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Begonia everblooming pruning in spring. Begonia ever-blooming - features and photos. Growing Begonia Everblooming

Begonia everflowering is a perennial ornamental flowering plant. The birthplace of the flower is Brazil. Begonia was introduced into culture in 1821. Since then, propagation has been possible by cuttings or by growing from seeds. It is important to note that begonia can take root indoors and delight with its beauty at any time of the year.

Begonia is a small herbaceous plant, which is distinguished by simple, whole leaves of a rounded shape. The leaves may be light green-burgundy in color. Thus, begonia is ideal for creating parterre flower beds and contrasting borders.

Height varies depending on the plant variety:

tall varieties - 25-36 centimeters;
medium-sized varieties - 21-25 centimeters;
low-growing varieties - 8-20 centimeters.

Everblooming begonia boasts white, pink, coral, red flowers and a variety of shades. You can look at the photo and see the amazing beauty of the flower.

Types of begonia evergreen

Types and varieties

Begonia can be a shrub, subshrub, or herbaceous plant. At home, it is customary to grow hybrid varieties, but their photos prove the amazing beauty of the flowers. Please take into account that you can give preference to a decorative flowering or decorative leaf plant. Regardless of which variety is preferable, you can also choose evergreen begonia and enjoy its amazing beauty.

Decorative flowering plants are also usually divided into several types.

Foliage may die. The next generation can be grown from tubers.
Bush species suggest that the plant falls into a state of deep dormancy and needs special conditions.
Evergreen varieties can retain foliage and provide beautiful flowers at any time of the year.

The most spectacular are tuberous begonias, but you can also choose hanging begonias with small flowers.

Among the tuberous varieties, tuberous begonia should be noted. It has leaves up to 25 centimeters long, the edge of which resembles a file, fleshy stems, double and non-double flowers with a diameter of up to 10 centimeters. Ampelous species are distinguished by thin hanging stems and leaves.

Of the bushy group, the most popular is the ever-flowering begonia. The name confirms that the flowering period will be long. These flowers can be used to create private gardens and for growing in city apartments. However, you need to be prepared for the fact that ever-flowering begonia loses its original decorative effect with age. It is recommended to renew the plant from cuttings every two to three years. The leaves are distinguished by a glossy finish, green or reddish color and small size.

Among the original varieties, begonia fuchsiformes should be noted. In this case, the flowers are collected in several hanging inflorescences, which are so similar to fuchsia flowers.

Decorative deciduous begonias have beautiful leaves for which people grow plants. However, some species may bloom. The leading position is occupied by royal begonia with leaves resembling an irregular heart and reaching a length of 30 centimeters. It should be noted that the leaf has a heterogeneous color, which can be red, brown and dark green.

Other decorative foliage varieties are also ready to delight with a variety of shapes and colors. For example, spotted begonia has green leaves speckled with white that reach a length of 25 centimeters. Begonia Cleopatra resembles maple leaves. Mason's begonia is distinguished by leaves with an uneven surface that are very similar to the skin of a frog. After looking at the photo, you can be convinced that each of these species is truly beautiful.

Are you looking for the perfect plant to create your garden? This means that the choice should be made on ever-flowering begonia. In open soil the plant can only be used as an annual. It can tolerate sun and partial shade well and is unpretentious. Flowering continues from June until frost, after which evergreen begonia can be transplanted into a regular pot and use as a houseplant.

Growing methods

Seed selection

Sowing seeds can be done from mid-December to mid-January.

The seeds are small in size. 1000 seeds weigh only 0.01 - 0.02 grams. Please note that granulated seeds are more convenient to use.

Shallow boxes should be used for sowing. The earth mixture should consist of humus, leaf soil, and sand, which should be sifted. The ratio should be as follows: 2:1:1. Seeds should not be covered with soil. However they must be evenly distributed over the entire surface. Try to moisten the soil before doing this. If desired, a layer of calcined sand should be poured onto the soil, the height of which can reach 3 millimeters. The sown seeds should be covered with glass.

Several conditions must be met for germination to occur. Only in this case, begonia seedlings will appear in approximately 10 - 14 days. The temperature for germination should be 20-22 C, for the development of seedlings - 17-19 C. For watering, you need to use a sprayer. Overmoistening should not be allowed. If condensation appears on the lid, ventilation should be carried out.

After two months, the seedlings should be transplanted into large pots. Ever-flowering begonia can be planted in open soil only in late May-early June. Then you must fertilize, taking into account that the first one is required after 10 - 12 days. In this case, picking with complex fertilizer becomes mandatory.

Propagation by cuttings

Propagating begonias by seeds is troublesome. The fact is that seeds should be sown at the beginning of winter and the seedlings need to be provided with additional lighting. However, if you wish, you can grow new varieties and hybrids, each of which will delight you with amazing beauty, as numerous photos prove.

It is truly easy to propagate the plant from cuttings. Ever-flowering begonia should be cut at the end of February. From the mother plant you need to cut cuttings, which will be distinguished by the presence of three internodes. The two lower pairs of leaves should be torn off, and the cuttings should be placed in the substrate slightly at an angle. The box or pot with cuttings should be moderately moistened. Then the plant should be covered with plastic film, which can be removed only after the cuttings begin to grow.

The begonia mother plant, which is used for taking cuttings, should be transplanted into a pot in the fall before frost. The plant may shed its flowers at first, but it will soon form buds. As a result, you will receive planting material for next year and will be able to decorate your room with ever-blooming begonia.

Features of home care

Begonia everblooming can be grown in a pot at home. However, what should her care be like in this case?

Location

The location should be bright and sunny. Preference should be given to southern, eastern, and western windows. On northern windows, additional lighting is usually required. In the warm season, evergreen begonia can grow in flower beds under bright sunshine. Otherwise, when growing in partial shade, the plant may stretch, lose its compactness, and change color saturation. If you are interested in the beautiful ever-flowering begonia, look at its photo and make sure that proper care is required.

Temperature

The plant can tolerate high air temperatures. At the same time, low temperatures turn out to be extremely destructive and can even lead to the death of begonias. However In winter, the plant should not be placed near radiators, since constant high temperatures also become undesirable.

Humidity

The optimal humidity level is 50%. At low humidity, begonia begins to dry out and turn brown, and at higher humidity, it begins to rot.

Watering

Ever-flowering begonia should be watered with settled or boiled soft water. Watering should be carried out when the top layer of soil is dry. If you hesitate with the optimal volume of water, it needs to be poured into a pan.

Watering the garden should be done in the morning or evening, when there is no sunlight. Give preference to rainwater, which must be heated to ambient temperature.

Feeding

Begonia needs mineral fertilizing, which should be done every two weeks in spring and summer. The procedure becomes especially important during the growth of shoots and flowering. In winter, fertilizing should be done once a month. If the plant is replanted annually in soil that is fresh and rich in humus, organic fertilizers are no longer needed.

Now you know what you need to please yourself with begonia.

Begonia Semperflorens Hybrids are a large group of hybrid begonia varieties. Belongs to the Begoniaceae family. It is an annual or perennial herbaceous plant, compact bushes, no more than 30 cm high. The rhizome is bulbous-thickened, creeping. The stems are fleshy, juicy, branched. The leaf blades are round in shape, the edges are wavy, and there is slight pubescence. The color of the leaves includes various shades of green, some varieties have burgundy.

The flowers are unisexual, the male ones have 4 petals, and the female ones consist of 5. The colors are in pastel colors of white and red, there are double ones: milky white petals with a bright pink border or red stripes. The flowers are simple or double (they resemble small roses), attached to a low peduncle, 2-4 pieces each.

The seeds of begonia evergreen are tiny and can be described as coarse dust of dark brown color. One gram of weight contains about 85,000 seeds, germination persists for 3 years.

Does ever-blooming begonia overwinter?

Ever-blooming begonia is liked by landscape designers due to its long flowering, but in open ground it is grown exclusively as a summer plant; it will not survive wintering in the conditions of central Russia.

The genus Begonia has more than one and a half thousand species, the name is given in honor of Michel Begon, the governor of San Domingo. In their natural environment they live in Africa, South America, and the Malay Archipelago.

When does Everblooming Begonia bloom?

The plant fully corresponds to the species name, since the flowering period begins in May and lasts until late autumn. Flower growers call it an ever-blooming beauty, since few plants can boast such a long flowering period.

Land for planting begonias

Illumination

The best place for planting begonias is under the openwork crown of trees or tall shrubs; under such conditions, flowering will be lush.

You can plant it in a sunny area, but with shading at noon: under the scorching rays of the sun, the growth rate slows down and the decorative effect is lost. In strong shade the shoots stretch out. In both cases, the leaf blades may lose their anthocyanin coating, which leads to a loss of variegated hue and they will turn dark green.

Heat and humidity

Begonias are warm and moisture-loving. With a lack of soil and air moisture, the number of inflorescences decreases. Lower temperatures combined with moderate humidity promote compact growth of the bushes, the stems and leaves thicken, the abundance of flowering decreases, but the flowers are larger.

Modern varieties differ significantly from each other:

For hot climate zones, special varieties have been created that grow well at high temperatures and low air humidity;
Other varieties are designed for cool temperatures and can withstand 0 °C.

Priming

Begonias are unpretentious when choosing soil; ordinary cultivated garden soil will do. To support lush flowering, you will need light, fertile soil with a neutral or slightly acidic reaction. To improve growth conditions, pre-fertilize the soil with humus (apply for deep digging 1 month before planting, 2-3 kg will be needed per 1 m²).

If the soil is heavy clay, add additional peat and coarse sand. Take care that the rhizome does not become waterlogged: do not plant in lowlands; if groundwater is close, build a high bed.

Growing evergreen begonia from seeds for seedlings at home

When to plant begonia seeds for seedlings

Begonia seeds are very, very small, so for uniform sowing they should be mixed with sand. In greenhouses, sow already in January, and when growing seedlings indoors, start sowing with increasing daylight hours (February-March). Still, it is better to resort to additional lighting.

How to sow

For soil, take a universal substrate for growing seedlings or a soil mixture consisting of leaf soil, humus and river sand (ratio 2:1:1). Fill wide containers (a bowl or a seedling box) with soil, distribute the seeds over the surface; there is no need to sprinkle them with soil. Moisten the crops by spraying with a fine spray; the water temperature should be 2-4 °C warmer than room temperature.

Cover the top of the container with the crops with film or glass. Do not allow condensation to collect on the inside - the crops may rot. Open for ventilation for a few minutes every day, and after watering (spray with a fine spray) leave uncovered for 1.5-2 hours. With the emergence of seedlings, which happens 14 days after sowing, get rid of the shelter.

The optimal temperature for seed germination is the range of 20-22 °C. At first, the seedlings develop slowly; after emergence, reduce the air temperature to 17-19 °C, shade them from direct sunlight and use additional illumination with phytolamps.

After the formation of two true leaves, plant the young sprouts in separate containers (plastic cups, peat or flower pots). Continue moderate watering.

Hardening

Before planting in open ground, seedlings must be hardened off. A couple of weeks before transplanting, on warm days, gradually open the greenhouses, and take the “indoor” seedlings outside (open balcony, garden) for several hours.

Planting evergreen begonia seedlings in open ground

Begonia is transplanted into open ground when real warmth is established (from about mid-May).

Water the seedlings well and let them stand so that the earthen ball peels off well from the walls of the pot (if you dived into separate containers). Make holes according to the size of the root system. Try to preserve the earthen ball as much as possible so as not to damage the roots.

Transfer the seedlings into the hole, add soil, and lightly compact the soil around the seedling. It is better to deepen the root collar by 1-2 cm, then additional roots will appear faster. If the root collar is much higher than the soil level, the plant will not take root well and may even dry out.

When determining the distance between individual plants, focus on their height and purpose of planting. In order for the flowerbed to quickly become decorative, keep a gap of 10 cm. In border plantings, a distance of 15 cm is required. When growing in a balcony box or container, plant tightly (the leaves of the sprouts should touch each other).

Propagation of evergreen begonia by cuttings

Vegetative propagation is used for double and semi-double varieties in order to clearly preserve the characteristics of the variety.

To propagate by cuttings, evergreen begonia must be moved indoors for the winter. At the beginning of March, prune the bushes (it is better not to use these cuttings for propagation, since they are weak after wintering). Water regularly and apply complex mineral fertilizers every 10 days. Healthy shoots will soon grow.

In March-April, cut cuttings from them, each of them should contain 2-3 internodes. Root in clean sand or water, place under glass (cover with a jar), ensure the air temperature is within 22-24 °C.

When rooting in water, you will clearly notice new roots, and when rooting in sand, you can learn about this with the appearance of new leaves. After 3-4 weeks of growth, plant in a permanent growth location.

Caring for evergreen begonia in the garden

Ever-blooming begonia in open ground does not require much attention.

How to water

Water the evergreen begonia regularly, every 5 days. Water in the morning or evening, use warm softened water (settled or rainwater).

How to feed

Constant flowering depletes the plant's strength, so feed it every 10 days. You can use fertilizers for flowering plants or the following mixture: 20 g of superphosphate, 10 g of potassium salt and 0.02 g of potassium permanganate (manganese) per 10 liters of water, consumption per 1 m² of area. You can alternate with organic matter: a solution of chicken manure in a ratio of 1 to 20.

Begonia everblooming in winter

Typically, evergreen begonia is grown as an annual plant, but it can be moved indoors for the winter, where it will continue its lush flowering. In the fall, before frost sets in, the plants need to be dug up, planted in pots and sent indoors. Place it in a well-lit window, trim off excessively elongated and diseased shoots, remove faded inflorescences, water moderately and fertilize.

Diseases and pests

Begonias grown indoors or in greenhouses most often suffer from pest attacks. The main pests are scale insects, greenhouse aphids, scale insects, thrips, nematodes, and whiteflies. To combat them, use systemic insecticides, follow the instructions on the package.

Due to an incorrectly selected planting site (dampness) or excessive watering, damage to the following diseases occurs: gray rot, powdery mildew, ring or bacterial spotting. Treat the bushes with a fungicidal preparation.

Begonia everblooming in landscape design

Begonia everblooming in open ground is used to decorate flower beds, ridges, create bright accents on the lawn, in border plantings, and can be planted as a ground cover.

Suitable partners are , , .

The best varieties of evergreen begonia

Tall (up to 40 cm in height):

Volumia is a variety that is resistant to heat and drought. Shoots and leaves are rich green. The flowers are snow-white, pinkish, deep pink, two-color.
Stara - the aerial part is dark green, the inflorescences are medium in size, different colors.
Baby Wing – green leaves, monochromatic or bicolor inflorescences.
Lotto - stems and leaves of an emerald hue, large inflorescences, varied colors.
Bada Boom - bronze-colored leaves. The variety is distinguished by early flowering, the inflorescences are simple, white, pink or bright red.
Vision – dark green leaves, double inflorescences.
Alba - rather spreading bushes, green leaves. The flowers are large and snow-white.
Kathe Teisher - the diameter of the corollas is about 5 cm. The green leaves are edged with a burgundy stripe.

Medium-sized (height 25 cm):

Bada Bing is notable for its deep green leaf blades with a thin white edge.
Ambassador - green leaves with burgundy edges, flowers in white, pink, red or bicolor.
Senator - inflorescences of various shades contrast with bronze leaves.
Queen is truly a “royal” plant, the inflorescences are chic, double, snow-white, pink or red.
Cocktail - red-brown leaves, simple inflorescences, white, red, pink.

Low-growing (up to 20 cm):

Ray - the variety is resistant to changing weather conditions. Emerald leaves. The flowers are snow-white with a bright pink border.
Eureka - leaves are green-bronze, the diameter of the inflorescences is 3.5 cm.
Olomouc – compact inflorescences are decorated with snow-white flowers.
Albert Martin - a crumb only 15 cm high. The leaf blades are green with a burgundy edge. About fifty purple flowers can be present on one bush at a time.
Bella - leaves also with a reddish border. The flowers are dark pink.
Bicola - bush height up to 15 cm. Green leaves, snow-white flowers with a pink border.

Many flower lovers often wonder if it is possible to grow begonia yourself without buying its seedlings? In fact, evergreen begonia reproduces beautifully from seeds, and this process is interesting and exciting for every gardener. Almost all varieties of this plant retain the characteristics of their variety when propagated by seeds, but the ever-flowering terry begonia in this case loses its hereditary characteristics.

To sow evergreen begonia you will need:

flower seeds;
priming;
boxes for seedlings;
glass.

The soil mixture for sowing seeds should be soft and rich in nutrients. This mixture can be found in any store specializing in flowers.

Sowing of evergreen begonia should be done in January. Since the seeds of this plant are very small, they can be mixed with regular sand for easy sowing. Boxes for growing Begonia everflowering seeds should be shallow.

After the soil mixture is prepared, the seeds are scattered directly on the surface of the moistened and compacted soil. It is not advisable to fill them with soil mixture. In order to maintain the humidity necessary for good seed germination, the box with seeds is covered with glass. Drops that form on it must be wiped off in order to avoid rotting of the seeds. To prevent this situation, you can place the containers in which everflowering begonia grows at a slight slope. Until the seeds germinate, the glass can be covered with paper to provide shade.

Spray the dried soil with a spray bottle and add water to the tray of the box with seedlings; you can leave the sprouts open for 2 hours for better ventilation. Temperature for good seedling growth: +21-24 degrees C.

After 10-12 days, the glass is slightly raised onto stands, and when normal shoots appear, usually this happens after 2 weeks, the glass is removed completely. After this, the temperature in the room where the seedlings are located is reduced to +17-19 degrees C and the seedlings are shaded so that they are not exposed to bright sunlight.

When 3-4 well-formed leaves appear, it’s time for. And after a month, the begonia is planted in separate pots. Naturally, plants need feeding.

You can buy organic fertilizer at a specialty store. In early May, evergreen begonia seedlings begin to harden; to do this, they are taken outside for a while. In early June, begonia seedlings begin to be planted in open ground. In this case, the distance between plants should be approximately 10 cm, and between rows of flowers from 13 cm.

How to grow evergreen begonia?

When growing this beautiful flower, you need to follow some rules: despite the light-loving nature of begonia, placing it in the open sun is contraindicated, as is exposing the flower to sunlight. This is especially dangerous during periods of begonia flowering. How to grow evergreen begonia correctly, and what temperatures are needed for good growth and flowering of the plant?

Planting site and soil

Begonia will be grateful to you for a sunny, but shaded place in the summer heat. You just need to be careful with the shadow, since from a lack of light the plant stems can stretch and lose their decorative properties and color of the flowers. Begonia loves fertile and loose soil, enriched with humus, with a slightly acidic reaction (PH 6.2).
On soils with a high alkaline content, it will grow poorly, possibly suffering from chlorosis or other diseases. The soil layer should be loose, because begonia has a shallow root system, which is why they like to use this plant for landscaping rocky hills. Looking at the photo of ever-flowering begonia, you immediately feel the desire to have this plant in your garden. She is so attractive.

Fertilizer and watering

If the summer turns out to be dry, begonias need to be provided with systematic watering. It is better to water it early in the morning or when it gets cool in the evening. The water should already be settled and soft. Watering is moderate and you need to take into account that begonia does not like stagnation of water or drying out of the soil.

Caring for evergreen begonia is simple and will not take much time, and the flowers of this beautiful plant will lift your spirits with their bright colors. The main thing is, do not forget to pamper it once every 14 days with fertilizers for flowering plants containing minerals, loosen the soil and remove weeds.

You need to start fertilizing as soon as the buds appear. And if there is a desire to preserve ever-flowering begonia until the next warm season, the queen cells of this plant, even before the onset of cold weather, need to be transplanted into pots and brought into the house for the winter. Ever-blooming begonia at home will delight you with its flowering until spring, if you give it a well-lit place and do not forget to water it.

Propagation of evergreen begonia by cuttings

You can grow begonia not only from seeds; there is another way to propagate evergreen begonia - by cuttings.

Begonia growing in open ground is cut from summer. For a growing house, they choose the beginning of spring.

Cuttings:

young leaves of ever-flowering begonia are cut from the stem with a sharp knife in order to facilitate the rooting process;
the cutting is placed in a moistened substrate and covered with polyethylene. It is also possible to place a strong and mature leaf of Everflowering Begonia in a container of water.

In order for the ventilation process to occur, it is necessary to make holes with a knife in the plastic film of the greenhouse. A mixture of sand and expanded clay with perlite or moss is suitable as a substrate. After 14 days, the cuttings will form roots in well-moistened soil. After another two weeks, the rooted begonia cuttings, freed from the film, should be transplanted into separate containers. Further care follows the technique of growing begonia from seeds. When transplanting into open ground, seedlings need to be deepened into the ground 2 cm below the level of their growth in the pot.

Video: Begonias - propagation and cultivation

Begonia attracts attention with its bright blooms and decorative leaves. She is not too demanding in care and transplant conditions. But in order for a plant to delight its owners with its beauty, it is necessary to know the subtleties of its content.

Botanical description

Begonia semperflorens is a semi-bushy perennial plant that belongs to the begoniaceae family. The flower was named after the governor of Haiti, who was a great plant lover. In the wild, begonia can be found in humid areas of tropical latitudes, in mountains and forests.

Today the plant is used for planting in flower beds, although previously it was an indoor crop. Begonia grows in open ground or in a pot, successfully decorating the interior of a house or private yard.

Begonia semperflorens

B. ever-flowering is a hybrid of several species B. gracilis, B. schmidtiana and B. lyncheana. Its size is from 20 to 50 cm.

The plant has beautifully shaped leaves, the color of which can vary from green to red with pronounced veins. The inflorescences consist of several flowers of different colors - large, medium and small. Depending on the growing conditions, the decorative characteristics of the plant may change.

The term “everblooming” was given to it because of the plant’s ability to bloom in summer and winter. In the literature there are also names “always blooming” or “continuously blooming”.

It grows quite quickly, and flowering begins already in the 1st year of planting. The flowering of terry begonia depends on the time of planting, usually it occurs in mid-summer and autumn, and at home - until December.

The most intense period is from June to November. Suitable temperature in summer should not exceed 22°C, and in winter should not be lower than 15°C. In hot weather it is necessary to provide high humidity. It is preferable to use scattered.

Different varieties of begonia in the photo:

How to grow?

Caring for evergreen begonia at home does not present any difficulties. Periodically, you will need to loosen the soil to provide oxygen to the tubers.

You need to care for the plant in winter the same way as in summer. The only thing is that the intensity of watering should be less. To avoid fungal diseases, indoor begonias are placed in a room with good ventilation.

In autumn, begonia, which is located in open ground, is prepared as follows:

At the beginning of October, watering stops, and by the middle of the month the tubers are removed from the ground.
Next, the stem is cut off, leaving only a small shoot of up to 3 mm.
Afterwards, the tubers are dried for 2 weeks.
Place in a wooden box, covering them with sand.
During cold weather, store at a temperature of 5-6°C.

The soil must be well drained, since B. always-flowering needs abundant watering, but does not tolerate stagnant water. If begonia grows behind balconies in a box, then it should be placed so that the leaves touch each other.

Those flowers that are in open ground in pots do not need to be dug up. First, they wait until the stems die off, and then they are sent for storage directly in the pots. Watering begins only in March; after the germination of new shoots, replanting occurs.

It is necessary to renew begonia as it ages. If it is very elongated, then the tallest shoots must be pruned.

The room humidity should be average. When watering, you must prevent water from getting on the leaves. Otherwise they may become stained. Watering is carried out in winter 2 times less often than in summer. Abundant irrigation is necessary only during the planting period (7-10 days).

Video about caring for begonia:

Growing difficulties

During the growing process, some difficulties may be observed:

damage by aphids or spider mites;
damage by root infections due to insufficient watering;
at low temperatures leaves fall off;
if overmoistened, rot may occur at the base of the stem;
buds falling off due to lack of air and moisture;
with insufficient humidity and high temperature, the stems curl;
With a lack of light, yellowing of the leaves is observed.

If infections are present, it is recommended to thin out the shoots and remove damaged leaves. Solutions based on copper-containing products or potassium permanganate, a fungicide, will help. Liquid is collected into a container with a spray bottle and sprayed onto the plant.

If mold has formed, it is necessary to improve the ventilation of the room; if the soil is waterlogged, powdery mildew may occur.

Why evergreen begonia may not bloom:

insufficient lighting;
insufficient humidity level in the room;
drafts;
excess fertilizer.

Accurate picking. Video:

Planting site, soil

Planting in open ground occurs at the end of May/beginning of June - at this moment the threat of frost disappears. Before this, the soil is well prepared - fed with fertilizer and moistened.

The location is either shaded or with diffused sunlight. Before planting, the seedling is prepared. To begin with, he is placed for 10 days in a room with good lighting with a temperature of >12°C at night and<27°C днем.

The plant is quite unpretentious and grows in any soil. But the most suitable soil is considered to be soil mixtures that include leaf soil, peat, sand and humus.

The bottom of the hole must be filled with drainage, and then with potassium-phosphorus fertilizer. It is better that the soil is moisture-absorbing with an acidity of 5.5-6.5. In such soil, more abundant flowering begins.

During the planting/transplanting process, the soil is slightly raised. This allows air to easily penetrate the rhizome.

Begonia bushes in open ground

Watering and fertilizing

Soft, settled water is prepared for irrigation.

moisten the soil daily at high temperatures;
In summer, water 2 times a week;
in winter, when keeping begonias indoors, water them once every 10 days;
increase the intensity of moisture from the beginning/mid-March.

An important part of maintaining B. everflower is feeding. It is carried out with complex fertilizer 2-3 times a month. This will ensure intensive growth and abundant flowering.

When filling complex fertilizer, take into account the ratio of potassium and nitrogen in it. An excess of the latter promotes intensive growth, and in the case of insufficient light supply - to elongation. The most optimal is an equal ratio of nitrogen and potassium.

Planting seeds

Propagating a plant using seeds is painstaking work. But it is precisely this method that preserves the varietal qualities of always-flowering begonia. To make planting easier, the seeds are plated. The holes must be watered so that the soil is liquid.

Seeds are planted between December and March. The most suitable period is considered to be from mid-January to the end of February. During this time, the begonia will have time to become sufficiently strong.

If you sow in March, flowering will be late. It is not advisable to plant in April-May. At this time, the root system will not have time to strengthen and the plant may die.

Plant the seeds in a wooden box or plastic box. There should be holes for drainage at the bottom. A drainage layer about 5 mm thick is also required. Purchased soil, pre-mixed with sand in a 1:1 ratio, is suitable.

Note! If seedlings are planted correctly, flowering will begin in 12-14 weeks.

Growing begonia from seeds on video:

Propagation by seeds is more suitable for greenhouses. At home, it is better to choose cuttings.

Propagation by cuttings

Cuttings are considered the most popular method of propagation.

It is most often used for the following reasons:

quick results;
convenience and simplicity;
Suitable for all stem begonias.

Cuttings of at least 10 cm in length are cut with a sharp knife and differentiated at the cut site. You can use the top or middle part of the stem. The most suitable option is to have several leaves.

In water. The cutting is placed in water at room temperature. In order to better control the condition of the cut, distilled water is used. After the appearance of roots of 1 cm, the cuttings are transplanted into the ground.
In the ground. Before planting, the cut is treated with a product that accelerates root formation. Next, the cutting is placed in moist soil and buried up to the leaf part. To speed up growth, you can cover the pot with a plastic bottle, removing it daily for ventilation. The leaves should not touch the walls of the container.

Video about the method of propagation by dividing the bush:

Begonia semperflorens is an ornamental plant that will decorate the interior of your home. Caring for it does not cause any trouble for the owners, and growing it is considered easy with little difficulty.

Hello, dear readers!

Despite the external dissimilarity, growing begonia evergreen and tuberous from seeds, and then in the flower garden the same way.

But if you decide to use them to obtain planting material for next year, you will have to take biological differences into account.

Growing begonia seedlings

In order for begonia to delight you with flowering throughout the warm season, you need to sow seeds for seedlings quite early: tuberous ones in early January, ever-blooming ones in late February-early March.

A day or two before sowing, boxes are prepared. If container boxes without drainage holes are used, then drainage is poured onto the bottom (this can be expanded clay, pebbles, crushed stone) in a layer of at least 3 cm, and on top of 6-7 cm of soil mixture. In this case, after compaction, there should be a distance of 1-2 cm from the edge of the soil to the top of the box.

Or you can use ordinary wooden or plastic vegetable or fruit boxes for sowing. Line their bottom and walls with thick paper or 2-3 layers of toilet paper, and then fill them with soil mixture (a layer of at least 6 cm). The drainage does not need to be filled in, but the boxes themselves will have to be placed in pallets or on film so that when watering, water does not leak onto the windowsill. If the bottom is covered not with paper, but with a film that does not allow water to pass through, then the drainage must be filled in.

To grow everflowering and tuberous begonias, you can use ready-made soil for sowing flowers, purchased in a store, as a soil mixture, or you can prepare it yourself in advance, in the fall. To do this, take well-cultivated garden soil, humus or compost, non-acidic lowland peat and sand in a ratio of 2:2:2:1, mix, sift through a medium-sized garden sieve (cell diameter no more than 1 cm). If you use peat for the mixture, add a little lime.

The soil was poured into the boxes, now we need to spray it with fungicide to suppress the development of fungal infection. To do this, you can use Fitosporin-M (the drug paste is first diluted with water 1:2, then 1 tablespoon of the resulting solution is poured into 10 liters of water) or Baikal-EM1 (half a glass per 10 liters of water). If these drugs (or other fungicides) are not at hand, the soil can be spilled with a warm pink solution of potassium permanganate or simply boiling water. Afterwards, cover the soil with paper and leave for a couple of days.

As soon as the soil in the boxes becomes moderately moist, you can begin sowing. Carefully level and lightly compact the top layer of soil. Prepare the seeds. Begonias have very small ones (more than 75 thousand in one gram!), so for more uniform, thin sowing they need to be mixed with fine sand. Scatter the mixture over the surface of the soil, but do not cover it with soil on top, but spray it with water from a fine sprayer. To stimulate germination, instead of water, you can use a solution of a growth stimulator (Epin, Zircon - the concentration of the drugs is indicated on the package or in the attached instructions).

After sowing, cover the boxes with glass and place in a warm (22-25 degrees) and bright place. In March, this could be the window sill of a south or southeast window. If sowing earlier, there will not be enough natural light for the seedlings - to obtain high-quality seedlings, you will have to use lighting that provides a lighting level of 50 W/m2 for 24 hours during the period of seed germination and 14 hours after the emergence of seedlings.

Begonia crops require a lot of attention. The top layer of soil should not be allowed to dry out, so you need to spray the soil with water several times a day. However, excess moisture should also not be allowed, otherwise young plants may become infected with blackleg. Even drops of water accumulating on the underside of the glass can be dangerous for seedlings. Experts recommend that when growing everflowering and tuberous begonia, turn it with the wet side up at least twice a day.

Tiny shoots will appear 12-15 days after sowing. However, begonia seedlings grow very slowly. Therefore, even after the emergence of seedlings, the soil continues to be sprayed with water, still turning over, and then slightly opening the glass. It is removed completely after 2-3 weeks. Only a month and a half after the emergence of seedlings, when the seedlings have 2 leaves, do they pick.

When picking, seedlings can be planted in boxes, but it is better in pots or cassettes, then when planting in the ground the seedlings will be less injured and sick.

When picking into boxes, seedlings are carefully dug up and planted in soil of the same composition as when sowing. Plant every 6 cm in a checkerboard pattern, carefully lowering the roots into pre-made holes and pressing the soil tightly around them. Seedlings are buried 1-2 cm.

When picking into pots or cassettes, they are filled quite tightly with the soil mixture (but not to the top, so that water does not leak out when watering) and placed in boxes or pallets. The diameter of the cassette cells depends on the type of begonia. For ever-blooming ones, cassettes with a cell diameter of 6-7 cm are used. For tuberous begonia, as a rule, two pickings are carried out. First, the seedlings are planted in cassettes with a diameter of 1-2 cm, then, after a month, as flower growers say, they are transferred to cassettes or pots with a diameter of 8-10 cm.

After picking, the plants are carefully watered with settled water, to which you can add a little potassium permanganate (light pink), shaded for 1-2 days with paper for better survival, and then placed in the brightest place.

Some publications advise pinching the roots of seedlings by one third when picking. This is motivated by the fact that thanks to this technique a more powerful root system is formed. However, professional flower growers rarely use root pinching, since when transplanting seedlings, the tips of the roots usually break off on their own.

5-7 days after picking, you can make the first fertilizing with nitrogen or complex fertilizer. To do this, dissolve 20-25 g (about 1 matchbox) of urea or other nitrogen fertilizer or 30-35 g (1.5 matchboxes) of nitrophoska, kemira, and other complex mineral fertilizers in 10 liters of water and water the seedlings with the resulting solution. Afterwards, the leaves are washed from above with a small amount of clean water to remove the fertilizer solution that has fallen on them. Begonia seedlings are fed after 10-15 days. It is useful to alternate mineral fertilizers with organic fertilizers (for example, “Barrel and 4 buckets” - 2 tablespoons per 10 liters of water) or biofertilizers based on humic acids (humate, humix, etc.).

When using biofertilizers, you must strictly follow the instructions on the bags. For example, a humate solution is prepared in advance, approximately 12 hours before use. First, the contents of the bag are diluted with a small amount of hot water, and then little by little poured into the water for irrigation. It must be remembered that an overdose of this fertilizer can lead to undesirable results - oppression and even death of plants.

It is better to water well-rooted plants rarely (after the top layer of soil has dried), but abundantly. Frequent watering and excess moisture lead to the development of fungal diseases, and especially the main enemy of seedlings - blackleg.

In affected plants, spots and constrictions appear near the base and on the stems, first white, then darkening. Seedlings begin to lag in growth, wither and eventually die. The disease usually manifests itself in the form of lesions that grow, capturing more and more plants.

If such a disaster befell the crops, you must immediately remove the dead plants, reduce watering, slightly drying the top layer of soil (you should water in a tray or along the walls). The ground around the remaining plants should be sprinkled with fine calcined sand, perlite or ash. If this does not help and plant death continues, the remaining healthy seedlings should be urgently transplanted into fresh soil.

Tuberous begonia seedlings can also be grown from tubers purchased in a store or saved from last year. In the second half of February or March, the tubers are planted in boxes or pots with a diameter of 10 cm, filled with the same soil mixture as for growing seedlings. When planting, do not deepen them deeply; the upper part is only lightly sprinkled with soil. Sprout in a bright place at room temperature. Each tuber produces several shoots, some of which can be taken as cuttings. They are rooted in water, peat or sand.

In addition, begonia tubers can be divided into several parts. To do this, select the largest ones, lay them out for germination in boxes on damp moss or sawdust, and place them in a warm, bright place. After the buds swell on the tuber, cut them into pieces with a sharp knife so that each section contains at least one bud. The cutting areas are treated with crushed coal or fungicidal powder, dried for a day and the cuttings are planted in pots. Some gardeners recommend not covering the top of the cuttings with soil until shoots 5-7 cm long appear. They care for rooted cuttings or tuberous shoots in the same way as for picked seedlings, and at the same time they are transplanted into the garden.

Planting and caring for begonia in the garden

In early June, as soon as the threat of return frosts has passed, begonia seedlings are planted in the soil of flower beds or containers. The place and method of planting depend on the type and variety.

For further cultivation of ever-flowering begonia, its seedlings are planted at a distance of 10-15 cm from each other. The amazing plasticity of this species allows it to be grown in a variety of lighting conditions: both in bright sun and in partial shade. It is important that the soil is loose, nutritious, and slightly acidic. This begonia easily tolerates a lack of moisture, but on excessively wet, cold, soaking soils, it can be severely affected by various types of rot. It is almost not damaged by pests; a waxy coating on the leaves protects against them.

Tuberous begonia is more capricious. It can also be grown both in the sun and in shade, albeit slightly. However, it is more sensitive to lack of moisture. Flowering becomes less abundant, and the leaves begin to dry out at the edges and turn yellow. Excess moisture is also harmful to it - because of this, the shoots are severely affected by rot and the plants die. In open ground, bushes are planted every 20-25 cm.

It is better to plant seedlings on cloudy days or in the evening, after watering them abundantly. When planting, the plants are buried 1-2 cm. After planting, they are watered and the soil is covered with peat or humus. When planting in hot weather, during the first days the seedlings are protected from bright sunlight with non-woven covering material. Such shelter is also useful during cold snaps.

In order for the begonia bushes to be healthy and bloom profusely throughout the season, do not forget to ensure that the soil around them is always loose and free of weeds. Water the plants in dry weather and feed them with complex mineral fertilizers (30-35 g per 10 liters of water) or organic fertilizers every 10-15 days.

Feeding begins 10 days after planting the seedlings. As organic fertilizers, you can use a solution of mullein (1:10) or bird droppings (1:20), as well as fermented grass. In wet weather, dry fertilizing is carried out by incorporating granular mineral fertilizers (20-30 g per 1 sq. m) into the soil around the plants.

In the fall, before frost, the most decorative everflowering begonia plants can be dug out of the ground, transplanted into pots and moved indoors. True to its name, it will still bloom on a bright windowsill. In autumn and in the first half of winter, do not feed the transplanted bushes, just make sure that the soil in the pots is slightly moist. At the end of January - beginning of February, they begin to fertilize with fertilizer for indoor plants and more abundant watering, preparing for cuttings. Shoots cut in March take root well in a mixture of peat and sand (1:1).

There are also differences in growing begonia evergreen from her tuberous sister, who needs a period of rest. After continuous summer flowering, closer to autumn, its tuber begins to enlarge. Before the onset of frost, the bushes are dug up, dried, dried shoots are cut off, and the tubers are placed in dry peat or sand and stored at a temperature of 10-12 degrees.