Wax Begonia Propagation

 

Wax begonias plants are widely loved little plant. The Wax begonias plants can be used as an annual in colder climates, and also a perennial in warmer climates, they can also be used as a houseplant on your desk. The Wax begonias plant has waxy-looking leaves that can be green, bronze, or maroon. The Wax begonias plant flowers can be found in pink, white, or red. Wax begonias plants are beautiful and they will make low-maintenance additions to your plant collection. Actually these plants are deer resistant and they only require deadheading and occasional pruning to keep the plant beautiful. Below is the basic information about Wax begonia plant;

The botanical name: The botanical name is Begonia semperflorens.

The common name: The common is name Wax begonia.

The plant type:   The plant is perennial or annual.

The mature size: The mature size is six to 18 inches high and six to 12 inches wide.

The sun exposure: The plant prefers full sun to partial shade.

The soil type: Wax begonia does well in rich, moist, and well-draining soil.

The soil pH: It should be neutral to slightly acidic.

The blooming time: The blooming time is summer.

The flower color: The flower colors are Red, pink, or white

Plant hardiness Zones: USDA hardiness zones 10 to 11

The native area: Wax begonia is native to Central and South America.

Wax begonia varieties

There are different varieties of begonia plants. The following are the different varieties of begonia plants.

-         Begonia Super Olympia varieties: The Begonia Super Olympia are early flowering plants with pink, white, or red flowers and green leaves. This particular variety has larger flowers than traditional begonias.

-         Begonia Madame Queen varieties: The Begonia Madame Queen is a double flowering green-leaved variety that has flowers in shades of white, pink and red.  

-         Begonia Gumdrop Coco varieties: This particular variety has glossy bronze/maroon foliage with showy flowers. The plant is rounded and compact.

-         Begonia Cocktail varieties: This particular variety is an early flowering dwarf (about five to six tall) plant. The Begonia Cocktail has bronze/maroon foliage flowers in shades of red, white or pink.

-         Begonia Ambassador Varieties: This particular variety has green foliage and the flowers are in shades of red, white or pink. The Begonia Ambassador varieties tend to stay more compact than any other varieties.

-         Begonia 'Victory' varieties: The Begonia 'Victory' varieties are early flowering plants with large flowers in shades of white, red and pink. They have green foliage.

How to grow Begonia plants

Like I said earlier Wax begonias plants are a cinch to care for as long as the plants get the right amount of sun and watering. The Wax begonias plants have many parts or side and the plants can be used outdoors in the garden, even in container gardens and also as an indoor plant.       

Light requirement

Actually it depends on where you really live and the kind of temperature you are experiencing, the wax begonias plants needs full sun or partial shade. If where you live is with intense summers and high temperatures the plant will really need some shade. Actually too much hot direct sunlight can really stress the begonias plants.

Soil requirement

The soil must be well drained. The wax begonias plants require continually damp soil, although wet or soggy soil can really harm the plant and also cause rot. Make sure you give them soil rich in organic matter, this will make sure the soil is continually draining and also providing them the nutrients the plants really needs to thrive.

Water requirement

The wax begonias plants actually need regular watering and they also enjoy soil that is continuously damp. On the other hand, beware of watering the wax begonias plants too much without allowing the water to drain out. This can actually cause root rot. Root rot is a problem that the plants can easily encounter. Make sure you check out for too much water on the leaves which can lead to fungal growth. In other to avoid this you can water the plants at the base of the plant near the soil.

Temperature and humidity requirement

The wax begonias plants is native to Central and South America, they actually love warm humidity, and if the wax begonias plants get enough of this the plant can be kept in the garden as perennials. The wax begonias plants only do well in temperatures above 60 degrees Fahrenheit. A lot of gardeners grow the plant outside as annuals, they normally plant them once all dangers of frost are gone. The wax begonias plants make wonderful houseplants during the winter months if you like to keep the plant blooming year-round. Try and make sure you keep them away from drafts. If you actually want to keep the plant inside make sure you place the pot on top of a tray of pebbles. You need to fill the tray with water but make sure the water does not touch or seep into the bottom of the pot.

Fertilizer requirement

Actually this plant is not picky when it comes to fertilizer. A general weaker fertilizer such as 10-10-10 will meet the needs of the wax begonias plants. To encourage growth and blooming you can give them a dose of fertilizer monthly during their growing season.

Plant pruning

Without been told keeping the plant healthy and beautiful is very important. You can simply remove the old and withered blooms in other to encourage new growth. The process of doing this is called deadheading.

 How to Grow Wax Begonias in Pots

Actually this plant does not just make great additions to your outdoor garden, the wax begonias plants make lovely container plants that can be kept indoors. The plant does not really need to be repotted often if the plant is actually planted in a well-chosen pot. The need to repot the plant can be eliminated if you choose a pot to accommodate the plant’s mature size. If you are choosing any pot just make sure that it has drainage holes. Choosing a pot that has drainage holes will help to allow the water to drain out of the pot and it will also help you to avoid problems with root rot.

Pest and disease control

Wax begonias plants are like any other plants that also face some disease challenges. The following are the diseases that attack Wax begonias plants;

-         Bacterial leaf spot of Wax begonia: This particular disease is one of the most widespread begonia diseases and the disease is caused by Xanthomonas campestris pv. begoniae. It will start by appearing on the underside of the older leaves as small, scattered, blister-like lesions near the main veins or leaf margins. Later on the spots will enlarge and become more circular and brown, it will now merge to become translucent papery-brown blotches visible on the both leaf surfaces. Most times the heavily infected leaves will wilt and drop prematurely. Some of the infected stems and leaf petioles will develop water-soaked streaks and often split. If the disease actually spreads through the entire Wax begonias plants, the plant will collapse and die.

How to manage and control it: Make sure you purchase only healthy disease-free plants. Try as much as possible to remove and destroy infected leaves or entire plants. Make sure you don’t use infected plants for propagation.

-         Botrytis blight on wax begonia: This particular disease is caused by the fungus Botrytis cinerea. The disease causes a soft brown rot on the flowers, the leaves and the stems. Some of the affected areas of the plants are eventually covered by indicative masses of fuzzy gray growth.

How to manage and control it: One of the ways to avoid these problems is to promptly remove spent flowers, fallen leaves and other debris, and also remove and dispose any infected portions of the plants promptly. Make sure you space the plants very well to maintain low humidity and good air circulation and also try and avoid overhead irrigation or splashing of water on or around the wax begonias plants.

-         Powdery Mildew on Wax begonia: What you will observe is a powdery white spots that will appear on both leaf surfaces, stems and flowers and also a greasy spots on the leaf undersides.

How to manage and control it: Make sure you remove and destroy infected portions of the wax begonia plants. Make sure you space the plants very well and also avoid excessive fast-release nitrogen fertilizer applications that can encourage a flush of growth.