How to Pinch Back Rieger Begonias? A Detailed Guide to the Latest Method

Rieger begonia (Begonia × hiemalis) is a flower that is very well suited to decorating indoor spaces in winter. Its colors are rich and varied, and its blooms are large and full. When it flowers, placing it at home lets you enjoy pleasing blossoms and also sets off the festive cheer. But if you want Rieger begonia to bloom well, you naturally cannot do without daily care, and one of the more important points is pinching back. Below, QinNong Net will introduce the pinching method for Rieger begonia.

Before introducing exactly how to pinch back Rieger begonia, let us first understand what pinching back is. Pinching back is also called topping, which means removing the growing point at the top when the main stem or side branch you want to keep has grown to a certain extent. Pinching back helps increase the amount of branches and leaves, and can also ease the growth vigor of young trees; in addition, pinching back can promote the formation of flower buds in the plant. So what is our purpose in pinching back Rieger begonia? And how should it be done?

1. Reasons for pinching back

Rieger begonia itself has relatively poor branching, so it is necessary to remove those excess growing tips to promote the growth of basal branches. The general requirement is to begin topping two weeks after planting the seedlings in the pot. In order to make side branches sprout and better shape the plant's form, potted Rieger begonia should be pinched back during its growth period, so that when it blooms the flowers will be more beautiful and full. You can properly pinch off and prune excess useless flowers, which helps preserve nutrients.

2. How to perform pinching back

1. When the seedlings of this plant grow to the height you expect, you can directly pinch off its top shoot with your fingers, which can benefit the growth of new side branches. Or you can wait until its young seedlings grow to about 10 cm tall, then remove one third or one half of the top, or remove it at a point 0.5 cm above the axillary bud.

2. After the tops of the main branches of seedlings with relatively many flowers are removed, the apical dominance of this plant will be distributed to the small buds below the pinched point. Below the pinched point, three to four branches will grow, and they will be used to replace the growth momentum of the central main stem. After the first removal of excess flower tips, after a period of time, the new side branches will grow very well. At this time, a second pinching back is needed, that is, pinch off the tops of the new side branches once more, so that more new branches can grow.

3. Precautions for pinching back

1. New branches usually sprout after the weather begins to turn cool in autumn, so when pinching back, water it heavily to replenish its moisture, so that it can grow better.

2. Give the already pinched Rieger begonia sufficient light to meet its growth needs.

3. Moreover, the temperature of its growing environment must not be lower than 10°C, otherwise it will hinder its growth.

The above is QinNong Net's introduction to pinching back Rieger begonia. Pinching back is the reason many flowers bloom abundantly. If you find that under the same environment, plants grown by others are more luxuriant than yours, it is very likely because they have done this thing called pinching back!