How to care for Rieger begonia in summer? Detailed care methods
Rieger begonia may develop withered or dropped leaves due to transport and changes in environment, and this situation is often unavoidable. The hot summer is the dormant period for Rieger begonia, so care requires extra attention; otherwise, it can easily lead to the death of the plant.
Rieger begonia
After summer begins, management and care become even more critical. First, remove spent flowers and withered leaves (but there is no need to prune the branches), move the potted plant from the balcony to a cooler windowsill indoors, and strictly control watering; this is the key to safely getting through summer. Many people think that withered leaves are caused by lack of water, but this is not the case. It is because as temperatures rise, the roots cannot take up enough water to meet the needs of leaf transpiration, so the water supply and demand become imbalanced, and the plant has no choice but to protect itself by dropping leaves and entering dormancy or semi-dormancy to reduce its water requirements.
At this time, if watering is increased so that there is too much water in the potting soil, bacteria can easily breed at the base of the stems and cause rot, which then spreads into the tubers and the entire plant dies. Therefore, watering must be strictly controlled at this time. For example, for a flowerpot with a diameter of 15 cm and a height of 13 cm, about 30 ml of water should seep in from the bottom of the pot roughly every 10 days, so that the potting soil is kept slightly moist. In this way, the stem sections will not rot, or any localized rot will not spread downward. As long as the leaf edges wither but there are still a few young leaves growing slowly, it means the tubers are fine and the base of the stem sections is intact.
Care methods for Rieger begonia through the four seasons
Summer care for Rieger begonia
In summer, the temperature is very high, and at this time the Rieger begonia plant will be in a state of stagnant growth, entering dormancy or semi-dormancy.
In summer, spent flowers and withered leaves should be cut off from Rieger begonia, and shading should be provided in time. In addition, watering needs to be controlled to avoid water accumulating in the pot and causing root rot. Fertilizing should also be stopped.
Autumn and winter care for Rieger begonia
After summer comes autumn, when temperatures begin to drop and the plant starts to sprout new branches. When Rieger begonia has grown to a certain height, it can be pruned by cutting off the old branches. When the new branches have grown to a certain height, just keep 3 branches and cut off all the rest, so that nutrients can be more concentrated.
When October arrives, the growth rate of the Rieger begonia plant will speed up. At this time, the soil needs to be kept moist, and liquid fertilizer should be applied once every half month.
When winter arrives, Rieger begonia needs to be ensured sufficient light, and the care temperature should be kept above 10°C.
Key care points for Rieger begonia at each stage
When growing Rieger begonia, note that during the vegetative growth stage, light exposure needs to be maintained at more than 14 hours, while during flower bud differentiation, a light period of less than 10 hours is beneficial for flower bud differentiation. During plant growth, pinching can be done when there are 4 leaves.
How to grow Rieger begonia in summer
Rieger begonia is a plant that likes cool shade. Under the high temperatures of summer, its growth becomes very slow, and it is in a state of dormancy or semi-dormancy. Summer is coming soon, so how should we care for it? Let us learn together about the summer management methods for Rieger begonia. Friends who like it should not miss this.
Rieger begonia illustration 1
Rieger begonia likes a moist, semi-shaded environment and avoids strong light. Under blazing sun and dry air, the stems and leaves easily wither and drop, so in summer 50%-60% of sunlight should be blocked for it.Rieger begonia likes a ventilated, cool environment and avoids high temperatures. The optimal temperature for growth is between 15°C-20°C, so in summer it should be placed in a cool, ventilated place; otherwise, the rhizomes easily rot. Avoid waterlogging and heavy fertilization. Rieger begonia has fleshy stems, so in summer the amount of water and fertilizer should be properly controlled. Generally, keeping the potting soil moist and applying a dilute fertilizer once a month is enough. Otherwise, excessive water and fertilizer easily cause rhizome rot.
Do not spray water directly on the leaf surface. Under high temperatures, water on the leaves cannot evaporate in time and easily causes rot. Instead, spray more water near the pot and in the surrounding environment to maintain local air humidity and regulate temperature.
How to grow Rieger begonia at home
Temperature: The suitable temperature for Rieger begonia growth is 15°C to 22°C. Below 10°C the plant stops growing, and above 28°C growth becomes slow. To achieve the best growth condition, the night temperature should be maintained at around 20°C; above 24°C the plant is prone to leggy growth.
Light: Rieger begonia likes scattered light and avoids direct strong light. Different growth stages have different light requirements. During the seedling stage, light should be about 15,000 lux, then gradually increase to 25,000 lux. Growers can adjust light intensity according to flowering conditions.
Rieger begonia illustration 2
Water: For Rieger begonia with fleshy rhizomes, water supply is very important. Too little water will affect plant growth; too much will cause rhizome diseases, softening stems, and other problems. Watering should follow the principle of watering when dry and stopping when wet, and do not wet the leaves when watering.Humidity: In the early growth stage, Rieger begonia has relatively high humidity requirements, and the relative humidity should be 80% to 85%; after flower buds form, relative humidity should be gradually reduced and maintained at 50% to 60%. When relative humidity is 70% to 80%, attention should be paid to air circulation to avoid powdery mildew and gray mold.
Pests and diseases: Home-grown Rieger begonia has relatively few pests and diseases, but some fungicides should be sprayed regularly and in measured amounts to prevent bacterial soft rot and powdery mildew. Agricultural streptomycin at 200 ug/g and carbendazim at 1000 times dilution can be used for spraying. However, at home, ginger juice can be prepared with water and sprayed at a 1:25 ratio, which can prevent and control soft rot and the germination of other pathogenic spores, and is very green and environmentally friendly.
Precautions
Rieger begonia is a quantitative short-day plant. This means the plant does not necessarily require a true short-day photoperiod to bloom; once it reaches a certain number of leaves, it will also bloom. However, flowering this way is uneven, the number of flowers is small, the cultivation time will be longer, and production planning becomes more difficult. After summer, Rieger begonia can be placed indoors or outdoors and is an excellent garden and flowerbed plant, with a blooming period of 6 to 8 weeks. The Bako strain is considered most suitable for outdoor planting.