Avoid direct sunlight, but any location with good diffuse light will encourage your begonia to bloom with an abundance of alluring foliage. Silver Limbo is a compact, small-leafed variety that offers beautiful metallic-silver foliage that has purple-red backsides. How to Grow Rex Begonia Rex begonias are grown from seed and require about four months to reach maturity before being ready for flowering. Spray your plant down every three weeks or so. Make a hole in your planting medium with a dibble stick (or if you're like me, use that pencil sitting on the counter) and insert your stem into the hole. All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published. You need to dilute the neem oil with water. Its a very satisfying way to keep your begonias dramatic foliage. If you give your begonia too much space, it will seize the opportunity and spread as quickly as it can into the new space. When an infestation is too big for you to handle, consider pesticides. The water will evaporate over time, keeping humidity in the air at all times. It is also available online, visit our website at spokaneplantfarm.com.For over fifty years, our plants have been locally grown in Spokane Valley, WA. Youll only need to refill the tray with water once its empty. Keep your leaf cutting near 70 degrees and give it plenty of humidity. If it has, remove the rotten roots. Ideal daytime temperatures are around 70 degrees Fahrenheit, nighttime temperatures around 60 degrees, and a constant humidity level around 50 percent. Because their leaf markings are so beautiful, rex begonia growers often remove the small, inconspicuous flowers when they appear, as they can detract from the foliage display. Jenny Harrington has been a freelance writer since 2006. Active Interest Media Holdco, Inc. Copyright 2023. Continue reading to learn how to turn this unfortunate circumstance into a win for your indoor garden. A tuber ready to divide should be large and also have at least two clear stems. Rex begonias are a colourful addition to your indoor or patio potted plants. Press seeds onto the surface of the medium and cover them lightly with milled sphagnum. Its best to do your pruning in the warmer months when the plant is growing, too. On occasion, Ive pruned the top of a begonia, removed the leggy portion of the stem, and then immersed the remaining top in water to establish root. Remove the lower leaves on each cutting, leaving the upper one or two leaves. The humidity levels are too low (but don't mist the plant because rex begonias do not like wet foliage). To fix a leggy begonia, first, determine what is causing the overgrowth and then correct it by increasing light, temperature, or changing the plants pot. These elegant plants arent hard to propagate. Appearance. The roots should be completely covered in soil. The easiest method to turn one Rex Begonia into two (or more) Rex Begonias is by dividing the . Common Issues with Strawberry Begonia. Its easy to do, especially when keeping the soil moist. This is how you may get more of these wonderful plants for free. You can also propagate rex begonia from water. It needs bright, but indirect sunlight and the soil should always be slightly moist. Propagate leaf cuttings or sections of rhizome. You should only allow the top inch or so of the soil to dry out before you water. Pruning on a regular basis causes the plant to mature and develop a thicker set of stems. The best way to thicken the stem of your begonia is to simply wait. Regarding the Rex Begonia, you want to repot in a shallow pot. Painted-leaf begonia can be propagated in different ways, including: Leaf cuttings; Stem cuttings; Dividing the rhizome; Of the three, the most common is leaf cutting because it requires less work to set up. The best light for rex begonia vine when growing indoors. Cissus discolor, also known as rex begonia vine, is an evergreen, perennial, flowering trailing plant in the grape or family Vitaceae native to Southeast Asia, . When the water evaporates, it creates moisture in the air. This means it wont absorb the fertilizer. Tuberous, rhizomatous, and waxy begonias do not suffer as frequently as cane varieties, but long and malformed leaves can still be seen. Pin into place with wire. Ive found an equal mix of perlite, vermiculite, and peat moss to be an ideal growing medium for my indoor begonias. 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. Lopping your begonias over-extended stems and pinching out its errant growth, as drastic as it may appear, is the most effective way to bring that growth back under control. Po each piece into individual pots of new compost, making sure each portion of rootball is planted at the same depth it was originally. They bloom in several colors, including pink, orange, and red. A temperature between 65-75F (18-24C) is ideal. This is because of []. I knew I could propagate the leaves, I. It's best to divide the tubers in the early spring, after the buds have begun to swell. You can care for the leaf-cutting as you do the original Begonia rex. If your plant is turning brown, with brittle leaves/dead leaves, it is likely to be one of three causes. Dig up the begonia and then look to see where it naturally sections. Place your plant or bury the rhizome in a shallow container filled with rich, aerated plant mix. Mist the foliage of Rex (foliage) type begonias twice a week or provide high humidity to avoid leaf drop. Aggressive Drainage. Finally, pinch back stray leaves on a regular basis to keep your begonia lush. This is especially true of cane begonias, which can grow to look almost like bamboo with careful, consistent care. It is perfectly acceptable to lop off the entire top of your leggy begonia. Cover the whole cutting and pot with a plastic bag to help maintain the proper moisture levels needed for a begonia. They frequently have large leaves (up to 6 inches long) that are brightly colored in various shades of green, red, silver, and even purple. When the plants are 3 inches tall and have at least two leaves, theyre ready to lift. Mealybugs are the biggest plant pest problem with this Begonia. So what are you waiting for? 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. . ". Jon VanZile was a writer for The Spruce covering houseplants and indoor gardening for almost a decade. Taxon 67(2): 267-323. Use as many as you need to hold the leaf flat. It came from Assam, India which is in the Himalayan foothills. NCBI BLAST name . Once your plant is soil-free, you must wash off the roots. The Rex begonia is a rhizomatous plant with stems creeping on the surface. Maintain the soil moist until new growth emerges. On transplant day, dig a hole sufficient to accommodate the begonia's root ball or tubers (in the case of tuberous begonia). Then spray your Begonia down with the oil. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 38,009 times. Provide 50% humidity. Most of the time, the roots should be easy to divide by hand. Spray the mixture with water until it's damp clear through, but not dripping. This article has been viewed 38,009 times. Its a natural oil and isnt known to harm many plants. Plus, you want to trap in moisture so itll grow quicker. Is the Begonia rex plant toxic to animals? Underwatering is one of the most likely reasons your . There are two main ways to propagate a Rex Begonia. But most come with leaves in a pretty pink with blackened edges. These cuts (and the stem cut) are where the new plantlets will form. Allow fleshy cuts to dry for an hour before potting. This is to prevent the spread of spores and fungi. Insert the cuttings in moist, free-draining potting mix and place the set up in a warm, shaded place. You need to remove all dead or harmed roots right away. Be careful not to over-water your plant, though. Then, to keep the cuts in contact with the mix, start pushing T-pins through the leaf into the soil. However, while they do best in partial shade and indirect light, this is not the same as no light at all. Begonia Listada Plant Care Best Practices, Scarlet Begonia (Begonia Coccinea) Best Care Tips | Plantophiles, [] The leaf surface has a mixture of colors ranging from green grass ting to red. When it comes to fast-draining soil, porous soil works the best. Propagating Begonia rex. If you grow cane or wing begonias, give this technique a try with them, as well! Rex begonias grow at a medium speed, but they like a pot with room to grow, so you won't need to worry about repotting too often. You could also put your leaf cuttings in an east window as long as the temperature stays consistently warm. Here are some other cool Begonia species to check out. Let them dry before you head on to the next step. Make sure the soil is always moist. Fill containers with fine-textured potting mix and moisten it. Lift the Rex begonia tuber from the pot with a spade or your hands. Rex begonias can also be propagated by pinning a leaf to the bedding mix and making small incisions in the leaf veins or by inserting a leaf (with a petiole) directly into the soil. Amend the medium with a couple of tablespoons of ground limestone to help control humidity. By cleverly planting multiple plants in the same space, each with sprouted cuttings from the parent plant, you can give the appearance of a bushier plant. The vibrant colored leaves of a Begonia Rex start to fade and look bleached when it is getting too much direct sun. First, let's talk about the best light for Cissus discolor when it is grown as a houseplant year-round. 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. You can cut off up to two-thirds of the top of any given cane begonia. You deal with powdery mildew when you see a white powdery substance all over your plant. Because rhizomes have shallow roots, a shallow pot will do. Leave them in place until they start to get in the way. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/6\/6b\/IMG_20160613_180020-1.jpg\/460px-IMG_20160613_180020-1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/6\/6b\/IMG_20160613_180020-1.jpg\/420px-IMG_20160613_180020-1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":613,"bigWidth":420,"bigHeight":560,"licensing":"