How to Care for四季 crabapple
Four-season Begonia is favored by gardening enthusiasts for its ability to bloom throughout the year, but achieving a lush and flowering display requires mastering scientific care methods. This article, combined with real-life photos, guides you through creating a thriving Four-season Begonia from light regulation to shaping and pruning across five dimensions.
Essential Techniques for Caring for 四季 crabapple
Scientific Light Management
Four-season Begonia is a positive plant, requiring 5-6 hours of direct sunlight per day during spring, autumn, and winter. It is recommended to place it on a south-facing balcony or windowsill. In summer, adopt a double-layered shading strategy: receive direct sunlight before 10 am, and use a 50% shade net to filter strong light in the afternoon. Supplemental lighting in winter can be achieved with full-spectrum plant lights, placed 40 cm away from the plant for 2 hours daily.
Precise Temperature Control
Maintain an ideal growth temperature of 18-25°C. When the temperature exceeds 28°C in summer, activate the cooling system: morning and evening foliar spraying + ground watering + fan circulation to keep the environmental humidity at 60%. In winter, use a stepped insulation method, moving the plant indoors when the temperature drops to 10°C, and using a heating mat under the pot when it is below 5°C, avoiding direct air conditioning.
Nutrient Supply Plan
Prepare a special nutrient soil (peat: perlite: decomposed leaf soil = 5:3:2). During the growing season, apply diluted (1000 times) Huaduo No. 1 every 12 days, switching to monopotassium phosphate (800 times solution) during the budding stage. Supplement with EM bacteria-fermented rice washing water once a month to enhance root absorption. Avoid sunlight for 6 hours after fertilization.
Secrets to Shaping and Pruning
Implement three times of pinching during the seedling stage: the first pinch at 10 cm tall, leaving 4 pairs of true leaves; the second topping when new branches reach 8 cm; and a full pruning of spent flowers and old branches after flowering. For mature plants, use the "three-cut method": cut crossing branches, cut inner branches, and cut weak and diseased branches to maintain ventilation and light penetration in the plant shape.
A Visual Feast of 四季 crabapple
How to Care for Four-season Begonia
Through systematic care management, coupled with regular pot rotation (every half month, rotate 90 degrees) and preventive spraying of neem oil, your Four-season Begonia will achieve annual blooming. Remember, observing the plant's condition is more important than strictly following a schedule. When new leaves show a healthy copper-red luster, it indicates proper care measures.