Grow wax begonias this way for vibrant growth and branches full of blooms

Wax begonia is a plant quite suitable for home growing and viewing, also called wax begonia (Begonia semperflorens-cultorum), whose flowering period basically covers the whole year, and with proper care it blooms continuously through all four seasons. Wax begonia is shade-tolerant yet loves sun, prefers warmth and fears cold, and grows best in a slightly moist environment.

For experienced growers with some flower-care know-how, growing wax begonia is not difficult, but for flower lovers just starting out with plant care it may not be so simple. Today Hua'er Gu will introduce the causes of yellowing leaves in wax begonia and how to deal with yellowing leaves!

The common causes that can lead to yellowing leaves in wax begonia mainly include the following situations: overwatering, underwatering, too much light, insufficient light, temperature too high, temperature too low, insufficient nutrients, over-fertilizing, sudden environmental changes, root rot, and pests and diseases. Below we briefly introduce them and explain how to handle them!

1. Overwatering

Overwatering causes the roots of wax begonia to sit in waterlogged soil, which easily leads to root oxygen deprivation and suppresses the transport of nutrients to the branches and leaves, so the leaves turn yellow; if the waterlogging lasts a long time, in severe cases it can also cause the roots to rot.

Therefore, overwatering is highly inadvisable. We generally need to wait until the surface of the potting soil has dried out completely before watering again, which avoids the problem of overwatering as much as possible.

2. Underwatering

Wax begonia likes to grow in a slightly moist environment and is a plant that does not tolerate drought. Once it lacks water for a long time, its leaves cannot get enough water and turn yellow.

Therefore, we must not only avoid watering too much, but also avoid going without watering for long periods. If we water according to the principle of watering when dry and stopping when wet, problems with water causing yellowing leaves in wax begonia generally will not appear.

3. Too much light

Wax begonia loves sun, but it cannot grow well under strong light for long periods. For example, the scorching sun in summer easily burns the leaves of wax begonia and turns them yellow, and under high temperatures and strong light the water evaporates too quickly, which also leads to insufficient supply and yellowing.

Therefore, on the premise of ensuring sufficient light for wax begonia, we should avoid overly intense sunlight; especially in summer it needs semi-shaded care, which is beneficial to the healthy growth of wax begonia.

4. Insufficient light

Wax begonia loves sun and tolerates shade, but growing it in a shaded place for a long time will cause a lack of light and lead to the leaves growing pale yellow or turning yellow; this is a symptom of light deficiency caused by insufficient photosynthesis.

Therefore, we need to let sufficient scattered light meet the growth needs of wax begonia, avoid growing it in overly dark corners, or regularly place it in a spot with plenty of light for a period of care.

5. Temperature too high

Too high a temperature easily suppresses the water transport of wax begonia, which then causes the problem of leaves turning yellow; especially in summer, we need to place it in a cool spot to avoid the problem of yellowing leaves.

Therefore, when the summer temperature is relatively high, we need to promptly move it to a cool place for care to prevent high temperatures from causing yellowing leaves.

6. Temperature too low

Wax begonia is not cold-tolerant; when the winter temperature drops below 5°C, it may cause cold damage that turns its leaves yellow.

Therefore, when growing wax begonia in winter, we need to place it indoors or take good cold-protection and warmth measures to avoid the occurrence of cold damage.

7. Insufficient nutrients

After wax begonia has grown for a period of time, the nutrients in the potting soil will gradually be lost, leading to insufficient nutrients for the plant. Poor soil will cause wax begonia to grow thin and weak, with yellowing leaves.

Therefore, we need to regularly repot and change the soil for wax begonia or fertilize it regularly, and when necessary add some fertilizer solution, ferrous sulfate, etc. to promote the plant's growth.

8. Over-fertilizing

Yellowing leaves in wax begonia caused by over-fertilizing are mostly fertilizer damage from burning the roots due to excessive fertilizer, or possibly from mistakenly using some unsuitable fertilizers.

Therefore, when fertilizing we need to follow the instructions or the principle of applying thin fertilizer frequently, which can avoid fertilizer damage to the greatest extent.

9. Sudden environmental changes

A newly bought wax begonia will develop yellowing leaves because the environment where we grow it differs greatly from the environment where the plant was previously grown.

At this time we only need to water according to the principle of watering when dry and stopping when wet, avoid strong light, and prevent high and low temperatures, and this will help it resume growth.

10. Root rot and pests and diseases

Some diseases and root rot problems will cause the leaves of wax begonia to turn yellow, and the appearance of problems such as root rot is generally also caused by improper watering.

Therefore, as long as we control watering well, and when disease problems appear we promptly treat the symptoms accordingly, we can save it from dire straits.

The above is what Hua'er Gu introduces to you about the common causes of yellowing leaves in wax begonia and how to handle them. If you also like growing flowers, then follow Hua'er Gu!