What conditions are needed for ever-flowering begonias in an apartment and outdoors?

A beautiful ornamental plant, ever-flowering begonia, can grow both in a summer cottage and at home on a windowsill. To obtain a bush with beautiful leaves and bunches of bright flowers, breeders crossed the graceful begonia from Mexico, the Brazilian Schmidt begonia and the Lanciana begonia growing in Colombia. The species got its name for a reason: if you provide the flower with proper care, it will constantly delight you with beautiful bright inflorescences.

Variety of varieties of tropical flower

Ever-flowering begonia, or Begonia Semperflorens, is the name of a species that is divided into many varieties. Breeders became interested in an ornamental plant 200 years ago and created more than 600 hybrids that differ in size, leaf shape, and color of inflorescences. Begonia can also be grown in hanging pots, for this purpose varieties with shoots hanging down have been created. All varieties are divided into groups depending on the height of the bush.

The first group includes the most compact plants, up to 20 cm high. They look great on borders, in flowerpots and flower pots.

The most popular of the undersized varieties are considered to be:

• Cocktail F1 - has reddish-brown leaves and inflorescences of 4 colors;
• Queen F1 - a small bush with 3 shades of double flowers and small leaves;
• Eureka F1 - covered with bronze leaves, produces large flowers, the diameter of which reaches 3.5 cm, with 11 types of color.

The next group includes bushes with a height of 20 to 30 cm. They can be planted in the second tier of a flower garden, used for single compositions and indoor growing. The most interesting series:

• Victory F1 - has green or bronze leaves, produces inflorescences of 9 colors;
• Party F1 - bush covered with brown leaves and flowers up to 4 cm in diameter with 3 types of color;
• Ambassador F1 - with large leaves and inflorescences in 7 shades.

The highest group reaches 50 cm. The bushes look great on the flowerbed, and for home wintering they need to be transplanted into wide, stable dishes so that they do not tip over. Very interesting series are shown.

• Lotto F1 produces the largest flowers (up to 6 cm in diameter) in 4 different colors.
• Inferno F1 with large inflorescences of white and pink shades.
• Baby Wing Pink F1 has ruffled leaves and drooping pink flowers.

Begonia breeding methods

If you want to start breeding begonias, you can buy seedlings in specialized stores, but then you will miss a lot of interesting things in the development of your pets. It is interesting for flower growers who are passionate about their occupation to observe the appearance and formation of a flower from the very beginning. This is possible if you start growing yourself from seed. You can only get your own planting material from a female plant. Take a closer look at the flowers: there are 4 petals in the male flower, 5 in the female. The grains will germinate and retain all varietal qualities. There is one exception to this rule: ever-flowering terry begonia, when sown, can grow completely different from the mother bush, only vegetative propagation is suitable for such bushes.

For sowing work, you need to prepare:

• shallow container or box;
• nutritious loose soil;
• seeds;
• cover or glass.

In January, start sowing seeds for seedlings. Level the surface of the soil in the container, add grains and cover the container with a lid or glass. Drops of condensation can damage young seedlings; tilt the box slightly so that the water can run down the wall.You need to moisten the soil from a spray bottle or through the drainage holes by pouring water into the pan. The best temperature for germination is + 22⁰C.

Advice

When sowing small seeds, mix them with sand or used tea leaves, then the grains will fall on the ground evenly.

If your friends have a beautiful begonia, planting plant fragments will help to grow the same one. For reproduction of the bush, you can cut off the stalk in the summer, free it from young leaves, so that all the forces of the branch are directed to rooting. Stick the scion into moss or wet sand and cover with a plastic bag with holes for ventilation. After about a month, when the root system develops, plant the cuttings in pots with fertile soil and care for them like seedlings. You can cut a well-developed leaf, place its petiole in water, wait for it to take root, and plant it in the ground.

Growing seedlings and adult plants in the room

Observe the container in which you sowed the begonia. When shoots appear, remove the glass and shade the plants from direct sunlight. Do not overheat the seedlings, place them in a room with a temperature of about + 18⁰C. The pick is carried out when the seedlings release 3 true leaves. Plant the plants in separate pots filled with well-fertilized, fertile soil available from flower shops. In May, feed the plantings and start hardening the plants by taking them outside, first for a couple of hours, and by the end of the month for a whole day.

If you want to leave the bushes at home on the windowsill, take care of a large and stable container. A tall, lush bush can turn a small pot, the diameter of the vessel should be about 20 cm for medium-sized varieties and at least 30 cm for large bushes. Monitor the health of your begonia. If the stems stretch up, and the buds do not appear - the flower has little light, if the leaves curl and become covered with spots, remove the flower in the shade. The yellow color of the sheets indicates that you overdid it with watering.

Pruning will help to form an attractive bush shape. Leave approximately the same number of shoots and leaves on all sides. Make the central stem the highest; the lateral processes should be shorter. Try to give the green part the shape of a hemisphere, then the flower will have a decorative appearance and will not overturn the pot under the weight of the leaves. Cuttings of ever-flowering begonia can be rooted in wet moss or sand, they retain their maternal qualities and can serve as planting material for new bushes. Remove excess leaves so the plant can ventilate. If there is no air circulation in the green mass, yellow rings caused by bacteria appear on the leaves. Cut off the damaged parts and spray the flower with disinfectants.

Planting and care in the open field and in winter on a windowsill

In June, you can move the seedlings to the flower garden. When choosing a place, keep in mind that begonia loves light, but direct sunlight is contraindicated for it. The flower needs fertile soil, loose, slightly acidic. Do not thicken the planting, the distance between the rows should be at least 15 cm, and between the bushes - 10 cm.

The main care of plants is proper watering. The roots of begonia do not penetrate deeply into the soil, and when the top layer dries out, the plant will suffer from thirst. Excessive moisture is also harmful - make sure that all the water is absorbed into the ground and does not stagnate around the bushes. Feed the plantings every 2 weeks complex fertilizer for flowers... Remember to loosen the soil and kill the weeds to avoid causing infections and pests.

In the fall, dig out the bushes, transplant them into pots and take them to the house for the winter. Take care of the same as when growing in the open field: select a bright place, water, feed. The plant is accustomed to a tropical climate, it needs high air humidity and a temperature of about + 22⁰C.Not every flower will be able to release buds both in summer and in winter at home, it can freeze for a while for rest. With active growth and flowering, apply fertilizer every 2 weeks, and if the plant has fallen into a dormant period, increase the interval to 1 month and take the pot to a cool place with a temperature of about + 15⁰C. If you do everything right, begonia will bloom throughout the cold period and will remain covered with inflorescences when you move it back to the flower bed.

Advice

If the air in the apartment is dry, place a pallet with wet pebbles or moss on the windowsill. Do not spray the flower with a spray bottle - drops falling on leaves and petals provoke the appearance of dark spots.

The ever-flowering tropical guest begonia will decorate both a summer cottage and a city apartment. If you treat the plant with soul, create the necessary climatic conditions and provide good care, it will release more and more inflorescences without rest. In the summer, take the bushes to the cottage, arrange curbs along the paths, a flower garden in several tiers from a variety of varieties. In the fall, hide the flower from the cold in a warm apartment. Such transfers will continue year after year, and flowering will be continuous and will end only with the death of your green friend.