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Culture Information |
Begonia Growing InformationGrowing Begonias Most begonias that one encounters are hybrids. These plants have usually been bred for some particular characteristic that the hybridizer liked, such as growing habit, leaf or flower color, or disease resistance. To grow these plants successfully, it helps to understand the plant's parentage, and more specifically, where the species originated. In nature, begonias are found growing in temperate zones around the globe. Central and South America, are very important sources of begonias, as are West Africa, India, South China, Malaysia, and Indonesia. It is well known that many begonia species grow in low lying, dense, heavily shaded jungles environments, usually near creeks and streams. Others occur high in tropical mountains, often near waterfalls. The major challenge for the hobby grower of these beautiful plants is to know the plant and its background, and then to try to simulate the growing conditions that occur in nature for it’s species parents. It is only when the correct conditions of light, temperature, humidity, soil, fertilizer, and water are met, will the plants grow healthy and flourish. Below we will examine each of these critical growing conditions: Light Begonias are shade loving plants. The general rule is to never allow direct sun to shine on a begonia. The noted exception, of course, is for semperflorens, which thrive in direct sunlight, and will, in fact, not grow nor flower well in the shade. Also if one lives far enough north, say in New Jersey, the sun's effect is much less and some begonias can be grown in full sunlight. In southern states, such as Texas, many cane hybrids will also benefit from early morning sunshine: some will even tolerate afternoon sunshine. Some thick-stem and rhizomatous begonias will take midday sun too, but these are the exception. Temperature The ideal temperature range for most begonias is 62 to 72 degree F. Most will grow successfully, however, at temperatures normally found in the home, say from 50 to 85 degrees. Most will also tolerate drastically adverse temperatures, from a high of 100 degrees to a low of 28 degrees, but only for very short periods of time. My general rule is that a begonia plant will be comfortable in the same temperature conditions in which I am comfortable. Humidity Begonias like humidity. All of them like 50 percent humidity as a minimum, and most like it even higher. Typically, if the grower supplies humidity of 60 to 80 percent, the plants will grow successfully. There are some begonias, however, especially some species, that demand near 100 percent humidity and thus can only be grown in a terrarium-like environment. Most growers supply humidity with misting, both in and out of greenhouses. In the home, placing the plant on a wet gravel bed will sometimes be quite successful. Some begonias will grow well on a kitchen or bathroom window ledge. Potting Mix One of the more important issues with begonias is not allowing the roots to smother in water. They must be allowed to get oxygen. To do this, the potting medium must be very loose and porous. There are as many potting mix formulas as there are potters, but the one I personally find most useful is 50 percent peat moss and 50 percent perlite. This is very simple to make and will work with all ages of all classifications of plants. Many mixes contain very coarse sand, some soil, and even vermiculite, but my experience says these components only get me into trouble. If the potting mix does not come with a wetting agent, just spray the mix with a mild, weak soap solution. Then, the peat moss will wet properly. Fertilizer Begonias require periodic fertilizing, like any other potted plant. One fertilizing schedule I find useful is to use a time-release fertilizer twice a year (January and April) and a soluble fertilizer at ¼ strength weekly throughout the year. I use one teaspoon of a 16-8-12 time release formula, such as Osmocote, in a 6 inch pot, and a 15-30-15 soluble fertilizer such, as Miracle-gro. Water The asiest way to kill a begonia is to over-water it. The rhizome on some begonias and the thickened stems on others are water reservoirs and carry the plant through short dry periods. I recommend testing the potting mix one inch below the surface for wetness with your finger, before any watering. Just stick your finger in and, if it feels wet, do not water. If it is dry, then water completely, until water runs out the bottom of the pot. Do not let the pot sit in a tray of water at anytime. Pots I like clay pots for all my begonias. I like the feel of a heavy pot, and they don’t blow over as easy. A clay pot also dries out faster than one of plastic, hence it tends to correct any over-watering. The one exception to this is for hanging baskets. I use plastic 10-inch hanging baskets for many cane-like begonias, and they do fine. Hanging baskets tend to dry out quickly, so again, they tend to correct any over-watering. If the grower will follow the above simple procedures, they can grow almost any begonia, with the exception of those requiring a contained atmosphere. |
B. 'Nokomis'
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Copyright 2012 Astro Branch, American Begonia Society Original website by Bill Claybaugh, redesign by Malcolm McCorquodale 2012 |