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Begonia is a houseplant with a rich history. Its wild species was first discovered by a scientific expedition led by the French botanist Plumier. In 1690, three years after completing his journey, he described this plant in his book and named it after his friend and colleague Begon. This was done in gratitude for the fact that the patron took an active part in the plans of the monk-naturalist and supplied this expedition with money.
Thanks to the breeding work of scientists from many countries, today we have hundreds, or even thousands of varieties and hybrids of ornamental begonia. Begonia and its cultivation from seeds at home is a topic covered in our article.
Classification
Decorative begonias for growing at home are divided into two main groups:
- Decorative flowering Begonias are an indoor herbaceous plant with solid green leaves and flowers of a wide variety of colors and shapes.
- Decorative foliage Begonias are a plant of the same type, but stand out for their rainbow-colored leaves; flower ovaries are almost never formed.
In the photo above you see a representative of the first group, and in the photo just below you see a specimen representing the second class. As you already understood, in terms of morphology, these two begonias are slightly different from each other.In a brief description of the plant we will note these differences.
Morphology
The main characteristic features of the structure of decorative begonia:
- roots - tuberous, fibrous or with a vertical main root, on which many shoots are formed, the depth of occurrence is not more than 20-25 cm (of the same type for both classes);
- begonia stems are erect, covered with small hairs, the main color is green, but depending on the variety it can have a different tonality, from light green tones to brownish-purple shades (the same for species 1 and 2);
- leaves - we can talk about them endlessly, for each variety or hybrid of begonia they are all different and unique in shape, color, structure, look at the photo:
- the flowers are of irregular asymmetrical shape, unisexual and monoecious, that is, begonias cannot reproduce by self-pollination (in deciduous begonias, if inflorescences are formed, they have no decorative value; it is better to destroy them so that the plant does not waste valuable nutrients on their development).
Varieties
We noted earlier that the number of begonia varieties is in the thousands. As an example, let's give a brief description of the representatives flowering and deciduous varieties of flower.
- Begonia decorative flowering variety Elatior (for growing at home). Flowering occurs twice a year at the beginning of summer and at the end of autumn; the flowers (diameter up to 5 cm) have different very delicate shades of yellow, pink or red. There is also a rare one for this variety snow-white "bouquet". The height of the bush is about 40 centimeters.The leaves are rich green. The stems grow densely, the foliage and flower ovaries are abundant.
- Mason's begonia decorative deciduous is a squat bush (height 45-60 cm) with large leaves about 20 cm long. The stems are brown-greenish or burgundy in color, covered with small hairs. The leaves are fleshy, crinkled, bright green in color with a pattern in the form of a cross in the center (distinguished by a brown spot contrasting with the green), the surface of the leaves has a glossy sheen, the edges are jagged, the shape is oval and pointed at the end.
Here is a description of the most popular begonia varieties that flower lovers grow at home. We will consider further ways to grow or plant this flower.
Reproduction
If you want to get several new plants at once, then you will need method of propagating begonia by leaf, in this case, take 2-3 large leaves, cut them so that the large veins and petiole remain intact. These parts are placed in a container with a damp substrate. After a week, small roots appear on the cuttings. The plant is ready to be transplanted to a new location.
At tuberous propagation There are not many new begonia sprouts, 2-3 no more. The tuber must be cut so that two viable buds remain on each. These pieces are completely buried in the ground to a depth of 3 cm. The soil must be sufficiently moist; when drying, it must be constantly moistened. The nodules will take root quickly, so they can be planted directly into a new pot.
Flower growers who want to get as many plants as possible use the method growing begonias from seeds. It’s easy to do this yourself at home.Let's dwell on this method and talk about it in more detail. In the video at the end of the article you will clearly see how to do this correctly.
Growing from seeds
Seed propagation of begonia at home is used in the following cases:
- if you want to grow new variety plants;
- if you have a large area in the house or garden that needs to be decorated with your favorite flowers;
- in order to obtain a large batch of seedlings with its subsequent sale;
- or because you really like to give potted indoor plants to your friends and family.
We will not argue that the entire process of planting begonia seeds takes a lot of time, as well as further care of the seedlings. Weigh the pros and cons, and decide for yourself whether it’s worth spending time on such work. For those who do not consider this work burdensome, but rather see pleasure and satisfaction in it, we will continue our story.
Preparation
Before planting begonia seeds for seedlings, you must carefully prepare all the components for this procedure, and the main thing here is the seeds. The seeds of the plant are tiny and difficult to work with, but using some tricks, you can handle it even at home.
As already mentioned, begonia seeds are very, very small, so manufacturers package them in special capsules, several pieces in one pill. In the photo (see below) we invite you to take a closer look at what life-size begonia seeds look like.
The usual procedure for preparing seeds for sowing includes soaking and disinfection, but due to the size of these seeds, this is impossible; we will disinfect the substrate. This will be discussed in the next paragraph.
The manufacturer's name also plays an important role. It is better to buy from a company that is already known to you or your friends.
Sowing
In the top photo you see planting begonia seeds in peat tablets. Flower growers recognize this as convenient and less expensive than preparing separate containers or pots for seedlings. This is easy and simple to do, even at home, follow the following order:
- several peat tablets are placed in a waterproof and heat-resistant container;
- hot water up to +50° C is poured into the bottom of the container so that it does not cover the upper part of the substance;
- During swelling, about 15-20 minutes, water can be gradually added;
- each begonia seed is placed in the center of a swollen tablet;
- cover the container with a lid (if available) or polyethylene and place in a warm place;
- when the plant sprouts roots and two cotyledon leaves appear on the surface (after 5-7 days), the lid can be removed and the container moved closer to the light or light added in the same place;
- do not let the peat dry out, regularly moisten the surface 1-2 times a day;
- the development and vegetation of begonia seedlings in the first month after sowing the seeds occurs slowly, to speed up the process, use chemicals that accelerate the growth of seedlings, add them in small doses when watering;
- After 2-3 true leaves grow, you can transplant the begonia to a permanent place.
When is the best time to sow (or plant) begonia seeds? According to experienced flower growers, this should be done in December or January. They believe that the main reason is that over a longer growing season, begonia manages to form a larger, and therefore more viable root. The period of relative rest for the plant begins in late autumn. For almost a year before hibernation, the plant will actively grow its root system and green mass, it will be ready for propagation by tubers, leaves or cuttings.
What affects germination
Sometimes gardeners, having sowed begonia seeds, wait a long time for the first shoots to appear, but for some reason they are not there, or 2-3 sprouts grow from 10 seeds. There are many explanations for the reasons, we will only cancel a few of the main ones. High-quality seeds from a reliable manufacturer should sprout within 7-10 days, some varieties - after a maximum of two weeks.
The reasons for non-germination of begonia seeds are as follows:
- the shelf life is violated - small flower seeds can be stored from 1 to 3 years, preference should be given to material collected in the previous year, the longer the storage period, the lower the germination percentage;
- the substrate should always be moist; peat is very difficult to re-wet if it dries out;
- for the germination of begonia seeds, it is very important to maintain a constant temperature of at least +25 ° C; use additional heaters when this figure decreases;
- Monitor the air humidity; if the room is dry and hot, you should spray the plant with water using spray bottles or use special devices to humidify the air.
Moon calendar
Flower lovers who are interested in obtaining abundant flowering of begonia or its foliage time the sowing of seeds to coincide with favorable days according to the Lunar calendar. They believe that plants planted on these days form more flower ovaries, their roots become strong, and their leaves become brighter.
We will not assure you of this, and we will not deny the influence of the Moon on plants. Such information is not scientifically substantiated, but is based only on many years of experiments by amateur gardeners and calculations by astrologers. You can do your part by getting hands-on experience growing your own begonias. Share the results and conclusions with your loved ones and friends, let them also become interested in this scientific process. Someday, your contribution may influence agricultural scientists, they will finally create a scientific basis on the topic: “Do the Moon and Constellations influence the development and growth of plants.” Good luck.
