young small tubers are very likely to dry out when stored under the conditions prescribed for large tubers. Therefore, they are recommended to pull out the tubers of the container in which they grew, and place them in dry soil or sand.

Begonia transplant

There are no special requirements for the soil for begonia. You can buy it in a special store, or you can easily make it yourself. If you decide to prepare the soil yourself, then you need to fill half the pot with leafy soil, and then add a mixture of peat and black soil in equal proportions. Don't forget to put some regular sand on the bottom of the pot. If you properly prepare the soil for begonia, then it will delight you for a long time with its active growth.

Transplant this plant as needed. Time passes since the previous transplant, and now the grown roots cannot fit in the old pot. That is why the plant needs to be placed in a larger pot. It is best to do a transplant at the very beginning of spring. The plant must be carefully removed from the pot, and the roots must be cleaned of old peat. After that, it is best to place the plant in water with potassium permanganate for a while. After the roots are cleared of sand, you will need to cut off the decayed parts.

It is very important not to add a full pot of soil when transplanting begonias. It is best to wait until the roots are completely dry, and then add a little earth.

A recently transplanted plant needs to be watered very often. Also, do not put begonias directly in the sun. Remember, now you need to take more care of the begonias for a while. Usually, the settling time in a new place is about 1 month.

1. Seven Secrets of Success:

Botanical name: Begonia semperflorens.

Family

Homeland of the plant. Cultural hybrid.

Description. The ever-flowering home begonia is a low-growing herbaceous perennial with shiny, juicy thick leaves of bright green, dark green, reddish, burgundy or bronze, depending on the variety.

The leaves are arranged alternately, simple, wide, serrated along the edge, varying greatly in texture, size and color depending on the variety.

Blooms continuously as long as favorable conditions are present, with red, white or pink flowers, which are collected in small axillary inflorescences.

There are variegated forms with white spots on the leaf blades. Some species of this begonia have a tomentose pubescence on the leaves of white or brown color.

Height. 15 - 30 cm.