What are the flower meanings and care precautions of begonias?

Since ancient times, begonia has been a rather famous flower. Because it is easy to plant and has strong vitality, in ancient times poets even wrote begonia into their verses. The flower meanings of begonia include wealth and prosperity for the whole household, bitter love, a wanderer's homesickness, and beauty.

Begonia is a herbaceous plant, and up to now there are nearly 15000 species in its genus, mainly distributed in tropical and subtropical regions, and it is now planted throughout China. In terms of growing environment, it is suitable for growing at around 19 to 24 degrees Celsius, and in December the lowest winter temperature it can tolerate is only above 10 degrees Celsius; if it goes below that, it should be moved away from the cold outdoors in time.

In terms of light, begonia likes light but is afraid of strong direct light, so mild scattered light suits it best. In summer, when most light is intense, add shade in time, otherwise strong direct light can easily scorch the leaves.

In terms of soil, it likes loose, free-draining, slightly acidic sandy loam, so a small amount of vinegar water can be mixed in once a month when watering. The daily watering standard is to water when dry and stop when wet, and when watering, water thoroughly; never allow waterlogging. If the environment is rather dry in autumn, you can spray water mist on the leaves and surrounding environment to increase air humidity, and in winter keep the potting soil on the drier side.

In terms of humidity and watering, begonia is naturally fond of living in a humid environment, and the watering principle is the "water when dry and stop when wet" state. Usually in the relatively dry autumn and winter, increase mist spraying near the plant, which can keep the air humidity relatively high and is very beneficial for later growth and flowering. In addition, note that after each watering, promptly pour out the accumulated water at the bottom of the flowerpot, otherwise long soaking can easily cause root rot.

In terms of fertilizing, during the growing period you can choose a special organic fertilizer, used about once every 10 to 20 days. After that, during the growth period, apply a light fertilizer solution once every 20 to 30 days, and after the first flowering you can apply additional phosphorus and potassium fertilizer to promote flowering. In addition, it must be stressed that in winter, because the plant enters a dormant state, fertilizing should be stopped at this time.