Good afternoon, my dear readers. Today I again admired my beautiful begonia, but before I was quite skeptical about such plants. For understanding, let me clarify: we are talking about the Rex variety, which belongs to the group of decorative deciduous begonias, which have gained popularity precisely because of their magnificent greenery.
The flowers of such species are inconspicuous, but beautiful lush leaves successfully provide an alternative to them. Caring for them at home is not difficult, but the magnificent multi-colored greenery (and experts count up to 900 species) will bring you joy and positivity and will become a real decoration in the interior of your home.
Where does begonia grow best?
The homeland of this beautiful plant is the tropics and subtropics of Africa and South America, respectively, and when grown indoors they need to create similar conditions.
Begonia loves light, but does not tolerate direct, burning rays of the sun. Keep this in mind when planning the placement of flower pots, because one of the common mistakes of novice gardeners is placing plants in the sun. All three cardinal directions, excluding the fourth - the south, are suitable for begonias, so you can always find a place for the plant in the apartment.
IMPORTANT! Begonia, like many other flowers, does not like drafts, so care must be taken to ensure that these unpleasant phenomena are absent.
Combination with other plants
When kept indoors, evergreen begonia is tolerant of other indoor plants.
In a flowerbed, the flower goes well with ground cover plants . Semperflorence looks good next to alyssum, verbena, and cineraria.
Growing everblooming begonia is easier than it seems. Even a novice gardener can do this plant.
Room temperature
It is necessary to ensure a stable air temperature so that there are no sudden changes. You should also monitor the level of humidity, after all, this “miracle” comes from the tropics, and therefore dry air has a detrimental effect on the growth, condition and color of the leaves.
In this case, it is necessary to comply with the norm and avoid overmoistening, otherwise the begonia branches will begin to rot. The best option for winter, when operating heating systems “dry” the air, is to place flower pots in a tray with slightly moistened sphagnum or gravel.
Spraying is useful, but it must be done carefully and correctly so that drops of water do not fall on the leaves, but form a cloud around the plant. Only heated, settled or filtered water is used.
Your room will have a constant temperature and normal humidity, the begonia leaves will be rich in color, bright, and beautiful.
Popular varieties with photos
Among the huge number of hybrid varieties, every gardener will be able to choose an interesting specimen for himself. The most popular are begonias.
Alba
This begonia can often be found in a flower bed. Its tall (up to 0.45 m) spreading bush looks good in ridges and flower beds.
Begonia is grown as an annual and is renewed annually, since the plant gives large (up to half a meter) annual growth.
It is distinguished by the rich dark green color of the leaves with a light waxy coating and large white flowers, collected in brushes of 14 pieces.
Albert Martin
Belongs to the dwarf varieties of ever-flowering begonia. It has small, dense green leaves with a pronounced reddish border along the edge and small flowers of a bright purple hue, collected in brushes of 9 pieces.
Ambassador F1
A medium-sized hybrid that unites a series with a noticeable red border along the edge of the petals. Easy to care for and resistant to adverse factors.
Bada boom F1
A medium-sized variety with a bush height of up to 0.25 m. The plant is noteworthy for its leaf blades with a pronounced bronze tint.
Bella
A low begonia with a shoot height of about 19 cm. This variety attracts the attention of flower growers with its lush flowering, because almost one and a half hundred flowers can bloom on a bush at the same time.
Bicola
A dwarf variety with very beautiful and vibrant flowering. The flower petals are painted in a light, almost perfect white tone with a red stripe along the edge.
Bowshin
The variety grows from 0.2 to 0.4 m in height. Attracts attention with the bright pink flowering of small corollas, with which the bush is densely strewn.
Havana scarlett
An attractive low-growing variety up to 0.2 m high with bronze foliage and red flower petals.
Galla lilu F1
The size of the hybrid is up to 0.2 m, but the bush attracts attention with light shading on the leaves and bright red-pink corollas.
Emperor red F1
The hybrid grows up to 30 cm. It has a large number of shoots with rather large single red flowers.
Begonia cocktail
It is distinguished by a pronounced bronze tint of the leaves, which creates a bright contrast with the light tone of the petals.
Carmen
Medium-sized variety with highly decorative dark brown leaf blades. The background of the leaves perfectly sets off the light color of the flower petals.
Kate Teicher
A tall variety with high decorative qualities. Its large, richly colored foliage and bright scarlet flowers also attract attention to the plant.
Queen F1
A low bush up to 0.2 m tall with rich green leaf blades differs from other ever-blooming begonias in its densely double flowers. The color of the petals can be:
- white;
- pink, both light pink and rich shade;
- red.
Begonia lotto
Belongs to medium-sized varieties. The color of the petals can be either white or deep red or pink.
Lucenets F1
A dwarf hybrid with a very interesting double color of petals. On a soft white background, a bright pink or crimson border is clearly visible.
Magma F1
A very attractive dwarf hybrid that requires virtually no care. It is distinguished by its rich chocolate color of leaves and bright red flower petals.
Olomouc F1
Dwarf hybrid, one of the most famous. It is distinguished by the milky white color of the petals and vigorous flowering.
Othello
The height of the bush rarely exceeds 0.2 m. The plant is notable for the fact that it easily forms into a ball, densely dotted with small scarlet flowers.
Begonia senator
It is considered one of the best hybrids with abundant branching, a large number of bronze leaves and an incredible number of small flowers collected in racemes.
Sprint plus F1
Hybrid series. Flower petals can be colored pink, red or white. The size of the plant is small, only up to 0.25 m.
Stara F1
A large variety whose height can reach up to half a meter. The leaf blades are a rich reddish-green hue, and the large beautiful flowers are white or pink.
Vision F1
A medium-sized hybrid with leaves of a rich dark green hue. Large flowers can be white, pink, red or coral.
Fiona F1
A low plant up to 0.2 m in height has strong, well-branched shoots, small leaf blades with a uniform green color and bright red-pink double and semi-double flower petals.
Let's talk about watering
From spraying, let's move on to the related topic of watering plants. In order for begonia to delight you with lush foliage, it is best to water it through a tray. In this case, you can avoid getting water on the surface of the beautiful carved leaves and over-moistening the earthen ball in the pot.
In winter, water moderately, in spring and summer - abundantly, avoiding stagnation of water.
Ampelnaya
The main difference between the ampel type and other varieties is the tuberous root system. The plant reaches a height of about half a meter. The leaf blades are large, 10-15 cm long. It blooms with bright yellow, orange or red flowers, which can be simple or fringed in type.
Ampelnaya
Note! The most famous varieties are Reyvans, Marmorat and Chardon.
Transfer
The basic rule is that the container where begonia grows should not be too spacious for it. This species grows better in small pots, but when replanting you need to take a pot a little larger (about a centimeter or two) than the previous one. Soil for decorative leaf begonia is a nutrient substrate, the main components of which are:
- peat;
- humus;
- deciduous soil;
- sand.
When the begonia “moves” to a new place, the earthen lump must be kept intact. This is especially important for decorative deciduous species, otherwise the greenery of the plant will lose its lushness and elasticity.
Elatior
Elatior is a small bush, reaching 25-40 cm in height. The leaves are dense, approximately 8 cm long, and shaped like an asymmetrical heart with jagged edges. Elatior flowers come in two types: simple and double. They form inflorescences in the form of a cascade.
Elatior
The most common varieties of Elatior:
- Balladin. It is distinguished by the splendor of flowering. During this, up to 70 pieces appear on one bush. colors;
- Begonia Borias. The main feature is long flowering.
How to propagate begonia?
Do you really want to increase the number of these beautiful plants in your home? Then you need to know everything about the methods of propagating begonias in order to choose the most suitable ones for yourself.
IMPORTANT! Decorative deciduous begonia must be constantly renewed and this is best done with the help of cuttings.
Reproduction methods:
- seeds (material for planting is purchased at flower shops);
- leaves;
- stem cuttings.
One leaf, two leaves
The leaf propagation method is one of the most popular and simplest, and I grew my own begonia from just such a leaf.
To do this, you need to select a leaf on the plant, carefully cut it, let the cut dry slightly, and then plant the leaf in a prepared container with substrate. Some gardeners first put the leaf in water, wait for small roots, and then plant it in the ground.
Reproduction by stem
Propagation of begonia by stem cuttings gives good results; for this you need to select either young shoots or already slightly lignified parts. Prerequisite: presence of kidneys.
Leaves are removed from the cuttings, an oblique cut is made and placed in prepared pots with substrate. It is advisable to cover the top of the cuttings with film, but be sure to remove it for ventilation and watering. It is the film that will create the necessary greenhouse microclimate for begonias, and they will quickly take root. But as soon as the plants get stronger, the film must be removed so that the begonias can adapt to the room temperature.
IMPORTANT! Decorative deciduous begonia needs regular renewal, in which case you will always have beautiful plants with spectacular greenery.
Planting and propagation
Begonia is propagated by all standard methods: division, cuttings and stems. But different species have their own nuances. Be sure to familiarize yourself with them in advance, otherwise the begonia will not bloom.
It's easiest with tuberous varieties. It is enough to trim, separate and replant the tubers in the sand mixture in February-May. Just keep in mind that they germinate and take root slowly. Any soil mixture for deciduous plants is suitable for planting begonias. She is not demanding in this matter. There is no need for regular transplantation. This must be done as the flower grows, so that the root system is comfortable in the flowerpot.
Photo: whiteflowerfarm.com
Photo: asienda.ru
Tradescantia (60 photos): types and features of care
You need to know the enemy
The list of “opponents” of begonia should include:
- dry air (we described in detail how to water and spray);
- powdery mildew;
- mold;
- gray rot;
- aphid;
- poutine mite.
To be fair, let’s say that these plants are quite unpretentious, they are resistant to diseases and pests, but if some kind of misfortune occurs, then improper care and non-compliance with the regime are most often to blame.
Mold and powdery mildew are removed with special compounds, after removing all plaque from the leaves. But in the fight against pests, infusions of ordinary garlic, chamomile or tobacco help well.
I think you are convinced that not much effort is required when growing begonias, but this flower will thank you with its magnificent colorful greenery.
Briefly about care
- Lighting: the flower loves bright, diffused light. Some species need weak sunlight for bright leaf colors.
- Temperature: optimal is between 18-23 °C, in winter about 15-16 °C
- The flower needs high humidity, from 50%
- A rest period is required for the plant. In some species it is not obvious, while in others it is marked by the complete death of the ground part.
- Watering is moderate, when the top layer of soil dries 1-2 cm.
- The soil needs to be nutritious and loose, with good water and breathability.
- Transplantation occurs as the earth clod is developed: for young flowers once a year, for adults - once every two years.
- Fertilizers for begonias are mandatory: without them, the plant stops developing properly. You need to feed the flower 2 times a month during the growing season.
- Propagation of the flower is quite simple, using several methods: stem or leaf cuttings, dividing the rhizome or tuber, and seeds.
- Diseases develop with improper care. These are mainly fungal diseases.
- Pests only attack a weakened plant. You can get rid of them quite simply.
