Begonia Care
A Quick Glance At Begonia Care
The thing about begonia care is that there are several different types of begonias to choose from, and each one will require a very particular regiment in order to stay healthy and beautiful. Some, such as the tuberous begonia varieties, are a bit more hardy than the delicate and often fragile angel wing begonias are. The species falling under the Rex begonia classification will be prone to less conspicuous flowers and absolutely striking foliage. All of them, however, are indigenes to the rainforest regions, and tropically inspired surroundings, complete with long days, humidity, and shelter from the harsh full sun, heavy rains, and brisk breezes will best suit them. They enjoy ample moisture at the shallow root system, and do very indoors in the east.
Begonia care for the angel wing varieties will be the most challenging for most. It is difficult to recreate the rainforest climate closely enough to fool this beauty, but success can be had if you are careful and diligent. Defused sunlight, but full exposure to the longer days of the summer season will be necessary. The foliage does not tend to stand out with these species, though some plants will show impressive leaf colors and patterns. Support the long stalk which will bare the gorgeous flowers with a stout bamboo shoot. Some varieties will gain 5 feet in height, so be sure to keep up on your begonia care when dealing with these plants.
For tuberous begonia care, you will want to mirror the same soil and climatic conditions as for the angel wing, but they tend to be a bit less fussy about things. They enjoy misty rains and can endure light breezes, but they are still unable to withstand full sunlight. The flowers are the prized yield from this classification of begonia, and just about every color aside from blue can be found. Tuberous begonias will need constant nutrition, more so than those varieties who store nutrients in their leaves rather than their tubers. Basically, they need fed for the abundance of flowers with enough left over for the heavy over winter season.
A few tips on Rex begonia care are up next, and we will begin by mentioning that this variety is most likely to be seem in flower beds and outdoor gardens. They do wonderfully indoors, but they can become quite large, so be sure that you are prepared with a large pot. The flowers will be inconspicuous as the foliage is so striking, unique, and beautiful that the tiny flowers are often way overshadowed. Peat moss should be used in the beds or pots of all of these begonias, as this will allow them to retain moisture around the delicate, shallow root systems without drowning them.