At home in the rainforests of South Africa, begonias exist in a wide variety of forms. The plant can be a liana that wraps around a tree or runs over the ground, a perennial herbaceous plant, or a shrub with sturdy, woody stems.
Not only the appearance of begonias can be unusual, but also their stems and leaves. The begonia leaf itself can be cut into pieces along the veins; each piece, even the smallest, will give life to a new plant by taking root. Moreover, in the laboratory, botanists can grow a full-fledged begonia from an almost microscopic piece of a leaf that contains only a few cells.
Propagation of begonias
Begonias are propagated mainly in 2 ways: by seeds and by leaves.
Propagation by leaf is a simple and reliable way to propagate the plant, the essence of which is to use a whole leaf with a shoot.
Propagation of begonia by stem cuttings can be carried out throughout the year.
For this purpose, it is necessary to have young leaves that have recently grown. With a sterile, sharp knife or blade, you need to cut the corresponding leaf with the shoot, trying to damage it as little as possible. About 5-8 cm should be left at the leaf plate.
Begonia mix
The mixture should be sterile, mixed in proportion of 1 to 1 part of sifted peat (purchased substrate) and coarse sand. Then the ready mixture should be filled in the pot and at an angle of 45° put into it a leaf with a shoot so that the leaf is almost on the surface of the soil. The substrate near the leaf should be compacted. When all the cuttings are planted, they should be watered.
The main causes of failure are rot and disease. To avoid them, it is recommended to sterilize the soil with heated water steam. Such steam baths should be used for 30 minutes.
Humidity is very important for the successful rooting of leaf plates, so it is necessary to use caps made of transparent materials.
By the time the new plant appears, it is not recommended to remove the cover. Otherwise, spores can be brought into the bud from the air and begonia can fall ill with fungal and viral diseases, which will not only stop reproduction, but also lead to the death of the plant itself.
Leaf cuttings can take root quite well without the use of substrate. To do this, you should just put them in a bowl with water. However, in this case, you need to use only whole leaves, not less than 8 cm long.
Another important factor that will improve propagation with cuttings is temperature. During the period of active growth and budding, it should be moderate and not less than 20 ° C above zero. In winter, the temperature can be reduced to +15 – 18°C.
Also, the flower needs a large amount of light, which promotes photosynthesis development of young plants. Do not forget that excessive light can cause burns.
Propagation of begonia by seeds
Begonia is characterized not only by external diversity, but also by the ability to bloom long and abundantly. Bright fragrant flowers collected in inflorescences, colored in greenish, purplish-red, yellow, orange, white and soft pink colors. Both “female” and “male” flowers “live” on the same plant. Although they do not bloom at the same time. Therefore, the stamens of the female cell of one individual can only receive pollen from another plant – so cross-pollination occurs.
Fine as pollen, the seed of this begonia is collected in a box, so it is easily dispersed by a breeze. Sticking to the beaks and paws of birds, the seed of the plant gets to the remotest islands. Once they get used to the new conditions, begonias change, creating new species. This explains the abundance of endemic species of the plant.
There are some rules for propagation by seed:
- The seeds must be fresh. This directly affects how the young plant will sprout.
- Unused seeds need to be protected from moisture. You can put them in a package or wrap them in paper.
- The soil should be sterile and neutral.
- The vessel for planting should be wide but not high and preferably with a cover.
To propagate begonia by seeds is tedious and mainly this option is used in breeding work. Sow the seeds of begonia in the spring so that the plant will already flower in the summer. To do this, you either need to buy a substrate, or prepare a mixture yourself. Growing begonias from seeds in peat tablets is also possible, but it will quickly dry out, so controlling the moisture level of the soil will be quite long and tedious.
It is better to sow begonia seeds on the surface of the soil. You can spray them with water, but it is not necessary to cover the seeds with a thin layer of soil. If you grow begonia from peat tablets, you should put it under a glass. The result of germination of the plant can be noticed in 2 weeks. Since begonia needs sunlight for fast growth, you can put it on a windowsill.
Glass cover or glass does not need to be removed. It is just important to remember to air the plant from time to time to gradually get it used to fresh air. Next, you need to keep an eye on the plant as it matures and following the pattern of care for an adult flower.
Any method of propagation will be successful if you clearly follow the above recommendations. Then you can get a lot of great plants with minimal effort.
