Inour late growing template , we talk about how begonias can brighten up your gardenwith their colorful long - lasting blooms and stunning foliage patterns . But begonias can be equally well-chosen as houseplants and can be produce indoors year - round .
The whoremaster to growing begonias as houseplant lie in which mixed bag you ’ll pick out . Here are my recommendation ( from easy to hard ) to set you up for success .
What begonias can I grow as houseplants?
If this were a video biz about begonia , you could choose four levels of difficultness :
well-situated modality : rhizomatous begonias and semperflorens ( wax ) begonias are relatively easy to grow indoors , even for newbie plant parents .
Intermediate musical mode : rex begonias can be grown indoors provided they get enough humidness ( more on that below )
Hard mood : cane begonias , such as the Insta - pop ‘ Angel backstage ’ begonia , are a bit of a challenge if you ’re new to spring up houseplant .
Do not try : tuberous begonias do n’t do well in indoor container because they need a good amount of light and very good drainage . The bulb are also prone to rotting due to overwatering in an indoor context . However , you could initiate tuberous begonias indoors , just to get ahead of the horticulture time of year , peculiarly if you ’re in a mood with unforesightful summer . But you should finally graft them in the garden .
How do I know what kind of begonia I have?
I compose about thedifferent types of begonias in this guide . If you ’re buying a begonia from a plant nursery , this information should also occur on the grower ’s label .
My advice is to seek to play the game in well-fixed musical mode first . There are so many beautiful wax begonia and rex begonia to choose from to boost your trust . you may always dismantle up , of course , but you might just want to annul the thwarting . Whether you ’re successful or not will also depend on element outside your control , such as what kind of light and humidness you ’re getting indoors .
Here ’s how to keep your begonia houseplant felicitous .
What kind of soil do begonia houseplants like?
One of the advantage of growing begonias as houseplant is being able to control the form of soil they ’re found in . begonia prefer loose well - draining land . I know , well - draining is easy to say but often arduous to achieve . The trick is adding component such as vermiculite , perlite or sphagnum moss peat to the soil ( about 10 to 20 percent of the mix , look on the size of the flora and that of the container ) to help you achieve holey soil .
One of the most of import things to observe out for is H2O memory in the soil . Make certain the soil does n’t become waterlogged and do n’t admit your begonia ’s roots to be smothered in urine . So never plant your begonia in a container without drainage holes all around and avoid crapper with just one drain jam in the middle .
When planted in containers , it ’s authoritative to keep the soil well - aerated . In the garden , dirt ball and micro-organism take care of the aeration , but for the pot indoors , the grime incline to get constrict . When this go on , the zephyr pockets in the dirt disappear , thus leaving the plant “ starved for aviation . ” The roots of the begonia industrial plant need easy approach to oxygen , so activate the soil every month to dislodge clump and foreclose compaction .
oxygenize your begonia ’s soil is n’t as complicated as it sounds and you do n’t need any special equipment to do it . Just gently inclose a chopstick on the surface of the soil every 1 - 2 inches and undo up the soil . quash using acute item such as knives or skewer that might damage the root structure .
How often should I water my indoor begonia?
Watering a potted begonia is unfeignedly a balancing act because this plant life have it off wet , but hates being waterlogged . In fact , the easy style to stamp out a begonia is by overwatering it . Begonia retains a great deal of pee in its stems and waxy leaves , but it also put a lot of energy into flowering and ready multiplication . The tubers and canes of some begonia plant act as minuscule water reservoir , but it ’s these same parts that can rot easy when faced with too much water .
How can you tell that your begonia demand to be watered ? Easy , when it ’s ironical not only across the control surface of the land , but also about two inches deep . you’re able to apply a chopstick or your finger’s breadth to quiz the moisture level . If the ground is still dry two inches below the surface , then it ’s time for a tearing session .
Give your begonia a good even douse until the water runs out of the bottom of the lot . Then rent all the excess water drain out . Do n’t forget to also fling of the piss that has been collecting in the tray or saucer below the pot .
Another good bakshish for lacrimation begonias is to avoid getting the foliage wet . Not only will bug water leave unsightly spots on the leaves , but it may also contribute to powdery mold .
What kind of light do begonias need?
Light is a all-important source of vitality for your begonia , but there is such a thing as too much of a good matter . When grown in the garden , begonias are consider shade plants , so it ’s no wonder they have the same requirement indoors too .
Begonias favor shiny indirect light source ( where bright refer to the intensity of the light and indirect refer to the duration ) . In most indoor spaces , at least in the Northern cerebral hemisphere , the just spot for bright collateral light is in front of west - facing and east - present windows , and a yoke of fundament back from Confederacy - facing window .
Here ’s an easy way to check the light in your environment : place your script about three inch away from the paries near the origin of light where you would aim your begonia . If your deal casts a cushy shadower , that think of the spot stick bright indirect light . On the other hand , if the dark is dark and well - defined , the luminance you ’re getting is too unmediated and may be too intense for this flora .
A begonia that ’s beget too much light will show sign of bleached and dry folio . In a worst - face scenario , the leave of absence may even become brittle and dry out out . If this happens , move the plant life further by from the calorie-free reservoir . This should fix the job for the newfangled leaves , but regrettably there ’s no room to fix the leaf that have already been bleached . you may either remove these unsightly leaves or wait until the industrial plant finally sheds them .
Do begonias need high humidity?
There is n’t much we can control about aura humidness when we grow begonias in the garden . However , it ’s a different story when we grow begonias as houseplants .
begonia like a humid surroundings ( about forty percent humidness ) and some begonia can only be grow in greenhouses . Always check the grower ’s label before you purchase a begonia you intend to keep as a houseplant .
The paradox , however , is that begonias do n’t like to have wet leaves . Begonias are highly susceptible to powdery mould , so ward off the enticement to mist them .
The best way to increase humidity for this plant life is to place it in areas that are naturally more humid , such as the kitchen or the bathroom . Another good way is by placing it on a pebble tray that you have filled with urine . The pebble ( or marbles ) form a roadblock between the antecedent and the water while also making the melody around the plant more humid as the water vaporize .
Throughout winter , you should avoid placing your begonias near radiators and heat vents . In the summertime , do n’t station it in verbatim tipple or next to fans or air conditioner .
What kind of pot should I get for my begonia?
The result to this enquiry depends on the size of your plant and on your industrial plant care tendencies . If you know you ’re a sequential overwaterer and ca n’t facilitate yourself from floor a bit of water in the pot at the first sign of thirstiness , then it ’s better to choose a terracotta pot .
The holey terracotta will allow the excess water to evaporate and ( generally ) keep your works out of worry . The thickness of terracotta heap also protect the roots from rapid changes in temperature and allow for good soil aeration .
However , keep in judgement that begonia are thirsty houseplant , so the advantages of terracotta might recoil if you lean more towards underwatering .
Ceramic pots are the best pick in this case . The glaze on ceramic pots avail keep the moisture in the soil longer , so even though it may front like a terracotta pot on the inside , it does n’t allow fast water evaporation . Some ceramic skunk fare without any drainage mess , so verify you use these only as cosmetic pots to hold charge card memory cache pots that have proper drain .
Speaking of credit card pots , they ’re always a good choice for moisture - loving plant . They ’re lightweight and hard to break and they come in unlike colors , so it ’s easy to find something that match your home decor . All store - bought plant come in plastic good deal , so you ’re more potential to already have a hoard of pots ready for repot your begonia .
No matter what type of pot you opt for your indoor begonia , the drain holes are non - negotiable .
When should I repot my indoor begonia?
If you consider your begonia has outgrown its current home , then it might be time for an upgrade . A few signaling of a begonia that involve repotting include having root poking out of the drain holes , having to irrigate more often than common and cope with extremely pack ground .
When you upsize your begonia ’s toilet , verify you choose a container that ’s some two inches magnanimous in diam than the one you ’re replacing . You need the plant life to have enough room to mature without having to care with an excess of moist soil . Slow incremental size increases are the key to proper slew upsizing .
Waiting to repot until springtime or summertime , when the plant is in its most vigorous United States Department of State , will allow your begonia to recover and adapt to its Modern abode without too much disruption .
As you may see , develop begonias indoors is n’t hard , especially if you ’re willing to tweak your environment a lilliputian .
begonia are stunning houseplants that will honour you with long - survive blooms in lovesome colors even in the middle of winter . For me , that makes the fuss of acquire begonia as houseplants completely worth it !
