Types of begonias with photos and names
Among the great variety of garden and indoor plants, one cannot but single out such a flower as begonia, beloved by flower growers all over the world for a huge number of species, varieties and hybrids that can be selected for growing in gardens, on balconies, loggias, in indoor conditions.
Begonia is a monoecious plant, that is, male and female flowers are formed on it. This means that for the ripening of fruits and the appearance of seeds, such a plant needs pollination by insects, or artificial pollination (at home, for example).
Types of begonias
Scientists know more than 900 species of begonia, photos and names of which can be seen below. So, according to the method of reproduction, one can distinguish:
- Tuberous begonia (the underground part is represented by a tuber, which is used for reproduction);
- Leaf begonia (the underground part is a thickened rhizome, with which you can reproduce the plant);
- Bush begonia (not propagated by the underground part, mainly by seeds).
According to the shape of the aboveground part, the following types of begonias are distinguished:
- Shrub (shrubs);
- Herbaceous;
- Semi-shrub.
Shrub begonia, the photo of which is presented below, looks great in the winter garden, decorates loggias and balconies well. She is not capricious, prefers good lighting, moderate watering and air humidity, and does not tolerate direct sunlight. It can reach a height of two meters, depending on the variety, it can be covered with simple, double or fringed flowers.
Herbaceous forms of begonias are used for decorating flower beds and a bed, they have a small height, compact size, medium-sized flowers, but with all this they differ in a long flowering time, unpretentiousness, they are easily combined with many annual plants, such as petunia, cineraria, ageratum.
As for the features of care, it is worth noting that this type of begonia, the photo of which can be seen above, like others, requires careful watering and placement in areas with good lighting.
Indoor begonias
Indoor conditions grow two types of begonias - decorative deciduous and flowering.
Decorative deciduous begonias prefer eastern, southwestern windows, do not like direct sunlight, are shade-tolerant, the soil in the pot should be moist, but not wet, it is not recommended to dry the soil surface, this can lead to the death of the thinnest roots that are responsible for absorption of water, with nutrients dissolved in it.
Decorative foliage types of begonias photos and names:
Such varieties of begonias do not tolerate drafts and low temperatures, ideally, these plants should be kept at temperatures from 20 to 23 ° C, these flowers should be fed with mineral fertilizers with a high content of nitrogen and potassium, which contribute to the healthy full development of the leaf mass.
It should also be noted that in no case should you spray decorative leafy begonias! This can lead to the appearance of spots on the leaves, rotting of the petioles and leaf plate.
Photos of these types of begonias are presented below:
Indoor flowering begonias are very diverse. Among them there are plants that can bloom throughout the year, and there are those forms that need a dormant period.They bloom in spring or summer, watering them gradually decreases by autumn, and after the plant drops the leaves, it stops altogether, the tubers are pulled out of the pot, cleaned of soil and stored in sawdust or in sand, in a cool place without access to light.
Closer to spring, the tubers are again planted in a pot, in loose, light, well-aerated soil, and moderate watering begins. It should be noted that the size of the pots should be small, which will provoke abundant flowering of the plant. Blooming begonias are best placed on the eastern or southeastern windows, but at the same time protected from exposure to the active sun in order to avoid leaf burns.
The temperature of their content during the active period varies from 22 to 26 ° C. Watering should be abundant, but at the same time, moisture stagnation should not be allowed, which leads to the development of rot on the tubers. As for feeding, for these purposes it is necessary to use complex mineral fertilizers with an increased phosphorus content and a reduced dose of nitrogen.
Begonia is considered a rather capricious flower that requires control and attention, but with proper care, this plant will thank you with beautiful bright greenery and lovely graceful flowers.