The care information provided in this section represents the kind of practical advice is available for all the plants in this web site if you subscribe to the monthly customized newsletter Yardener’s Advisor.
| Caring For Wax Begonia | |
|---|---|
| January | |
| February | Wax Leaf Begonia – If you kept some begonias over the winter as houseplants, you can now take cuttings from those plants to produce more plants for spring planting outdoors. |
| March | |
| April | Wax Leaf Begonia – Plant Wax Leaf Begonia seedlings, as soon as danger of frost is past and the soil is warm (when night time temperatures stay above 50 degrees). That is about the same time as your lilac is in full bloom (95% of flower clusters are fully open). See Yardener’s Helper re: hardening off seedlings before planting outside. Space plants 6 to 10 inches apart depending on expected height of the variety you are planting. |
| May | Wax Leaf Begonia – If Wax Leaf Begonias are growing in good soil containing lots of organic material, they want only a light feeding in the spring when the seedlings are set out, about a half a tablespoon of slow-release granular fertilizer per plant. In poor soils use a bit more; one tablespoon of slow-release granular fertilizer per plant. That is all you need for the season. |
| Optional task – Wax Leaf Begonias grow best when mulched. As soon as the Wax Leaf Begonia seedlings are tall enough, spread a 2 or 3 inch layer of some organic material such as chopped leaves, dried grass or wood chips on the soil around the plants. | |
| June | Wax Leaf Begonias –Optional – Your Wax Leaf Begonias will appreciate, in preparation for the heat of summer, a light feeding of fertilizer using a liquid fertilizer diluted to half strength according to the label. This can be poured into the soil or sprayed right on to the plant. |
| July | Wax Leaf Begonia – Plants growing in part shade are going to need less water than those growing in full sun. If there has been no rain for 10 days, the plants usually appreciate some water. |
| Optional task – If you plants are looking a bit leggy, pinch back begonia’s brittle stems sometime this month to make plants more compact. Pinch back about a third of the height of the plant. | |
| August | Wax Leaf Begonia – Optional, Spray the foliage of flowering annuals with a dilute solution of liquid fertilizer to give them a hot weather energy boost. |
| Optional Begonias may be dug up and potted in late summer, then brought indoors for the winter as houseplants. Keep them in a window with good light and some sun. | |
| September | Wax Leaf Begonia – Your plants outdoors will die after the first hard frost. At that time you can remove the plants to the compost pile. |
| October | |
| November | |
| December | |
