Begonia room

Contents

Types of room begonia
- decorative leafy
- Blossoming
Caring for room begonia at home
Reproduction of room begonias at home
Transplanting room begonias at home
Diseases of room begonia
Room begonia pests
Popular questions and answers
- Sources of

Begonias are one of the most popular indoor plants. They amaze with the shapes and color of the leaves, some species bloom beautifully. However, not everyone manages to grow them. Because begonias have their whims

The diversity of begonias is amazing: botanists number about 1600 species, and the number of currently existing cultivars and hybrids cannot be counted at all (1). The main habitat of begonias in the wild is the tropical rainforests of South America and Africa, as well as the mountainous regions of Asia.

The first representatives of the species were described by the French explorer monk Charles Plumier during an expedition to the islands of the Antilles archipelago. The organizer of the expedition was Michel Begon, quartermaster of the French fleet in Marseilles, after whom Plumier named the new plant genus he had discovered.

In culture, begonia has been grown since the 2th century, the appearance of the first hybrid varieties also belongs to the same time. There are not only indoor, but also garden varieties of begonias that are grown in open ground (XNUMX).

Types of room begonia

As mentioned above, the number of species, varieties and hybrids of begonia is very large, so their classification is difficult even for specialists (2). According to the nature of the growth of the aerial part, begonia species can be divided into herbaceous, semi-shrubs and liana-shaped (ampelous). According to the peculiarities of the development of the root system – into rhizomatous and tuberous. By decorative properties – into flowering and decorative leaves (3). It is clear that it is not possible to list all types of indoor begonias here, so it makes sense to mention only the most common ones.

decorative leafy

Begonia royal (Begonia rex). View with leaves of an irregular heart-shaped shape or twisted at the base in the form of a “snail”, naked or slightly pubescent. With a normal plant height of 40 – 50 cm, the leaf plate can be up to 30 cm long and up to 20 cm wide, but more compact varieties of this begonia are popular among flower growers. The color palette of royal begonia leaves is huge: these are all kinds of transitions of green, red, purple, brown and even silver tones, there are begonia varieties with almost black, speckled, bordered leaves. The flowering of this begonia is inconspicuous.

Popular varieties:

Merry Christmas (Merry Christmas) – with soft transitions of cherry, pink, emerald and silver tones;
Evening Glow (Evening Glow) – the middle of the leaves is bright crimson, towards the edge the shade turns into silver with a dark reddish border;
Escargot (Escargot) – an unusual variety with a very pronounced “snail” shape of the leaf, spirally twisted towards the petiole, the shade of the leaves varies from dark green in the center through a wide silver stripe to green-olive at the edge;
Hallelujah (Hallelujah) – leaves of a pointed shape with a medium pronounced “snail”, the core and border of the leaf are red-violet, between them the leaf is green with silvery splashes;
Inka Knight (Inca Night) – a very bright variety with pointed leaves of rich red color with a very dark brown border.

Begonia Bauera, or tiger (Begonia bowerae). Compact begonia (up to 25 cm) with medium-sized rounded leaves of spotted color, which have pubescence on the reverse side and sparse “hairs” along the edges. The shoots are creeping, so the plant can be grown in hanging pots. The flowers are unremarkable.

Grades:

Cleopatra (Cleopatra) – with pointed “star-shaped” leaves of dark green color with a noticeable pubescence on the outer side, which gives the sheet a silvery sheen;
Tiger (Tiger) – leaves are rounded, with dark brownish veins and light green intervals, the plant is compact, shoots rarely reach a length of more than 15 cm.

Begonia metallic (Begonia metallica). The heart-shaped or pointed leaves of this begonia have a rich green color with a “metallic” sheen. A very compact type of begonia with shoots about 10 cm long.

Red Begonia, or Fista (Begonia erythrophylla). “Grandma’s” begonia of a very recognizable appearance with round, smooth or slightly wrinkled glossy leaves on dense petioles. The reverse side of the leaves is shiny, dark pink or red. The height of the plant is up to 25 cm, the width is often greater than the height.

Blossoming

coral begonia (Begonia corallina). A large shrub-type begonia, reaching a height of 90-100 cm. The leaves are oval-pointed, green, with small light specks. This type of begonia blooms beautifully with small pink or red flowers in strongly drooping clusters of inflorescences. There are few varieties, there are varieties of this begonia with jagged leaves, for example, President Carnot.

Begonia, evergreen (Begonia semperflorens). Shrub up to 60 cm high with abundant and very long flowering, in room conditions it can last almost the whole year. The leaves are medium-sized, rounded, the flowers are double, in different shades of pink and red, sometimes white. There are a lot of varieties and hybrids of this begonia, there are compact ones with larger flowers. It is rather difficult to single out the most popular varieties of this begonia due to their large assortment; new hybrids appear literally every year.

begonia elatior, or winter (Begonia x elatior). These plants are sometimes mistakenly referred to as a separate species, but in fact Elatior is a group of hybrid begonias of a not entirely clear species. This variety of flowering begonias is one of the most popular among flower growers and breeders, its distinguishing feature is the ability to bloom in winter. The height of an adult plant is about 30 cm (sometimes up to 40 cm), it forms a dense bush of a “bouquet” appearance. The flowers are medium-sized, but very numerous, depending on the variety, they vary from simple to densely double. The shades of the flowers are bright and varied, not only begonias with flowers of cold blue tones. You can find varieties of Elatior begonias with bicolor or bordered flowers.

ampelous begonia, or dangling (Begonia pendula). Strictly speaking, this is not a species, but the collective name for a group of begonias with hanging shoots, which are grown in pots and hanging baskets. Most often these are begonias with a tuberous root system. Ampel begonias vary widely in the shape and shade of leaves and flowers, the flowers are most often white, red, pink and yellow, drooping, located at the ends of the shoots. Interesting variety series Cascade, which includes plants with double flowers.

Caring for room begonia at home

The complexity of caring for begonias can vary depending on the species. The easiest to grow are royal begonia, Bauer begonia, red-leaved begonia, everflowering begonia and begonia elatior.

Ground

The soil for begonias should be nutritious, loose, with a slightly acidic reaction and good water and air permeability. Experienced flower growers believe that the requirements for soil differ in flowering, ornamental and tuberous begonias.

When buying ready-made soil for decorative and deciduous species, it is better to choose a specialized one designed specifically for begonias. Flowering plants can also be planted in it, but it is better to look for a special composition for flowering begonias or for other flowering plants with similar requirements for soil characteristics. For tuberous begonias, nutrient soils for flowering houseplants are suitable, where perlite or vermiculite can be added.

When buying, pay attention to the composition of the soil mixture: it is desirable that it contains biohumus, vermiculite, micro and macro elements.

Lighting

Begonia prefers bright diffused lighting without direct sunlight, which can burn delicate leaves. For flowering begonias and ornamental deciduous varieties with brightly colored leaves, bright light is a must. Metallic, redleaf, and coral begonias tolerate some shade. The features of Elatior begonias are interesting: they bloom only after daylight hours are reduced to 9 hours – that is why they usually bloom in the cold season. In order for flowering to be long, after the formation of buds it is very important not to move the plant – a change in lighting (up to the angle of incidence of light rays) leads to a deterioration in flowering.

Humidity

Begonias need moderately humid air. In the warm season (if there is no heat for many days), the level of humidity in a ventilated room is quite sufficient for it. In winter, indoor air is usually dry due to heating devices, so begonias need additional moisture. The best option is a room humidifier. If it is not available, a begonia pot can be placed in a tray with wet expanded clay, pebbles, moss, sand, or other similar material. In extreme cases, a wide, low container of water is also suitable, which must be placed near the begonia pot.

Be careful: spraying begonias is strictly not recommended, this leads to spots on the leaves.

Watering

Correctly adjusting watering is the main difficulty in caring for begonias. They are moisture-loving, but waterlogging very quickly leads to rotting of the roots. Overdrying is also dangerous for them, so maintaining optimal soil moisture is very important.

In summer, begonias are watered abundantly about 2 times a week, in extreme heat they increase the frequency, but not the volume of watering. Between waterings, the soil in the pot should dry out, but not dry out completely (this can be checked by dipping your finger into the soil: at a shallow depth it should already be wet).

In winter, the frequency and volume of watering for most begonias is approximately halved. For Elatior begonias, during the flowering period, the normal level of soil moisture is maintained, and after flowering, watering is reduced so that the soil dries out almost completely, but does not dry out completely. Tuberous begonias with a pronounced dormant period in winter are not watered at all or almost. When watering tuberous begonias, make sure that water does not fall directly on the tuber.

Water for watering begonias should be warm and always well settled. If the tap water in your area contains a lot of lime, this can lead to alkalization of the soil in begonia pots, so it is recommended to occasionally add a few drops of citric acid to the water for irrigation.

The best time to water begonias is in the morning. In the warm season, they can be watered in the evening, but not during the day, in the heat.

Begonias benefit from periodic loosening of the soil after watering – this improves air access to the roots. Any water that enters the pan is drained immediately.

fertilizers

It is best to use special liquid fertilizers for begonias – they have a balanced composition that is suitable for this particular crop. You can also use fertilizers intended for decorative leafy and flowering houseplants.

Fertilizers with a large amount of nitrogen are only suitable for begonias with decorative leaves, as they contribute to the formation of green mass. Blooming begonias need compositions with a predominant content of phosphorus and potassium. For flowering begonias, especially Elatior, you can use long-acting fertilizers, such as tablets or sticks.

Feeding

Begonias are fed during the period of active growth, from April to the end of September, once every 1 weeks, applying liquid fertilizers along with watering. Elatior begonias can be fed a little less often – 2 time in 1 weeks. Begonias that bloom in winter are fed at this time with a frequency of 3 time per month, after flowering, feeding is stopped.

Since there are so many types of begonias, general recommendations may not suit your particular flower, so it is better to start top dressing with a dosage of 1/2 of the recommended one. With an excess of nitrogen, flowering begonias form abundant foliage, but the buds are not tied.

Shredding, blanching and falling off of healthy leaves, stunting during the active growing season, dying of buds may indicate a nutrient deficiency. Monitor your plants and adjust doses and fertilizing schedules based on their condition.

Trimming

In bush begonias, it is recommended to pinch the tops of the shoots – this allows you to form a lush bush.

Flowering begonias need to be cut off flower stalks after flowering. Elatior begonias go into a dormant period after flowering, and many flower growers practice a rather radical pruning of all shoots that resume after the plant enters the growing season.

Old shoots of many types of begonia tend to become bare, losing leaves, so it is recommended to remove them.

For sanitary purposes, dry and damaged leaves and shoots are removed from all types of begonias.

Reproduction of room begonias at home

The begonia flower easily propagates vegetatively – by cuttings, by dividing bushes and tubers, by rooting the leaf. You can grow begonias from seeds, but seeds of your own collection are most often not suitable for this: the most beautiful begonias usually have a hybrid origin, and in hybrids, daughter plants grown from seeds do not inherit parental traits.

Cuttings. The easiest and most convenient way, especially since you can use waste from begonia pruning made in spring and early summer.

Cuttings can be obtained from any part of the shoot, the main thing is that they have at least 2 – 3 nodes. The leaves, except for the upper ones, are removed, the stalk is placed in a glass of water at room temperature and kept in a moderately warm and well-lit place. After the roots appear, the begonia is transplanted into the ground.

You can root cuttings directly in the ground. To do this, the lower part of the cutting is powdered with a root formation stimulator (for example, Kornevin), then the cutting is placed in a moist substrate. The container is covered with a bag or transparent plastic and kept in a warm, bright place, periodically ventilating and, if necessary, moistening the soil. A sign that the cutting has taken root is the appearance of young leaves. After that, the cover is removed, the plant is looked after as usual.

By division. Practiced for bush and tuberous begonias, it can be combined with a spring transplant. Division is useful primarily for overgrown and aging begonia flowers, which are thus rejuvenated.

The plant is carefully removed from the pot, the roots are cleaned from the ground or, if necessary, lightly washed. The rhizome is cut with a sharp sterilized tool so that each part has an approximately equal number of strong shoots. The cut is sprinkled with activated carbon or wood ash. Delenki are planted in pots.

The tuber division technology is almost the same: the tuber is cut so that each part has healthy sprouts, the cut is allowed to dry and sprinkled with coal or ash. After that, the delenki are planted in the ground and kept in a warm, bright place, protected from direct sun.

Leaf. The method is well suited for begonias with a short or unexpressed stem.

The propagation leaf is cut off with a part of the petiole and placed in a glass of water, which is changed every day. After the roots appear, the leaf is planted in the ground – it will give rise to a whole plant.

Sheet parts. A somewhat more laborious method and not always successful, but it allows you to get several plants from one leaf at once.

The leaf is cut and the veins are cut on the reverse side or divided into parts-segments so that each of them has one longitudinal and 2 or more transverse veins. The lower part with a longitudinal vein is buried in wet sand, the container is covered with a transparent lid and kept in a warm, bright place, periodically airing. The soil, if necessary, is moistened with a spray bottle.

Rooting can take up to 3 months. Young plants obtained in this way grow very slowly at first.

Transplanting room begonias at home

Begonias are usually transplanted in early spring, adult plants with active growth need to be transplanted once a year. Plants planted in large pots or slow growing plants can be transplanted once every 1 years. Elatior begonias are transplanted after the end of flowering, when the plant enters a dormant period.

A signal of the need for a transplant is the roots coming out of the drainage holes of the pot. Strongly overgrown and old bushes during transplantation are recommended to be divided.

A new pot for a begonia flower should be 2 – 3 cm larger than the previous one. The roots of most begonias are sensitive, so it is advisable to transfer the plants to a new container, while retaining a significant part of the earthy coma – they only gently shake off excess earth from it.

It makes sense to wash the roots if root rot is suspected. The washed root system is inspected, all damaged and rotten roots are removed, then soaked for about an hour in a pink solution of potassium permanganate. Before planting in a new container, the roots are slightly dried.

When planting, it is impossible to deepen the root neck of begonias and strongly compact the soil. After transplanting, the plant is returned to its usual place, provided with abundant regular watering and protection from direct sun.

Diseases of room begonia

Root rot. This disease of indoor begonias is caused by pathogenic fungi and in the vast majority of cases is the result of excessive watering. Signs of the disease are begonias stopping in growth and the death of leaves throughout the plant. You can accurately determine that a begonia is sick with root rot, you can only take it out of the pot.

Affected roots are blackened, sluggish, easily separated from the plant. If only part of the root system is affected, all diseased roots are removed, the root system is soaked in a fungicide solution: Vitaros, Oksihom, Alirin-B, Ordan (4), etc. Then the plant is transplanted into fresh soil.

With a strong defeat, it is unlikely that it will be possible to save the begonia, you can try to root cuttings from it.

Gray mold. It primarily affects the aerial part of the plant, it is especially dangerous when the begonia flower is kept in conditions of high temperature and humidity. Signs of gray rot are “watery” grayish spots on leaves and petioles. Over time, the spots increase, become slimy, parts of the plants die off.

Upon detection of gray rot, all affected parts of the plant are immediately removed, the begonia is treated with copper-based fungicides: Hom, Oxyhom, Bordeaux mixture 1% (4).

Powdery mildew. This begonia disease develops in high humidity and is most often introduced from other plants. A sign of the disease is a very characteristic powdery coating on leaves and / or other parts of the plant.

To combat powdery mildew, use the copper-containing fungicides mentioned above, or a solution of colloidal sulfur at a concentration of 0,3 – 0,5%.

Vascular bacteriosis. The disease manifests itself by yellowing and darkening of the leaves, starting from the edges. A very characteristic feature is the darkening and death of the leaf veins.

In the early stages of the disease, the plant can be saved by removing the affected parts and treating the plant with fungicides. With a strong lesion, it is better to get rid of the diseased begonia.

ring spot. A very dangerous disease of room begonia. Signs – yellow and brown spots of a rounded shape, often with areas of necrosis in the middle. The leaves may take on a reddish tint.

The disease is viral in nature, so there is no cure for it. A diseased plant should be disposed of as soon as possible to avoid infecting the rest.

Room begonia pests

Aphid. These are very small wingless greenish insects that can be seen with the naked eye. Signs of pest damage to begonias are blanching and dying of leaves.

It is most convenient to fight aphids with the help of a special green soap, in extreme cases, you can use household soap. Sometimes tobacco infusion is used at home. Of the agrochemical agents for aphids, Actellik or Fitoverm are used (4).

whitefly. A whitish winged insect with a body length of up to 2 mm. Signs of infection are the same as for aphids.

The means of control are similar: washing the plant with green soap (2-3 times with an interval of several days) or insecticidal preparations: Aktellik, Fitoverm (4).

Spider mite. The most common pest of begonias and other indoor plants, which manifests itself by weakening the leaves and a characteristic spider web on different parts of the plant.

From spider mites, the same remedies are used as from aphids and whiteflies, Kleshchevit has proven itself well (4).

False shield. Large begonia pests up to 4 mm in size are easily identified as brown outgrowths – “shields” attached to the leaves, most often on the reverse side.

Begonias with dense few leaves can be mechanically removed from scale insects: the plant is washed with green soap, cleaning the scale insects with a soft toothbrush. If the lesion is severe or begonia with tender foliage is infected, the plant must be treated with Aktellik or Aktara (4) according to the instructions.

Thrips. A dangerous pest of indoor begonias and other plants is a winged insect up to 2 mm long. Adults are black or dark brown, larvae are orange.

From thrips, the same means are used as from false shields, and the soil in a pot is necessarily treated. With a strong thrips infestation, it makes sense to transplant the begonia into fresh soil.