Reproduction methods
Most often, red-leaved begonia is propagated by leaves and cuttings. But, regardless of the method chosen, this procedure is best performed in the spring.
Cuttings
If the fistu is propagated by cuttings, step by step it looks like this:
Seed reproduction is the most difficult, more precisely time-consuming method. Especially impatient growers refuse it in advance. First, you need to stock up on selected seeds in order to sow them on top of the ground in late February - early March. Sprinkle with earth is not recommended.
After that, the container in which the seeds are planted is placed on the windowsill and covered with glass from above. Watered with a spray bottle or from a saucer. All this time, it is necessary to maintain the temperature within +20. + 25 ° C. As soon as the third leaf appeared, the first pick, and after 1.5-2 months - the next one.
Dividing a bush or rhizome
Domestic begonia has many stems with individual roots. Therefore, the division of the bush will be quite easy. Here it is necessary to determine how intertwined the roots of the begonia are. If they are easy to separate, do it by hand. But even closely intertwined roots can be divided into as many parts as required. To do this, a clod of earth is carefully cut, and each part is planted in a separate pot. The pot is installed in a warm place where there is enough light - this is a prerequisite for rooting.
Description
To date, about 1000 varieties have been registered, the classification is rather complicated, different authors systematize them in their own way. Begonia has been known to flower growers as a houseplant since the 17th century; it came to our country about 200 years ago. Breeders are constantly improving old varieties and developing new ones, which explains such a variety of shapes, sizes and colors of leaves.
Ornamental deciduous trees are valued exclusively for their beautiful foliage. They also bloom, but the bloom is inconspicuous, of no value. There are varieties with small leaves as well as very large ones. A feature is the pattern of the leaf blade, but each variety has its own.
Origin - tropical and subtropical jungle
This is important to consider when choosing a location - she does not like the bright sun, prefers partial shade, it is better to place it on the west or east window
Watering and humidity
Since begonia naturally grows in forests, it also needs high humidity. It can be ensured by placing containers with water, wet sand or moss next to it.
You can also put a household air humidifier nearby or simply spray the leaves from a spray bottle. Periodically, it is good to wash the plant under a warm shower, this is also the prevention of pests.
Wet begonias should not be immediately placed in the sun to avoid burns, and in a draft
They prefer soft and settled water, you can use filtered water. Water regularly after the top layer dries. The soil should be evenly moist without severe drying out and flooding.
Top dressing
Fertilizers are used specifically for them or for decorative deciduous plants.
Frequency approximately every two weeks
It is important not to overfeed, otherwise growth will slow down and the leaves may turn yellow
It is better to dilute the dressing in slightly lower doses than recommended.
Reproduction
Most species are easily propagated by leaves, as well as leaf blades and cuttings.
It is enough to cut off the sheet, dip it into activated carbon for disinfection and place it in sand, perlite or peat, covering it with a transparent glass or film on top.You can put the cutting in water and wait for the roots to appear, and then plant it in a small pot.
You will learn more about breeding by watching the following video.
Formation
Most begonias require proper shaping.
If the shoots are stretched, then a cardinal pruning is performed. Some hybrids are best resumed from new cuttings.
Read how to care for an ornamental leafy begonia here.
Care
You can get a healthy, beautifully flowering plant only by following certain rules for caring for it. We will talk about them further.
Location and lighting
Begonia is photophilous, and therefore it needs additional lighting in the cold season. In the heat, the flower should be protected from direct sunlight, the contact of which on the leaves can cause burns and overheating.
Watering and humidity requirements
During the period of active growth - in spring and summer, the plant needs abundant watering - twice a week. In winter, you need to reduce the number of watering by about 1.5 times.
Over-watering can kill the plant, so keep the topsoil dry.
Because tap water is too hard, use room temperature standing water for irrigation.
Terry beauty will delight you with her beauty if you provide her with the necessary humidity. For these purposes, you can use a humidifier or spray the air around the plant, avoiding droplets on the leaves and flowers.
A container of water next to the pot will also help you achieve the desired result.
Temperature regime
Terry begonia prefers an average temperature of 18-23 degrees in summer and at least 15 degrees in winter. The flower pot should be periodically ventilated, while protecting it from drafts and sudden changes.
Top dressing
You need to fertilize the plant in a warm period - in spring and summer, because it is at this time that it needs additional support. Top dressing should be applied no more than 1-2 times a month. This will be enough for the full growth and health of the flower.
In the summer, it is better to use potash and phosphorus fertilizers, and after the winter awakening, nitrogen fertilizers.
Transfer
The transplant depends on the growth rate of the flower - if there is not enough space, it should be placed in a pot with a larger diameter. Usually, a transplant is carried out every two years in early spring. Tuberous varieties must be transplanted annually after wintering.
Soil composition and pot
To keep the begonias, it is better to purchase a clay pot with drainage holes at the bottom, which will provide oxygen to the roots of the flower.
The plant prefers loose, slightly acidic soil with a sufficient amount of fertilizer.
You can prepare the soil yourself by including in its composition:
- 2 pieces of leafy land;
- 1 part of humus;
- 1 part river sand;
- 1 part peat.
If you can't make the soil mixture yourself, you can buy a ready-made one in the store.
Cutting frequency
Pruning is necessary when the main stem reaches 10 cm in length. It is pinched, thereby ensuring the growth of lateral shoots. The latter are also subject to pruning when they reach 10-12 cm. Subsequent pruning is done only as needed and to give the bush the desired shape.
Flowers with bright foliage at the crown
A plant with bright foliage color is the goal of any grower. If there is no such miracle in the apartment yet, then you can choose one of the listed instances:
- poinsettia;
- cordilina;
- irezine;
- nidularium;
- oxalis triangular.
Indoor flower with red leaves - an original element of the interior
This is a list of the most popular plants that have red leaves on top. In order for indoor plants to please the eye constantly, their color does not fade, it is necessary to familiarize yourself with the nuances of care.
Poinsettia
Poinsettia, or Christmas star, as it is popularly called, is a species of Euphorbia.The second name arose from the presence of bright red foliage at the top of the cap, which usually appears at the beginning of winter. The plant is native to Mexico and Central America. It has a number of subspecies:
- spherical;
- large-horned;
- sparkling.
Poinsettia
Poinsettia is picky about grooming. The main thing is to put the plant in a place without drafts and get rid of strong temperature changes. Feels uncomfortable in very hot weather, cannot stand strong shading. It develops well in diffused lighting. She needs to provide abundant watering, constant spraying. In winter, it sheds foliage. During this period, it looks unpresentable. Propagated by cuttings - shoots containing at least five leaves.
Important! Euphorbia poinsettia juice is poisonous. It can cause minor skin burns
All pruning and transplanting procedures are performed with gloves.
Cordilina
A shrub from the Agave family from the tropics resembles a palm tree. But it has nothing to do with palm trees. Rather, relatives of dracaena. It grows in height up to half a meter.
It attracts with its unusual appearance, or rather with elongated red leaves, which are densely located in relation to each other. As it grows, the lower leaves fall off, and the upper ones form a gorgeous hat. There are varieties of cordilina that differ in the color of their foliage:
- green;
- red and white.
Cordilina
Cordilin must be placed in a warm place, where the rays of scattered light fall. Dislikes frequent watering. Optimum temperature:
- in the summer period 20-23 ° С;
- in winter time 13-17 ° С.
Reacts perfectly to systematic hydration and annual transplants. Waterlogging is detrimental to cordilina.
Irezine
An unusually bright flower from the Amaranth family. Most often it is found with leaves that have an epileptic shape and a red-burgundy color. In addition, there are varieties with greenish leaves with crimson veins.
Irezine
In care, irezine is unpretentious. It develops well in diffused light, does not react to slight changes in temperature. Can tolerate drought, low humidity readings.
Nidularium
A home plant native to the tropics. Belongs to the Bromeliad family. The flower is characterized by the absence of a stem. Sharp green leaves originate directly from the base. At the top of the plant, red leaf plates appear during the flowering period.
Nidularium
After flowering, the rosette disappears, and in its place several new shoots appear, which also begin to bloom. In this way, the nidularium multiplies rapidly.
Important! The plant must be protected from direct sunlight, watered frequently and kept at a high degree of humidity.
Triangular oxalis
The plant is stemless, belongs to the Kislichny family, popularly known as hare cabbage. The foliage is carved, like a clover, red with a purple tint. In the daytime, the leaves tend to rise, and in the evening they begin to fall. Has another name - Madame Butterfly because of the shape of the leaf, which resembles a butterfly.
Triangular oxalis
Indoors, it is located in a place that is well lit. Otherwise, the color of the foliage will change, darken and approach a greenish tint. Watering should be moderate. Periodically in the spring and summer period, they are fed with liquid fertilizers. In winter, at rest, it builds up the crown.
Home flowers with red spots or stripes on the leaves
Spotted and striped foliage looks bright and unusual. Such a plant will add variety to your home flower garden.
Hypestes
Hypestes is a houseplant with red-green leaves. The color of the foliage is uneven, spots. The flower has thin stems with oval leaves. The color of the plant can change depending on the lighting, with a lack of sunlight, the red spots disappear.
The flower does not like heavy soils; a mixture of compost, peat, river sand and leafy soil (1: 1: 1: 1) suits it. To maintain splendor, and the stems do not stretch too much, you periodically need to cut off the shoots that form at the crown. The normal height of the stems is considered to be a level of 30-60 cm.
Important! Since hypestes is a tropical species, it needs additional mineral supplements.
Hypestes
Irezine
The irezine flower is distinguished by brightly colored veins: red, crimson or pink. Young leaves are green, but as they develop, they turn red or brown, the veins remain red. Due to this feature, the leaves look striped. The shape of the leaf plate is elliptical, oblong with a pointed end. Irezine is an artisanal flower, so its stems are quite dense and erect.
Irezine is demanding on water, it is better to use rainwater for irrigation. In spring, the flower requires frequent fertilizing with mineral fertilizers at weekly intervals. The dried leaves of the flower must be cut off in order to maintain their density.
Irezine
Aglaonema
Aglaonema is distinguished by leathery, shiny leaves with a red vein in the center. The veins that extend from the central one create thin yellow-green stripes. Leaf shape oblong-lanceolate, spiky. Young leaves are colored light green, with growth they darken and turn red. The average plant height is about 35 cm.
Normal vegetation occurs at low temperatures, around 20 ° C. During the period of active growth (spring-autumn), it is recommended to water about 3-4 times a week. In winter, watering is reduced, and with the onset of spring, in order to awaken the flower, you need to water it with warm water more often and feed it with mineral fertilizers.
Aglaonema
Fittonia
Some types of Fittonia have an interesting pattern on the surface of the leaf plate, formed due to bright veins. Flower stems are thin, creeping, no more than 10 cm in height. Usually, inflorescences are formed at the top of the shoot. Fittonia flowers are of no value, because they are small and inconspicuous. The leaves of the plant are oval with a rounded end. The veins are wide, clearly distinguishable, bright. The length of the leaf plate is about 6-10 cm, the largest leaves are from below, and less from above.
Important! Fittonia shoots spread easily and are fixed on the stems and roots of other plants, so it should not be placed next to plants that may suffer from its weaving. Fittonia is very demanding on lighting
It should not be left in direct sunlight as it will get severe burns and may even dry out. The best place is in the back corner of the room. For fittonia, the temperature is very important, the room should be from 20 ° C. During the period of active growth (from spring to autumn) it is watered especially abundantly, in winter watering is reduced, but not completed
Fittonia is very demanding on lighting. It should not be left in direct sunlight as it will get severe burns and may even dry out. The best place is in the back corner of the room. For fittonia, the temperature is very important, the room should be from 20 ° C. During the period of active growth (from spring to autumn), it is watered especially abundantly; in winter, watering is reduced, but not completed.
Fittonia
Recommendations for owners of unusual indoor crops
If you want to create beauty in your home, get acquainted with the basics of phytodesign. Usually the living room is considered the main place in the house, and they especially try to decorate it, emphasize the style, mood, color scheme. The pots in the living room are arranged according to an understandable scheme: shade-loving ones - in the corners, away from the windows. There are almost no such plants among red-leaved plants.
Large plants fit into almost any design. Plants with red leaves are themselves very active, and if there are a lot of bright colors in the room, coloristic noise can come out, which is not very good.It's great if, for example, in a white or light gray living room, the only bright furniture accent is a red frame on the wall (or a picture in scarlet tones), a mini-table, a sideboard. And then the red-leaved flower on the windowsill will overlap with this element.
Large plants can even be used for zoning the space, separating them from the rest area from the work area, for example. Well, what kind of pot to choose for red-leaved flowers is a matter of taste: it is better if the color of the pot matches the main color of the room decoration.
Happy choice!
Those who want to purchase an unusual houseplant with bright purple, pinkish-scarlet or red-green leaves should first study the basic rules for choosing them in the store and maintaining the house. Such decorative crops require special lighting, are often affected by pests and diseases with improper care. Especially carefully you will have to examine the store flower intended for a gift in order to buy a healthy copy without damaging the foliage.
Here are some practical tips for novice and experienced florists who decide to diversify the list of living cultures available in an apartment with new varieties of an unusual red color.
- When studying the selected variety in the store, it is imperative to inspect the flower under the cellophane film for the absence of pests, dark spots, yellowing of the tips and other damage. It is better to ask the seller to remove the packaging if available, check the leaves for elasticity, and the soil for moisture. If there are signs of rot or loss of brightness, ornamental foliage, you should abandon the purchase immediately.
- Having brought the selected specimen home, it is necessary to put it in "quarantine" for a while, placing it away from other plants. After a week, you will have to transplant the flower, changing the pot to a more spacious one, and the soil to a nutritious substrate.
- Do not pour or dry out the soil in a pot, remove the container in a dark place or put it in direct sunlight. Any mistakes in care will lead to a loss of decorativeness, leave stains, burns on the leaves.
Features of home care
How to prune and replant correctly
Many flowers need pruning. And fista too. Thus, you can form a beautiful bush, neat and well-groomed. As a rule, pruning of a young plant is done. It is necessary to wait until the sprout grows 6-7 cm, and cut off its top. Just not with clerical scissors - they break, pinch the plant.
It is best to use special sharp tools such as garden shears or pruning shears. Immediately after this procedure, lateral shoots begin to grow. And when they are already 10 cm long, they are also cut off. But there is one caveat: the lateral shoot is cut strictly above the first upper bud growing towards the outer edge from the center.
How to care at home
Tradescantia is very hardy and unpretentious. Even a child can handle the care of this flower. After all, even if you make a mistake somewhere, this will not greatly affect the flower itself.
Location and lighting
The rheo flower must be kept in special conditions. Caring for it at home requires good lighting from the owner.
This flower can withstand high temperatures, but long, direct sunlight can be dangerous for it.
Therefore, it must be kept in low but sufficient lighting conditions. Otherwise, the leaves of the flower may get sunburn. If the plant is not sufficiently lit, then your flower with purple leaves will change color to pale.
Temperature regime
The temperature should be at least 10-16 degrees. If you leave the plant on the balcony, then keep in mind that it can transfer temperatures up to 5 degrees.
If it goes down, then the flower will begin to lose internal pressure, which will lead to difficulty in getting water into the cells and the subsequent death of the leaves.
Also, sudden changes in temperature and drafts are not desirable.
Watering
The plant does not need special care in terms of watering. The main points can be noted:
- Do not keep the soil dry for very long.
- From early spring to late summer, watering should be increased up to twice a week.
- For the autumn-winter period, you need to water less often: 2-3 times a month.
- For irrigation, you should use settled water, because it is softer.
Important! Tradescantia leaf juice can cause allergic dermatitis.
Air humidity
The plant thrives very well in a humid environment. Therefore, it is sometimes worth spraying from a spray bottle. In winter, this should be done more often because of the constantly running heaters.
Top dressing
Fertilization begins from March to August. This should be done with special fertilizers for indoor decorative deciduous plants every two weeks. In the fall, feeding is reduced, and in winter they are not fed at all.
As a fertilizer for indoor plants, yeast, potato peelings, liquid vermicompost, potassium sulfate, banana skins, egg scarlop, charcoal, and the drug "Zircon" are used.
Poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima)
Another gift of nature is poinsettia, which is mesmerizing with its green-red leaves (red bracts). True, in order to enjoy this beauty, you need to carefully look after it.
These are the nuances associated with bright variegated or green plants that will become a pearl on any windowsill. Evaluating decorative leafy indoor species for ease of care, we can say that the most unpretentious, of course, is Coleus, followed by hypoesthesia, only then the rest of the plants.
But everything is not so difficult, the main thing is to treat indoor flowers with love, and they will certainly repay with rich color, curvaceous shapes and a good mood.
See "Houseplants blooming in winter, photos and their names"
Coleus
- Coleus is well suited for both flower beds and indoor growing.
- The main decorative highlight of the flower is the unique beauty of the leaves.
- The leaf plates have bright beetroot, red, purple and crimson colors, and the edging of yellow, white, red or green looks more than good at the edges.
- And there are a lot of such variations, since the already existing 60 varieties of Blume's coleus are constantly replenished with new varieties, and accordingly new color combinations.
Care features
- Coleus is very photophilous, but like most ornamental plants with a bright color of leaves, it turns pale and dull from direct sunlight. Therefore, artificial or natural partial shade is chosen for growing a flower. In an apartment, for example, it is better to choose east or west windows.
- The plant treats temperature changes easily, but subject to sufficient and regular watering.
- If you regularly feed Coleus with mineral dressings and prevent the soil from drying out, the color of the foliage will become even more beautiful.
Coleus
Coleus is a perennial evergreen belonging to the labiate family. Under natural conditions, it grows in the tropical forests of Asia and Africa. It is a small, no more than 35 cm in height, plant with almost transparent stems and velvety leaves, painted in many shades.
Coleus is photophilous, so it develops only in bright light conditions. Based on the color of the leaves, it may need different lighting intensities.
If the coleus has bright leaves (for example, bright red), then direct sunlight is suitable for them, which are contraindicated for a plant with a green foliage.
In the warm season, the leaves can lose their brightness, since there is a lot of sun at this time. To prevent this from happening, you should shade the Coleus, putting it in a dark place for a while and gradually accustoming the plant to light.
If we talk about the temperature regime, then the plant is not picky. It grows at temperatures between 16 and 25 ° C. Dies at temperatures below 12 ° C.
From spring to autumn, Coleus needs abundant watering, and in winter it needs moderate watering. For irrigation, you must use warm soft water, preferably rainwater. In any case, drying out should not be allowed, otherwise the leaves will immediately fall off.
If we talk about feeding, then from spring to autumn you need to feed with mineral fertilizers about once a week. The dosage is 3 to 5 grams per liter of water. In winter, Coleus needs to be fertilized about every 3 or 4 weeks, reducing the amount of fertilizer by half.
