Begonia blooms are valued for the beauty and abundance of their flowers. Among them there are evergreens that can be kept at home throughout the year, for example, begonia eternally flowering.
Some of the most spectacular flowering begonias are tuberous begonias, these are potted crops, such as, for example, Lorrain begonia hybrids and Elatior begonia hybrids. After flowering, these plants end their growing life and are usually thrown away. Tuberous begonias bloom in summer and autumn (with good care from spring to December), they lose their leaves for the winter.
In autumn, when tuberous begonias begin to go dormant, watering is reduced, and after the leaves fall, they stop altogether. Tubers are freed from the ground and stored in boxes in the sand, in a cool room. When wintering tubers in the room, in pots, they are watered from time to time, but without allowing dampness.
At home, both species begonia are grown: Begonia coccinea, Begonia glaucophylla, etc., and hybrids obtained by crossing two or more species of begonia, many of which have very beautiful leaves and bloom beautifully and abundantly.
Species flowering begonias
Begonia bright red Begonia coccinea is a large, slightly branching bush-like plant with erect stems, on average the height of the bush is 1.5 m, but it can be higher, while the shoots begin to droop from their own gravity, require support. Some of the old tuberous plants have stems exposed in the lower part. Leaves are elongated-ovate, with a wavy edge about 12 cm long on shortened petioles. The surface of the leaf is smooth and shiny, light green in color, without spots, the reverse side and edge of the leaf have a reddish tint. Bright red or pink flowers are collected in panicle inflorescences.
Begonia sizolistaya Begonia glaucophylla is a shrub-like, well-branching plant, reaches 1 m tall. Shoots are initially erect, then drooping. Over time, the plant takes an ampel form and is grown in hanging planters. Leaves are ovoid, pointed at the end, with a slightly wavy edge, up to 12 cm long, on short petioles. The surface of the leaf is smooth, bright green, without spots. Red (coral and red-pink) flowers, about 1.5 cm in diameter, are collected in an inflorescence brush. Синонимы: Begonia limmingheana (limmingheiana), Begonia radicans, Begonia procumbens. It blooms willingly and easily, if the soil is nutritious enough, flowering is long, mainly in the summer months.
Begonia everlasting Begonia semperflorens is a small shrub-like plant, shoots reach about 60 cm long. In the young bush, they are erect, then droop, and the adult plant has a semi-ampel or ampel shape. Leaves are rounded, slightly pubescent along the edge, up to 6 cm long. The surface of the leaf is light green, but may be dark green and reddish. The flowers are collected in a loose panicle on a short peduncle. The flowers can be simple or double up to 2.5 cm in diameter, white, pink or red. It is distinguished by prolonged flowering, the inflorescences themselves are short-lived, fade faster in hot weather, but to replace the wilted ones, new buds immediately bloom. Flowering peaks in the summer and autumn months. It can continue to bloom in winter, especially if there is enough light and nutrients.
Hybrids of flowering begonias
These begonias are quite diverse, differ in the size and shape of the bush, the shape of the inflorescences, and there are differences in care. Hybrids of flowering begonias are combined into separate groups:
Begonia coral Begonia x 'Corallina de Lucerna' is a fungus begonia derived from the crossing of Begonia teuscheri x Begonia coccinea.
Large bush-like plant with erect stems. Leaves are elongated-ovate, pointed at the end, with a serrated edge, up to 15 cm long. The surface of the leaf is green with white inclusions or spots, the reverse side with a reddish tint. The flowers are bright pink collected in multi-flowered inflorescences of the brush. This hybrid usually refers to ornamental-deciduous begonias, but sometimes it blooms so abundantly and for so long that it would be more correct to classify it in both groups, including ornamental-flowering ones.
Begonia of the Lorraine group Begonia x Lorrain (Begonia hybrida Gloire de Lorraine) is a group of hybrids.
Plants form small bushes up to 50 cm tall, with thin slightly drooping stems. Leaves are rounded, wavy along the edge, up to 10 cm in diameter. The leaf surface is green or dark green. The flowers are about 2.5 cm in diameter, on short peduncles in loose panicles, simple (not terry), usually pink in color with various shades and white. The main flowering occurs in autumn - early winter. They often bloom for the New Year and Christmas.
Begonia of the Elatior group Begonia x Elatior is a group of hybrids.
Plants form small bushes up to 35 cm tall. The leaves are rounded (in some varieties pointed), serrated along the edge, up to 10 cm in diameter on reddish thin stems. The surface of the leaf is green. The species is similar to the previous one, but the flowers are larger, about 5 cm in diameter, on short peduncles in loose panicles. The shape of the flower is more often terry or semi-double. In some colors, the edges of the petals are even, in others - serrated, in others - slightly serrated. Color of flowers is any: white, pink, coral, scarlet, peach, yellow, orange, etc. Flowering - at any time of the year.
Begonia tuberous Begonia x tuberhybrida - a group of complex hybrids, includes several subgroups.
It is distinguished by the presence of a fleshy underground rhizome tuber. The height of the bush fluctuates in some subgroups about 30 cm, in others 80-90 cm. Subgroups of tuberous begonia are classified by flower size and shape: small flowers, medium, large, simple flowers, semi-double and double. The shape of the leaves is also somewhat different, but they are all on short petioles, asymmetrical, pointed at the end, usually with a serrated edge. But this group of real blooming begonias, all the charm of this group in abundant and beautiful flowering. Colors can be any - white, pink, salmon, red, purple, orange, yellow, etc., except for purple and blue shades.
How to care for begonia
Features of care: when growing begonias for the sake of their flowers, it is necessary to regularly cut out small female flowers that appear next to spectacular male flowers. Constantly pick old wilting flowers. Periodically inspect plants, preventing the appearance of pests and diseases and ventilate the room without creating cold drafts.
Temperature
Moderate, temperatures above 26-28 ° C are undesirable for these begonias. Winter temperature is about 17-18 ° С, but not lower than 15 ° С.
Lighting
Bright lighting, with mandatory protection from direct sunlight during the hot season (from 12 to 16 hours). East, southeast, west, northwest windows are suitable. During flowering, begonias should not stand crowded on the windows, so that one flower does not block the other. To maintain proper growth, they are periodically rotated.
Watering
In spring and summer, plentiful, but not flooded, because begonias do not like stagnation of water, as well as complete drying of an earthen coma. The water should be soft, persistent. If water flows into the tray, it must be drained. All begonias are very sensitive to overflowing, and contrary to stereotypes about tropical plants, it is easier to tolerate late watering than too frequent waterlogging. Tuberous potted begonias are not watered in winter, stored in dry peat substrate.
Air humidity
Begonias love high humidity, but do not tolerate spraying. Practice has shown that almost all types of begonia react to moisture on the leaves with the appearance of brown spots. Therefore, in hot dry weather, you can place pots with begonias on a tray or a box with wet peat or moss.
Flight connections
In early spring, tubers are planted in fresh ground. Rhizome begonias are transplanted as needed when the pot is already cramped. The soil is nutritious - a mixture of humus, leaf and turf land with the addition of a small amount of coniferous land and river sand. At the same time, the earth is not covered to the top, so that later, when additional roots are formed, it would be possible to fill the earth. It is absolutely necessary to pour drainage on the bottom of the pot, since begonium roots are very sensitive to water stagnation.
Fertilizer
Decorative-flowering begonias are useful to fertilize from the moment flower buds are formed with liquid complex fertilizer for flowering indoor plants 1 once every two weeks. Do not use nitrogenous fertilizers for deciduous plants, as this will lead to leaf growth and suppression of flowering.
Reproduction
Propagated by stem cuttings and seeds. Tuberous begonias also multiply by dividing sprouted tubers. The tuber is cut in half, so that each part has sprouts and roots, the cuts on the tuber are sprinkled with coal or sulfur. They plant nodules so that its top rises slightly above the soil level.
The challenges of growing begonias
Leaves turn yellow or discolor, flowers lose color - with insufficient watering or lack of nutrients in the soil. The same symptoms can be with a lack of light or too bright sunlight in shade-tolerant begonias.
Brown dry leaf tips - too dry indoor air, insufficient watering, lack of potassium in flowering begonias.
The leaves are pale, sluggish, on the petioles areas of softening - excessive watering, causing stem rot.
Falling leaves and flowers - cold drafts, watering with cold water, severe lack of light, excess moisture in the soil, too high or too low room temperature.
Diseases Begonius
Powdery mildew. Fungal disease - a white or grayish coating appears on leaves, flowers, buds, shoots, as if dusted. Gradually, the affected parts of the plant brown and die.
Control measures. Begonia must be sprayed with a fungicide solution, such as topaz solution. The infection is contagious, all flowers in the room (on the balcony) should be treated. Repeat processing after 10 days.
Grey rot. Brownish translucent spots appear on the leaves or stems. Over time, a gray coating appears on them, mushroom spores become noticeable. If left untreated, the plant will die.
Control measures. Begonias are sprayed with 0.2% fundazole solution (2 ml per liter of water) or 0.1% topsin solution (1 ml per liter of water). The spraying is repeated three weeks later until complete recovery.
Spots on begonias. Sometimes spots of various shapes and colors appear on the leaves and stems of begonias, dark brown or glassy-oily. They can be of bacterial or fungal origin, when the infection penetrates the soil or spores are introduced with air. And sometimes spots are caused by a banal violation of care - excessive watering, thickening of plants on the windowsill, poor soil aeration.
Control measures. To begin with, remove all affected parts of the plant, trim dry shoots, leaves with spots. Then test the soil with your finger at depth. Is it too raw. Adjust the watering, loosen the soil in the pots, make sure it is not too cold or dark. If the conditions of care have returned to normal, and there are no improvements with begonia, new spots appear, it is worth trying fungicide treatment, you can apply 'Bona Forte' or 'Topaz'.