Do this one extra step before Rieger begonia blooms, and you'll get more flower buds and bigger, more vivid blooms

Rieger begonia plants are short and compact, with richly colored flowers and a very long bloom period, making them ideal for decorating the home. In recent years they have become very popular with flower lovers.

The care Rieger begonia receives before blooming is very important. Today Hua'er will introduce one extra step to take before flowering that can make flower buds pop out one after another, keep the blooms coming, and make the flowers bigger and more vivid.

When Rieger begonia enters its bloom period, you should start giving it a dark treatment every day, covering the whole plant with a black plastic bag, for about 15 hours each time. This helps the formation of flower buds and also lets the flowers open more fully and vividly.

In addition, you must provide it with enough nutrients, mainly phosphorus and potassium fertilizer. You can mix some phosphorus and potassium fertilizer into leaf mold, stir it evenly, and spread it directly on the surface of the soil in the pot. Each time you water thoroughly, the fertilizer will seep down into the soil below with the water, which can prevent root burn and allow Rieger begonia to absorb it better.

During the bloom period, the roots of Rieger begonia can only absorb a limited amount of nutrients, and when there are many flower buds they cannot supply enough nutrients. You can use a dilute foliar fertilizer and spray the leaves about every ten days, spraying both the front and back of the leaves evenly.

Rieger begonia likes a semi-shaded environment. It can be placed in a bright, warm, well-ventilated spot indoors, and direct sunlight must be avoided, otherwise the leaves will turn yellow and the whole plant will wilt. In summer, once the temperature exceeds 25°C it enters semi-dormancy, and you need to shade it by more than 70% every day; a little scattered light in the morning and evening is enough.

For watering, just remember to water thoroughly when the soil is dry, without waterlogging, otherwise it will cause root rot. Normally you can spray some water vapor on the leaves and around the plant to increase humidity, which helps keep the plant moisturized.

That's all for the introduction to Rieger begonia. If you have anything else to add, flower lovers, you can share it with everyone in the comments section below. To learn more about growing flowers, you can follow Hua Jian Ke!