How to propagate Begonias
Are you curious about how to propagate Begonias and the propagation methods and timing for the seasonal Begonia flowers? Below, the editor provides a detailed explanation for you.
Four-season Begonia is a perennial herbaceous shrub from Brazil. It has a strong reproductive ability and can be propagated using branches or leaves, with soil or water as the growing medium. There are many varieties of Four-season Begonia, with double and single petals, flower colors including red, white, and pink, and leaf colors including green, bronze purple, and deep brown. It is a common绿化 plant and many gardening enthusiasts cultivate it at home. Let's introduce the propagation method for Four-season Begonia.
Ⅰ. Propagation Timing
Spring and autumn are generally suitable, and propagation in winter can also survive. The optimal growth temperature for Four-season Begonia is between 15 to 24°C. In the southern regions, the warm and humid months of April to May are the most suitable for propagation, with a temperature of around 20°C making it easier for the cuttings to root and survive. If the temperature is too high, the cuttings are prone to rot, especially when the soil moisture is high in summer, so it's not suitable to propagate in summer.
Ⅱ. Preparing Cuttings
Select a robust two-year-old branch with two buds, with 3 or 4 internodes. Use a disinfected sharp blade to cut斜 from 1 cm below the last internode, obtaining a 10 cm long branch as the cutting.
Remove the top tender bud of the cutting. If there are flower buds, cut them off, and reduce the extra leaves, retaining 3 or 4. Place the cuttings in a shaded area to dry for 2 days until the cut surface turns slightly white before propagating. Reduce watering for the mother plant 15 days in advance to slow down growth, making the cuttings less slender and fragile, and easier to survive after propagation. Also, the leaves of Four-season Begonia can be used for propagation.
Ⅲ. Growing Methods
1. Direct Soil Propagation
Select soil with good drainage and aeration. Clean fine river sand or soft sandy soil can be used as the growing medium, which should be disinfected and sterilized. It's not suitable to use nutrient-rich soil or leaf mold soil for propagation, as excessive fertilizer or too much organic matter makes it difficult for the cuttings to root and prone to rot.
Choose the number of cuttings based on the size of the pot, with the pot diameter slightly larger than the size of one plant. If multiple cuttings are propagated in a large pot, keep a distance of 3 cm between them. Make several holes in the soil with a stick, each one-third the length of the cutting.
When propagating, place the cutting in the hole and slightly press the surrounding soil at the base. Then, place it in a low-light environment without direct sunlight to recover.
Do not water immediately after propagation to allow the cut surface to heal. Water thoroughly 3 to 5 days later and then do not water again, keeping the soil slightly moist. After about 10 days, the plant will grow roots 3 to 4 cm long, at which point it can be moved to a spot with direct sunlight. After another 6 to 7 days, it can be transplanted to a pot.
If the cuttings are first grown in a propagation bed, wait until the new root part of the cutting has aged before transplanting to a pot.
2. First Water Propagation, Then Potting
Water propagation has a high survival rate. You can first propagate in water and then transplant to soil. Grow the cuttings in clear water in a glass bottle, submerging the cutting part, and place it in a semi-shaded, well-ventilated area. When 3 fibrous roots have grown at the bottom after about 20 days, it can be transplanted to the pot for planting.
The above introduction to how to propagate Begonias, the propagation methods and timing for Four-season Begonia flowers, is intended to bring some knowledge about flowers to green plant enthusiasts.