begonia

begonia albo-picta – bambusiforme begonia

the bambusiforme begonia (begonia albo-picta) is native to brazil and available with white, orange or pink flowers. the leaves are white spotted. it can be used as a houseplant or annual and is suitable for a hanging basket.

care

begonia albo-picta does best on a bright location with partial sun (morning/evening). a light shaded place will be tolerated. in summer it can be placed outside, but give it back when temperature is falling below 14 °c/57 °f constantly.

a good regular potting mix can be used. this should be kept moist but not wet. drying at the soil’s surface is ok, but it shouldn’t dry out. overwatering can cause rotten roots.

in spring and summer a half strength water soluble fertilizer can be given monthly, and if placed at room temperature in fall and winter every six to eight weeks.

begonia albo-picta likes room temperatur the year round with a minium of 14 °c/57 °f. if placed at this temperature range in winter, it needs less watering and no fertilizer.

spraying it over with water from time to time keeps its leaves free from dust.

propagation

begonia albo-picta can be propageted by seeds, leaf or stem cuttings.

begonia semperflorens – wax begonia

the wax begonia (begonia semperflorens) is a very popular garden plant which also can be used indoor. there are a lot of cultivars available, with green or reddish colored leaves and pink, white or red flowers. the easy to care plant is native to brazil.

care

the wax begonia does best on a bright to light shaded place with partial sun in the morning and/or evening. the green leaved cultivars are also growing in shade.

it can be planted in a regular potting soil which can be mixed with a part of coarse sand.

keep it moist but not wet and avoid overwatering such as drying out completely. the drying of the soil’s surface will be tolerated.

a half diluted water soluble fertilizer can be given monthly in spring/summer and every six to eight weeks in fall/winter. if placed colder at this time, begonia semperflorens don’t need to be fed.

it can be placed at room temperature throughout the year with a winter minumum of 15 °c/59 °f.

propagation

the wax begonia can be propagated by seeds or cuttings.