How to Grow and Care for Japanese Begonia Flowers

The soil for growing Japanese begonia flowers is best acidic or neutral. Normally place it in a sunny spot with good light, and keep the temperature above 10 degrees. Water sparingly during the budding period, water twice a day during the growing season, spray water on the leaves and ground in midsummer weather, and in winter spray the leaves with clean water every 7 days. Normally no fertilizer is needed, but when the leaves drop, apply a heavy dose of fertilizer to replenish nutrients.

1. Soil: Acidic or neutral soil is best; it can be a mix of river sand, leaf mold and snakewood fern chips. Do not use saline-alkaline soil or clay soil, as this will cause poor growth.

2. Sunlight: It likes plenty of sunlight, so when caring for it, place it in a sunny spot with good light. If it is kept in a shaded, lightless place for a long time, its growth will be hindered, so make sure it gets enough hours of light.

3. Temperature: The optimal growing temperature is between 18-20 degrees Celsius. Since it is fairly cold-hardy, as long as the room temperature is not below 10 degrees Celsius it is fine, and placing it outdoors is no problem either.

4. Watering: It is best to keep the soil moist. Water sparingly during the budding period, and water twice a day during the growing season. In midsummer weather, spray water on the leaves and ground to raise air humidity. From August to September, when flower buds form, water when the soil is dry and withhold when wet, otherwise flower bud differentiation will be unfavorable. In winter, the soil is best kept slightly on the dry side, and spray the leaves with clean water every 7 days. When watering, do not splash water on the stems and leaves, otherwise water accumulating on the stems and leaves can easily cause rot.

5. Fertilizing: Normally no fertilizer is needed, but when the leaves drop, a large amount of nutrients is lost, so apply a heavy dose of fertilizer to replenish nutrients. In early spring, apply fertilizer once, and water thoroughly once, so the fertilizer can fully seep into the soil.

6. Pruning: After the leaves drop and before the spring buds appear, carry out a careful pruning, cutting off dead branches, diseased branches and weak, spindly branches. If you want to increase the number of flower buds, shorten the long branches and also pinch out the growing tips promptly.