Modest beauty Naked begonia: how to care for this houseplant?

Naked begonia is the most modest among its many bright, pompous, glamorous sisters. But how elegant this modest woman looks in gardens and parks, in dachas and in country houses, decorating verandas, arbors, balconies, decorative flower arrangements and flower beds.

We will talk about the features of this flower, the rules of planting, caring for it and possible problems in our article. It will also be useful to watch an interesting video on the topic.

Botanical Description and History

This unusual herbaceous plant has a long history. Begonia got its name in honor of the governor of Haiti Begon back in the 18th century. Michel Begon immortalized his name thanks to his love for rare exotic plants. It is known that he equipped an expedition led by an outstanding researcher - botanist Charles Plumier for the study and new discoveries of the flora of the West Indies. It was there that this flower, unknown until then in the world, was discovered, named after the high-ranking patron of Haiti.

Begonia is very common in the tropics and subtropics of America, Southeast Africa, grows on the islands of Socotra and Madagascar, the Antilles. Today there are more than thousands of species of begonias, and how many varieties and hybrids are bred, simply can not be counted.

This beautiful representative of the flora is conventionally divided into three groups:

• Deciduous begonia, it does not have a stem, and intricate leaves on fluffy legs grow directly from a creeping root. Usually such a queen begonia sits on loggias, window sills.
• Bush begonia, it is called coral, red, ever flowering. Its peculiarity is in the stem, it seems to have knee joints, a bit like a bamboo stem, only in a reduced copy of it. This capricious lady also does not like the garden, but she feels great in an enclosed space, perfectly survives and feels at home.
• Tuber begonia, she can rightfully be considered the mistress of cottages, personal plots. From the beginning of summer to autumn, this marvelous flower blooms and blossoms. But there is one feature - it does not tolerate direct sun and wind.

Appearance

ATTENTION: Begonia totals no less than 900 species and varieties! One of them is begonia nude. Begonia was called naked for a reason: this flower has long creeping bare stems, they seem to creep into support trees, sometimes the stems grow up to four meters.

The leaves of the bare begonia are long (up to 9 cm), wide (about 7 cm), in shape resemble an egg - smooth, shiny, slightly pointed to the apex and flat at the base. Castings are based on short, not more than 2 cm cuttings. Leaves grow in one plane, on one and the other side of the stem.

Begonia flowers are bare white, small, gathered in peculiar clusters - inflorescences. They adorn, like delicate white or white - pink moniste, gorges of rocks, moss-covered tree trunks. And interestingly, male flowers have 4 petals, and female 5.

In our area, begonia is unpretentious, easily adapts, adapts to the habitat and local climate. Begonia likes to sit somewhere in crevices of rocks or on old trees, roots. The main thing is shaded places, rain, saturated with moisture forests. Begonia does not tolerate the burning scorching sun.

Where and how to plant?

Naked begonia is an ampelous plant; it is planted both in rooms and in greenhouses.. It is better to transplant it every year, in extreme cases, after a year, always in the spring. It is very important to keep the root ball. Begonia flowers are usually transplanted into wide but shallow containers, since the begonia root is very close to the soil surface.

Rules and Tips

In open soil, seedlings are best planted in early June:

1. Before planting 6-7 days, it is necessary to harden the seedlings. Begonia is placed in a bright room. It is very important to observe the temperature regime: + 23 ... + 27 ° С during the day, at night the temperature drops to + 15 ° С.
2. Wells are best placed at a distance of 20-35 cm from each other. And if begonia is planted in hanging flowerpots and containers, then 10 cm between the holes is quite enough.
3. The depth of the planting fossa directly depends on the size of the seedling.
4. Be careful, consider the fragility and fragility of the stalk.
5. Do not forget to sprinkle the base of the stem with earth.
6. Before planting, carefully "feed" the soil with potash - phosphorus fertilizer.

Lighting and location

Before you settle our fragile beauty in your own area, you need to take into account that begonia loves shade, the direct rays of the sun are contraindicated to it.

Soil requirements

Tender begonia feels good only in fertile soil, which necessarily includes sheet land, peat, humus and sand. After landing, usually the earth is sprinkled with humus or ash. At night, you can shelter seedlings, especially if the nights are still cold. Sometimes, for convenience, they buy a ready-made substrate consisting of peat and perlite.

Care

An unstable begonia stem is best tied up so as not to break.

Seedlings are fed twice a month with sodium humate, fertilizers with a high nitrogen content or phosphorus fertilizers. When begonia grows up, it is possible to feed with various mineral fertilizers once a month. Some suburban land owners fertilize begonia with manure. The main thing here is to observe a proportion of 1:10, otherwise you can harm the plant.

And in the fall, it is not necessary to flush the soil at all. Here, the main function is uniform watering, which requires maintaining humidity. It is advisable to water the begonia early in the morning or late evening. Water should be warm.

You can not water begonia in the afternoon, you can burn leaves, which then usually fall off. And if you pour begonia in the heat, then you can destroy the entire root system.

In autumn and winter it is very useful to clean the begonia from old inflorescences, leaves. Moody begonia, being in the house, needs regular ventilation of the room. And begonia does not like spraying, to moisten the air, water is poured into a separate tray.

IMPORTANT: Watering is plentiful in summer, and moderate in fall and winter. Begonia is preparing for rest, the aerial part dries up, it is removed, and the flowers are determined in a cool, dry place for 2-3 months. The temperature regime is 10 - 12 ° C. It can be moistened occasionally.

Common Diseases and Pests

• If you overdo it with moisture and watering, the begonia will become sick, a gray putrefactive infection will appear. Be especially careful in winter.
• If the room is hot, a tick may start.
• If you find mold in boxes with begonia seeds, you must sprinkle it with crushed activated ulcer. Do not wipe the mold.
• Aphids and ticks are the most common pests.
• Remember! Begonia must be protected from wind and rain.
• Powdery mildew, fungal diseases lead to decay of stems, leaves, roots. Do not allow excessive watering and water on the leaves.

Propagation Features

It is important to note that bare begonia is very easily propagated by rooting of cuttings of the stem in both water and soil. The substrate should consist in equal proportions of peat, sand and sphagnum moss, or you can use a mixture of perlite and peat, can also be rooted in pure perlite.

Begonia is known to be propagated by stem and leaf cuttings, division of tubers and shrubs.

Tubers

1. In late autumn, when the upper ground part of the begonia dries, it is removed.
2. Tubers are dug up, peeled, and disinfected with a weak solution of manganese or a fungicide. Store in a wooden box with sand or dry peat. It is important to clean indoors with a temperature of + 5 ... + 7 ° C.
3. In mid-March, tubers begin to germinate, they are pressed into the soil half the tuber. The soil must be fertilized in advance as well as for planting. The substrate for the germination of begonias consists of humus, peat, leafy soil, sand.
4. Sprouted seedlings are placed in a bright place, tempered, moderately moisturized, and subsequently planted in open ground.

Watch a video about planting begonia tubers:

Seeds

There is another way to propagate begonias - seedsbut he is very laborious and troublesome:

1. In December, they begin sowing. The substrate is used the same as for the germination of tubers. Seeds are distributed in the drawers, kicking them lightly with their hands. Sprinkle ground seeds are not required.
2. About three weeks await seedlings. When the seeds germinate, it is recommended to cover the boxes with glass, but it is necessary to open the glass regularly to avoid excessive condensation.
3. Then the seedlings are dive three times, as they grow, and only then transplanted into small pots for ripening. Begonia is preparing to land.

Conclusion

Naked begonia is very fragile and moody, it requires increased attention and a reverent attitude. But how she pleases us with her delicate flowers and branchy shoots, how expertly she adorns even the most modest dwelling, giving joy, peace, and peace.

Watch the video: How To Care For Indoor Plants + GREENIFY YOUR SPACE (May 2024).