Maple-leaved begonia houseplant: appearance and care, growing conditions, as well as diseases and pests

Begonia is a unique plant, because it is beautiful both with inflorescences and without them. All this is due to the huge variety of shapes and shades of sheet plates. They are gorgeous on their own. This is especially true for maple-leaved begonia (for its rich appearance it was also called Cleopatra or Bauer begonia).

In this article, we will introduce you to the intricacies of caring for this species, as well as talk about the diseases that can plague a flower.

Botanical Description and History

This is a herbaceous plant, the height of which usually does not exceed 50 centimeters. Leaves are held on a thin erect, hairy stalk and have a palmate-lobed torn shape, reach 12 centimeters in length and exit directly from the basal socket.

REFERENCE! This beauty was brought from different continents: America, Asia and Africa. There she lives in tropical forests and even in the mountains at an altitude of up to 3000 meters.

Appearance and features

By the name you can understand that the leaves of this begonia resemble the shape of maple. On the upper side they are green, and on the bottom - burgundy. A distinctive feature of Cleopatra is the ability of foliage to take many shades of green at different angles of incidence of light. Inflorescences are white or pale pink, but compared to the richness of the leaves, they do not perform a special decorative function.

Another feature can be called white and gray hairs, covering absolutely the entire surface of the plant, due to which it stands out from the total mass of its other brothers.

Tips for planting a "home maple"

Like other representatives of the Begoniev family, Cleopatra requires a transplant (i.e. rejuvenation) every 3-4 years. So the bush will retain its shape and decorative appeal.

When choosing a pot for transplanting, give preference to wide, but shallow containers. They are better suited, since the rhizomes of any Begonia are located as close to the surface as possible. It is not recommended to use clay pots, because such material allows the root system to grow into the surface of the walls of the pot.

Do not forget about the drainage layer, its share in the entire mass filling the tank should be at least 30%. You can buy the soil already prepared, it is desirable that it be peat. And you can easily cook it yourself at home. To do this, take sheet soil, turf soil and sand (preferably river) in a ratio of 1: 3: 1.

TIP! Carefully monitor the acidity of the earth, it should be weak, which means that the value can rise more than 5.0-6.0.

After the transplant procedure, let the flower adapt a little, for this, place it in a dark place for a couple of days. After this time, rearrange the pot to a permanent place. This should be the west or east side of the room, the north is also allowed, but provided that additional artificial lighting is provided.

Eliminate the south side as an option for plant placement, since there the sun's rays too actively and destructively affect the "home maple".

Another criterion for choosing a place will be the absence of drafts. They harm the flower and lead to its various diseases. In the winter, remove the flowerpot with the plant from the window sills, under which are placed heating appliances that very dry the air.

Cleopatra Care

Temperature

This beauty does not tolerate sudden changes in temperature.. She will respond to such stress with slow growth and lack of flowering. In summer, provide the conditions under which the temperature will be kept between 18-22 degrees Celsius. And in the winter, the bar can be slightly reduced - to about 16-18 degrees above zero. Most importantly, make sure the root system is warm.

Watering

First of all, watch what you water the plant. Tap water is not suitable, due to the content of various harmful substances in it, which adversely affect the flowers. If possible, use filtered water, or even better, use rainwater. Of course, if there is nowhere to take water, except from the central water supply, then at least let it settle for about a day.

Do not ignore the temperature of the irrigation fluid - it should be room temperature. Gardeners recommend acidifying water.

Now let's move on to the watering mode. In the summer this should happen often and plentifully (about 2 times a week), and in winter the frequency is reduced to 3-4 times a month. But the main the signal for moistening the soil should be the drying of its two-centimeter top layer. This is your main guideline.

IMPORTANT! But do not overdo it with the amount of water, from its stagnation, the roots begin to rot. Watering is advised from above. But if it’s more convenient for you to do it through the pallet, after a while, when the roots are nourished (about a day), pour out the excess liquid.

Lighting

The location for the flowerpot should be well lit. But if this condition cannot be fulfilled in a natural way (this often happens in winter due to the reduction of daylight hours), resort to artificial lighting. This is not so important.

The main thing is that Begonia should have enough light. Avoid direct sunlight, they literally burn leaves. In the summer, from noon to 3 p.m. try to create a shadow or partial shade for the plant.

Air humidity

Begonia loves moist air. This is due to its origin - it is always humid in tropical forests. To maintain this condition at home, spray the air of the plant, trying not to get on parts of the plant itself. Or use the old grandmother's way - put a container of liquid next to the pot.

You can periodically (once every seven days) substitute a expanded clay tray. It helps to maintain Cleopatra's natural habitat.

Top dressing

With the advent of spring and until the very end of summer, begonia has a period of active growth. At this time, she needs additional nutrition. To do this, use complex liquid fertilizers. They need to be bred according to the instructions. But many gardeners advise the concentration recommended on the packaging to be slightly weaker. even that will be enough for the flower. Fertilizer should be applied every two weeks.

Pruning

The rich shaggy leaves of "home maple" not only attract admiring glances, but also attract dust from the air to their surface. therefore systematically wipe sheet platinum with a dry clothso as not to clog the pores that the plant breathes.

To create a beautiful uniform bush, turn it from time to time in a circle. And also do not ignore such a procedure as pruning, which must be carried out every spring, leaving stems 5-7 cm long.

Breeding methods

Maple-leaved begonia can be propagated in three ways:

Cuttings.
Leaves.
Seeds

For the first method, cut the shoots of a flower about 6 cm long and place them in water until the first roots appear. After that, boldly transplant into the ground and watch how your “baby” will delight you with its rapid development.

To plant begonia with leaves, select a large and intact leaf plate and pinch it along with the petiole. With this method of propagation, the process can be immediately planted in a pot and begin to fertilize, like an adult flower, every two weeks.

The third variant of reproduction is the most painstaking, but at the same time very boring. To do this, we sow planting material in the same soil as for ordinary pots with Begonias, and slightly squeeze it. Then we do not water (this is important!), But spray the soil. We cover the box with seeds with a film or plastic cover and move it to a warm place. After germination of the first sprouts, we begin to temper the seedlingsby opening the film daily.

So small plants should get used to relatively dry air. This type of breeding should take place from early March to June. Planting seeds later makes no sense.

Diseases and Pests

It is worth noting that with proper care, Begonia is rarely sick and is attacked by pests. But anything can happen.

The most common disease in Cleopatra is a fungus.. Which is characterized by rotten blotches on the leaves. In order to prevent the spread of the disease, get rid of the affected parts of the flower, and treat the remaining parts with a fungicide solution. Henceforth, in order to avoid such troubles, control the temperature in the room.

Leaves lose their saturation and begin to turn yellow due to dry air and excess fluid. Brown pigmentation indicates a lack of nutrients.

Your beauty does not please you with its active flowering and rapid growth due to the lack of potassium and phosphorus in fertilizers, or their insufficient quantity.

The runner can be affected by pests such as thrips, spider mites and powdery mildew. To combat them, use special purchased chemicals.

IMPORTANT! Too much moisture can be a prerequisite for the appearance of almost all types of pests. It should not exceed the mark of 60%.

Next, you can watch a video that tells how to cure maple-leaved begonia, if it began to look listless:

Conclusion

Begonia is rightly called the Empress. After all, not every plant family can boast of such a variety of colors, sizes, leaf surfaces. And with all this, as a true aristocrat, Begonia does not make you any special requirements. She is modest and unpretentious. Always ready to serve with beauty and splendor.