With regards to wax begonia care, one query retains popping up. Do they like solar or shade?
Effectively, I’ve researched this, and because it seems, wax begonia requires extra solar than shade. Nevertheless, this may occasionally differ relying on particular begonia varieties.
For instance, bronze-colored leaves begonia are essentially the most sun-tolerant of all. Whereas tuberous begonias desire extra shade and fewer warmth, so that you’ll typically see them on show in late summer season.
This hardy perennial plant brings vibrant blooms to your property and backyard for a lot of the 12 months.
Wax begonia, additionally beforehand recognized by its scientific identify (Begonia
semperflorens-cultorum), is available in many various shapes, colours, and sizes.
Some well-liked varieties embrace Prelude white, Monza, Emperor Crimson, Senator Crimson, Celebration Pink, and Barbara Rogers. They’re simple to develop and take care of indoors and outdoor.
On this article, I’m going to debate wax begonia plant together with care ideas that can enable you in sustaining a wholesome begonia plant for a colourful backyard.
Let’s start:
Wax Begonia Plant Truth Sheet
Wax begonia can simply be recognized by their very shiny, oval, or ovate to broad oval inexperienced, bronze, or darkish crimson leaves with many flowers. The flowers originate in small axillary clusters and are rose-red to white.
Their progress behavior is considerably succulent, branching from the bottom with fibrous roots.
They’ve an annual life cycle and as such most gardeners use them in containers, edging, bedding, and foreground of gardens.
Wax begonias are sometimes thought-about a plant for shade, however most of right this moment’s varieties develop nicely in full solar, making this plant very versatile for gardens and landscaping.
Whenever you develop them within the solar, crops are shorter and develop considerably extra flowers than within the shade.
Begonias bloom repeatedly all through the summer season and early fall and might simply be propagated from seeds.
The plant is “self-cleaning,” which means that the spent flowers are likely to fall off by themselves, and thus, no dead-heading is required.
Wax begonias require much less care in comparison with different frequent annuals.
9 Wax Begonia Care Ideas Plus Solar Necessities
1. Wax Begonia Water Necessities
Put your crops on an everyday watering schedule (a couple of times every week) relying on the prevailing climate situations to maintain the soil barely moist however not moist or soggy.
Really feel the soil across the plant by inserting your finger slightly below the floor, about one-half to 1 inch deep.
If it feels dry, then you want to water your crops.
Water potted and hanging baskets wax begonias extra actually because they normally dry out extra shortly than these rising within the backyard.
You possibly can cease watering after you see the water come out of the underside of the pot and discard the surplus water that accumulates within the drainage tray.
For wax begonias within the backyard, water across the base of your plant, near the soil, with 1 inch of water.
At all times water your wax begonia by hand utilizing a hose or watering can, and should you should water from overhead, for instance, utilizing a sprinkler, do it within the morning so the leaves can dry out earlier than dusk.
Proceed with common watering and cut back the frequency as fall approaches.
Apply mulch across the roots all through the rising season to assist lock in moisture. If you would like extra info on watering, learn – How you can Water Potted Vegetation and Hold Them Completely satisfied
2. Present enough daylight
Wax begonia crops develop and bloom greatest below full solar, although at occasions, you is likely to be required to supply some shade from the recent afternoon solar, particularly should you reside within the extra tropical (Southern) areas of the nation.
Wax begonia with bronze foliage, for instance, Begonia rex, are likely to do higher in full solar than these with inexperienced leaves (Tuberous begonias).
Is your wax begonia experiencing a delay in blooming? Expose it to extra daylight, and you can be stunned that it’s going to bloom after a couple of days.
3. Select an appropriate soil combine
Any mild, well-draining, humus-rich soil or industrial potting mixes are good for rising wax begonia. Additionally, you’ll be able to loosen the soil/ potting combine a bit to reinforce easy water move.
This manner, the soil/combine is not going to change into soggy, and you should have improved on aeration.
Keep away from heavy clay soil because it retards root progress and starves the plant of oxygen, which might result in root ailments.
4. Fertilizer software
Begonias are low to average feeders, so apply a light-weight feeding of an all-purpose (10-10-10) or (8-8-8) fertilizer proper after planting as nicely when the crops are actively rising.
You can too apply well-rotted manure or aged compost mulching across the crops and obtain the identical impact as a light-weight fertilizer feeding.
5. Overwintering
Begonias don’t face up to freezing temperatures therefore require acceptable care throughout winter. Overwintering a begonia is just not at all times needed, particularly in hotter environments since winters are typically much less extreme.
Place your potted wax begonia indoors earlier than the onset of chilly climate for steady progress.
You can too transplant your floor grown begonias into containers and place them indoors for rising all through winter.
Acclimate your crops beforehand to scale back stress which may result in leaf drop.
Deal with your begonia crops for insect pests or powdery mildew earlier than putting them indoors by spraying or washing them gently with heat water and bleach-free dish cleaning soap.
Hold your crops in a heat, vibrant place, e.g., a big vibrant window, and regularly cut back the quantity of sunshine to assist them alter to an indoor atmosphere.
Professional Tip: Frost can kill wax begonias, so just remember to preserve the plant indoors till nicely after the frost risk is over.
6. Chopping again wax begonia
It’s needed to chop again giant, overgrown begonias to revive them to their standard form. Lower the stems again to a leaf node utilizing clear, sharp, sterilized pruning shears or a knife.
Perform this apply any time throughout spring or early summer season when your begonia is in its lively progress cycle.
You can too in the reduction of the begonia plant to inside 3 inches of the soil for revitalization when needed. This allows your plant to provide new leaves from the bottom of the cane.
7. Pruning
Though pruning is just not wanted for a lot of the plant progress, it’s advisable to typically prune your begonias about as soon as each month to appropriate the legginess (a plant’s try and stretch for the solar, leading to skinny stems with sparse leaves), making a fuller plant in addition to forcing the plant to develop from a particular a part of the stem.
Prune by pinching the stems to take away the useless ones and encourage new progress.
8. Deadheading Wax Begonia
Deadheading is just not required to your plant to thrive as a result of wax leaf begonias can self-clean by dropping spent or light flowers on their very own.
Nevertheless, if you wish to clear up your begonia a bit sooner than nature does, or if you wish to encourage the plant to provide extra stems, then get into the deadheading behavior.
9. Pests and ailments administration
Ailments
Wax begonias are inclined to numerous fungal ailments, with botrytis, powdery mildew, grey mildew, and pythium.
Appropriate water software technique ideally use drip irrigation and on the very least, direct water from the hose onto the soil or mulch, and never on the crops themselves helps handle fungal ailments.
Apply a copper based mostly fungicide; guarantee correct spacing and good air circulation for prevention.
Take a look at for:
- Botrytis – Tanned spots on the begonia foliage.
- Powderly mildew – A white fungal progress that develops on the leaves, flowers or stems.
- Pythium rot – Shiny, blackened areas on the stems and petioles of established crops.
Pests/ Bugs
You’ll largely discover bugs like aphids, thrips or caterpillars on Begonia.
- Aphids – Tiny gentle bodied bugs that cluster on the rising ideas of leaves and flower stems, sucking plant juices. The crops change into stunted and deformed. Here is a fantastic useful resource for eliminating aphids naturally.
- Thrips – Feed on the higher floor of leaves leaving them silvery wanting. In addition they wish to feed on the pollen within the flowers which might distort their look.
- Caterpillars – Feed on plant leaves and stems, typically at night time.
Conclusion
You’ve simply examine wax begonia care and the way to make sure your plant thrive slightly than survive.
Now, subsequent time you don’t have to wonder if wax begonias like solar or shade. We’ve found wax begonia requires extra solar than shade. Nevertheless, this may occasionally differ relying on particular selection varieties.
As an illustration, wax begonia with bronze foliage for instance Begonia rex, are likely to do higher in full solar than these with inexperienced leaves (Tuberous begonias).
You’ve additionally discovered accurately water your begonia, present sufficient daylight, choose acceptable potting combine, defend them from frost, and handle pests as quickly as you discover them.
The ball is now in your court docket.
I’d like to know the way it goes and if I’ve overlooked something, let me know within the feedback.