The beautiful begonia comes from Haiti, and received its name in honor of Governor Michel Begon.
The flowering begonia, which is quite easy to care for, is a truly delightful plant, fragrant and with colorful inflorescences. Begonia will decorate not only a greenhouse or garden, but also takes root well in indoor conditions.
The “calling card” of begonia, for which many gardeners love it, is an asymmetrical beveled leaf combined with smooth waves of edges and serration. The upper part of the leaf is green, the lower part is a rich brown-violet color. Strong and dense stems protect against pests. In ancient times, begonia was even used to polish swords and armor.
Begonia inflorescences amaze with their versatility of color and rich, uniform color with a piquant edging on the petals. Begonia bears fruit in peculiar “boxes”. Their bizarre shape with thin walls was created by nature for ease of sowing and propagation of plants - one breath of wind and the fruit opens, scattering seeds for the maturation of new seedlings.
General rules for caring for begonias at home after purchase
For the begonia flower, care at home includes a basic requirement - the main thing is to choose a place in the house for the new resident and adhere to simple rules:
- place a pot with a plant, focusing on the east-west sides in winter, and in summer it is preferable to choose the northern corner;
- avoid drafts;
- do not place in close proximity to other plants, so as not to shade the young seedlings;
- let it get used to the new room - do not replant, water or move from one place to another for the first week from the date of purchase.
Lighting
Light-loving indoor begonia flowers tolerate changes very capriciously; the plant does not tolerate direct sunlight. In the hot summer, care should be taken not only about sufficient lighting, but also about protection from excessive insolation. Plants feel optimally comfortable on the eastern or western windows of the house, being on the south side. Owners of the plant should take care of shading at midday to avoid burning the delicate cover of the flower.
In winter, begonias go into a dormant state, with the exception of ever-flowering species, but even those need maximum lighting. It doesn’t matter whether it is natural or artificial light, the flower must be provided with at least 14-hour light baths.
In the shade, with sufficient feeding, begonia grows, but does not bloom. Also, with excessive darkening, the flower suffers and changes - the shoots stretch out and flowering stops completely. If you are wondering why begonia does not bloom at home, perhaps it does not receive the necessary dose of light.
Begonia pruning
The main thing when pruning begonia is to know its variety:
- Ampelous varieties are not pruned;
- In tuberous plants, it involves removing the above-ground part before wintering;
- When pruned, bush varieties become fuller, bloom well and look younger, like ladies after a successful haircut at the hairdresser.
Anti-aging pruning technique:
- Using garden shears or pruning shears, cut off the top.
- We shape the crown by removing some side shoots and lower leaves.
- After pruning, we don’t get carried away with watering, giving the renewed begonia time to grow.
Humidity
In the wild, the flower grows in the warm and humid climate of tropical forests with a saturation of the atmosphere around moisture of at least 60-70%. Houseplants do not lag behind their ancestors and prefer intensive watering and external irrigation of the air around them with clean water. It is important to note that it is not recommended to spray the plant itself, since drops of water adversely affect the surface of the leaves and stem, leaving stains and changing the natural color.
For the convenience of the owners, you can place the plants on pallets with wet expanded clay, provided that the begonia pot is provided with drainage. Bush begonia, care for which at home requires creating an optimal microclimate through the use of special devices - you can use a humidifier for indoor spaces or use the folk method - place a container of water next to the pot and keep it away from the central heating elements.
If the microclimate is too dry, you can observe drying of the edges of the leaves, wilting of the buds, changes in color and roughness. Begonia in a pot requires careful care at home, otherwise it simply loses its decorative effect.
Proper care of begonias at home to maintain moisture includes:
- in summer, water abundantly every other day or once every three days;
- for begonias, winter care at home includes watering the soil when the top layer dries 1.5-2 cm or once every 10 days;
- every 10-14 days it is necessary to add complex fertilizer to the water for irrigation;
- do not allow water to stagnate in the trays to avoid rotting of the roots;
- You can water only with clean water at room temperature that has been standing for 2-4 days.
Begonia: popular varieties
Begonia will appeal to lovers of both bright flowers and unusual foliage plants. The variety of species gives you a lot of options to choose from, so we advise you to spend an hour pleasantly photographing popular or more outlandish species of begonia.
For example, let's take a few popular ones, hoping that other types will not be offended!
Royal begonia (begonia rex)
This is the case when the deciduous form without flowers is striking in beauty: the spreading heart-shaped leaves of rex begonia have an incredible color. Crimson, purple, brown - an extremely unusual range of colors for the leaves of a plant!
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Publication from Indoor flowers and plants in St. Petersburg (@plant.my.home)
Coral begonia (begonia corallina)
The coral clusters of this begonia stand out brightly against the speckled leaves. If you turn the sheet over, you will notice that the back and front sides differ in color. This type of begonia is loved by plant growers for its direct hint of tropical wild beauty. It looks very exotic in our homes.
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Begonia coral
