Begonia in the wild prefers a height of growth from three to four thousand meters above sea level. It can be found in tropical and subtropical climatic zones. This plant first appeared in the 18th century and even then gained recognition. Now it is quite popular and is used for growing both in the garden and at home. In the article we will learn all the intricacies of growing tuberous begonia, consider the features of planting this beautiful plant.
Care Rules
In a begonia apartment, a permanent place is required. It should be well lit, however, direct sunlight should not be allowed on the plant. For begonias, ampelous tuberous planting and care should be correct, since the flower often begins to be "capricious" if something goes wrong. It is especially important that the flowering plant receives a lot of daylight. That is why experts recommend placing pots on the western or eastern side. The most comfortable tuber begonia will feel at an air temperature of 18 degrees at any time of the year. However, in the summer, she will not suffer if the room is a little hotter.
Since the flower is home to the tropics, he especially likes the air in the room to be relatively humid. However, do not try to spray the leaves of the plant - this leads to the fact that large brown spots appear on their surface.
For begonias, tuber planting and home care provide for the correct neighborhood, or rather, its absence. The fact is that this flower does not like to live in crowded conditions. Therefore, try to be on the windowsill alone or at least at a great distance from the neighbors. The room where this flower grows should be regularly ventilated. But be careful, as any drafts or a jump in air temperature will cause the begonia to drop leaves and flowers.
The soil
In addition to the above growing conditions, planting tuber begonia and home care provide for a careful selection of the pot and soil preparation. The capacity where the flower will grow should be ceramic and in diameter only a few centimeters exceed the root system of the plant. Too large pots slow down the flowering process. As for the soil, you can buy it in a special store or cook it yourself. To do this, you need to mix two parts of sheet soil and one part of sand, humus and high peat.
Landing
Now it is time to talk in more detail about planting the tuber begonia (pictured) and caring for it. First of all, you need to prepare the pot. It is filled by a third with a layer of drainage. On top of it you need to lay two or three centimeters of charcoal - for prevention. After this comes the time to work with the plant itself. Begonia is sent to the pot along with an earthen lump, which is on the roots, and all remaining voids should be completely filled with previously prepared soil. After this, the flower must be watered.
It is better to land in March. This is the most suitable time, since in this period there is already enough sunlight, and the daylight itself is significantly increasing. Before planting in pots, tuberous begonias are germinated in boxes. The containers should be located in a bright room, the air temperature in which does not exceed 18 degrees, and the air humidity remains at 70%.
Watering
In addition to all the described activities (planting, gardening), tuber begonia should be provided with timely watering. As already mentioned, begonia loves moisture, but this is not a reason to fill it with water daily. It would be better if you just provide a sufficiently high humidity in the room. Otherwise, the tips of its leaves will begin to dry out, which cannot be fixed with frequent watering.
On hot days, the moisture supply should be plentiful, but do not forget to pay attention to whether the water in the roots stagnates. Do not use fresh water for irrigation. The liquid should settle for a day and have room temperature. Be sure that the plant needs a hydration in which the earthen lump has dried out for two centimeters in a pot. But in the winter, tuber begonia does not need watering at all.
Top dressing
As for fertilizers, tuber begonia (planting and caring for the plant are discussed in this material) needs to be fed. If you have a decorative-flowering appearance, then you need to apply fertilizer starting from the moment when the buds begin to form on the plant. Twice a month it is necessary to fertilize with liquid complex fertilizer for flowering plants. Such a composition can be purchased at a specialized store. When the flower enters the phase of ovary formation, phosphorus-potassium fertilizers will be needed. As for nitrogen fertilizers, they are needed only for those plants that are decorative-deciduous. If you try to use them for flowering species, then you risk not waiting for the period of their flowering.
Transfer
When growing tuberous begonia, you need to familiarize yourself with the rules for its transplantation in advance. It is important that this process is carried out on time - in the beginning of spring, while the plant has not yet passed into the phase of active growth. How do you know that the time has come? Very simple. As soon as you notice that roots have appeared from the drain holes of the pot, prepare a larger container.
With the onset of the most suitable, in your opinion, moment for transplanting, begonia should be carefully removed from the old pot and as carefully as possible to clean the roots of the old substrate. Then lower the plant into a previously prepared solution of potassium permanganate, which should be slightly pink. After half an hour, the roots need to be washed, remove all rotted elements and dry a little. And then the concept is no different from the foregoing. In a new pot, begonia is put in its old place. At first, the plant will need frequent watering.
Reproduction. Generative way
A flower can propagate in any way known to us. Next, we will try to figure out which one is better to choose, so that it is the least troublesome for you and the safest for seedlings.
How to grow tuber begonia from seeds? Planting and caring for such seedlings is quite simple. The most suitable period for sowing is considered the end of winter and the beginning of spring. Seeds purchased or collected should be evenly distributed over the surface of the substrate, but not deepened, but only slightly pressed. After that, the container is placed in a warm and bright place and is necessarily covered with glass to create a greenhouse effect. You need to water only in a pan or use a spray bottle to simply spray the surface of the substrate. With the advent of the first shoots, the glass can be removed, and in the presence of the first three leaves, you can begin to dive seedlings.
Two months later, the moment will come when young plants are planted in different pots. If you want begonia from seeds to bloom in the year of planting, then you will need to provide it with a maximum of daylight.
Cuttings
An important factor in successful growth is reproduction. For tuberous begonia (planting and caring for the plant are considered in this material), the most simple way is considered to be cuttings. You will need cuttings with three leaves that are cut from the plant. To avoid decay at the cutting site, it must be treated with charcoal. After this, the shoots must be placed in a pre-prepared substrate, which consists of equal parts of sand, peat and sheet land. It is recommended to place containers with cuttings away from direct sunlight, however, the place should be well lit and be quite warm. Water the substrate with such a frequency that its top layer has time to dry out for a couple of centimeters. If you do not want to bother with planting and watering, you can just lower the cut cuttings into the water. In order for the first roots to appear on the slices, you need only a month.
Tuber begonia can also multiply by division. To do this, it is enough to transplant large tubers during transplanting and plant them in different pots. Delenki, like cuttings, must be treated with coal at the site of the slices in order to avoid decay or the introduction of various diseases.
Pests
For begonia, which is grown at home, the main enemies are:
- aphid;
- red spider mite;
- nematode.
The first two need plant cell juice, which leads to a loss of attractiveness and delayed development. The aphid will leave the plant after two or three treatments with Actellic or Karbofos. Processing should be carried out at intervals of seven or even ten days. For the destruction of ticks, there are also special drugs that are sold in stores. But from nematodes, unfortunately, it is impossible to get rid of. They completely discolor the leaves, as a result of their activity on the roots sagging are formed. Such a plant needs only to be thrown away and not even try to save it.
Disease
There is also a list of diseases that are especially dangerous for begonias:
- powdery mildew, real or false;
- gray rot;
- botritis;
- black root rot.
All these diseases can be easily cured using treatments with Bordeaux liquid or Fundazol. There are other drugs whose action is identical to those indicated.
But there are diseases that cannot be cured. With their manifestation, there is nothing else left but to get rid of the diseased plant. The list includes: cucumber mosaic, tomato spotting and bacterial wilting.
Although tuber begonia is considered a capricious plant, but with proper planting and well-organized care, it is able to delight others with its flowering for a very long period.