begonia care :)

[FireFly]

hello I have a begonia that is growing like a weed however I cant get it to flower again. I bought it 2 springs ago and it has tripled in size but it hasnt grown flowers. I'm sure I'm not doing something right the plant shop I bought it from said it would be perfect for on my desk at the office. it sits on the window sill behind a big tree and tinted glass so it doesn't get full sun. I say more indirect. I water it when it feels a bit dry and so far that has worked wonders so much so I have to transplant it again for the 3rd time because it keeps out growing its pot. I feel bad cause its a bit lop sided from growing against the window anyway if anyone can tell me how to make my beauty grow flowers again it will be very helpful thanks and take care

[Kisal]

It may be that you're repotting it too often. Sometimes, plants bloom better when they're just a bit snug in their pots. If you're fertilizing it, be sure you're using one designed specifically for flowering plants. A fertilizer with too much nitrogen (the 'N' of the N-P-K numbers on the label) will encourage foliage growth at the expense of flowers.

Can you post a picture of your begonia for us? It might help us see if there are any other suggestions that could be made.

[FireFly]

here is a picture of the begonia in the really small pot that it came in. the pot I moved it to its 6inches I believe.. the pot in the picture is 4 inches. its much bigger then in the picture now. I would say almost doubled. the plant is at work and I'm not at work today. I can repost a current picture on friday. thanks again for your help
[img][img]https://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t280/posey18/begonia.jpg[/img][/img]

[FireFly]

here is a current picture of the begonia [img]https://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t280/posey18/begonia1.jpg[/img]

[redback001]

A fertilizer with too much nitrogen (the 'N' of the N-P-K numbers on the label) will encourage foliage growth at the expense of flowers.

this seems to be the problem, the foliage seems to be very soft and the leaves large, the second picture seems to indicate that the plant is now too crowded for the container, notice the large internodal gaps, indicative of to much nitrogen fertiliser and lack of light (or competition for light).

look for a fertiliser with a K value higher than that of the N (NPK) to encourage flower growth. I'd suggest cutting it back slightly and planting into a slightly larger container (and then fertilising).

[FireFly]

oo ok I will try to move it to another bigger pot with the fertilizer you mentioned. I think the plant looks the way it does because it was growing against the window so I turned the pot to have the leaves start growing the other way because they ware so heavy on the one side that the pot would fall over some times. the leaves are very strong not soft. but then again I'm not a begonia expert the garden place that I bought the plant from said it only lasts a season but I'm glad she was wrong think the plant will flower again? I think the flowers were like a peachy orange if I remember right. what size pot would you suggest? maybe the next size up or larger? any ideas on how big the begonias get?oh and how do you mean cutting it back.. I'm always afraid to do that and kill the plant:( thanks again for all your help
take care

[redback001]

Hi there; I've just taken a second look at the second picture you posted, and am glad to say that you won't have to pot it up again

The begonia looks like a tuberous rooted (possibly a “Non-Stopâ€

[FireFly]

ty so much thats good I don't have to repot it. I'm always afraid of cutting back the plants.. like I'm going to kill them . I will try what you said and hope that my begonia gets flowers again.. even if it doesnt I'm ok with that too. do you reccomend any type of fertilizer?

[redback001]

dificult question as I'm not sure what fertilisers you have available to you.

I'd go with something along the lines of a 3:1:5 (NPK) formulation; this is normally recommended for flowering or fruiting plants. obvioulsy don't go and buy 10kg's of the stuff as you will only need small amounts; so look for a product that is suited to domestic or indoor use.

alternativly if you can find something like a hydroponic nutriant powder that can be disolved in water (again, the generic formulation is approximate to a 3:1:5 formulation). the application of the product will be determined by the nature and size of the plant as well as the climatic conditions when the product is applied.

if you find anything suitable, drop me a mail and I can give you some recomendations on the application or suitability.