The original Rex Begonia had dark leaves with wonderful silver designs. Rex begonias grow from a rhizome, which is a root system that sprouts buds and roots to grow into the plant. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. 1. The stem stretches, causing the normal spacing between leaves to become excessively wide and gaping. Rex Begonia plants are rhizomatous plants. With a sharp spade, cut a piece off. Slice down several inches deepat least 6 inches for most plants and more for extremely large, well-rooted plants. Rex begonias are a special group, because we grow them for their beautiful leaves. All of that summer zeal will end up in the leaves, giving you a display of growth to be proud of. Allow fleshy cuts to dry for an hour before potting. Young leaves should be removed before they unfurl. Using a little bit of root tone and a small amount of fungicide to keep the roots healthy as they grow, you can propagate a Rex Begonia like a pro. Youll only need to refill the tray with water once its empty. Expect one or two plants per cut. Straight perlite is very easy for starting new rhizomes. Cover your container with its dome or plastic wrap. Repot your begonias only when they are completely root-bound. Stand the stem into the bottle, and keep foliage above water or on top of the bottle. Potting soil, peat moss, perlite, vermiculite. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features NFL Sunday Ticket Press Copyright . Place your plant in the shade if grown outdoors. A Begonia rex fools many plant lovers with dry leaves. To do this, simply cut a 4-6 inch section from a healthy stem and remove the lower leaves. This can harm Begonias roots as well as the leaves. They are resilient and thrive under that level of pruning. If you can squeeze water from the medium, it is too wet. Begonias are prone to fungal infections, and bleach kills any lurkers. Step 3: Cut the rex begonia leaf. Once your plant is soil-free, you must wash off the roots. How to Divide Bearded Irises. In worst-case scenarios, it can kill your pet. Insert the cuttings in moist, free-draining potting mix and place the set up in a warm, shaded place. University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources. A great way to prevent powdery mildew is through a spray mix you can make at home. Press seeds onto the surface of the medium and cover them lightly with milled sphagnum. 2 Let the soil surface become dry to the touch before watering. Strip off the lower leaves. Begonia rex Putz. Pot in well-draining soil and feed with a balanced fertilizer in the spring and early summer months. How to Divide 45 Favorite Perennials During the warmer months, take the time to pinch off new growth at the plants crown. 2. The rex begonia requires at least 50 perecnet humidity and careful watering that keeps the soil moist but not too wet. How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies in Plants 5 Proven Ways! A very well draining potting mix with added sand and perlite. Gently transplant the babies into 3-inch pots. Begonia rex plants can quickly get mildew or fungal diseases. Creach Greenhouse and The Plant Farm are family owned and operated. The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. You may have everything you need at home already. You dont want it to take off again, so keep an eye on it. Develop the tech skills you need for work and life. Place each leaf cutting on the surface of a tray of moist seed raising mix. This is to prevent the spread of spores and fungi. Giving your leggy begonia a haircut is the absolute best way to deal with it! How to Divide Bearded Irises Pin the leaf down so that each cut makes good contact with the seed-starting mix. This plant disease can destroy a plant. But you should always test a small area of your plant to be on the safe side. When an infestation is too big for you to handle, consider pesticides. But don't let the soil become overly dry or the plant will begin to wither. Your begonia has indicated this need by stretching its leaves in the direction of a brighter light source. Your begonia, regardless of variety, requires partial shade to bright, indirect light to thrive. Mermaid Tail Succulent Care #1 Best Tips. How to Grow Tuberous Begonias These flowers have a slight resemblance to roses. A Begonia rex needs porous fast-draining soil using peat moss, perlite, and vermiculite. Flip the begonia leaf over and make a -inch cut across five or six of the largest veins with your knife. Because your begonia cannot afford to produce both stems and leaves, it focuses on stems in the hope of achieving better illumination. You could also put your leaf cuttings in an east window as long as the temperature stays consistently warm. They can take up to 6 weeks to emerge, so be patient. So what are you waiting for? The soil should always be moist. The humidity levels are too low (but don't mist the plant because rex begonias do not like wet foliage). Its not uncommon for a clipped cane to produce two new shoots, resulting in an overall thicker and bushier plant. The most common affliction from too much direct sunlight is the scorching of leaves. Pin into place with wire. They also thrive on humidity but don't like direct misting, which encourages powdery mildew. Cut the tuber with a sharp knife directly between the two stems. Avoid putting a pin through a main leaf vein, or that vein may not root. A leggy begonia appears bare, with an insufficient amount of foliage. Propagating a Begonia rex doesnt have to be complicated. Begonia seeds are tiny and you might mistake them for dust or pollen. This beautiful plant was introduced to cultivation in 1952 and has puckered leaves with a dark cross in the middle. A Rex Begonia can grow to be 12 to 18 inches in height. This is it! Debra LaGattuta is a gardening expert with three decades of experience in perennial and flowering plants, container gardening, and raised bed vegetable gardening. When you cut a leaf, make sure the leaf-cutting has three inches of the petiole attached. Make sure the plant never dries out. It should have drainage holes. This plant can come in various colors depending on how its bred. But doing this can mean accidentally over-watering your plant, which makes using fast-draining soil super important. Jenny Harrington has been a freelance writer since 2006. Maintain the soil moist until new growth emerges. These leaves are arranged in an asymmetrical manner on the stems. Cut apart the tuber with a sharp knife, leaving three growing eyes on each piece. Finally, pinch back stray leaves on a regular basis to keep your begonia lush. When shopping for a new pot, choose one that is only an inch (2.5cm) or so wider across the top. Snip off flowers and older leaves first to give the division more energy for root growth. 6. Even the best specimen plant can only be expected to thrive for a few years. Get rid of these infected leaves right away. Make sure the soil is always moist. Get daily tips & tricks to help make your best home, The 5 'It' Plants of 2021, According to the Pros, 10 Varieties of Begonias for Gardens and Containers, 9 Great Foliage Plants for Container Gardens, How to Grow and Care for Begonia Maculata, 34 Best Plants That Grow in Water Indoors, How to Grow and Care for Black Bat Flower, How to Grow and Care for Persian Silk Trees, Northeastern India, southern China, and Vietnam. Another interesting andbeautiful begonia is B.masoniana, also known as the Iron Cross begonia. You can also use artificial lights for this Begonia. To be cautious, I always rinse all my supplies (and my hands) in a solution of 1 teaspoon bleach to 1 quart of water. Another method involves spritzing the leaves of your plant now and then. Fertilize your begonia no more than once a month during the growing season for best results. Now that weve restored your radiant beauty, lets look at how to keep that legginess from reappearing. Po each piece into individual pots of new compost, making sure each portion of rootball is planted at the same depth it was originally. But you can also propagate this plant through leaf cuttings. Begonias are easily propagated at home. Because they are susceptible to fungal infections, it is a good idea to limit the opportunity for those pesky diseases to establish a foothold in potting soils. Rex begonias grow from a rhizome, which is a root system that sprouts buds and roots to grow into the plant. Place this in a warm area of your home, but out of the path of direct sunlight. Begonia tubers increase in size each year and after three years or so, the flower display will begin to deteriorate. After you've placed your Begonia Rex seedlings into holes in the soil, cover them with soil and water them generously. Step 1: Gather your materials for propagating rex begonias. Moisten the sphagnum with a sprayer, then cover with glass or plastic wrap to keep moisture in. Begonias shed their lower leaves as they grow older. Needed good info to prune and appreciate this info as I am not as good a plant person as my sister who gave me this plant. The plant needs more light, but not intense light. You want to switch out the saturated soil for fresh, moist soil. It contains soluble calcium oxalates. This means it wont absorb the fertilizer. Grown for their foliage, the leaves come in shades of green, red, pink and silver. I like to take leaf cuttings because its so fascinating to watch a single leaf sprout a whole bunch of babies. Flip the begonia leaf over and make a -inch cut across five or six of the largest veins with your knife. Unlike other houseplants, bigger plant pots are better. http://www.gardengatemagazine.com/articles/how-to/divide/how-to-propogate-rex-begonias-from-leaf-cuttings/, How to Root Succulents with Leaf Cuttings, How to Propagate Rex Begonias from Leaf Cuttings. This will double the chance of being successful with propagation. Let me show you the secret to propagating rex begonias from leaf cuttings. I hang fluorescent lights 6 inches above the cuttings and leave them on about 12 hours each day until the new plants start to grow. . Keep the temperature setting at about 70 degrees. Pruning and pinching will help you concentrate the growth of your plant and make it denser and bushier. When to Start Seeds Indoors Thank you! Once fall hits, the plant goes dormant. Warm spells are unavoidable I personally avoid using air conditioning if possible due to my other, more heat-loving plants but its best to keep your begonia in a cooler part of your home or office. This begonia is rhizomatous, growing from a thick, fleshy rhizome that grows just below the surface of the soil. Make sure you sterilize the pruning shears with isopropyl alcohol. Or pink with silver edges. Like most Begonia species, such as Begonia maculata, the Begonia rex is easy to care for. [], [] want to dilute the neem oil with water in a spray bottle. These mites arent actual insects but arachnids instead. There are a few plant pests that love the Begonia rex. When a previously lush and leafy specimen produces an excess of stems and stalks, it shoots up until its nothing more than a tuft of greenery on a long bundle of sticks. The original leaf probably will have torn apart and may have even disintegrated. They bloom in several colors, including pink, orange, and red. Then spray your Begonia down with the oil. These cuts (and the stem cut) are where the new plantlets will form. How many Begonia rex plants can I put in one pot? You Might Also Like: Continue reading to learn how to turn this unfortunate circumstance into a win for your indoor garden. Step 4: Pin the rex begonia leaf into seed-starting mix Turn the begonia leaf back over and press it into the seed-starting mix. Your plant will get plenty of sun but it wont receive direct sunlight. Spray your plant down every three weeks or so. Fill the plant pot with porous and fast-draining soil. The roots should be completely covered in soil. Remove the begonia from its container and gently tease the roots apart, position it in the pot and backfill around it. Porous soil allows excess water to drain instead of holding onto all that unneeded water. If you see silver or grey spores on your plant, it has Botrytis Blight disease. Make sure you pack the soil tightly around the cutting. Carefully cut away the rotted portion of the roots, and re-pot in better soil. Because they are not aggressive bloomers, they can tolerate less light than other begonias and will thrive under fluorescent lights. How to Water Houseplants The best way to thicken the stem of your begonia is to simply wait. - . They thrive in full sun and well-drained soil that is kept moist during the growing season (spring through autumn). It's best to divide the tubers in the early spring, after the buds have begun to swell. In no time you should start to see new growth springing up from the site of the old, woody stems. Brush off the excess soil and inspect the rhizome to find the buds. Use a sharp knife and divide into as many pieces as you like, as long as each piece has at least one bud on it. Learn tips for creating your most beautiful home and garden ever. Ive cut each vein about an inch from the central vein in the photo above. have carefully selected these products for their usefulness and quality. This is an easy method, and it doesnt cost much. On the other hand separating the rhizome takes the most work since you need to get the plant out of its container. Do not mist, increase humidity with humidifier or pebble tray. Growth will slow in freezing temperatures and some types of begonias go into a dormant period during the winter due to lack of light. Place the cutting at a 45-degree angle in a fresh pot of peat moss and perlite. This article is about how to care for Begonia rex. Begonias easily form new roots in water, and some indoor plant enthusiasts simply replant the rooted cutting with the parent plant, resulting in dense arrangements that give the appearance of a larger, thriving begonia. Keep your begonias in a growing environment that is between 58 72F (14 22C) for the best results. Fertilise every two weeks with a liquid houseplant fertiliser. When the plants are 3 inches tall and have at least two leaves, theyre ready to lift. Then, to keep the cuts in contact with the mix, start pushing T-pins through the leaf into the soil. Use a pair of sterilized pruning shears to get your leaf cutting. Begonia rex is toxic to pets such as cats, dogs, and horses, according to ASCPA. There are wide different Begonia rex varieties available: Begonia rex has vibrant foliage that ranges from red to green to purple with various patterns. Read our. Published: Wednesday, 26 August, 2020 at 3:06 pm. This is how you may get more of these wonderful plants for free. Allow fleshy cuts to dry for an hour before potting. The rex begonia vine can be grown as an indoor plant or as an outdoor plant, though it will not survive cold temperatures outdoors. Whats more, dividing rex begonias reinvigorates them and makes them grow better. Dip each piece into hormone rooting powder and shake off the excess. She is a Master Gardener and lead gardener in a Plant-A-Row, which is a program that offers thousands of pounds of organically-grown vegetables to local food banks. If your begonia is receiving adequate light but still reaching for the stars, the problem is one of temperature, and you must maintain your cool. This is especially true of cane begonias, which can grow to look almost like bamboo with careful, consistent care. Letting the cut sides dry overnight before replanting as well as the use of fungicide helps prevent this. To fix a leggy begonia, first, determine what is causing the overgrowth and then correct it by increasing light, temperature, or changing the plant's pot. I just call them all fancy-leaf begonias, but they divide into several structural groups: Fibrous-rooted ones have cane-like stems and often wing-like leaves. It needs bright, but indirect sunlight and the soil should always be slightly moist.