From a huge number of species and varieties of begonia (lat. Begonia), each grower will find a plant to his liking. The flower looks great not only in the garden, but also in the interior of residential buildings. Having created ideal conditions for a tropical beauty, she will not stint her gratitude in the form of lush flowering.
Begonia: home care
Begonia care is not much different from caring for other decorative-flowering plants. It does not require much time and attention, but even under poor growing conditions it will not show all its beauty. To preserve the flower's health, it is necessary to choose the right place on the windowsill, to ensure regular watering and humidification.
Flowering of one of the begonia varieties
First steps - care for begonias after purchase
Immediately after the purchase, you will need a special begonia care. If you do not hold special events, the flower can at best adapt for a long time to home conditions or not give inflorescences in the coming years, in the worst - die.
How to take care of begonia in a pot at home, so that the shoots are branched and lush, and flowering is long and bright:
- choose the right place to grow. If the flower was brought into the house in the spring and summer, then the windowsill on the north side is better. If begonia appeared in the house in the autumn-winter period, it is worth giving preference to the western or eastern windowsill. The south side is not suitable for growing, as the sun's rays can burn leaves and lead to various diseases of begonia;
- Do not plant immediately in a new pot. The first two weeks the flower does not need to be disturbed. If the purchase occurred during the flowering period, then it is not touched until until all the inflorescences have fallen. Begonia should be transplanted only when the soil is poor;
- comply with quarantine. By this concept is meant isolation of a plant from other plants. This is necessary to protect other domestic flowers from possible infection if parasite larvae are on the purchased. You need to immediately select a quarantine location, since begonia is hard to tolerate permutations;
- water it. No need to water and fertilize the plant for the first five days until it adapts to new conditions. To fill the moisture deficit, a vessel with water is placed on the windowsill.
If begonia tolerated the adaptation period well, then there will be no problems in its cultivation in the future.
Choosing a pot and soil for planting or transplanting
Home begonia is transplanted:
- after the adaptation period after the purchase;
- to stimulate flowering;
- with poor soil quality;
- at overflow;
- as the plants grow.
Note! Indoor begonia actively grows in universal soil or specialized for violets, which is rich in peat. The earth must pass air well to prevent root decay.
Soil can be prepared independently, however it will bring a lot of trouble and little benefit. At the bottom of the pot drainage must be laid with a layer of at least 2 cm.
How and where to plant begonia? During each transplant, the pot is selected 3 cm wider than the previous one. The plant is removed carefully with an earthen lump to avoid injury to the root system.
Regular feeding
Begonia requires mandatory top dressing during budding. Fertilizer is applied during the entire flowering period until its end. Nitrogen-free complex formulations are used, which are added to the pot twice a month.
For your information! Nitrogen is necessary for all ornamental plants, as it is responsible for the development of deciduous mass. If you offer begonia nitrogen at the time of flowering, it will lose buds.
Temperature mode
Begonia flower loves average air temperature: in winter it can exist at 15 ° C, in summer at 22 ° C. The plant does not tolerate extreme heat, like frost. Even if the temperature goes beyond comfortable, it will be better than its sharp drops. If you need to transfer the pot to other conditions, it is best to do it gradually.
Proper watering
Watering regimen depends on the season. In summer, begonia flowers will bloom being in moist soil, while you need to be careful not to provoke stagnation of water and decay of the roots. Moderate watering is carried out approximately once every three days. If the weather is hot and the pot is on the south side, daily watering may be required.
In the autumn-winter period, the frequency of irrigation is reduced, you need to focus on the state of the earthen coma. It can be moistened when the topsoil has dried out a few centimeters.
For begonia, the best option for irrigation is soil impregnation. This is done as follows: a pot with holes is placed in a container of water, the soil itself will absorb the amount of moisture necessary for it.
Important! Used distilled or filtered water.
Optimum air humidity
A tropical plant is accustomed to a humid climate, so at home it needs to provide similar conditions. If there is no humidifier in the house, a vessel with water is placed next to it. The second option is wetting by spreading wet expanded clay or gravel into the pallet. Humidity should not fall below 60%.
Note! It is forbidden to spray leaves from the spray gun, this can lead to their drying, the formation of brown spots on them.
Enough light
Begonia should be grown in bright light, while the place is chosen so that direct sunlight does not fall on the leaves and buds. In summer, the plant is shaded with a canopy or transparent tulle.
Pest and Disease Control
Understand that the plant is sick, you can on the following grounds:
- dry shoots;
- leaf fall;
- faded greens;
- lack of flowering.
To understand the causes of the loss of signs of life in begonia, you need to familiarize yourself with common diseases and parasites.
Leaves of a diseased plant
First of all, you need to analyze the growing conditions of the plant, often it begins to wither due to non-compliance with temperature or light conditions.
For what reasons begonia starts to hurt:
- dry leaf edges - improper watering, vascular bacteriosis;
- falling leaves and flowers - dry air, insufficient watering;
- falling buds, darkening of leaves and flowers - stagnation of water in the soil, spraying;
- pallor of leaves - choosing the wrong place to grow, shadow;
- twisting of leaves from the sides - dry air or soil;
- drying out of the leaves - lack of top dressing, spider mite;
- sticky coating on the leaves - scale insect;
- gray spots on the leaves - gray rot;
- white coating on the leaves - powdery mildew (provoke its development of heat and dry air).
If bugs were found in the soil or on shoots, treatment is carried out only with the help of insecticides. The pot is transported away from other flowers to avoid infection.
Pests are initially removed mechanically, the soil is replaced. You can buy a drug against parasites in a flower shop, the method and frequency of use is indicated in the instructions.
Important! It is necessary not only to remove existing bugs, but also their larvae.
Features of winter care
In winter, the plant provides peace. The better the begonia will tolerate the autumn-winter period, the more it will give buds in the spring. There are no specific dates when it is necessary to start introducing a flower into hibernation; you need to look at the situation.
The air temperature in the room must be maintained at 16 ° C, watering is reduced to once a week. If the room is more than 22 ° C, abundant watering is maintained, the plant continues to grow and develop.
Note! Due to the reduction in daylight, the shoots will lose their color and stretch.
How to care for begonias in winter: the pot is transferred to bright light, the sun's rays are no longer dangerous, they do not burn leaves. After sunset, the plant can provide artificial lighting.
Begonia at the beginning of flowering
From batteries and radiators it is better to move the pot. They greatly dry the air, which begonia does not like. This is fraught with drying out of the leaves. If it is not possible to choose another place for flowers, heat sources are covered with a wet rag, the evaporation of moisture will provide air humidification. Care must be taken to ensure that moisture does not fall on the leaves, this increases the risk of infection with the fungus.
How to plant begonia in a new pot in winter? In the cold season, it is better not to disturb the plant. The root system adapts to new conditions for a long time, and in a period of dormancy and slow growth, it may not at all take root.
If the house has a begonia variety that blooms all year round, then it is not necessary to prepare it for winter. On the contrary, they provide warm air temperature and an additional source of lighting. Only flowering varieties are fed with mineral fertilizers in winter.
Begonia can be transplanted in the spring upon the onset of the growing season.
What to do if begonia does not bloom
Begonia bears value due to its lush flowering. If buds did not appear in the spring, this should alert the grower and force him to take additional measures.
Why begonia does not bloom:
- excessive or insufficient watering;
- lack of light;
- inappropriate temperature conditions;
- excess or lack of nutrition;
- drafts;
- frequent change of places.
If the plant is weakened, then all the nutrients go to maintain its life, there is simply not enough strength to bloom.
The second reason the plant does not bloom is parasite infection. If pests appeared during the flowering period, then most likely the buds will quickly fall off.
The plant will be weakened if in winter it was not provided with peace. It is hard to actively develop a flowering plant all year round, so a three-month rest is required.
It happens that the reason lies deeper, which not every grower will guess. The flower may not be suitable for the soil in which it grows, drainage, and even a pot.
For your information! Begonia blooms in adulthood. Until more than five rings have formed on its stem, there will not be enough forces and nutrients to lay buds. Reproduction is also carried out when the plant grows.
Flowering can be stimulated. The daylight hours are artificially reduced to 9 hours (the plant is covered with a black film or cloth). Such an event is held daily for two weeks. A short daylight activates the budding. During this period, complex fertilizer is applied to the soil. After that, daylight hours increase by about 2 times. Once the buds open, you can stop creating extreme conditions.
How can plants be lightened
Note! Before flowering, the shoots are nipped 2-3 times. Thus, all the forces will go not to stretch the stems in height, but to plant the buds.
How to care after begonia has bloomed
The flowering period ends with the onset of the first cold weather. Wilted buds, dry leaves, shoots directed inward are removed. This allows you to rejuvenate the plant. You need to trim the plants with a clean sharp knife, sprinkle the places of cuts with activated charcoal or wood ash.
Begonia bloom can be admired for a long time, but for the beauty of the plant, he needs to help a little, providing the correct growing conditions. Girlish beauty, as they also call begonia, is unpretentious, but ignorance of some nuances can negatively affect the growth and number of flowers.
