Rieger Begonia Blooming Time and Propagation Methods Explained
Rieger begonia (Begonia × hiemalis) sounds lovely just from its name, and it is a very suitable ornamental plant. So let's take a look: when does the Rieger begonia bloom, and what propagation methods are there?
When does the Rieger begonia bloom:
The Rieger begonia's blooming period is very long, lasting from April to December. Among these, April to June and September to December are the full-bloom periods of the Rieger begonia, when the flowers bloom very profusely. After the full-bloom period in June, the plant needs to accumulate nutrients through autumn before it can bloom again in winter, with abundant flowers.
Begonias are known as the "national beauty," and the Rieger begonia takes this beauty to the extreme. The Rieger begonia always bears beautiful flowers, mostly double-petaled, in many colors such as red, yellow, orange and white, extremely gorgeous.
The Rieger begonia has a unique flower form, fragrance and color.
Notes on blooming for the Rieger begonia
To make the Rieger begonia bloom better, many details must be attended to during the blooming period.
During the Rieger begonia's blooming period, it is best not to fertilize, and not to move the pot casually, otherwise the flower buds will drop. Watering should be moderate; do not use too much water, to avoid water accumulating in the pot and poor soil drainage. When watering, the water temperature should be close to room temperature. The suitable temperature for Rieger begonia growth is 15°C~22°C, and during blooming the temperature should be kept between 15°C~17°C; after May, as the temperature gradually rises, the Rieger begonia will enter a semi-dormant state, so watering should be reduced and fertilizing stopped.
In winter, the Rieger begonia will still bloom, so keep a suitable temperature. When caring for it indoors, place the Rieger begonia in a sunny spot indoors; a south-facing windowsill is a very good choice. In summer, when sunlight is intense, the Rieger begonia needs a little shading so it can grow well, but if shaded too much, the plant will grow leggy and flowering will be affected.
In addition, after the Rieger begonia blooms, dead branches and spent flowers need to be cut off.
What propagation methods does the Rieger begonia have:
1. Seed propagation method for the Rieger begonia
Seed propagation is a common method of plant propagation, and the Rieger begonia can also be grown from seed. However, because the Rieger begonia's seeds are relatively small, a special method must be used when sowing——the small-seed sowing method. When sowing the Rieger begonia, the sowing medium can be made by mixing vermiculite powder and peat soil; stir the medium evenly, place it in a seedling tray, and water it thoroughly.
Sow the Rieger begonia seeds onto the medium, placing them one by one, and there is no need to cover with soil. Wrap the seedling tray with transparent plastic film and keep the temperature at around 20 degrees; seedlings will emerge in 2 weeks. As the seedlings grow, leaves gradually appear, but do not remove the plastic film yet.
After the Start of Autumn, the plastic film can be removed, and the plants can be potted in early winter. Before potting, control watering; after potting, keep good ventilation. As the plant grows, it can be moved to a slightly larger pot.
2. Cutting propagation method for the Rieger begonia
The cutting propagation of the Rieger begonia mainly uses stem cuttings and leaf cuttings.
The cutting medium is mainly vermiculite or clean sandy soil, and the medium needs to be sterilized before use. For stem cuttings, choose suitable branches with moderate length and trim them a little; for leaf cuttings, choose vigorously growing leaves and remove them for later use.
Insert the cuttings into the medium, water thoroughly, cover with plastic film, and place in a cool, ventilated place. Roots will form in about 3 weeks. Let them grow for a period before taking them out and transplanting.
3. Tissue culture method for the Rieger begonia
The tissue culture method involves cultivating Rieger begonia seedlings in a culture medium. Its characteristic is that it can produce on a large scale, but for gardening enthusiasts, tissue culture is rather difficult and is not commonly used.
Alright, friends, now you all know that the Rieger begonia's blooming period is still quite long.
Rieger Begonia Growing Methods and Rieger Begonia Propagation Methods
The Rieger begonia has a long blooming period, emerald-green leaves and diverse flower shapes, with unique ornamental value, so many gardening enthusiasts often use it to accent areas such as the living room and balcony. Below, we introduce the Rieger begonia growing methods and Rieger begonia propagation methods.
Rieger Begonia Growing Methods
1. Propagation:
For home cultivation, cutting propagation is the first choice. Cut 8~10 cm long top branches, insert them into a fine sand pot, cover with a glass pane or plastic film, keep the sandy soil moist, place in a semi-shaded environment, and at 20~25°C roots will form in about two weeks. When the roots turn yellowish-brown, they can be potted.
2. Temperature:
The suitable growth and development temperature for the Rieger begonia is 18-22°C. The key point of home care is to keep warm in winter; the lowest temperature must not be below 15°C. Since the Rieger begonia is still in its growth and blooming period in winter, it should be placed in a south-facing sunny spot indoors as much as possible, such as on an indoor windowsill. But be careful not to place it too close to a heater, to avoid scorching the branches and leaves and flowers; in summer, when high temperatures above 28°C persist, cooling measures should be taken, such as placing it in an air-conditioned room or shading it at noon.
3. Fertilizer and water:
The Rieger begonia requires sufficient fertilizer and water during the growing period. During the growing period, apply a dilute fertilizer solution once every two weeks, such as soaked liquid of soybean cake or sesame paste residue (at 20% concentration); soaked soybean liquid or fermented rice-washing water can also be used. The Rieger begonia's potting soil should follow the principle of "dry-wet alternation"; during the blooming period, watering must not be excessive, otherwise flowers are prone to dropping.
In addition, water that has been left to stand should be used for watering; tap water cannot be used directly to water the flowers, because the water temperature is low and watering with it easily damages the root system. It is best to use water at the same temperature as the room. When growing the Rieger begonia at home, pay attention to indoor ventilation, otherwise the leaves are prone to downy mildew and the leaf color turns yellow. Usually it is best to spray the leaves with clean water once a day to remove dust, so as to facilitate photosynthesis and promote robust plant growth. The Rieger begonia is mainly propagated by sowing and cuttings, and tissue culture can also be used for rapid seedling production.
4. Shaping and pruning:
During the growing period, pinching should be done to encourage the plant to sprout side branches so as to achieve a full plant shape. Excess flower buds should also be removed in time, to avoid consuming large amounts of nutrients and affecting the development of other flowers.
5. Pest and disease control:
Rieger begonias grown at home have relatively few pests and diseases. Spray fungicides regularly to prevent bacterial soft rot and powdery mildew; you can use agricultural streptomycin at 200ug/g or carbendazim at 1000 times dilution for spraying; to prevent pesticide pollution of the air at home, some homemade botanical pesticides can be made, with good control effects. Here are several for reference:
(1) Squeeze ginger juice and add water, spray at a 1:25 ratio; this can prevent soft rot and the germination of other pathogen spores.
(2) Take 50 grams of dried chili peppers, add 50 times water, boil for half an hour, take the supernatant and spray on leaf surfaces; this can effectively control aphids and red spider mites.
Rieger Begonia Propagation Methods
1. Sowing method
Because the Rieger begonia's seeds are very small, the small-seed sowing method must be used. The Rieger begonia's seeds are basically all imported, divided into coated and uncoated seeds. Coated seeds, because they can be sorted, can use plug trays, while uncoated seeds can only use seedling trays. The sowing medium is 1 part peat soil and 1 part vermiculite powder; crush and sterilize, then mix and stir into a semi-moist state for use. Because peat soil is water-repellent in a dry state and water cannot enter, it cannot be used in a dry state. When sowing, first put the medium into the seedling tray, then water thoroughly with a watering can.
Coated seeds can be sorted with tweezers, one per cell; uncoated seeds can be mixed with an appropriate amount of fine vermiculite powder and broadcast in the seedling tray. After sowing, there is no need to cover with soil in either case; just spray with a fine watering can, then wrap the seedling tray with transparent plastic film. At an ambient temperature of around 20°C, seedlings begin to emerge in 12 days. When the seedlings grow true leaves, they can be given a little ventilation to promote root development. The seedlings grow very slowly in the first 3 months.
For seedlings sown in early summer, there is no need to remove the plastic film throughout the summer; the seedlings tolerate high humidity and high temperature. After the Start of Autumn, when the weather becomes cooler, the plastic film can be gradually removed to harden the seedlings, and by early winter they can be potted. Use smaller flower pots with many holes in the bottom; the growing medium can be mixed with 2 parts peat soil and 1 part vermiculite powder (or 1 part plain sand). Control watering before potting so that the growing medium in the seedling tray is in a semi-dry state, to avoid damaging the roots when the soil ball does not crumble during seedling removal. Newly potted seedlings must be protected from excessively high temperatures due to weather changes, and at the same time covered with plastic film, but not too tightly; there should be appropriate ventilation to prevent seedling rot. Under home conditions, they will not grow into large plants, but they can bloom; it takes another year to grow them into large plants, and they can be moved to slightly larger pots.
2. Cutting method
In late autumn and early winter, when pruning and shaping the plant, the cut new branches can be used as cuttings. The Rieger begonia can be propagated by stem cuttings or leaf cuttings. For stem cuttings, the branch length should be moderate, and the lower part of the branch should be cut into a horseshoe shape with a blade; for leaf cuttings, choose vigorously growing leaves at six-tenths maturity, and cut the lower end of the leaf stalk diagonally with a blade. The cutting medium is vermiculite powder or plain sand; contaminated medium must be sterilized before use. After inserting the cuttings, water thoroughly, but no water should accumulate on the leaf surface. Then cover with plastic film, place in a spot with scattered light, ventilate appropriately, and avoid high temperatures. In about 3 weeks the cuttings will root. When new leaves are seen growing, it means they have rooted. Plants obtained by stem cuttings have no underground tubers. After 3 weeks, leaf cuttings can also grow fibrous roots from the lower part of the leaf stalk, but it takes another month and a half before adventitious buds grow from the lower part of the leaf stalk and gradually emerge from the soil.
3. Tissue culture method
The tissue culture method is a way to quickly obtain large numbers of flower seedlings. In the peak growing season, use well-developed leaves as explants; in a certain culture medium, through culture of virus-free explants, subculture and rooting culture, large numbers of virus-free seedlings can be obtained. This method requires a relatively large investment and is only used in large-scale production.
The above are the Rieger begonia growing methods and propagation methods introduced for everyone. We hope it can help you. For more home knowledge, please stay tuned.
Watering Methods for the Rieger Begonia and Key Points for Rieger Begonia Propagation
The Rieger begonia has delicate, gorgeous flowers and large petals, very suitable for pot cultivation and display at home. So how often should the Rieger begonia be watered? Today, wed114 wedding website brings you content related to watering methods for the Rieger begonia.
Rieger begonia picture
I. Watering methods for the Rieger begonia:
Watering key points
Usually, watering the Rieger begonia should be based on climatic conditions. Generally, in summer evaporation is fast and water demand is relatively greater; watering should be done in the morning or evening, and the number of waterings depends on how moist the potting soil is. In winter, watering should preferably be done at noon on sunny days, and the water temperature should be close to the indoor air temperature, so as to avoid death caused by root stimulation from water that is too cold. To increase air humidity, a humidifier is best, or a sprayer can be used to spray fine mist on the leaf surfaces; it is enough to see the leaf surfaces become moist, but do not spray mist onto the flowers.
The Rieger begonia has a relatively greater water demand; watering should be done in the morning or evening, and the number of waterings depends on how moist the potting soil is. In winter, watering should preferably be done at noon on sunny days, and the water temperature should be close to the indoor air temperature, to avoid death caused by root stimulation from water that is too cold. To increase air humidity, a humidifier is best, or a sprayer can be used to spray fine mist on the leaf surfaces; it is enough to see the leaf surfaces become moist, but do not spray mist onto the flowers.
Rieger begonia picture
II. Notes on growing the Rieger begonia
Applying fertilizer:
For the Rieger begonia, fertilizer for seedlings is mainly nitrogen fertilizer, to promote growth and development into shape. As the plant grows, the amount of nitrogen fertilizer should be reduced, and the content of phosphorus and potassium fertilizer gradually increased. Before blooming, the amount of fertilizer should be increased, and foliar feeding can also be done appropriately; the concentration of foliar fertilizer must not be too high, controlled between 1% and 2%, and spraying should be even, with both the front and back of the leaves sprayed. The Rieger begonia is very sensitive to nutrient deficiency or excess nutrients, so fertilizer should be applied lightly; a compound fertilizer with a ratio of 15:5:15 or 20:10:20 can be used, maintaining the solution's PH value between 5.0 and 6.0. Calculated by the nitrogen content of the dissolved liquid fertilizer, the nitrogen concentration for fertilizing once a week is 250~300 PPM; for fertilizing three or four times a week or daily, a nitrogen concentration of 100~200 PM is more suitable. At the same time, a special fertilizer for Rieger begonia can also be chosen.
Adhere to the principle of light but frequent fertilization. The Rieger begonia is relatively sensitive to the salt content in the soil, and too much salt must not accumulate in the potting soil. During the seedling stage, a compound fertilizer with a nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium ratio of 17:6:13 can be used, applied once every 5~7 days, at a concentration below 0.2%; as the plant grows, the ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium elements in the fertilizer should be adjusted, gradually reducing the nitrogen proportion and increasing the amount of phosphorus and potassium fertilizer. A compound fertilizer with a nitrogen-to-potassium ratio of 1:2 should be applied, and the fertilizer concentration should preferably be dilute rather than concentrated. Avoid applying too much nitrogen fertilizer alone; too much nitrogen fertilizer easily causes leaf curling and affects flower shape; before flower bud formation, increase phosphorus and potassium fertilizer; a 0.3% potassium dihydrogen phosphate solution can be used to water the roots or spray, applied once every 7 days for 2 consecutive times, to promote flower bud development. The potting soil should remain moist, and must not dry out completely or be too wet. Too dry will lead to dehydration and wilting, and in severe cases the whole plant will die; if the potting soil is too wet, water fills the soil's pores, causing severe oxygen deficiency in the soil, which in turn affects root respiration and causes death. Too-wet potting soil also easily provides opportunities for infection by fungal and bacterial diseases, thereby affecting the ornamental value of the Rieger begonia.
Rieger begonia picture
Pruning key points:
1. During the growing period, the Rieger begonia should be pinched to encourage the plant to sprout side branches so as to achieve a full plant shape. Excess flower buds should also be removed in time, to avoid consuming large amounts of nutrients and affecting the development of other flowers.
2. After the weather turns cool in autumn, the Rieger begonia begins to sprout new branches from the base. When they grow to a certain height, use a sharp knife to cut off the old branches from the base, and at the same time increase watering to promote the growth of the Rieger begonia. When the new branches have basically taken shape, keep 3 new branches per pot and cut off all the rest, to concentrate nutrients and help the Rieger begonia take shape sooner.
Rieger begonia picture
Pest and disease control:
Rieger begonias grown at home have relatively few pests and diseases. Spray fungicides regularly to prevent bacterial soft rot and powdery mildew; you can use agricultural streptomycin at 200ug/g or carbendazim at 1000 times dilution for spraying; to prevent pesticide pollution of the air at home, some homemade botanical pesticides can be made, with good control effects. The two common methods are as follows: (1) Squeeze ginger juice and add water, spray at a 1:25 ratio; this can prevent soft rot and the germination of other pathogen spores. (2) Take 50 grams of dried chili peppers, add 50 times water, boil for half an hour, take the supernatant and spray on leaf surfaces; this can effectively control aphids, red spider mites and bud mites, inhibit plant growth, and make new leaves harden or become linear.
III. Key points for Rieger begonia propagation
The Rieger begonia is propagated by sowing, cuttings or tissue culture.
1. Sowing method. Because the Rieger begonia's seeds are very small, the small-seed sowing method must be used. The Rieger begonia's seeds are basically all imported, divided into coated and uncoated seeds. Coated seeds, because they can be sorted, can use plug trays, while uncoated seeds can only use seedling trays. The sowing medium is 1 part peat soil and 1 part vermiculite powder; crush and sterilize, then mix and stir into a semi-moist state for use. Because peat soil is water-repellent in a dry state and water cannot enter, it cannot be used in a dry state. When sowing, first put the medium into the seedling tray, then water thoroughly with a watering can.
2. Cutting method. In late autumn and early winter, when pruning and shaping the plant, the cut new branches can be used as cuttings. The Rieger begonia can be propagated by stem cuttings or leaf cuttings. For stem cuttings, the branch length should be moderate, and the lower part of the branch should be cut into a horseshoe shape with a blade; for leaf cuttings, choose vigorously growing leaves at six-tenths maturity, and cut the lower end of the leaf stalk diagonally with a blade. The cutting medium is vermiculite powder or plain sand; contaminated medium must be sterilized before use. After inserting the cuttings, water thoroughly, but no water should accumulate on the leaf surface. Then cover with plastic film, place in a spot with scattered light, ventilate appropriately, and avoid high temperatures. In about 3 weeks the cuttings will root. When new leaves are seen growing, it means they have rooted. Plants obtained by stem cuttings have no underground tubers. After 3 weeks, leaf cuttings can also grow fibrous roots from the lower part of the leaf stalk, but it takes another month and a half before adventitious buds grow from the lower part of the leaf stalk and gradually emerge from the soil.
3. Tissue culture method. The tissue culture method is a way to quickly obtain large numbers of flower seedlings. In the peak growing season, use well-developed leaves as explants; in a certain culture medium, through culture of virus-free explants, subculture and rooting culture, large numbers of virus-free seedlings can be obtained. This method requires a relatively large investment and is only used in large-scale production.