Tiger begonia - growing and care at home

One of the popular home flowers is tiger begonia. Due to its unpretentiousness, attractive color and coloring of the sheet, it looks very elegant. It is a hybrid bred by crossing.

What does tiger begonia look like, which family does it belong to?

Begonia tiger belongs to the Begoniev family.

It is a compact bush with an erect, highly branched stem, the height of which reaches 30-40 cm. The leaves are asymmetric and have an intense variegated color.

Tuberous rhizomes, slightly thickened.

Common varieties

Begonias can be deciduous, bush, tuberous, liana, or ever flowering.

Deciduous plant species are suitable for growing at home. The most decorative are:

Royal (Rex);
Metallic;
Bauer;
Mason;
Cleopatra;
Collar.

Korolevskaya grade

Among the bush varieties, the most popular are:

Crispi Margarita;
Dark Red;
Rosebud.

Healing properties

Bauer's begonia tiger may have medicinal properties. The following useful properties are distinguished, which it possesses:

secreted phytoncides fight infections in the air of the room;
plants of this variety emit positive energy, and negative waves transform and absorb. This is useful for places where communication irritation often reigns.

Briefly about the history of appearance

Today the genus of begonias has more than 1000 species. Their homeland is tropical forests, located about 3 km above sea level. The widest range is found in South and North America, the Himalayas and Asia.
Around the middle of the 19th century, several types of begonias were discovered, such as royal, Bolivian, Veich's begonia and Pierce's begonia.

Important! Their further crossing led to the emergence of a fairly extensive group of large-flowering species of domestic flowers.

Features of tiger begonia care at home

Begonia - home care, cultivation

Begonia is a rather unpretentious flower, but still it needs to provide certain conditions and care for it so that the leaves have a more saturated and contrasting color.

Temperature

Hot climates are suitable for begonias. Therefore, you should not allow the temperature to drop below 18 ° C. The lower the temperature indicator, the less likely the bush will bloom.

Lighting

It is better for the plant to provide a sufficient amount of light, but still without excess. It is best to expose the flower to the southwest or northeast side.

Plant lighting

Watering

Water with settled water. It is desirable that it is not tough. Avoid getting drops of water on the plane of the leaves, otherwise unaesthetic stains will appear on them.

An excess of moisture leads to decay of the root system. Therefore, it is necessary to add water in the warm season during the growing season of the plant; this should be done only after the top layer of the soil has dried.

In winter, watering is minimized.

note! Top dressing is applied during the active growth of the bush. As a fertilizer, you should choose a complex feeding for flowering house plants. But the concentration must be halved from what is indicated on the package.

Spraying

Important! In no case should the begonia be sprayed, as the leaves do not tolerate droplets falling on them.

But the humidity in the room should be high.

Humidity

Soil moisture should be kept at an average level during the warm season. And in winter, the soil should be predominantly dry.

Priming

Pick up light soil, enriched with peat. This kind of begonia grows best.

Top dressing

For leafy begonias, nitrogen fertilizers can be used, which will activate the green mass.

But for those who throw out color, it is better to use phosphorus and potassium as top dressing.

note! It is better to use phosphorus-potassium formulations 2 times a month. In this case, the number of buds will increase, the flowering will become massive and brighter. The bush will look healthy.

Features of care in winter, dormant period of tiger begonia

Rosemary - home growing and care

Begonia does not have a pronounced dormant season, especially for leafy varieties. But it must be borne in mind that in winter there will be less light, and the leaves will begin to stretch. To avoid this, it is necessary to reduce watering and lower the temperature.

When and how it blooms

Ever-flowering begonia - cultivation and care

Most begonias bloom in small, bright flowers, predominantly warm in color. The petals resemble rose petals. Intense flowering begins with the onset of summer. Lasts about 3-4 months.

Beautiful flowers

Additional Information! Outdoor begonia blooms less than its domestic counterparts.

Types of flowers

Flowers can be collected in pairs or in clusters.

Flower shape

In shape, they can be small with a single-row arrangement of petals.
In others, belonging to the flowering flowers, the flowers reach more than 10 cm in diameter. Their petals are collected in several rows, and represent a double rose.

Flowers of various shapes

Flowering period

In the warm season, tiger begonia begins to bloom en masse. At home, this can be from late spring to mid-autumn.

On the street begonia blooms only in summer and in September, if the month turned out to be warm enough.

Changes in care during flowering

It is advisable to fertilize 2 times a month with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers to enhance the ejection of buds and the formation of beautiful flowers before budding and during the period of active flowering.

Also provide the desired level of lighting. In this case, the flowers will be brighter.

Pruning

Tiger begonia is unpretentious, so home care is extremely simple. The bush needs to be pruned. This is what allows you to grow a beautiful, healthy houseplant.

You need to start forming a bush from a young age. After reaching a height of approximately 7 cm, the top must be cut off.

Important! At this point, reduce the amount of introduced moisture.
Further it is necessary to continue in the same spirit.

Further pruning is done as the bush grows.

How tiger begonia reproduces

This plant propagates quite easily - with the help of cuttings, dividing a bush or stems, as well as lateral layers.

Germinating seeds

Seeds can be grown throughout winter and early spring. Plant them in soil enriched with peat and sand.

When a young sprout grows, it must be transplanted into a container of an appropriate size. Begonia will bloom, with successful cultivation, already in the same summer.

Rooting cuttings

In the warm season, begonias can be planted with cuttings. This requires:

cut off the stalk, the length of which will be at least 6 cm;
the cut should be at an angle;
then plant the cutting in the soil enriched with peat in a ratio of 3: 1;
if everything is done correctly and the plant from which the cutting was cut is healthy, then after 2-3 months the plant will form a small bush.

Air layering

Both bush and ever-flowering begonias can be propagated by dividing the bush. They also use air layers, which are formed in an adult plant. They must be cut at the base and then planted in suitable soil.

note! Begonia survives transplantation quite well, so peat should be shaken off the roots, then placed in water with manganese for disinfection for several hours, and decaying parts should be cut off. And only after complete drying, plant in a new larger pot.

Other options

Also, begonia is one of the few plants that can be propagated using leaves. This is especially effectively observed in decorative leafy species.

Transfer

It is necessary to transplant the plant as the bush grows. It is better to do this in the spring. The main signs that signal that a pot change is required are protruding roots.

Possible growing problems and diseases

If there is too much moisture in the soil, then the flower is attacked by powdery mildew. To avoid this, you need to carefully examine the plant, especially in the middle of the bush and on the lower leaves.

Also, black rot can occur in this place. If such a problem is found, then the amount of water applied under the plant should be reduced.
Aphids or spider mites, which also attack this plant, are destroyed by Intavir or Karbofoska.

Drops buds and leaves

If the buds do not bloom, but are immediately discarded, it means that watering is not carried out correctly and there is not enough minerals.

Leaves turn pale

A pale plate is a sign of low light levels.

The tips of the leaves dry

This means the begonias are lacking moisture.

note! When caring for begonia, you should wear rubber gloves, as the juice from its stem can cause an allergic skin reaction.

The lower leaves fall

If the lower leaves turn yellow and become unattractive, then the plant lacks the proper level of nutrition. Also, perhaps these are signs of parasites.

Pests

The spider mite forms a noticeable mesh on the leaves. And aphids accumulate on the branches. Therefore, in order to notice the signs of pests in time, it is necessary to carefully inspect the bush periodically.

To get rid of them, it is best to use store-bought drugs. Dilute according to the instructions.

Signs and superstitions

It is believed that this flower is able to preserve family well-being and have a beneficial effect on the appearance of family members.

Of the negative signs associated with begonia, the following is the most popular. If the donated plant begins to wither, then the owners of the house may get sick.

In general, begonia is an unpretentious plant. But without proper care, it will not be possible to grow a healthy flower.