A spotted, contrasting pattern on the leaves of Begonia Tiger gave the name to this decorative foliage plant in similarity to the color of the tiger. The color of the leaf plates of the plant varies from light green to dark brown.
General description of a tiger begonia plant: name, external signs
Tiger begonia - indoor perennial. It is a small, leafy bush. Its height is 25-30 cm. Leaf plates are small with a width of about 4 cm. In some varieties, leaf sizes are much larger. They close the stems. The leaf shape is ovoid or rounded, sometimes more complex, similar to oak leaf plates.
Begonia Tiger Foliage
For your information! Patterns on the leaves add up to a variety of patterns: stripes, spots, stains. They are all in contrast. They have a border in the form of symmetrical veins extending from the center of the leaf plate to its edges.
White tiger begonia flowers of small size. Outwardly, they are similar to the wings of butterflies. On the bush, flowers are hardly noticeable. All attention is drawn to the bright color of the foliage. The plant rarely blooms.
Blooming Begonia Bauer
Tiger begonia is an artificially bred hybrid that appeared in the 1970s. The second name of the flower is Begonia Bowerae. It is named after the breeder R. Bauer who created it. Country of Origin - Germany.
How to ensure proper home care
The golden rule of caring for tiger begonia at home is to take into account those conditions that are characteristic of the natural habitat in the homeland, and to recreate their home.
Soil selection and top dressing
Soil for tiger begonia is made up of equal parts:
- peat;
- humus;
- perlite;
- sand.
The plant is regularly fed to compensate for the lack of nutrients in the indoor soil. So that begonia does not suffer from a shortage of certain useful substances, complex compositions for decorative and deciduous plants are added as fertilizers. They are used no more than once every 3-4 weeks. And the concentration is made half as much as indicated in the instructions for the finished composition.
Important! An excess of fertilizers should also be avoided so that the plant does not hurt.
If you transplant a flower regularly, completely changing the soil in the pot, the frequency of top dressing can be reduced or completely abandoned. Transplants are planned once a year as the root system grows and completely fills the pot. Signs that it is time to transplant begonia: pallor of leaves, loss of bright, contrasting color.
Note! The new landing capacity should be several centimeters wider than the previous one.
Rules for watering and maintaining humidity
When choosing a watering regime for tiger begonias, you should be aware of the properties of the plant and adhere to certain rules in order to avoid root decay due to excess moisture:
- use settled water at room temperature;
- water under the root, without wetting the leaves, so that they do not receive sunburn;
- adhere to regular watering 3-4 times a week in the summer and 1-2 times a week in the winter;
- to orient during watering on the state of the topsoil: if it is completely dry, the plant needs watering;
- periodically loosen the soil in a pot so that air freely flows to the roots;
- maintain high humidity in the room where Bauer begonia is contained.
Watering a tiger begonia
Important!Although the plant loves high humidity, spraying the leaves is harmful. Because of water droplets, sunburns in the form of ugly spots may appear on the leafy plates of a moody flower.
Temperature and lighting
To properly care for tiger begonia, you should create a comfortable temperature regime for it. It varies from 16 ° C to 22 ° C. Healthy, strong plants can withstand large temperature fluctuations, but for short periods of time. The flower tolerates a higher temperature easier than cold. With a cold snap, the roots of the plant begin to rot.
Being an ornamental and deciduous plant, the Bauer tiger begonia requires good lighting. Only with enough light does its leaf plate remain bright. But the lighting should be diffused. Due to direct rays on the leaves, burn spots may appear, their color fades.
Important! When growing begonias in the shade, they stretch out. The color of the leaves becomes less saturated.
The most suitable place for begonias in the house is the eastern, northern and northeastern window sills. On windows that face south and east, in summer it is better not to place the flower. He will suffer from heat and direct sunlight. But in the fall and winter, the choice of southern and eastern window sills can be beneficial. At this time, even intense lighting does not harm the plant.
How and under what conditions blooms
Tiger begonia pleases with flowering only if good conditions are created for it during the dormant period. The plant does not like to "wake up" ahead of time.
If begonia does not want to bloom, you need to pay attention to the following factors:
- air temperature in the room;
- regularity of watering;
- illumination;
- air humidity.
Bauer Begonia Flowers
If all the parameters for caring for Bauer begonias are within normal limits, and it does not please flowering, pay attention to the composition of the soil. It must be nutritious and loose. You can achieve the appearance of buds by changing the soil in the pot. The optimal composition is sheet land, peat, sand and perlite.
Important! When the begonia has gained color, the pot cannot be rearranged from one place to another.
Home breeding guidelines
Tiger begonia is propagated by several methods:
- cuttings;
- dividing the bush;
- seeds.
Florists most often resort to cuttings. This is the easiest and fastest way. For it, shoots, parts of stems and leaves are used. 3-4 leaves are left on the shoots, the rest are removed. Cuttings are planted in the ground, watered and kept in a dark place for several days.
Leaf cuttings are placed in water. After the appearance of the roots, I transplant them into the soil, put in a greenhouse so that the plant quickly takes root and grows well.
Regardless of which propagation method is used, experienced growers are advised to observe the following conditions:
- take planting material from healthy plants;
- check that they are not damaged;
- add a weak solution of potassium permanganate to water or soil so that the roots do not rot.
The indoor perennial begonia Bauer attracts attention with an extraordinary color of foliage. She becomes the decoration of any windowsill, even without flowers. Its bright green leaves with brownish spots surprise with an unusual combination of colors, and begonia bushes themselves with accuracy.
