Care Tips
Habit: Medium to low growing succulent-like herbaceous perennial growing from sem-erect to creeping stems that produce variously smooth to hairy colourful leaves and pink or white flowers.
Temperature: Plants grow best between 15 to 25ᐤ C and temperatures below 4ᐤ C may result in the death of the plant. Avoid placing plants in windy or drafty locations which can lead to less attractive plants.
Light Exposure: Plants need shade or low indirect light. Exposure to sun will cause leaf scorch and bleaching of leaf colour.
Watering: Begonias like a moist growing medium but not saturated; water only when the top 3 cm of soil feels dry to the touch. Always check the soil moisture first but as a rule of thumb watering once a week in the rainy season, once every two or three weeks in the cold dry season and once or twice a week in the hot dry season.
Fertilising: Give plants a well balanced fertiliser twice a month during the hot dry season and rainy season but not during the cold dry season when plants are resting (semi-dormant).
Pruning/Repotting: Remove dead or dry leaves and old spent flower stalks as needed. Repot plants every three or four years once the roots have filled the pot.
Pests/Diseases: Aphids, mealy bugs, thrips scale, spider mite and whitefly may attack plants; while fungal pathogens can cause stem or root rot (usually on overwatered plants) and the leaves can be affected by powdery mildew.