Begonia is one of the most popular indoor plants. In nature, there are more than 900 of their species, they are quite unpretentious, and bloom unusually brightly. At home, hybrid varieties are most often grown - decorative flowering and decorative deciduous begonias. They are characterized by some general rules of care and maintenance at home.
Instructions
Step 1
Choose a soil suitable for begonias - it should be loose with a slightly acidic reaction. The best option is sheet soil (2 parts), coarse sand (1 part) and peat (2 parts) or a ready-made soil mixture that you need for? dilute with sand. The soil must first be fertilized with liquid mineral fertilizers.
Step 2
For planting, you will need a begonia stem cut from the top of an adult plant. Do this in the spring, like March. Then prepare the soil, it needs to be disinfected, like the dishes for the cuttings - they are very susceptible to fungal diseases.
Step 3
After planting the cuttings, place the container with the plant in a bright place, after covering it with polyethylene to preserve the moist air. Plant the seedlings in large pots after the roots have emerged.
Step 4
Propagate begonia with leafy cuttings in late December-February. Plant a leaf with a cuttings no more than 2 cm long into the prepared soil to a depth of 1 cm. If there are several cuttings, make sure that they do not come into contact with each other. The ambient temperature must be at least + 20 ° C.
Step 5
Next, provide the begonias with proper lighting: place the pot with the plant on the window if it faces west or east. Begonia prefers bright, diffused light; protect it from direct sunlight, which can cause burns on the leaves. Place plants with decorative leaves in partial shade, but protect from drafts.
Step 6
In the room, observe the relative humidity, spray the plant with smooth leaves so that water does not get on the flowers. Do not spray other types of begonias to avoid spots on the leaves. Place containers of water next to the pots so that the vapors keep the air moist.
Step 7
Water the soil sparingly - drying of the top layer of the earth by 1-2 cm is a signal for watering. In hot weather, water every day, less often in autumn, and by winter, stop watering altogether or reduce to a minimum.
Step 8
In winter, the plant should be in complete dormancy, gradually remove begonia from this state. For winter, cut off the aboveground part and store the pot in a cool dry place at a temperature not exceeding + 16 ° C, occasionally moistening the soil. Plant the begonia in fresh soil in the spring, being careful not to damage the roots. The buds will appear in 40-50 days, from this moment start fertilizing the plant with liquid vitamin complexes for flowering indoor plants (about once every 2 weeks). Begonia will bloom only after it takes root all over the pot. After flowering, one year later, transplant the plant into a pot 2 cm larger and add fresh soil.
