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Tuberous Begonias are beautiful plants with double flowers that recall camellia flowers or even mini roses. They have vibrant colors, suitable for indoor decoration. But not everyone knows how to properly care for Tuberous Begonia. In this article, gardenhow.net will discuss some interesting facts about these plants. We will also give you advice for Tuberous Begonias care. So if you are interested in learning more about these lovely plants, keep reading!
Tuberous Begonias features
People cultivate Tuberous Begonias for their flowers, which are often remarkable. They have a short dormancy period during autumn and winter. As far as plant structure is concerned, Tuberous Begonias include trailing and erect plants. They thrive in containers and can make a colorful addition to your collection of houseplants. Although they are actually perennials grown from tubers, they are often cultivated as annuals. Here is an unknown fact: Tuberous Begonias bloom edible. They have acidic, sour, and lemony flavors. If you are going to use them as a topping, make sure you have cultivated Tuberous Begonias without pesticides.
Tuberous Begonias have flowers available in almost all colors, with the exception of blue and purple. Plants bloom with female and male flowers on one plant. Female flowers initially appear as simple petals with a row of exposed flower parts. Then the male flowers begin; they are conspicuous and have hidden floral portions. Tuberous Begonias bloom throughout the season, offering consistent color exposure.
Gardening Tips and Hacks for Tuberous Begonia care
Tuberous begonia care is straightforward; simply adhere to a few guidelines. Soon, colorful, spectacular blooming bulbs will fill a pot or hanging basket, pouring color on the landscape.
Light & Temperature
Tuberous Begonias’ native environment is very wet, and the nights are slightly cool. Tuberous Begonias are subject to arid and foggy environments. Unfortunately, begonias cannot tolerate the cold, and they die when left outdoors during the winter season. From the beginning, the bulbs will require heat quite constantly. They also need sufficient bright light when the germs start to come out.
Buds in most begonias will start to fall when they are affected by frost. Cultivate your Tuberous Begonias somewhere with filtered light or where they can get morning light at most. Avoid placing the growing medium in an area with little light, as the plant will need sunlight to bloom. During the day, most perennials in bloom prefer a temperature range between 55 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit. You should also grow this perennial plant, far from high winds.
Soil & Transplant
Before planting your Tuberous Begonias, you want to make sure that the soil texture is light and porous enough to allow any excess moisture to escape. The tubers must also have good air circulation. Use plain gravel, then mix it with sand for better drainage. Also, consider changing the repotting mix with some peat foam. When planting the tubers, put them into individual clay jars. The clay containers will allow water and moisture to penetrate through as they are porous, in comparison to plastic pots.
For optimum root growth, you would like to add a serving of bonemeal. It also helps to keep your tuber begonias from delayed growth. Consider placing pebbles on the bottom of the culture jar to improve drainage.
Watering need to Tuberous Begonias care
When watering, keep all the leaves dry. The effects of overcrowding include powdery mildew that impairs the quality of foliage and many hard-to-treat bacterial diseases. Keep the soil moist regularly, especially during the warmer months, but don’t overload it because it may cause root rot. Using drip irrigation or self-watering planters would be much safer, and both options are more likely to yield pleasurable results.
In autumn and winter, it is typical for Tuberous Begonia to enter dormancy. Therefore, reduce watering intervals drastically when temperatures are at an all-time low. Apart from decay, too much humidity during this period will attract parasites. When using a commercial potting blend, it is essential to read the instructions on the soil label you are using and follow the recommended irrigation schedule.
Feeding
Feeding is necessary for Tuberous Begonias care to grow well. Using humus-rich soil with other biological options would be an efficient way to feed your Tuberous Begonias. They do not need to be powered by synthetic fertilizers to look vibrant and colored. But, on the other hand, your begonias will probably take full advantage of the nutrients. Fertilizing in the first few weeks of spring, when new growth is about to emerge, is a good idea.
However, you should know how it works to cultivate healthier plants. In addition, your Begonia domestic plants can benefit from many ways to make them grow to be more colorful and robust. Fertilization standards are approximately the same as those for most other flowering perennials. Therefore, an important phosphorus ratio would be necessary as your Begonias desperately need it during the flowering season.
Tips for Tuberous Begonia care in different zones
Zones 4-7
You can seen Begonias as annuals, or you can store the tubers inside and replant them next spring. If plants are in pots, move them to a protected area before they freeze. Stop watering them and allow them to die naturally. Dig out the tubers (the stems should come off easily) and store them in peat moss or individual paper bags in a dark, frost-free location at approximately 50°F.
Zones 8-11
In hot climates, begonias will start to go dormant in late autumn. Blossoming slows and the foliage becomes yellow.If the plants are in pots, just stop watering and move the pots to an area where the soil will remain completely dry throughout the winter. The tubers may remain directly in the jars. If your begonias are in the soil, you will need to dig the tubers so that they are not at risk of rotting during the winter. Let them dry in a secure area and keep them until spring.
When to repot Tuberous Begonias
Repotting is one of the most important steps in Tuberous Begonias care. As begonias love to be attached to the root, wait to repot until the container is full of roots. This will be clear if you carefully remove the plant from its pot. If the ground is still loose, let the Begonia keep growing. When the roots of the plant hold the entire soil, it is time for a transplant.
A Begonia transplant does not always require a larger recipient. Sometimes a Begonia can wither and collapse. This means that the roots have begun to break down, and there is too much soil providing extra nutrients (and water), more than the needs of the plant. In this case, you will not move the Begoniato a larger pot, but instead to a smaller one.
How to protect Tuberous Begonias from diseases and pests
Diseases and pests prevention is an important step in Tuberous Begonias care. Illnesses can also seriously damage your plants. Begonias are susceptible to diseases such as fungal and bacterial leaf spots, fire blight, and pythium rot. These illnesses can have symptoms that develop rapidly, and the plant may appear to die in just one to two days.
Symptoms of the disease in Begonias include collapse of the plant, brown and black spots on the leaves, sunken petioles, and soft black stalks.
Often, these diseases are present in compromised plants, like over-exploited ones.
Rescue an ailing Begonia by isolating it from other healthy plants. Remove any affected leaves with a clean knife or scissors. Remove the plant from the soil for root rot and root rot removal. Rinse the remaining healthy roots and apply fungicide before repotting the plant.
Be sure to take these steps as soon as you suspect a disease, as the earlier you act, the greater the chance of a cure.
How to propagate Tuberous Begonias
“How to propagate Tuberous Begonias?” and way to Tuberous Begonias care are always of interest to everyone when they start growing them.
Propagating by root cuttings
A common way to spread Tuberous Begonias is to plant roots. If you slim the stems when they are about 3 inches in height, you can use these cuttings. Besides, some gardeners cut a small piece of tuber with each shoot to increase the likelihood of stem rooting. However, the damage to the tuber may allow pathogenic organisms to attack the tuber.
Before taking the cuttings, prepare what is known as a forsythe pot into which the roots:
- Take a 2-3 inch unvarnished clay pot and plug the drainage hole in the bottom.
- Fill a 10″ plastic container with vermiculite.
- Push the clay pot towards the bottom of the plastic pot filled with vermiculite. There should be a 3-inch wide vermiculite ring around the clay pot.
- Wet the vermiculite and fill the clay container with water.
- Cut out the stems for rooting and insert them into the damp vermiculite.
- Put the whole assembly in a clear plastic bag.
- Secure the top of the bag to keep air around moist cuttings.
- Put the Forsythe pot in a hot place with a shining indirect light.
- The clay jar is a water tank, so you won’t need to water the cuttings as long as you keep it full.
After two or four weeks, the cuttings must be firmly rooted. Open the plastic bag a bit more every day for a few days to get the plants used to normal moisture. Then plant them in pots, harden them, and transplant them outdoors as outlined above. By September, small tubers will be formed that you should treat and store as you would for larger tubers.
Propagation by seeds
You can also multiple Tuberous Begonias from seeds, but you must launch the seeds in December or January for summer flowering. Fill the containers with a mix of fine-textured compost and water. Press the seeds on the surface of the medium and cover them slightly with countersunk sphagnum. Moisten the sphagnum with a spray, then cover with a film of glass or plastic to retain moisture.
At a constant temperature of 70, germination usually takes about ten days, but it can take up to three weeks, particularly if the potting soil temperature is lower than 70. Leave plastic or glass for 1-2 days after germination and then remove it.
Thin the seeds to 2 inches away. Bright light, such as from fluorescent light, is useful to produce robust seedlings.
When they get cluttered, transplant them into bigger pots, using a porous and well-drained mixture. Harden the plants, then plant them in hanging baskets, in large containers or straight into your garden.
How to store Tuberous Begonias for winter?
Tuberous Begonias go dormant no matter how they are grown, whether in the greenhouse or outside, so they are not suitable as indoor plants all year round. Begonias should be stored indoors, you need Tuberous Begonias care carefully to they can grow well in next seasons, during the dormancy period.
- Gradually decrease watering and discontinue fertilization at the end of August. Some gardeners may choose to remove any flower buds that form in September to encourage dormancy and the storage of energy in tubers.
- Dig into the Begonia tubers when the leaves start to turn yellow or after the first deadly frost.
- Cut the stems at about five inches, and let the tubers dry inside at room temperature, out of direct sunlight, until the remaining pieces of stem are dry and loose.
- Remove stems and roots or earth, but do not wash the tubers.
- Put the tubers in a perforated plastic bag full of sphagnum or vermiculite.
- Store it in a cool, dark place with a temperature between 40ºC and 50ºC, much cooler than most cellars. An insulated but not heated attic or three season porch can be quite cold. A spare refrigerator can be a great place to store tender bulbs and other parts of plants similar to bulbs, such as tubers.
- Occasionally check for decay, softening, or wilting of tubers and discard the wrong tubers immediately.
Why are Tuberous Begonias dying?
In Tuberous Begonias care, you have to be very careful, but the plant is still dead. So find out why with us.
One of the most common reasons for death from Begonia and making Tuberous Begonias care useless is being overweight. You can forget about watering your Begonia for a couple of days and it will be completely fine, but watering it regularly leads to plant death. It is much better to ensure appropriate watering techniques for your Begonia from the beginning than to have to rescue an overloaded Begonia.
Begonias will have yellowish leaves from the base. You can also see brownish leaf tips despite the location of the plant having good moisture. The leaves can begin to fall.
Another reason your Begonia may die is that the plant is still getting acclimated. Most plants are stressed when transported from one place to another, but Begonias seem especially sensitive to the effects of changes in their living conditions.
How do you revive dead Tuberous Begonias?
Sometime, Tuberous Begonias care becomes more difficult for flower beginners. You can save your overwatered Begonia by gently removing it from the pot and checking its roots for rot. If dark or black roots are present, remove them with a pair of sterile scissors.
Repot using soil that is well drained. You can make your own mixture of a part of perlite and two parts of regular gardening soil. Perlite will help maintain air in the soil and allow oxygen to reach the roots. Use a pot that has drain holes on the bottom to allow excess water to flow.
Place the plant in a part of your home that has bright but indirect light and do not water it immediately after potting. Wait a week or more to give the roots enough time to recover from the injury of pruning and replanting.
Water the plant only when the top two inches of the ground are dry. If you touch the ground and the upper two thumbs are still moist, wait another day or two and check the ground again.
You should pick plants that look healthy, even if you might pay more expensive than low-priced plants that aren’t as healthy. When taking your plant home, be careful not to expose it to extreme temperatures. It is normal for certain leaves of the wilting plant because of stress. It is better to prune all dead foliage.
Conclusion
Tuberous Begonias care is easy but you need to know some basic information to have a beautiful Begonias in your house. Hopefully, gardenhow.net will help you know way to Tuberous Begonias care as well as learn more interesting things about them.
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