How many times a year does the rose begonia bloom? A detailed guide to growing wax begonia

A walk through any flower market will let you spot it easily - the rose begonia, also known by names such as wax begonia and Rieger begonia. It is a very beautiful year-round flowering plant, commonly seen in red, orange, yellow and pink. Its flower language is perfection, harmony and amiability, carrying beautiful blessings.

Speaking of the features of the rose begonia, the obvious one is its abundance of blooms covering the whole plant. The plant itself is fairly small, usually only 20~30cm tall. Its main flowering period is concentrated in winter and spring, and it can have two flowering periods a year, one from April to June and one from September to December. With good care, it may even bloom in summer as well.

So how should it be grown? First, give it a good sunlight environment; placing it on a lucky south-facing balcony is most suitable, as this allows full photosynthesis. Note, however, that when the summer sun is too intense, you should shade it appropriately, otherwise its leaves and flowers are easily scorched.
Second, water the rose begonia about once a week, making sure its potting soil stays moist. Gardeners can judge by touching the soil with their hands; if the soil feels moist, do not water again, because over-watering can easily cause root rot. In summer, since evaporation is greater, it is recommended to water in the morning or evening. In winter, you can appropriately reduce watering, and it is recommended to water at midday when the temperature is higher. In addition, when watering, try not to spray water onto the flowers.

Then, when you notice yellow leaves and dead branches on the rose begonia, deal with them promptly, and also prune poorly growing branches and leaves, so that the remaining branches and leaves can get enough nutrients. As for the soil, choose a loose, breathable nutrient soil.

Finally, when it comes to fertilizing, the rose begonia can be given "light but frequent" feeding, meaning about once every half a month with a flowering-type water-soluble fertilizer is enough.