Planting, growing and caring for garden begonia in open ground

The ornamental plant is found in the tropical forests of Africa and Asia, but it was brought to Europe from South America; the flower owes its name to Governor Begon from the island of Haiti. For a long time, the exotic guest grew in greenhouses and heated greenhouses, and decorated the window sills of apartments. Breeders have developed varieties of garden begonia for planting in open ground. Caring for a tropical guest does not raise many questions, and if you believe the legends, this amazing flower brings happiness and good luck to its owners.

Features and description of garden begonia

In its homeland, the perennial shrub does not take root in the ground, but is attached to tree trunks. In spring, the entire plant becomes covered with buds and blooms continuously for six months. Street begonia reproduces by tubers, has a small height, has a bushy shape, and attractive leaves that look like hearts.

The flowers of the tropical guest delight with bright and colorful shades, there are:

• white and yellow;
• burgundy and pink;
• orange and peach.

The root of the plant is large and massive. In response to care and proper care, the miniature shrub responds with long and abundant flowering.

Subspecies of culture

Based on the South American guest, breeders have created a thousand varietal begonias, and several double or simple plants planted in a flowerbed give it a sophisticated and elegant look. Unfortunately, not all varieties of ornamental crops take root in open ground, the color range of which is simply amazing.

Tuberous

Begonia forms a bush that grows up to 30 cm in height and is covered with large terry buds of various shades. Some varieties have flowers that resemble a lotus, while others resemble a rose or carnation.Among this type of begonias, Prima Donna is bred in gardens; Golden Ball is popular.

Everblooming

Miniature bushes that barely grow to 15 cm are planted in parks and squares. They have smooth small leaves of a rich shade. During the growing season, begonia is covered with pink, snow-white, and red “caps” of flowers.

Ampelous

One of the varieties of ornamental plants has long shoots that spread along the ground. The bushes are literally dotted with small flowers of various bright colors. The hanging plant makes a very beautiful and elegant hedge.

Necessary conditions for cultivation

Begonia is a rather finicky crop, it is not always accepted even in the room, it often does not please with abundant flowering, and is affected by insects. To grow a tropical guest in the garden, you need to create optimal conditions for it, irrigate and feed it on time.

Air humidity

Begonia must be watered correctly so that the roots do not begin to rot and drops do not fall on the leaves. In the garden, a place for a flower must be selected where groundwater does not approach the surface, or a drainage layer must be made. The tropical plant does not tolerate dry air and requires constant moisture.

Temperature

Begonia comes from warm regions and cannot withstand the cold, but in extreme heat it sheds its buds. The ornamental crop pleases with abundant flowering at 18–22 ° C during the day, at night it should be at least 16, but in summer the plant adapts to higher temperatures.

Required soil composition

Begonia has weak roots; in order for it to grow well, the soil must be loose and light, not retain moisture, and allow air to pass through. The flower loves acidic soil with a pH of 5.4 to 6.5. To drain excess liquid, expanded clay or crushed gravel is poured under the plant.The southern guest does not tolerate tannins.

Choice of location and lighting

Begonia does not like heat, and in the south it is recommended to plant it not in an area where direct rays of the sun fall, but in partial shade. In mid-latitudes, for a tuberous flower, you need to select a well-lit place, protected from drafts and northern winds.

Planting begonias

If you place a flower in the garden or flower bed every 20 cm, you will get an amazing carpet. The pits are filled with compost and peat or a mineral complex containing phosphorus and potassium is poured. Begonia is watered and covered with sawdust or expanded clay so that the moisture evaporates less. It is necessary to grow the decorative crop in seedlings; when the leaves appear, which happens within a week, it can be moved to a flowerbed in open ground.

When to plant

Begonia dies during minor frosts, which in mid-latitudes last until the end of May, and in Siberia until the beginning of June. The decorative flower is planted when warm weather sets in and the cold should not return. You can send the plant to the flowerbed in April and even in March, but cover it with special material.

Soil preparation

The area for planting begonias is dug up, freed from weeds, stones, debris, and river sand, peat and humus are added. Fertilizers can be applied directly during planting into the holes.

Combination with other plants

In landscape compositions, begonia is planted next to ornamental shrubs and flowers, the tropical guest is combined with Iberis, surfinia, petunia or lobularia, which also bloom until the end of the season.

Planting technology

Begonia is propagated by leaf and stem cuttings and by dividing tubers, but there is another way to propagate an ornamental crop yourself.

Seeds

To grow a healthy flower, you need to purchase seed material from a specialized store. Small grains collected this year are planted in containers or boxes. Larger seeds are placed in peat tablets.

Ever-flowering begonia is sown in February, tuberous begonia is sown from January to April. By spring, the seedlings will have strong roots and will quickly adapt to new conditions.

Cuttings and shoots

Seeds are rarely used for planting begonias, since this method requires a lot of time for germination. Planting by cuttings allows you to preserve the characteristics of a variety; the whole process consists of:

• from cutting stems;
• drying;
• rooting;
• placement in the ground.

The characteristics of the mother specimen are not lost when part of a leaf or its cutting is planted, but in this case the plant develops slowly.

Care and cultivation of crops in open ground

Having planted begonia outside, you need to carefully care for it, making sure that the sun's rays do not burn the leaves.

Irrigation frequency

He recommends watering the ornamental plant once every three days, more often in hot weather. To moisten the soil, soft water is used; this can be done by adding a spoonful of vinegar to a bucket of liquid. Suitable for watering a flower with mineral water. There is no need to spray the leaves, otherwise brown spots will appear on them.

To reduce moisture evaporation, pull out the weeds, loosen the ground, and sprinkle the soil near the bush with peat or sawdust.

Fertilizer application

In order for begonia to delight with lush flowering, in the spring the plant is fed with a universal complex. In summer, the crop needs more phosphorus and potassium than nitrogen. The tropical guest needs to be fertilized once every 2 weeks.

Bush formation

When the begonia grows to 60 mm, the top is shortened at an angle and the amount of watering is reduced.The flower sends out side shoots; if their length reaches 10 cm, cut off the top above the bud, which is located on the outside. Be sure to remove dried twigs and leaves.

Wintering outdoor begonia in a pot

In October, young tubers of the plant are dug up along with a lump of earth and placed in a container filled with peat. The leaves and stems of an annual flower often continue to turn green. Begonia in a pot is placed in a cool but bright room and watered very rarely. In April, the plant is transplanted into a container with peat, and closer to summer - into a flower bed.

In the second year, the top part of the flower is cut off in the fall, as it dies.

Winters in apartment conditions

With the onset of October, the southern guest is watered less frequently. The entire above-ground part of the ornamental plant is shortened almost to the base, and the pot is moved to a room where the temperature is not higher than 15 °C. Begonia overwinters well in an insulated loggia, pantry, or bathtub. Occasionally moisten the soil so that it does not dry out.

Storing tubers in the apartment

Begonia growing in a garden or flower bed is dug up before frost sets in. The upper part of the flower is cut to a stump, the tubers are dried in a dry and cool place, which are then placed in a box with sand and sawdust and left in the apartment.

Begonia root can be stored in the refrigerator by packing it in a plastic bag, puncturing holes in it, or simply wrapping it in paper.

In the basement

Dried flower tubers are laid out in boxes and boxes, covered with sand or peat mixed with sawdust. The containers are not taken to the cellar, where it is very humid, but placed in the basement.

Dangerous diseases and pests: control methods

Delicate and beautiful begonia, growing in the garden or on the street, attracts insects and pathogenic microorganisms, causing it to lose its sophistication and shed its buds and flowers.

Powdery mildew

In damp and cool weather, whitish spots appear on the stems and leaves of the tropical guest, which quickly spread throughout the plant. To cope with powdery mildew, the above-ground part of the flower is sprayed with a fungicide.

Gray rot

When there is excess moisture, a microscopic fungus forms spores that are carried by the wind. Watery spots appear on the leaves, buds, and stems of ornamental plants, turning into gray rot. To save begonia, prepare a solution by mixing several fungicides.

Aphid

Larvae and adult microscopic insects of yellow or green color cause enormous harm to plants by feeding on their sap. If there are aphids on the begonia:

1. The leaves turn yellow and dry out.
2. The buds do not bloom.
3. Flowers fall off.

To cope with the pest, prepare a solution of soap and tobacco dust, spray the bushes with an infusion of onion peels, water them with water and ash, and dust them with ash. Insects die when plants are treated with Actellik and benzophosphate.

Spider mite

At high air temperatures in combination with excessive watering, holes appear on the underside of begonia leaves that quickly increase in size, which indicates infection with spider mites. To save the flower, the ground part is sprayed with Decis or the biological pesticide Peretrium.

How to propagate begonia

To breed a tropical beauty, different parts of the plant are used. The flower is well accepted by green cuttings and takes a long time to develop from shoots.

Tubers

The propagation method is used when it is necessary to preserve a rare flower. A part separated from a begonia tuber is planted in a greenhouse or greenhouse structure. When a sprout appears, watering is done using a sprayer.

Cuttings

The top with 6 leaves is carefully cut off from a strong bush, treated with the Kornevin stimulator, flowers and buds are torn off so that they do not take away the strength of the plant.

The cuttings are planted to a depth of 5 mm in a mixture of sand and peat, covered with a jar, plastic, bag, or placed in a glass of water, to which a spoonful of honey and aloe juice is added. After 10 days, the shoot sprouts a root.

Seed method

You can breed begonia using small grains collected this year. But this propagation process takes a long time, and seedlings do not always appear. The sprouts turn out to be very tender and fragile; they are kept in the apartment for almost a year until bushes form, which can already be transplanted into open ground.

Gardeners' secrets for lush flowering

In order for begonia to decorate a flowerbed and delight with many buds, the plant must be regularly fed with complex fertilizer, dried leaves must be picked off, irrigated on time, but not overwatered, disease prevention must be carried out, and protected from pests. You need to make sure that the ground under the exotic flower is not strewn with buds or petals, as this is fraught with the development of rot.

Gardeners recommend watering the tropical guest not only with mineral and soft water, but also with infusions prepared from onion peels and garlic shoots.

Flowers begin to fall off when there is excess moisture and high temperature. In this case, you need to shade the begonia and reduce the frequency of irrigation.When optimal conditions are created, the buds do not fall off, and the plant is covered with white, pink and scarlet flower caps.