Summer care and management methods and key points for wax begonia

1. Shade and ventilation

Wax begonia is very sensitive to sunlight. As soon as summer arrives, the light duration must be adjusted to create an environment suited to its growth. From mid-May to early June, provide shading from 10:00 to 16:00, and from mid-June to late August, provide shading from 8:00 to 18:00. Plants grown indoors should be placed in a spot with diffused light and good air circulation, and windows should be opened at night for ventilation and air exchange.

2. Moderate watering

Wax begonia likes a moist environment, but in the hot summer, slightly moist potting soil is preferable. Do not water on a fixed schedule of several times a day or once every few days; instead, always observe the moisture condition of the potting soil, and water when the soil surface turns pale. The amount of water should not be too much. The best time to water is around 9:00. As much as possible, do not water when the soil is not dry, and when watering, water thoroughly, but do not wait until the soil is completely dry before watering.

3. Fertilizing by category

For summer fertilizing of wax begonia, new and old plants should be treated differently. For new plants propagated in the previous autumn, apply some fully decomposed dilute cake fertilizer water after each flush of flowers. The fertilizer-to-water ratio should preferably be 1:5, once a week, for two consecutive applications, and they can bloom again after two weeks. For perennial old plants or weak-growing plants, when the temperature is above 25°C, fertilizing must be stopped, and fertilizing should resume after the dog days to welcome the second peak blooming season.

4. Cooling and humidifying

In summer, temperatures are high and the air is dry. In addition to shading and ventilation for wax begonia, water should also be sprinkled on the ground around the plants several times a day to lower the temperature and increase air humidity. Households with the means can set up a sand bed in a corner of a balcony or courtyard, place the plants on the sand surface or set them into the sand bed, and wet the sand while watering the plants. This can provide a relatively good cooling and humidifying effect.

5. Disease and pest control

Under conditions of high temperature and high humidity, wax begonia is highly prone to bacterial leaf spot. At first, dark brown spots appear on the leaf surface and gradually spread into dark brown concentric rings. Before the disease occurs, an equal-strength Bordeaux mixture can be sprayed preventively, and attention should be paid to improving cultivation conditions and management methods. In the early stage of the disease, diseased leaves should be promptly removed and burned to prevent further spread. Summer is a period of high incidence of aphids and red spider mites, so non-polluting pesticides should be used promptly for control.

The suitable temperature for the growth and flowering of wax begonia is around 23°C. In summer, it prefers a semi-shaded, cool, and well-ventilated environment, and avoids high temperatures, waterlogging, and direct strong light. When caring for it in summer, we should follow its "temperament."

Summer care of wax begonia

(Orchids, Chinese roses, azaleas, wax begonia) summer care and management

Summer and autumn are hot and rainy with ample sunlight, which is the peak growing season for some ornamental flowers and plants, but some plants are also in a dormant period. How should the flowers and plants at home be cared for at this time? To help the flowers pass through this stage smoothly, management should be strengthened in aspects such as watering, shading, and pest and disease control.

Orchid shading:Orchids are semi-shade-loving flowers. In midsummer, they should be properly shaded and kept away from strong light. It is best to use shade netting for shading and place the orchids near water or in a place with fresh air and good ventilation.
Watering:Although orchids have fleshy roots, in summer with strong light and high temperatures, their water requirements increase relatively, and sufficient water must be ensured. In addition to normal watering, foliar spraying can be done at noon to increase humidity.
Rain protection:Summer is windy and rainy, especially with heavy rain, which can not only break orchid leaves, but also splash bacteria-carrying mud from the pot surface onto the orchid crown or leaves, causing brown spot disease in orchid plants. Therefore, proper rain protection is needed when heavy rain occurs.
Pruning:Orchid leaves damaged by pests should be cut off promptly to avoid infecting other orchid plants. At the same time, orchids that bloom in summer should also have their spent flowers and withered leaves cut off to avoid consuming excessive nutrients.

Chinese rose
The reason potted Chinese roses often die in summer is mostly that the potting soil was not properly mixed, the pots were not repotted and the soil was not changed in spring, and the nutrients in the original potting soil were largely exhausted. As a result, the Chinese rose cannot withstand the high temperature and dies. In the high-temperature summer season, Chinese roses are almost in a semi-dormant state. Some people see that the Chinese rose does not bloom or blooms little and think it is due to insufficient fertility, so they apply more fertilizer and concentrated fertilizer. In addition, the high summer temperature accelerates fertilizer fermentation, and the Chinese rose roots are burned.
In summer, water should be sprayed on the leaves of Chinese roses more often. Watering should preferably be done in the morning and evening, and the branches should not be heavily pruned. Attention should also be paid to pest control, and light and ventilation should be strengthened.

Azalea cooling:Create a ventilated and cool environment for the flowers. When the air conditioner is turned on during the noon nap and at night for rest, bring the flowers into the air-conditioned room and place them where the cold air can reach them. After getting up in the morning or after turning off the air conditioner when going to work in the afternoon, move the flowerpots out of the bedroom and place them in a cool, ventilated place indoors or outdoors so they can breathe fresh air.
Moisture retention:First, persist in spraying water on the leaf surface 5 times a day. That is, spray once in the morning before light exposure, once indoors after light exposure ends, once before entering the air-conditioned room at noon, once after leaving the air-conditioned room in the afternoon, and once before entering the air-conditioned room at night. At the same time, during the day, also place a basin of water under the flowerpot and set up wooden strips so the flowerpot sits above the water basin. In this way, with the help of high-temperature evaporation, the air humidity required for azaleas to bloom can be created.
Light exposure:The petal growth of azaleas is often inversely proportional to light. Especially for flowers blooming in the high-temperature season, the petals will shrink when exposed to even a little strong light. As far as plant growth is concerned, however, they cannot go without sunlight. To solve this problem, persist in placing the flowers on a south-facing balcony from 5:30 to 7:30 every morning for light exposure to meet the needs of plant growth.
Supplemental feeding:When azaleas are blooming, they should not be heavily supplemented, but they also should not go without supplementation, especially in the high-temperature season when extra caution is needed. Spray a very small amount of monopotassium phosphate solution on the leaf surface once a week (generally sprayed before entering the air-conditioned room at night). Using watermelon juice to spray the leaves and water the roots works quite well. That is, take leftover watermelon rind, place it upright on a plate, and after 1-2 hours some juice will drain out. Scoop it out gently with a spoon, and every day use this watermelon juice mixed with water to spray the leaves and water the roots.

Wax begonia
The suitable temperature for the growth and flowering of wax begonia is around 23°C. In summer, it prefers a semi-shaded, cool, and well-ventilated environment, and avoids high temperatures, waterlogging, and direct strong light. When caring for it in summer, follow its "temperament."
Shading and ventilation:Adjust the light duration to create an environment suited to its growth. It should be shaded. Plants grown indoors should be placed in a spot with diffused light and good air circulation, and windows should be opened at night for ventilation and air exchange.
Moderate watering:Wax begonia likes a moist environment, but in the hot summer, slightly moist potting soil is preferable. Do not water on a fixed schedule of several times a day or once every few days; instead, always observe the moisture condition of the potting soil, and water when the soil surface turns pale. The amount of water should not be too much. The best time to water is around 9:00. As much as possible, do not water when the soil is not dry, and when watering, water thoroughly, but do not wait until the soil is completely dry before watering.