The ampelous form of begonias is popular among flower growers who prefer undemanding crops with magnificent asymmetrical leaves and semi-double / double flowers. Depending on the variety, the height of the ampelic begonia can be 20-60 cm, and the length of the leaves is 10-20 cm. Each flower blooms for only 10 days, but then new buds begin to bloom. Flowers can have peach, apricot, orange, snow-white, scarlet, orange-red, yellow shades.
Placement Requirements
To grow a flower, you need to remember that ampelous begonias love bright light, but they don’t like direct sunlight. Therefore, it is better to put them on a window shaded by tulle.
Ampel begonia
The first time they feed the crop, when the shoots begin to grow. To do this, add nitrogen, since it contributes to the growth of greenery. When feeding for the second time, it is advised to use special fertilizers for begonias. With the appearance of buds and the rest of the time, you need to look after the flowers like this: feed them once every half a month, then the flowers will bloom longer.
Important! Culture requires air temperature in the house + 20-25 ° С.
Plants do not like low humidity. They are best placed close to a peat pallet that needs to be kept constantly wet. Spray air from the spray gun regularly, but so that moisture does not get on the plants. It is worth constantly keeping the earth moist. Watered with soft and settled water.
In the heat, air must be sprayed near the plant. The room in which the flower stands should be aired from time to time, but drafts should not be allowed.
Plants are transplanted only in extreme cases.
Ampoule Begonia: growing from seeds
Sow seeds in late February or early March.
If you bought a set of seeds in granules, then they can be planted in peat tablets. To do this, put them on a pallet and pour plenty of water, they will increase in size. Then one seed must be placed in each tablet, a little sprinkled with water at room temperature from the spray gun.
Sowing begonia seeds in pills
You can cover the tablets with polyethylene. Do not allow the earth in the tablets to dry out, you should constantly maintain humidity.
You can also place a granulated seed in each cell of the soil container, spray with water from a spray bottle and cover with polyethylene.
If the seeds are without a shell, then it is better to prepare boxes, make several holes at the bottom of each. Then pour crushed stone of fine fraction into the container, then the ground, it should have slightly acidic properties. To do this, mix 4 parts of leaf and 1 part of turf land, 1 part of sand. It is better to calcine the soil in the oven for 30 minutes.
The day before sowing, it is recommended to carefully water the soil in boxes. Then sprinkle the seeds on the surface of the substrate, cover with glass or a bag of polyethylene. You need to put the boxes in a warm place with an air temperature of + 24-25 ° C and constantly moisten the earth from the spray gun.
Note! The first sprouts will appear in 9-25 days.
The first sprouts of begonia seed field
Seedling Care
It is best watered by placing peat tablets or boxes on a pallet where water should be poured. Daylight hours should be 12-13 hours a day. If it is smaller, then culture should be highlighted with fluorescent lamps. You can start tempering begonias in a week, lifting the film at first by a quarter of an hour every day.
Important! When the first shoots appear, it is impossible to prevent the earth from completely drying out, direct sunlight, and also reducing the air temperature to 21 ° C.
If seedlings are grown in peat tablets, then when three true leaves appear on each plant, they are transferred to a ceramic pot with earth, carefully watering. If grown in boxes, then 50 days after sowing it should be dived. To do this, you need wide and flat ceramic pots with soil, which should be spilled and moved in advance abundantly.
After half a month, seedlings should be fed with fertilizer for begonias.
After about 20 weeks, seedlings can be transplanted to a permanent place in hanging pots, flowerpots, flowerpots and baskets. They can be put on a balcony or loggia in the open air.
For your information! Two types of flowers grow on begonias - male (large) and female (small).
Diseases, pests
If foliage and buds began to fall off the begonia, it means that it lacks moisture in the soil and air.
If found on the stems, the foliage is whitish, it is powdery mildew. Affected areas need to be cut off, and the culture sprayed with fungicides.
Powdery mildew on begonia
If yellow spots are visible on the foliage, this means that a red spider mite has attacked it. Plants are sprayed with a systemic insecticide.
Amp Begonia: planting tubers
When winter comes, you can buy flower tubers. When buying, you should carefully consider them. Tubers should be 3 cm in diameter, healthy and intact. The concave side should have 3-6 kidneys.
You need to plant the tubers in March, after placing them for 1 hour in a pale pink solution of potassium permanganate. Then put the convex side on a moistened cloth, sand or earth and place in the light. From time to time it should be sprayed with water at room temperature. When sprouts appear on the concave part of the tuber, place them in the ground.
To create a substrate, you need to mix 2 parts of leafy soil, 1 part peat, 1 part humus, 1 part sand. Transfer the substrate into small pots. Place each tuber in the ground 2/3, water and do not allow in the future, so that the earth dries up. When the sprouts become 10-15 cm long, the tubers can be transplanted into pots, pots. You can transplant begonia into the garden.
Ampel begonia: leaf propagation
There are three ways to propagate begonias by leaf.
The first is that you need to cut the sheet into several parts with a sharp knife. Each part must have at least one vein. Parts of the sheet are placed in pots with earth or sand cut down. Cover with a polyethylene film or a plastic bottle.
Begonia propagation by leaf
Parts of the sheet should be sprayed from the spray gun from time to time, but do not do this too often, otherwise they will rot.
When the first leaves appear in 20 days, you can harden the plant by removing the film for 15 minutes. every day, gradually increasing the time.
After 3 months, plants can be transplanted into pots, pots.
Important! The ground near the culture should not be rammed, otherwise there is a risk of breaking the sprouts.
As part of the second method, you need to cut a leaf of a plant with a 7 cm cuttings and cut it across the veins. Then place the sheet face down on moist soil, crush stones near the incisions. Cover on top with polyethylene film and place in the sun. In the future, spray the soil from the spray gun.
After 30 days, new begonias will grow and the film can be removed. Young grown plants will be transplanted into pots, flowerpots.
The third way is to cut off a large sheet from the stalk and put it in a glass with water. Add to it 1 tablet of crushed activated carbon and root. If the leaf begins to rot, then it can be slightly trimmed and replaced with water. When the roots grow, you can transplant into any container.
How to form ampel begonia
Planting and care of ampelous begonia necessarily include pruning. This is a partial or complete cutting of shoots to regulate growth, development and flowering. If the crop is properly trimmed, then it is possible to increase the splendor of color and extend its life.
Crown Formation:
- When the young plant reaches a height of 6-7 cm, you can begin to form a crown. To do this, cut off the top with scissors. This stimulates the intensive growth of the lateral shoots of the crop. After pruning, the number and volume of watering should be reduced so that plants begin to grow faster.
- The next time you have to trim, when the side shoots grow to a length of 10 cm. You need to trim above the kidney located on the outside of the shoot. After you can cut the most overgrown or dry shoots.
When cropping is required:
- in decorative leaf begonias, inflorescences are cut off;
- when the leaves or stems dry, they are cut so that the begonia does not get sick;
- young begonias are cut off;
- pruning is carried out for the winter.
When to cut plants for the winter
For winter, only tuberous begonias are cut, this is best done in October. If you miss this point, then the foliage and buds will grow smaller and the stem thick.
Care after trimming
After pruning, the plant should be kept at an air temperature of + 13-22 ° C and an air humidity of 60%. Begonia is at rest from October to February. At this time, you need to reduce watering, cut off the dried stems, you can water it after the top layer of the soil has completely dried. It is recommended to place the pot on a tray with moistened peat.
Important!Instead of peat on a tray, you can pour pebbles or put a bowl on an inverted saucer. But it is worth remembering that with excessive moisture the plant can rot.
Do I need to pinch ampel begonia
A pinch is cutting off the tops of stems and buds located at the end of branches. Pinch in the spring or autumn, that is, before the buds open or after flowering. It should be pinched if it is impossible to crop the crop.
How to pinch ampel begonia
You need to pinch this way: on the main shoot, find the upper growth point and cut it off by 1-2 cm. If the pinching was done correctly, then after 2-3 weeks the side shoots will begin to grow intensively.
Ampelous begonia, planting and care at home which does not cause any difficulties - a very beautiful flower. Pruning and pinching are important and necessary actions that increase the splendor of flowering and decorativeness. Begonia is distinguished by its unique charm, due to which it will serve as an excellent decoration of the apartment.
