Problem Overview: Why Do Begonia Leaves Curl? Diagnostic and Prevention Tips

Folding petals is a constant and unpleasant feature of begonia. This phenomenon can greatly upset the grower, especially considering that despite the large number of begonia varieties, as well as the individual specificity of each of these species, the leaves still fold.

Fortunately for lovers of these flowers, the causes of this problem are common to all types of begonias, and therefore they are easy to fix, or even completely avoided.

Flower description

Begonia is one of the most beautiful beautiful plants, which is often decorated with squares, apartment parks and also gardens. The flower belongs to the Begoniaceae family of perennial flowers. At the moment, this species has 900 natural, as well as 2000 hybrid varieties. Despite the fact that the flower itself was discovered back in 1690, its active use for decoration began only 200 years ago, that is, around 1815-1817.

REFERENCE! The biologist who discovered this species was called Michel Begon, and his name was called a flower.

It was first found on the Antilles, where it was described by a biologist. All modern varieties originate from the ever-flowering begonia from Brazil, as well as the royal begonia from the Hindustan Peninsula. All types of begonias are divided into two types:

1. decorative blooming;
2. decorative foliage.

Tuber begonia boasts the most popularity; it has very bright, colorful flowers, and, most importantly, is unpretentious in leaving.

Growth Features

Gorgeous flowering of this plant can be achieved only with the help of high-quality and timely care. To do this, it is necessary to properly feed begonia, maintain a certain temperature, observe air humidity and so on. For example, watering a young begonia should be watered only along the edges of the pot, also drainage should be put at the bottom of the pot, and soil should be poured on top.

Young begonia may not be willing to grow due to too large pot sizesTherefore, it is better to change the pot more often as it grows than to get upset due to slow growth.

Why twist: diagnostics

Begonia leaves can twist under the influence of many factors that can be diagnosed in a timely manner, and only subsequently eliminated. We will talk about them in more detail.

• Food. This problem may begin due to insufficient or unbalanced nutrition. To avoid such a nuisance, you need to feed potassium nitrate, or a ready-made complex, twice a year. The nitrogen content should be minimal, otherwise there will be an active growth of stems, and a simultaneous inhibition of flower growth. You will learn about other problems that the plant refuses to bloom in a separate article.
• Watering. Leaf curl occurs only with a lack of moisture, this is due to the high sensitivity of begonias to air humidity. Because of this, in summer, the plant needs daily watering, and in winter, watering becomes periodic (read about caring for the plant in winter here). For the convenience of monitoring the moisture level, the container / pot should be placed in a vessel with wet expanded clay.
• Pot. The ideal pot size for an adult begonia is from 8 to 10 centimeters. At the first transplant, begonia should not be planted in an oversized pot, this can lead to decay of the root system. The material from which the pot is made should ideally be ceramic. just do not take too small a pot, this also leads to curling of the leaves. Tips for choosing a begonia container and proper care for a potted plant can be found here.
• Diseases and Pests. The most common disease that begonia is exposed to is Powdery Mildew. The main problem of this disease is its invisibility. With a disease, white fine plaque appears on the sheets. Further, during the development process, plaque hardens, which just leads to drying and curling of the sheet. In addition, Gray Rot is a common disease.

  The result of this disease is the same twisting, plus yellowing of the leaves. the disease can also be recognized by plaque, but it already has a gray color and is much easier to detect. the first rot can be seen at the top of the shoot, and this disease occurs mainly in the summer.

• The soil. The cause of leaf twisting due to soil may be caused by insufficient friability. Another reason may be the wrong composition of the soil itself, that is, it may be caused by the absence of any element, or a disturbed mixing technology.

REFERENCE! “Correct land” should have the following proportions: two parts of the earth, one third of the sand, and elements such as peat, humus and so on in the amount of 1 part.

What to do?

Understanding that the begonia leaves are curled, do not panic. It is necessary to clearly plan the action plan. For example:

1. Recognize the reason. This action will help in determining the means of control.
2. Decides on a means of struggle. So for example, when infecting with pests, it is worth using insecticides, and if the pot is not suitable, it must be replaced.

Basically, that’s all you have to do. The only thing I would like to focus on is the problem associated with improper watering.

If you swamped the ground, then in addition to the leaves, you could harm the root system. In this case, it is necessary to transplant the plant.

The main thing is to fully comply with the requirements for the pot and soil above. Also, some experts advise not to water the plant for 3-4 days after transplantation in those cases when the leaves of the plant were badly damaged and the roots began to rot. To do this or not, the florist himself decides.

Tips to prevent this from happening again or prevention

ATTENTION! In order not to meet with twisting of leaves in begonia, and in order to avoid other diseases, it is enough to simply observe the rules of planting and care. The proportions and composition of the soil were indicated above, as well as the choice of fertilizer and pot. you just have to water the begonia abundantly, the main thing is that without fanaticism.

It is impossible to predict the appearance of pests, therefore, it is simply necessary to conduct treatment with insecticides upon their appearance. The same applies to disease. In conclusion, I would like to say that begonia, although not whimsical to care for, still needs certain care measures.

The main thing to remember is that, with proper care, your begonia will delight you for many years, and given the variety of species, the grower will surely find his own flower for himself. In addition, all problems, except pests and diseases, can be avoided by fulfilling the above care requirements.

Watch the video: LEAF CURLING: How to Interpret UPCURL OR DOWNCURL Drying. Diagnosis Treatment (May 2024).