Begonia is perhaps the most widely represented type of indoor and garden plants. The beauty and sophistication of the bright red begonia fascinates. What kind of forms it does not exist! In this article, we consider a special kind of begonia, red or, as it is also called, red leaf. You will get acquainted with its varieties, see them in the photo.
You will also learn how to properly transplant a houseplant and what kind of care it needs. What features of cultivation should be considered for the full development of the plant. Read about common diseases and pests that affect the flower.
Botanical description and history
Begonia belongs to the genus of tropical plants, the Begoniev family. In nature, there are more than one and a half thousand species. In the wild, it reaches sizes up to two meters in height. There are both small and giant species. Favorite habitat are old trees and ravines.
It was Michel Begone who organized an expedition to the Antilles in 1687, where a botanist, monk Charles Plume, discovered six types of beautiful flowers. Plume and Begon, among other things, were good friends and found, unknown until then to the world, the plants were without hesitation named after a friend.
The entire second half of the nineteenth century breeders successfully devoted to breeding new types of begonias. And in 1856 some more varieties were discovered in India.
Description of the varieties of red flower and their photos
There are several varieties of red begonias.which outwardly have some differences. This indoor plant got its name thanks to bright red leaves. In the photo you can see what a flower with red leaves looks like.
The most common varieties are.
Red bull
The form is bush-shaped, the stem is breeder. The leaves are large, pointed, thick, maroon color. Flowering is extremely rare, with flowers white and pink, unremarkable. We told about cute bush species of begonias here, and in this article you will learn about flowering varieties.
Red kiss
Sheets are rounded. Bright red-vinovy color. In the center of the sheet plate is a dark pattern, edging around the edge. Flowering is also unsightly and faded compared to the visible foliage.
Regal minuet
The leaves are saturated, satin-garnet color with a brown, arachnoid middle. In bright light, the shade of the leaves brightens.
Begonia rex
It is a hybrid form. The soft hardwood part has stains of different color spectrum: green, pink, silver, red, black. Various subspecies of this begonia surprise with their decorative leaves - speckled, striped, with specks (for decorative and hardwood begonias, read here). The root is creeping. Direct or creeping shoots depart from it. Pink flower stalks are large, can be double or semi-double, but against the background of a variety of colors, foliage seems rather ordinary-looking.
Where and how to plant a houseplant?
Plant selection and pretreatment before planting are important steps. It is very important to inspect the tuber and remove small roots. Root disinfection is best done with the drug "Fungicide", according to instructions.
Important! A common problem is the freezing of tubers. As a result, the plant does not germinate. When buying it is important to inspect the plant for rot.
- Pot. It is better to take a shallow pot to alleviate the potential growth of the roots. A drainage layer is put on the bottom, about 8-10% of the volume. The soil is chosen loose, enriched with oxygen.
A young, immature plant should be watered strictly along the edge, avoiding overwetting.
- Lighting and location. You need moderately bright, diffused lighting. Do not allow direct sunlight on the plant. It is most comfortable to place begonia on the west or southeast window.
- Soil requirements. In specialized flower shops, enriched soil is sold for each plant species, so the easiest way is to purchase it. However, the soil can be mixed at home. It will require peat and black soil in a 1: 1 ratio. It is important to leave the ground loose and enrich with additional mineral dressings if it is not ready soil. So, in stages the process of planting begonias can be represented as follows:
- Selection and careful inspection of plants in the store.
- Preliminary disinfection of the roots of the drug "Fungicide" according to the instructions.
- Transplant into a pot of suitable size with the right soil.
- Placing a pot on a window with ambient lighting.
- Watering at first only gently around the edge, without redundancy.
Home care
Temperature. Comfortable conditions for red begonia will be from 14 to 23 degrees of heat, with a constant humidity of 60%.To maintain an optimum level of humidity, you can place the pot in a tray with water, on an elevation. For example, on a peat layer or an inverted saucer.
You can also maintain moisture by spraying the air around the flower, avoiding moisture on the leaves themselves.
Begonia does not tolerate drafts!
- Watering. It is produced only with complete drying of the top layer of soil.
- Transfer. Produced only in extreme cases.
- Wintering. The rest period of the red begonia begins from October and lasts until February. At this time, watering the plant should be reduced.
If there are tubers that need to winter, then they should be stored at temperatures up to 12 degrees Celsius.
Temperature. Comfortable conditions for red begonia will be from 14 to 23 degrees of heat, with a constant humidity of 60%.Common diseases and pests
The plant suffers from diseases such as powdery mildew, gray mold, bacterial and ring blotch. Affected by ticks and moths.
- Mealy dew - It is a fungal infection that develops as a white bloom on the leaves and shoots. As a result, leaf rot and death of the plant.
- Gray rot It appears gray or gray-white bloom. It is treated with the drug "Trichodermin" according to the instructions.
- Bacterial spotting appears on the leaves as a plural accumulation of specks of brown or dark red shade.
- Ring spots manifested by the appearance of white spots with a clear form.
Breeding features
- Vegetative method: cut the tip of the rhizome by 5-7 centimeters. Sprout transferred to the ground and create a small greenhouse, covered with a plastic bag. After about 28-30 days shoots appear. You can also divide the tubers into parts, each of which must have a kidney.
- Leaf method: you must choose the strongest and healthiest sheet. Then cut it into squares no more than 2 centimeters. Place in a substrate of peat and sand (1: 1) and cover with foil. Leave alone for 2-3 weeks. In the result will be the roots. In three weeks it is necessary to turn on the half-hour airing "panic", increasing the time each time.
- Stem mode: take a small stalk with one, and preferably two buds. Under the lower kidney is cut from the bottom, under the top from the top to 50 mm. Next, the stem is placed in the soil under the film or bottle. Roots appear in about 20-30 days. It is important to always ventilate the structure once every three days.
Growing krasnolistnoy begonias - a pleasure when the florist is armed with knowledge of the features and nature of this flower. In the article we tried to consider the key points of care for this beautiful plant.
