Wax Begonia Care Guide: Get These Points Right for Blooms All Year Round

Wax begonia (Begonia semperflorens) can produce beautiful, vivid flowers all year round and is often seen in flower beds. How should you care for wax begonia to ensure it grows beautifully and blooms beautifully in all four seasons? Let's take a look below at the wax begonia care method.

1. Choosing the Pot and Soil

For wax begonia, the pot is generally a purple clay pot or a clay pot. Clay pots have excellent breathability and are suitable for cultivating seedlings. Purple clay pots are suitable for mature wax begonias. For the soil, wax begonia generally needs fertile, well-draining, slightly acidic soil; you can buy ready-made potting mix directly from a flower market.

2. Temperature

Wax begonia likes a warm climate. During cultivation, it should not be too hot or too cold; 20 to 25 degrees is the most suitable. During the high-temperature period in summer, you need to provide appropriate shade and cooling, mist the wax begonia with water, and improve ventilation. In winter, move it indoors promptly and keep the temperature above 10 degrees.

3. Watering

Watering wax begonia should be determined according to the conditions of the four seasons, and the soil should be kept moist. During the spring growing period, you need to increase the amount of watering to keep the potting soil moist; you can water thoroughly once every three days. During the high-temperature period in summer, water once a day to increase humidity. In winter, when the temperature is relatively low, reduce the watering frequency to once every four to five days; it is best to water around noon when the sun is relatively warm.

4. Fertilizing

During the growing period, wax begonia is mainly fertilized with monopotassium phosphate, once every 15 to 20 days, preferably on a sunny day. In early autumn, fertilize once every 7 to 10 days, mainly with phosphorus and potassium fertilizer. In addition, wax begonia is sensitive to salinity and alkalinity, so when fertilizing, choose fertilizer with low salinity and alkalinity, and preferably avoid the midday period of strong light and high temperature to avoid fertilizer burn.

5. Pruning

After wax begonia blooms, appropriate pruning is needed, cutting off some spent flowers. This can promote the sprouting and growth of new branches and leaves. If diseased branches, old branches, or dead branches are found, they should also be pruned promptly.

6. Pest and Disease Control

The common diseases of wax begonia are soft rot and leaf spot. If soft rot occurs, you can spray the leaves with 1000 times diluted agricultural streptomycin for control; if leaf spot occurs, before the high temperatures arrive, spray the leaves with 1500 times diluted chlorothalonil wettable powder and 2500 times diluted agricultural streptomycin sulfate, spraying once every 5 days for 2-3 consecutive sprays. If whiteflies occur, you can hang yellow sticky boards 20 cm above the plants for control.

Caring for wax begonia is very simple, and wax begonia can bloom continuously all year round. It is often seen in parks, flower beds, and indoor potted plants. By following these methods, you can now grow a beautiful wax begonia yourself.