Begonia is a very moody plant that immediately responds to any neglect in care. So that it blooms profusely and does not fade, it is worth studying the features of caring for it.
The process of flowering begonias: possible violations
Varieties of begonias are divided into two types - flowering and decorative foliage. In the second group, flowers are inconspicuous, so there are usually no problems with flowering. What can not be said about the flowering varieties.
Begonia at home
Why tuberous begonia and other species do not bloom:
- diseases or pests;
- waterlogged or overdried soil;
- improperly selected soil for planting;
- improper conditions of detention;
- lack of sunlight (culture refers to photophilous plants and does not tolerate shade);
- lack of top dressing;
- excess nutrients in the soil.
Note! If the plant is not sick and not infected with pests, then the problems with flowering are reduced to errors in care.
Diseases
Common Begonia Diseases:
- powdery mildew (white coating appears on the foliage, then it dries and falls off);
- cucumber mosaic virus (deformation of the leaf plate);
- gray mold (weeping spots with a grayish coating appear);
- black root rot (roots turn black, then rot).
Powdery mildew on a plant
What to do if begonia does not bloom due to illness:
- Powdery mildew helps spraying with chemicals (Fundazole, ground and colloidal sulfur, Fitosporin, Planriz). In the advanced stage, the bushes should be treated with Topaz or Strobin. During treatment, the pot should be moved to a well-ventilated area.
- There is no cure for cucumber mosaic. It is better to throw out the flower until everyone else has become infected.
- From gray mold, Benomil treatment helps. During treatment, the pot is transferred to a well-ventilated and dry room.
- From black root rot Benomil also helps. You also need to remove the plant from the pot to remove damaged roots. Places of cuts are crushed with charcoal.
Pests
Pests can occur both when grown outdoors and at home. Due to which pests the begonia blooms:
- spider mite;
- thrips;
- whitefly;
- nematode.
From whiteflies, spraying with a soapy solution helps. Leaves on which larvae are deposited are cut and destroyed. On room begonias with abundant humidity and heat, spider mites appear. Because of them, the leaf acquires a marble color. Then the foliage falls. In this case, the drug Decis will help.
Note! When growing a flower outside the house, the bushes are treated with insecticides: Mospilan, Appleood or Teppeki. It will take three treatments with a break of 7 days.
Because of thrips, a plant sheds leaves and cannot bloom. Insects appear mainly in the summer. In this case, the leaf part is washed with a soap solution, and then sprayed with infusion of tobacco and celandine.
The appearance of a nematode is easier to prevent than to fight it. In most cases, it is not possible to save the plant. Before planting, the soil must be etched. This is a good way to prevent pests.
Humidity
The plant is demanding on air humidity. Lack of moisture leads to falling buds and yellowing of foliage. To increase humidity, a container with wet expanded clay can be placed next to the pot. It is recommended to spray the foliage regularly.
Air temperature
The optimum temperature for the flower is from +18 to +21 ℃. With a sharp drop in temperature, the flower drops its leaves. An increase to +30 ℃ is also detrimental.
Additional Information! The reason for the lack of flowering can be constant drafts.
Root problems
Problems with the root system most often arise for two reasons - improper watering and disease. If the flower begins to rot, saving it is extremely problematic. In most cases, he dies. But if the root system has just begun to rot, then it is quite possible to cure it.
What you need to do if the roots rot from overflow:
- extract a flower from the pot;
- cut off the rotten part of the roots;
- plant in new soil;
- It is important not to waterlog the plant again.
Rotten roots
Incorrect transplant
Another common reason for the lack of inflorescence is improper planting. In this case, the easiest way to make the flower to give inflorescences. Before disembarking, you need to choose the right soil. It should be loose and nutritious. The optimum level of acidity is from 5.5 to 6.5 pH. It is best to buy ready-made soil mix in a store. Such a substrate will exactly meet all the necessary characteristics and will not be infected by pests or diseases.
The second point is the choice of pot. It should not be too cramped, but not too spacious. In a spacious pot, flowering occurs later and there is a risk of waterlogging of the soil.
How to plant begonia:
- Transplantation is carried out in early spring.
- The plant is carefully removed from the pot and inspect the root system. If there are rotten areas, they are cut off.
- Then the flower is transplanted into a new pot and watered abundantly.
Additional Information! After transplanting, the pot is placed in a warm place with diffused light.
Other possible problems
In addition to improper care and illness, there can be other reasons. Why begonia does not bloom:
- An overabundance of nutrients in the substrate leads to the fall of flowers and buds.
- If a yellow spot appears on the leaf, then the flower needs to be rearranged at partial shade. This is how a sunburn appears.
- If the stems become long, and the flowers bloom in pale shades, then the plant does not have enough sunlight.
- Street begonias may stop blooming due to early transplantation into the ground when there is still frost at night. The transplant should be carried out no earlier than mid-May.
Sunburn on leaves
If begonia grows rather than blooms, it is possible that the cause is the age of the flower. Young plants actively grow in the first year, but do not give inflorescences. In this case, it is not necessary to force the plant to bloom. Flowering usually begins if 5 rings have formed on the main stem.
When buying a plant, they always bloom. Often, flowering is caused artificially, so it is short-lived. In practice, the flower will not bloom until it reaches the right age.
Important! Another reason is the incorrectly selected pot, where the plant was planted during propagation or transplantation. It should be spacious.
Folk methods of struggle
Alternative methods of treatment help if the problem (disease or pests) is not yet in a state of neglect. What to do if begonia does not grow:
- The treatment of wood ash helps with powdery mildew. To prepare it, you need 200 g of ash pour 1 liter of boiling water and leave for 2 days. Then dilute 2 g of soap in a small amount of water and add to the infusion. It will take two treatments with interruptions per week.
- You can destroy the spider mite with a garlic broth. Grate a large head of garlic and pour gruel in 10 liters of water. Leave for a day, then strain. Treat the foliage until the insect disappears. For long storage, the infusion is not intended.
- To cope with gray rot will help infusion of wood ash. A broth of tops of tomato, onion feathers and garlic is also effective. These infusions need to process the surface of the soil in a pot.
- The most effective way to prevent the emergence of nematodes is to water the soil on the eve of planting with boiling water. After watering, the soil is covered with a bag so that it cools down as slowly as possible.
Note! To better control pests or diseases, it is best to combine chemicals with alternative methods.
With proper care, begonia for a long time pleases with abundant and beautiful flowering. Most often, it is due to violations of the conditions of detention that there are problems with the flower.