Begonia Rex: description and photo of a houseplant, home care

Begonia Rex (Royal, Royal) is one of 1,500 representatives of the Begonia family. Flowers are always cozy and beautiful, and even more so royal. Begonia Rex will always remain a magnificent decoration for the house due to the unique colors and shapes of the leaves.

Plants called Begonia were first found during an expedition to the Altai Islands by Charles Plume in the 17th century. This event was the impetus for a new active work of breeders who began to develop new hybrid species of this flower. Nowadays, about 125 species of Begonias and their hybrids are most common in horticulture. The royal flower was discovered in India in 1856. The first find was with silver-brown leaves.

Description

The leaves of the royal begonia are quite large. They have clearly visible veins and a very varied color. Not so often can produce small inflorescences on long thin peduncles. But it is recommended to get rid of them in order to ensure the growth of leaves.

The rhizome of this flower is thick and fleshy, which is located directly below the surface of the soil. For this reason, gardeners advise planting a plant in wide, but small flowerpots.

"Princess" can be divided into several types:

Sheet. Perennial with a creeping root. This species is ideal for home breeding. About decorative leafy begonias read here.
Tuberous. This is a hybrid form that propagates through tubers. The difference of this type is unusual inflorescences of different textures: from simple to terry.
Bush. It mainly includes large shrubs with a very long flowering period, although the flowers are not as big as those of the tuberous Begonia.

Any Begonia perfectly adapts to home conditions.

Appearance

It can have a very multifaceted color of leaves: with green, red, pink and silver stains, as well as streaks and spots of various shades can appear on the sheets. The surface can also be completely silver with a pink or reddish sheen.

Thanks to the crossing, the plants received a different leaf shape:

simple rounded;
oblong;
oblique heart-shaped;
cochlear;
feathery.

The edges of almost all leaves are jagged or wavy, very rarely integral. The stems and leaves are covered with dense short hairs, due to which Begonia acquires a velvety appearance. The bush height reaches 30-45 cm.

Photo

With proper care of Begonia Rex, you can achieve the following results at home, as in the photo below.

Transplant tips

Like all other types of begonias, Tsarskaya also requires periodic updates. This usually happens every 3-4 years. To rejuvenate the flower, you need to plant a new stalk, which over time will become a replacement for the old plant. You can use the soil for planting purchased or prepare it yourself.

To do this, take the sheet, turf land and peat in a ratio of 2: 1: 1. Alternatively, add bark of coniferous trees or leaf humus to the resulting mixture. This will allow the soil to let air through. Do not forget about the drainage layer, which will help to avoid the accumulation of water at the bottom of the pot. To obtain a non-standard flower arrangement in one wide, but small flowerpot, several cuttings of different types can be planted.

Begonia boasts leaf saturation. But this will only happen if there is sufficient light. Otherwise, castings will turn pale.

But do not forget that direct sunlight can harm Rex and leave burns on the sheets, which will cause them to deform and twist. Try to find a suitable spot with ambient light.. Such a demanding of a flower for light is associated with the peculiarity of the climate and vegetation of the homeland of Begonia - there the crowns of trees covered the leaves from the rays of the burning sun.

To comply with these conditions, Begonia should be placed in a slightly shady place in the summer, but in winter, on the contrary, try to place the flowerpot closer to the southern windowsill.

Care

Temperature mode

Since the homeland of this plant is the tropics and subtropics, it loves the warmth of the room (but not the heat!). The optimum temperature in the summer will be a range of 16 to 22 degrees above zero. In the warm season, the pot can be put out on the street or on the veranda, but protect the flower from drafts.

In winter, air temperature is reduced to 16 degrees Celsius.. During this period, the most important thing is that the roots do not overcool, because they will cease to supply nutrients to the terrestrial part of the flower. And the leaves should not be overheated, because of this they can dry out and the plant will lose its attractive appearance, which for a long time will not be able to recover. You will find all the important tips for Royal Begonia care in this article.

Watering

It is necessary to water Begonia abundantly, especially during the hot period. A signal for the next moistening of the soil will be a dry topsoil. The “Queen” prefers moistened air around her, but it is not necessary to spray it, because spots may appear on the leaves. The best way out of this situation is to spray the air or place a container of water near the flowerpot.

This Begonia species has very large leaves, collecting a lot of dust on its surface. therefore it will not be superfluous to wipe the flower with a dampened cloth at least every half month.

Important! Do not bring the dryness of the soil to such an extent that it begins to lag behind the side surfaces of the pot. If this still happened, do not fill the flower, but immerse the pot in a container of water and let Begonia drink for about 30-40 minutes.

Remember that all queens are very fragile creatures. Begonia is no exception. Therefore, when leaving at home, be very careful when handling indoor plants.

Top dressing

Note that you should not wait for the full return from the plant if you do not resort to the help of complex fertilizers. This is especially necessary to do in the spring, during the period of awakening and active growth of the royal flower. The composition of top dressing should include nitrogen and potassium.

And to stimulate root growth, phosphorus is also added to these elements. Water the soil well before applying fertilizer.because top dressing can harm a dry root.

In addition to mineral elements, gardeners are advised to use organic. It can be horse or cow manure, diluted with water (200 grams of manure is added per 1 liter of water).

Pruning

This procedure is necessary when growing plants. It is necessary to improve flowering, maintain the relationship between the underground and ground parts of the flower. preservation of an aesthetic appearance. Begonias grow relatively quickly, but at the same time the foliage becomes smaller in size, and flowering completely ends.

The first pruning should be done when the height of the flower reaches 10-12 cm. You have the opportunity to choose and form the desired shape of the plant. After this procedure, watering is reduced until the beginning of active growth. Do not forget to get rid of curves and dried branches.

If you still didn’t cut the “princess” on time, and she lost her aesthetic appearance, we recommend that she be re-root. Use knives or scissors with well-sharpened blades so as not to injure the shoots. Sprinkle cut sections with wood ash to speed healing.

Diseases and Pests

Begonia can be attacked:

Powdery Mildew (Symptoms - white plaque around the entire perimeter of the leaves. Methods of resistance - treatment with a fungicide solution, the procedure is carried out 2 times with a break of 1-2 weeks).
Gray rot (signs - foliage and stems turn brown. To combat the disease, spray Begonia with a 1% solution of Bordeaux mixture).
Ring spotting (the root is affected, but manifests itself in the form of yellow-green spots on the leaves. Deprive the affected plant of any neighbors and lower its roots into the potassium permanganate solution).
Bacterial spotting (It is characterized by the appearance of water bubbles on the leaves, and eventually by their drilling. It is recommended to get rid of the diseased flower immediately, and for prophylaxis, treat healthy 0.5% copper chloride solution every two weeks).
Soft scaffold (the entire green part of Begonia is exposed to infection - sugar secretions and fungal plaque are shown on it. They fight the disease with the help of a garlic solution.); whiteflies of the greenhouse (it parasitizes, laying its eggs in the lower part of the leaf. It differs by blanching of foliage. Destroy with a soap solution).
Spider mite and aphids (For prevention, get rid of old leaves and flowers on time).

Breeding methods

Begonia propagates in several variants: cuttings, division of rhizomes, leaves and seeds.

Cuttings

Sliced cuttings, which can be taken both from the top and from the sides, sits in moist moist soil, it will not be superfluous to stimulate the roots.
Cover pots with young sprouts with a film for condensation.

Leaves

Large leaves are cut into triangles so that at least one greasy vein remains in each of them.
The resulting leaves are pressed tightly to the ground and covered with a film.
The film is opened daily for hardening a young plant.

In a couple of weeks you will be able to observe the emergence of new shoots on the triangles. Wait until the shoots get stronger, and transplant into a new container.

Rhizome Division

To obtain a new plant by dividing the rhizomes, separate part of the roots during transplantation and place in a separate pot with moistened soil.

Seeds

Reproduction by seeds is the most difficult task. This is done only by experienced gardeners to maintain varietal qualities. It is better to purchase seeds in specialized stores. It is better to do this in early spring. A transparent container with a centimeter drainage layer is suitable for sowing.

Seeds are laid on the surface and lightly pressed.
Cover with a film or a transparent lid. The soil should always be well moistened, even the slightest dryness leads to the death of seeds.
There should be a lot of light. If there is not enough natural, resort to the help of artificial.
Every about half an hour, temper the sprouts.

After 20 days, the first true leaves will appear, after which the plants can be planted in separate pots. The earth should be the same as when sowing. Do not forget to fertilize the plants and move the flowers in flowerpots, corresponding to the size of the rhizomes.

And in conclusion, I want to say the plant is your little child who needs constant care. The Queen will please you with her beautiful view only under the condition of all the above rules and recommendations.