Begonia Care
Having over 1,500 species, the Begonia is a very lovely, beautiful and easy-to-grow flowering plant. Let us go through some information about this plant and know about how to care for it.
Begonia Plant
Botanically, these plants are divided into three groups, plants having fibrous roots, tuberous roots, and the ones with rhizomes. The flowers vary according to height, color, habitat, the colors of flowers and foliage and sizes and shape of the leaves. It is one of the largest flowering genera. The leaves of the plant are asymmetrical and the flowers are unisexual. The male and female flowers grow on the same plant.
Scientific Classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Cucurbitales
Family: Begoniaceae
Genus: Begonia
Caring for Indoor Begonia
Position
Begonia plants do not need full and direct sun, they need plenty of sunlight that is filtered. If they get insufficient sunlight, their stems grow slowly leading to fungal growth. So, it is necessary to keep them near the windows so that they receive adequate sunlight. Though the flowering varieties need sunlight for a couple of hours in the day, the ones that are grown for their foliage should not receive direct sunlight. The way the sun plays an important role in the growth of every plant, soil is also important for the supply of nutrients for their growth.
Soil
These plants need soil that is rich in nutrients. Acidic soil can be best for this plant, which have lower pH levels. A mixture of heavy soil, peat moss, manure, can also be an option for the best type of soil. Some people prefer adding light medium of soil such as sand to their potted mixture. One thing that should be kept in mind is while choosing the type of soil it is important to take into consideration the environmental conditions around.
Water
Watering should be done once a week. Over watering will make the plant and the roots rot. Though over watering may damage the plant, not watering it regularly will leave the plant dry, and wither it. So it is necessary to monitor the dampness of the potted plant. These plants should be kept moist. You can do this by sticking your finger in the soil, and if there is no dampness felt, it is time to water the plant.
Fertilizers
When ample fertilizers are added to the begonia, it results in larger blooms and leaves. Roots of these plants are very sensitive to salts, so adding too many chemical fertilizers is not a good idea. If you have decided to add inorganic fertilizers, be careful while adding them as they are to be mixed with the soil properly. These plants thrive with fertilizers that contain more or less amount of nitrogen. Begonias that are grown for their bright big blooms require fertilizers that have adequate amounts of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium.
Caring for Tuberous Begonia
This also is a very popular variety. It is known for its use as a bedding plant and a greenhouse plant. This plant is mostly grown for its beautiful flowers. The size of these flowers can range from 1/2 inch to the actual size of a dinner plate. They come in all shades but shades of blue. Tuberous begonia care in summers includes providing consistent moisture, while taking care that the roots are not too wet. People tend to water plants continuously in the summers, but it is really not required. The only thing that is to be followed is keeping the plants moistened. The tuberous variety loves light shades especially when there is a lot of air circulation around, so, always keep them indoors. These plants should be fertilized once in a month and the spent blooms should be removed. Also see to it that the yellow leaves are removed. After the flowering season, these plants might die of frost, so get your plants inside. If they die, let these beauties die naturally. When the stems of the plant become brittle, do not worry cause here is something you can do and save your plant. Dig out the tubers from the soil and place them in peat moss and store them in a place that is dry having temperature about 45 to 50 degrees. After a month if you decide to replant these tubers, do it by placing them in pots till they sprout by watering.
These were some tips for taking care of begonia. These plants make your garden look more beautiful with their flowers and it's a wonderful sight when they are fully bloomed. With these plant care tips, go and get your pot of begonia plant from the nursery, right now!
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