Begonia is truly a beautiful flower. It is good not only for its lush flowering, but also for its very unusual and decorative leaves. Asymmetrical, with a beautiful color, they look no worse than bright flowers.
Homeland of the plant
Today we all know begonia as a popular indoor flower. But this plant is quite common in its natural environment. It does well in the subtropical climate of Asia, as well as Africa and America. Moreover, it grows not only in humid forests, but also in the mountains and even on rocks. It is not known exactly when scientists discovered this flower, and how it happened that today it is homemade. But there are some beautiful stories about this.
It is said that the adorable ever-blooming flower was allegedly seen by a French monk in the 17th century during his stay in Haiti. He also described the plant, and gave it a name in honor of the then governor of this island, namely - Michel Begon. He loved rare plants and even collected them.
There is another version, according to which it was the very same Begon who equipped the expedition of scientists to the West Indies. It was there that they found this species, which was named after the patron saint.
However, many different types of begonias have been found and described since then. She fell in love with connoisseurs of flowers, and now home begonias are full inhabitants of window sills in many apartments.
Begonia - species
Today, about 1000 species of begonias are known. And this is not counting the hybrids that were obtained by breeders (there are about 2,000 of these hybrids). Most of them can be grown at home. And all these crops are subdivided into flowering and deciduous. The first, in turn, are divided into tuberous, bush and other types.
Consider the most popular types of begonias:
- Tuberous begonia. This type of flower can look different, flowers come in various shapes and sizes - from five to fifteen centimeters in diameter, the most variable form - similar to a peony, a rose, a carnation. The flower of such a begonia is either double or simple, the colors are very bright - red, orange, yellow. There may be a border along the edge, the petals are monochromatic or two-colored.
- Royal. The name of this group was not given by chance, the plants have a truly royal appearance. Since the species is deciduous (more correctly, leafy), its main charm is not in flowers, but in leaves. They are very large, up to thirty centimeters long. In addition, they are very bright, interesting shapes - either spiral or hearts, and even colored non-uniformly: in red, brownish, dark green tones.
- Eternal blooming. This is perhaps the most popular begonia, it is from the bushy group. Growing is possible not only at home, but also in the garden. But it is in the indoor version that begonia can bloom almost all year round. Her flowers are rather small, the color is red, pink, white. The leaves are glossy, with a red and greenish tint.
- Ampelnaya. It belongs to tuberous begonias and looks very good as an option for vertical gardening. The flowering of such begonias is very abundant, the shoots hang down, like garlands, twenty to thirty centimeters down. Flowers bloom throughout the growing season, their bright colors - white, crimson, yellow, orange - are pleasing to the eye.
- Eliator. This is a flowering hybrid, all varieties from this group have a tuber, the shoots are quite thin, so they need support. It is grown exclusively at home. Flowering occurs in autumn and winter, the flowers are not particularly large, the petals are white, yellow, orange and red. Leaves are glossy, rounded.
Plant care
Both planting and caring for begonias are not particularly difficult. The plant does not need frequent transplantation, the begonia likes a very moderate temperature. But since this is still a tropical flower, a necessary condition is high humidity of the surrounding air.
Watering, lighting
The room in which the begonia grows should be well lit. But the light doesn't have to be direct. Flowering varieties love diffused lighting, and deciduous ones even prefer partial shade. The best place where you can put a pot of begonias is the window sill of the west or east window. However, additional lighting may be required in winter.
Since the plant loves moisture, it should be watered often enough. It is best to pre-defend the water, and pour out the excess accumulated in the pan. Watering rules are as follows:
- in the summer, twice a week, very abundant
- if it's hot, then every day
- starting in October - as soon as the topsoil dries a little
- in winter - minimal watering
- starting in March - gradually increasing the frequency of watering
It is important to know that tuberous begonias go into hibernation in winter. Therefore, they must be transplanted into peat and generally stop watering.
Air humidity
Despite the fact that, as already mentioned, begonia loves humid air, it cannot be sprayed. This is fraught with the appearance of spots on delicate leaves, diseases. It is necessary to create a special microclimate for the flower. To do this, you can put a flowerpot in a plant on a saucer filled with moist peat. Or pour pebbles into a tray, pour water and put a pot there. The water will gradually evaporate and give the desired moisture to the flower.
Temperature
The ideal temperature for begonias is + 18020 ° C in summer and at least + 15 ° C in winter. However, the flower is not particularly demanding in this sense. The main thing is that there are no sharp drops.
Soil, fertilizers
As for the soil, it needs nutritious for begonias. Typically, the soil is composed of several components. It:
- two pieces of land sheet
- one part of peat
- one part of black soil
A little river sand is placed on the bottom of the planting container, better than coarse sand. Then - leafy ground, and already on top - black soil and peat. In order for begonia to grow correctly and please the eye, you need mineral fertilizers. They are sold in specialized stores, there are formulations specifically for begonias. You need to feed the flowers twice a month, but only in summer and spring, when the buds are tied and flowering occurs.
Transfer
The frequency of begonia transplants is once every couple of years. The best time to do this is in March. How to understand that the pot has become small for the plant? When the roots do not fit in the old one, you can see it. The new one should only be slightly larger, three centimeters in diameter.
The flower must be carefully removed, the roots washed, placed in a very weak solution of potassium permanganate for an hour. If damaged areas of the roots are found, they should be removed. Then transplant the plant, not forgetting to equip good drainage. After transplanting, begonias need to be watered a lot and often.
Flowering secrets
In order for begonia to bloom longer, female flowers must be removed at the very beginning of their formation. If there is a desire to achieve intensive tuber formation, new flower buds should be torn off at the beginning of autumn, in September. In this case, begonia will not spend all its energy on flowering, the development of tubers will go.
Reproduction
It is important not only to properly care for begonia, but also to be able to propagate it. There are several ways to do this:
- seeds - this is how ever-flowering and decorative-flowering species are propagated
- tubers - this method is suitable for tuberous plants in which tubers can be divided
- leafy cuttings or leaf particles
- stem cuttings - for those plants that have a stem
Pests, diseases
Usually, the poor condition of begonias is due to poor care of them. If the plant is sick, sheds leaves or flowers, you need to take a closer look at it and understand what the reasons are. They can be as follows:
- Lack of watering or too little moisture. They manifest themselves in the falling of the leaves, as well as in the fact that their tips turn brown.
- Little light. In this case, the leaves become too pale.
- Lots of moisture. This leads to the appearance of a fungus, it is not difficult to see it. It is necessary to remove the affected leaves and shoots, treat the flower with fugicides.
- Temperature drops. Leads to the appearance of powdery mildew, similar to a white bloom. It is necessary to spray the plant with a solution of colloidal sulfur (1%).
- Spider mites or aphids. They feed on begonia juices and provoke its death. Treatment with a solution on soap and tobacco helps. Funds with feverfew are also used.
