Begonia has faded: what to do next?

The main thing that we expect from flowering plants is the beauty of their flowering. But sooner or later this period ends, the buds wither, and only the greens remain.

Does active flower care end there? What can be done at this moment so that next year the plant blooms again lushly?

In this article we will analyze in detail the end of flowering, and learn how to properly care for it at this time. And also consider what the difference between tuberous begonia and with ordinary roots is.

General description

This plant is familiar to many, but not everyone knows how many varieties of begonia exist. To begin with, there are deciduous and decorative species that are valued for the beauty of their leaves. The color of these plants is simply amazing: red, pink, purple, gray, almost black, of various combinations of greenery, with a contrasting edging, and a fancy pattern. The shape of the leaf is irregular, resembles an inverted drop, a circle with a wavy edge, or a maple leaf. The stems are fleshy, thick.

We will speak in this article about another variety - the flowering begonia. This plant turned out to be on top here: red, yellow, purple, pink and white small flowers literally strewn compact bushes.

The natural habitat of these wonderful flowers is South America, Asia and Africa. Belong to the begonia family, have more than 1000 varieties. Named after the Governor of Haiti, Michel Begon Sr., who lived in the 17th century, when the genus Begonia was discovered.

When and how many blooms?

The duration of flowering depends on several factors:

1. Varieties of plants. Usually, simpler plants bloom longer than terry large-flowered counterparts.
2. Care. If the necessary conditions are not provided (temperature, humidity, lighting, soil and a pot) and there is no proper care (proper watering, top dressing, pruning), flowering may be short-term, or it won’t occur at all.
3. Cultivation method. If you plant a plant in open ground, then the flowering period will be limited by the time frame due to weather conditions and the need for transplantation into the house. However, some species, such as evergreen begonia, after transplanting from open ground into a pot, bloom even before spring. Potted begonias care tips can be found in a separate article.
4. Type of root system. Begonia has species with a tuberous root system and the usual one. The first ones bloom in the summer-autumn period, and tubers must be dug up for the winter. The second can bloom almost all year round.
5. From the time of awakening. If the plant is at rest, then it all depends on when and how measures were taken to awaken the plant. Usually they start doing this at the end of February. Then by April-May, flowers will begin to appear.

What to do if the flowering plant species does not bloom, you will learn in this article.

Features

Begonia has heterosexual flowers: there are women with pestles, and men with stamens. How to distinguish them from each other:

• On the back of the flower, the female flowers have a bulge - the future seed box, the male flowers have nothing there.
• Terry flowers in the corresponding species can only be male, female double ones are not. But male flowers, at the same time, can be simple.
• If you understand how pestles and stamens look, you can just make out. By the way, some terry male flowers can be completely without stamens. It is the modified stamens that make the flower terry.

Interesting fact! Removing female flowers from their very formation, can significantly increase the flowering time begonias, as well as enhance its intensity. But only if you do not want to get seeds.

Flowering plant

From the moment of awakening, the plant begins to accumulate strength and nutrients for the upcoming flowering. Buds are laid, reproductive organs are formed.

When begonia becomes ready for propagation, first male, and then female flowers bloom. If pollination is done, which is done manually, then the male flowers wither, and in the female, the fruit box with seeds begins to ripen. This is the time of the highest activity of the plant.

At this time, a huge amount of nutrients and trace elements are consumed. Accelerated metabolism requires more water, sunlight and heat.

What to do next with wilted buds?

Even during the period of active flowering, all faded buds are removed. Someone carefully cuts, someone twists. So gradually you remove the entire flowering part, and by the end of flowering the question will disappear by itself. Why do this? During flowering in this way, you save plant energy for more magnificent flowering. At the end of this period, you also help the plant get rid of unnecessary in order to prepare for a state of rest. And in the end, wilted flowers are not aesthetically pleasing, they spoil the appearance of begonia, make it messy, groomed.

For this, the largest and most healthy fruits are left, the rest are cut. 20-25 days after flowering, the box matures. It is opened and seeds are taken. From these seeds, new young plants can be obtained in seedlings.

Home care after this period

During flowering, the plant required a lot of light, water and nutrition, but the energy-consuming process was over and it was necessary to smoothly switch begonia to a state of rest. Gradually, it is necessary to reduce the amount and volume of watering, top dressing, and light intensity.

How to deal with it when it has bloomed depends on the type of root system.

Tuberous

For to save the plant until next year, tubers must be dug up. You need to do this correctly:

1. As soon as flowering is over, watering is significantly reduced. Water only so that the earth does not dry out at all.
2. Cut off excess shoots and leaves.
3. The plant is placed in a less lit place. At this time, the root gains strength to form the kidneys.
4. As soon as everything above the ground has dried up, the tuber is taken out of the ground.
5. Dried shoots are cut.
6. Inspect for rot. If there are rotten areas, it is necessary to cut them to clean tissues with a sharp knife, sprinkle with crushed charcoal and dry.
7. Tubers are removed in an airtight bag with slightly damp sand, or sawdust, and placed on the refrigerator door until spring.

How to store begonia tubers in winter:

Varieties with ordinary roots

Non-tuberous begonias can bloom almost until spring. However, it is better to give the plant a rest. For this you need to change the conditions of the flower from November to Decemberas soon as active flowering declined:

• Stop applying fertilizer.
• Watering as much as possible to reduce, water only when the topsoil becomes completely dry.
• Cut the plant, remove all unnecessary shoots completely, reduce the main ones to 12-15 cm. Sprinkle the cut points with charcoal powder.
• Spray the air around the flower, or provide normal humidity in another way. You can put a pan with water, only the pot should not be in the water. In the pallet, you can pour pebbles on which the pot will stand.

  Remember! It is strictly forbidden to spray the plant itself!

• Remove begonia in a dark corner. Bright lighting provokes continued flowering, and future bud-sprouts are laid in short daylight hours.
• The temperature during this period should be lowered to 10-15 degrees.

Evergreen Begonia transplant for winter:

How to wake up?

In late February, you need to prepare the plant for the following flowering:

1. The tubers are inspected, sprayed with water and put in a bag in a bright and warm place 22-25 degrees.
2. As soon as the sprouts appear, plant them in a pot of soil (how to choose a flowerpot and care for begonia in a pot read here). To a depth of 2/3 of the length of the tuber.
3. A little watered and kept in a warm, lit place. You will learn how and how to water the plant here.
4. When the sprouts harden, the earth is filled up to the root neck. This is the place where the root goes into the overhead shoot.
5. Non-tuberous begonias are simply transferred to a lit, warm place, watered more often.
6. When the plant woke up and started to grow, they begin to feed it. For this, mineral liquid fertilizers are used, which are intended for flowering plants. Here is how to feed begonia for abundant flowering.

Conclusion

Not only in the spring before flowering, plant care must be provided. The end of flowering is the next stage in the year-round cycle of care for begonia. How a flower starts next year depends on how it finished the previous one. Take care of plants year-round, taking into account the characteristics of different periods.

Watch the video: Maintenance Tips for Tuberous Begonias (December 2024).