How to care for Begonia Elatior so that it pleases the eye even in winter?

Autumn, winter - a time of depression when nothing pleases. To get rid of the blues, it would be nice to get a wonderful plant - begonia Elatior.

At the sight of an unsurpassed bright bush, a bad mood will instantly disappear. Such a magnificent, multi-color flowering in the midst of frost and cold, is rare in plants. No wonder this variety is called "winter".

You will learn more about this plant, how it looks, how to care for and propagate, as well as what diseases and pests can worsen the appearance and health of the flower.

Plant appearance and features

Elatior begonia variety is hybridwas bred at the end of the 19th century in England. Its ancestors were Socotran and tuberous varieties of begonia. In the future, this made it possible to obtain hybrids with non-trivial flowering and excellent decorative properties.

At this time, Holland is considered a mass producer of plants Elator. There, flowers are bred in greenhouse and room conditions, receiving more and more new species that are more resistant to fungal diseases. Dutch begonias transport to Europe, Russia, America. Apply plants for landscaping landscaping.

The winter begonia hybrid is an annual shrub with densely blooming inflorescences. Maximum flower height reaches 40 cm.

The plant has a dense, developed stem, as well as asymmetric heart-shaped foliage. Above the leaves have a saturated green color, the lower part is a light green tint. The size of flowers is up to 8 cm in diameter.

Varieties

With conscientious care, begonias are capable of abundant flowering throughout the year. It is these subspecies that grow indoors, as well as in the warm season in the open air.

Frequently Selling Varieties:

• Lorren.
• Annabelle.
• Baladin.
• Bellona.
• Renaissance.
• Barcos.

But nevertheless, among the brothers of the Elator variety, I would like to especially distinguish such representatives:

1. Borias. A popular view among amateur gardeners, as well as in flower farms. And this is not strange, since a plant has a very long flowering period. The shape of the bush is neat, compact enough. The foliage is shiny, saturated green. Inflorescences have a pale pink color with a white stripe along the edge. Terry flowers and smooth texture. A hybrid often decorates the premises of shops, office rooms, cafes.
2. Begonia Mix. It is a medium-sized plant, up to 30 cm high. A serration along the edge is observed on the foliage. Flowers are located on several tiers. Shades, unlike the previous representative, has a variety of. Red, white, yellow, pink, orange. For the small dimensions of the bush, this species is often called a "bouquet in a pot."

Photos of different varieties

In the photo are varieties Borias, Begonia Mix and others:

Light and location at home

Begonia Elatior is a thermophilic plant. Lighting is a fundamental factor in plant life. It is preferable to choose windows facing the east and west. On the southern windows, shading from the scorching summer sun will be required. For this kind of begonias, an eight-hour daylight will be enough, so plants in winter do not suffer from a lack of lighting.

Important! Hybrid flowers need a permanent place, they do not tolerate transfers. Otherwise, they may lose buds due to a change in residence.

Where and how to plant?

Flowerpots for begonias are preferred to small diameters. The maximum size is 12 cm. The plant has an underdeveloped root system, which hardly covers the space prepared for it. The new pot should be 1-2 cm larger than the old.

Planting and transplanting winter begonias is extremely rare.. They are very difficult to tolerate this process, most often the flowers die. As a rule, at the end of flowering, healthy, strong shoots are cut off from the plant, followed by rooting. And the flower itself is eliminated.

When buying begonia Elatior in a store, the first time after transportation, she needs to be allowed to adapt for no more than 10 days. If the plant is in the process of flowering, you should wait until its end. After, very carefully transplant into a permanent pot.

1. In a garden store, we buy a soil mixture or prepare it ourselves.
2. Drainage falls asleep at the bottom of the prepared pot.
3. We moisten the soil 3-5 hours before planting.
4. Gently extracts begonia from an old flowerpot with a lump of earth.
5. Also carefully place the plant in new soil.

If possible, do not do this procedure; begonias are difficult to recover. The first time transplanted begonia requires special attention and care..

Find out more about planting, transplanting and caring for Elatior begonia at home here.

Priming

The main criteria for choosing a soil should be: lightness, breathability, friability, saturation with micronutrients. Various types of soil are available on the market, suitable for winter begonias.

For own-hand preparation of the soil mixture is taken in equal proportions:

• peat;
• organic fertilizers, in particular humus;
• sheet earth;
• ½ parts of sand.

All components are carefully moved and can be used for begonia transplantation.

Temperature

Elatior plant is a delicate flower. Begonia is afraid of the cold, not even big frosts are destructive for her, therefore, with the onset of autumn, the plant should be transferred to a warm and bright room.

Advice! In the summer, the temperature in the room should be between + 20-24 ° C. In winter, the required parameters are + 18-20 ° С. A temperature of + 16 ° C is considered unfavorable for the flower.

How to care and deal with problems?

Winter begonia is quite susceptible to stressful situations.unfavorable conditions, so caring for it is a troublesome business.

1. The plant begins to fade, the leaves dry. This occurs with dry indoor air. This parameter is important enough for the hybrid variety. Humidity should be maintained at the level of 50-70%.
2. Growth stops and the flower resets buds. Perhaps this is due to a sufficiently low air temperature. In this case, diseases of stem and root rot may develop. Drafts are terrible for hybrids.
3. Leaves and shoots fade a little - the first signs of a lack of water. After moisturizing, it regains its original shape. Water for irrigation should be soft, clean, without impurities and salts. The plant is so thermophilic that it should even be watered with warm water.
4. Plants lose their beauty, decorative appearance. The shoots are elongated, pale green. This indicates a lack of sunlight.
5. The tips of the leaves turn yellow, growth slows down, the absence of lush flowering means a lack of nutrients. At the beginning of the growth phase, mineral fertilizers with a nitrogen content are used, they stimulate growth. During the flowering period, it is important to feed with fertilizers with a high content of potassium and phosphorus. Fertilizers should be chosen for decorative-flowering varieties.
6. The decay of the root system, the leaves also begin to dry, rot. The cause of this is gray rot disease. Occurs as a result of excess moisture. Begonias will be applicable to this variety: it is better to have a deficit of moisture than its excessive amount.

   The plant does not require intensive watering. In the summer, you need to water when the soil in the pot is covered with a dry crust. It is possible to combat gray rot using special solutions of fungicides, as well as 1% Bordeaux fluid.

7. White plaque on begonia leaves indicates the development of powdery mildew. The foliage dries out, then the whole flower fades. This fungal disease occurs in conditions of high humidity and a complete lack of ventilation. With a similar misfortune, they are also poisoned with the help of fungicides.
8. Another disease of dangerous begonias is bacterial spotting. The plant becomes covered with watery spots, which soon turn brown, and the inflorescences and shoots acquire a black color. To treat a flower, the soil is treated with disinfectants. And as a preventative measure, it is enough to treat the plant with a mixture of copper oxychloride.
9. The appearance of harmful insects in the house negatively affects the state of begonia Elatior. Such as aphids, whiteflies, spider mites. To get rid of them a plant, it is important to repeatedly spray with soapy water. If the process is running, they use drugs to kill pests: “Karbofos” or “Intavir”.

Breeding

There are 3 ways to propagate a plant:

• seeds;
• cuttings;
• division of the bush.

The optimal seasons for breeding young begonias are spring-autumn. The rest of the time the effect is less successful.

For the method of cuttings:

1. It is important to take a healthy, large shoot of at least 7 cm.
2. The shoot is planted in a groundless substrate or container with water, to which ½ tablets of activated carbon are added.
3. Then the plant stands in a dark place for 60 days.
4. At the end of this period, the rooted shoots expose closer to the light.

According to the same principle, the method of dividing the bush occurs.

Reference! As for the seed method, it is used extremely rarely. Thus, you can grow only 1 hybrid variety - Charisma.

Given some of the nuances in caring for a hybrid flower, you can get a healthy and strong houseplant. Efforts should be made to create comfortable Elatior begonia parameters.. And in return you will get a wonderful decoration of a city apartment, a country estate or a workplace.

Watch the video: How to Grow Rex Begonias (November 2024).