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Are you looking to extend the blooming power of your begonia plant? These eye-catching plants have the potential to produce flowers all season with the appropriate care.
Begonias are worth every ounce of work you put into them.There are things to avoid and things to do in order to promote extended blooming time.
Begonias are grown for their foliage and attractive flowers. Some begonias, such as wax begonias and newer hybrid begonias, will continually flower throughout the summer.
They can be used as bedding plants and in window boxes,hanging baskets, and other containers.
Learn how to keep begonias blooming all season in 5 incredible steps:
How do I make my Begonias Bloom more?
1.Location matters
2. Deadhead when necessary
3 . Hydrate properly
4. Routine pests and diseases check
5. Use the right fertilizers
1. Location matters
Begonias can tolerate sun but not constant full sun. Full sun will scorch your plant.
Keep your plant away from heat sources like stoves and radiators in the home if it is grown indoors.
For outdoor begonias,plant where shade or filtered sunlight is available.
Ideally,let your plant receive 4 to 6 hours of moderate sun daily. The best time for sun exposure is morning because of the less intense heat.
Some varieties are more heat-resistant than others. For instance,the wax begonia and Solenia species tolerate heat much more than the rex begonia.
2. Deadhand when necessary
As soon as the flowers start to look brown and faded,they should be removed. You can use your hand to pluck off flowers or snap off the entire stem.
This encourages new blossoms to grow more profusely.
Deadhead regularly to keep your plant looking neat.
Additionally,removing dead flowers reduces the chance of infection from diseases if the fallen flowers remain on the ground or the container soil surface.
Deadhand in these steps:
•Inspect the plant for dead,wilting flowers
•Use your thumb and forefinger to pinch stems you would like to remove. Pluck dead flowers in like manner.
•Remove daily or when necessary
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3. Hydrate properly
Begonias do not need lots of water. Their stems hold enough water to get them through spells of dry weather or drought.
It is best to keep them evenly moist as overwatered begonias do more poorly than underwatered ones.
For this reason,begonias planted in containers are more easily monitored than those in the garden. Their water intake can be closely controlled.
Make sure the leaves and flowers of begonias outdoors are not getting beaten down by heavy rainfall. Add some sort of shade when the weather gets rainy.
4. Routine pests and diseases checks
Keep pesticides on hand in case of pest invasion. Caterpillars and bugs are notable culprits.
If regular inspection of your plant reveals damage by pests,immediate action should be taken.
Disease problems associated with begonias include Botrytis blight, stem rot, powdery mildew, Pythium root and stem rot. The major pests of begonias are mealy bugs, spider mites, thrips, scales, snails, and slugs.
Neem oil is an irritant to these and a natural way to handle them.Other natural helpers are spiders which are the natural enemies of the pests.
5. Use the right fertilizers
Avoid fertilizers that have high nitrogen content.
Make sure to never fertilize dry plants. Water them first and then apply fertilizer. Applying fertilizer to dry plants will burn them. I also don’t fertilize until 2 weeks after I first plant them. Let the roots settle and establish first.
For best results,use 20-20-20 fertilizer every two weeks. It must be dissolved in water first.
Another thing to note when applying fertilizer is not to use too much. Too much fertilizer will make the soil too rich,resulting in more foliage than flower growth.
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Should I Deadhead Begonias?
Deadheading your begonia makes it look well taken care of and allows it to bloom. It also encourages it to produce more stems and blossoms.
It is very much recommended for healthier, aesthetic plants.
If you’re growing your begonias as a perennial, they need more pruning. You should cut them back up to a third of the plant after flowering.
Throughout the year, prune your begonias to shape their growth. If you have winter-flowering begonias, cut them back in the spring after they have finished flowering.
Don’t cut the tips off all of the stems as this may damage the plant. Only cut off the tops of the few tallest stems.
How do you Deadhead begonias non stop?
- Examine a begonia every one to three days to look for faded flowers.
2. Get hold of the stem, about half an inch below the faded flower, with your thumb and index or middle finger.
3. Pinch the stem to snap the flower off, Repeat the motion for the other spent flowers.
4. Discard the spent flowers rather than letting them drop below the plant. Diseases, such as gray mold, are more likely to occur in the decaying flowers and can spread to the begonia if not removed.
5. Continue to monitor your begonias and remove spent flowers throughout their blooming period. If you choose to deadhead your begonia plants, you need to do so more often as summer progresses, because two new stems grow from each pinched one.
How do I make my begonias happy?
Extra tips to achieve the best begonia blooms are:
1.Keep the temperature indoors above 55°.Your begonias will be infinitely grateful.
2. Begonias love humidity. Simulate humidity indoors by using a humidifier
3. Water them.Give your begonias a drink when the soil is slightly dry but not parched.
4. Use fertilizers. They need them.Mix the fertilizer according to the label’s directions.
Wait three months before fertilizing if you used potting mix and it contained fertilizer.
5. Use appropriate-sized pots. Large begonia plants should be in large pots to prevent stifling the roots.
6. Do not sit begonias in containers on hot surfaces such as asphalt or concrete.
Final Thoughts
With the right care,begonias can keep blooming all season.
Make sure to water begonias regularly, feed them lightly with mild fertilizers at a steady pace, and shield them from the hot afternoon sun.
Then sit back and enjoy blooming begonias all year long!
