Houseplants - Begonia
Back to Houseplants

  I have a beefsteak begonia that has outgrown its pot. I want to prune off some of the runners, but I also want to root what I cut off. I have tried before to root these in water and in light soil with minimum success. Please tell me what is the best way to do this. 

  Begonias root very easily. They would root best in a light soil. Be sure to keep the soil moist, but not too wet. The only thing that damages begonias is wet or poorly drained soil. You can also divide the original plant. Just make sure that you have a crown for each plant.

  I have a Rieger begonia that is quite leggy It bloomed prolifically and now it looks rather sad. In addition, one stem got broken off when the plant was blown off a table in the recent wind storm. My question: should I prune it? If so, where should I cut? Any other suggestions that might help me restore this plant.

  By all means prune it. Any parts you prune off, root. They root readily in moist soil. Begonias can get leggy. Pinching them back may delay flowering for a bit, but they should get fuller and be more attractive. You can also get several plants in the bargain.

  I have several angel wing begonia plants that are beginning to set their beautiful flower spikes, but the foliage has brown tips. They get plenty of sunlight and I will be moving them indoors this fall. What did I do wrong with the brown leaves? It really takes away from the pretty pink flowers. 

  Angel-wing begonias are not full sun plants. You simply have a little sunscald on the foliage. Either move the plants to a shadier spot, or give them filtered light. They should still bloom, without getting the burned foliage. At this state, see if you can’t trim off the damage. This summer was hard on many of our plants.

Back to Houseplants