Begonia Care Guide – Uplifers

Begonia is one of the easiest potted plants to grow. Begonias love warmth as they are tropical and subtropical plants. Many varieties of begonias do well in warm environments and when grown on a partially sunny windowsill.

Annual varieties of begonias grow and bloom quickly. Begonias with bright colors are usually healthy and lively and do not require additional care under conditions such as regular watering, adequate sunlight and well-drained soil. Everything that interests you about begonia and the tricks of caring for it, you can read in this article.

What is Begonia?

Begonia is a rather unpretentious and long-flowering plant. Begonias bloom from summer to late autumn, and this period usually lasts for weeks. Depending on the type of begonia, they may bloom for a certain period of time, or they may bloom throughout the year. Begonias, which are tropical plants, are usually grown as houseplants. However, it is possible to use begonias in gardening. The general characteristics and needs of begonias are as follows:

• botanical name: begonia
• Family: begoniae
• Type: tropical, evergreen, annual
• Dimensions achieved in adulthood: 15-45cm
• Solar request: partial, shaded
• Soil request: Moist, rich, slightly sour
• soil pH: 5.7 – 6.2
• Flowering period: Shows differences
• flower color: Pink, red, white, yellow, orange
• Source: South and Central America, Africa, South Asia
• Toxicity: Its roots can be poisonous to some animals.

How to care for begonia

The most important factor in indoor begonia care is providing the plant with an environment in which it can receive sufficient sun. Like most indoor plants, begonia prefers bright places that are not exposed to direct sunlight, and loves the high humidity of the surrounding air. It is important to prune begonias that need infrequent regular watering after the flowers have faded. The points that you should pay attention to in the care of begonias are as follows:

easy request

Although indoor potted begonias need bright light, they do not like direct sunlight. For this reason, you can generally view your begonias in a bright room and without sunlight. However, because outdoor begonias generally like full or partial shade, too much sunlight can cause their tender leaves to wilt and discolor.

water request

It is enough to water the begonia abundantly once a week. Before watering the plants again, you can check to see if a few inches of soil has dried out and water if there is dryness. Be careful not to overwater the plants, as overwatering can cause root rot in begonias.

soil request

Begonias prefer slightly acidic, well-drained soils rich in organic matter. Nutrient-rich peat soils are suitable for growing begonias. It is also important to choose a well-drained potting mix so that excess water can be easily removed.

temperature request

A room temperature of 18 to 25℃ is usually suitable for begonias. Outdoor begonias, on the other hand, can usually tolerate cool summer evenings but go into a dormant period when the days and nights cool off.

moisture requirement

Begonia loves high humidity, as it is a tropical and subtropical plant. Therefore, the ambient humidity should be above 50 percent. If the indoor air is dry in winter, you may need to place a container of water next to the flower pot or use a humidifier.

request for fertilizer

The need for begonias in fertilizers depends on the variety. For indoor begonias, it is usually sufficient to dilute with a water-soluble fertilizer. Varieties of begonia, such as tuberous begonia, may need to use a little more fertilizer and feed the plants with a 5-1-1 fertilizer, such as fish droppings, twice a month during flowering. However, it may be helpful to dilute the fertilizer and mix it with peat, as using too much fertilizer can damage the plant.

How to propagate begonia?

You can propagate begonias by cutting their leaves, rhizomes, or tubers. If you are going to propagate begonias by cutting their leaves, place them in water out of direct sunlight until they are established. Then plant it in the ground when roots begin to form. If you are going to grow begonias from rhizomes or tubers, you can lightly press the cuts into moist potting soil. After that, you should see the plant start to grow within a few weeks.

How to prune begonia

In temperate regions, the best season for trimming begonias is spring or early summer. In colder areas, pruning can be done in the fall. You can easily prune begonias by following these steps.
If you are going to prune your begonia to make it look prettier, pinch the ends of the stems growing on the main stem between two fingers to make the plant bloom more. Thus, the plant becomes fuller. You can also cut loose stems to shape the plant.

If you want to prune your begonia to make it smaller, cut the main stem of the plant 15 cm above the ground and cut off any side shoots longer than 5 cm. This will reduce the size of the plant and produce fewer flowers. To stimulate growth, it is necessary to cut from half to one third of the main stem and side shoots more than 10 cm long.

If you want to prune your begonia because it looks unhealthy, first remove any dead, diseased, or damaged leaves and stems from the plant. Then cut off any stems that look dirty on the plant. In this way, you can help your begonia direct its energy towards the healthy parts.

How to make begonia bloom?

There are many reasons why your begonias may not bloom. To keep your begonia blooming, you can pay attention to the following points:

• Remember to water the plant regularly. While over-watering is bad for begonias, under-watering can also cause the plant to fail to bloom.
• Pay attention to sunlight. Although begonias like a bright spot without direct sunlight, begonias exposed to early morning sun may bloom more.
• Make sure the soil is light. Heavy and clay soils can cause begonias not to flower properly.
• Cut off dead leaves and flowers. To encourage begonias to bloom, you can cut branches with bad looking leaves and flowers and let the plant produce new flowers.
• Pay attention to the air temperature. Temperatures below 10℃ are too cold for begonias. Therefore, make sure that the ambient temperature does not fall below 10℃.
• Don’t forget to fertilize. You can keep your plant flowering by fertilizing every two weeks. But do not forget to water the soil before fertilizing under dried plants. Fertilizing dry soil can burn the plant.

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