Why begonia leaves turn yellow and dry: what to do in situations such as caring for a plant in winter, the main diseases and pests of this flower

The Begoniev family has the largest number of various, diverse representatives.

Begonia is a truly universal flower, which can bring to life an enormous hall, a park flower bed, add colors to a workplace or decorate just a bookshelf.

Bright, colorful plants are in demand by landscape designers, gardeners and amateurs. But they are also prone to diseases and pests. You will learn what to do with yellowing leaves, how to ensure proper care.

Flower features

Begoniaceae plants can be divided into 2 large species:

decorative foliage;
decorative blooming.

The first subspecies has large leaves of various shapes. Inflorescences are small, unattractive. The appearance of deciduous begonias resembles tropical plants, all sorts of ficus. Flowering varieties, on the contrary, attract attention with multicolor inflorescences. Flowering of some varieties lasts a whole year. You will learn about the species of this wonderful plant in a separate article.

Reference! Begonias can grow on city streets, garden plots, in flowerpots on terraces, open balconies, in houses and apartments. For the flowers of each subspecies, special growing conditions are necessary. Violation of these modes leads to negative consequences. Flowers begin to hurt, fade, wither, thereby losing their decorative properties.

Why does yellowing occur?

Begonias are not considered demanding colors, but everything happens in life. If the appearance is poor, then something is wrong. Yellow foliage is often found in begonias, the edges begin to dry, and then the entire leaf dies. In order to help a diseased plant, in the beginning it is necessary to understand the reasons:

improper care;
lack of nutrients;
illiterate maintenance in the winter;
diseases and insect pests.

Problem analysis and recommendations

When the process of drying out the leaves occurs, one should not take hasty actions, but it is necessary to understand everything.

Improper care

It does not sound sad, but most often the plants begin to hurt due to the "human factor":

change of residence;
the plant was in a draft for a long time;
sudden changes in temperature and humidity in the room, for example, turned on air conditioning or heating;
immediately transplanted after the purchase, thereby the plant suffered stress (read about transplantation and care for begonia after the purchase here);
an unsuitable pot, perhaps a lot more than required;
used during planting inappropriate soil, may be acidic or heavy;
liquid fell on the foliage.

What to do if this happened to your darling? Do not despair, everything is fixable.

If the flower pot is moved from the room to the balcony, after which the leaves of the plant dry out, turn yellow. This is directly related to movement, indoor flowers negatively relate to this.
Decision. Return the flowerpot to its original place, remove the damaged leaves, feed it with complex mineral fertilizers.
Leaves of leaves dry out of begonia, this is possible when watering with cold tap water (for more information on what to do if the edges of the leaves and flowers dry, read here).
Decision. Watering for begonias is carried out with settled or filtered water. If possible, acidified, with the addition of lemon juice or acid. Take water at warm or room temperature.
The leaves of the plant turn pale, the tips turn yellow, and the shoots are pulled. There is a lack of bright sunshine on his face.
Decision. Move the flower to a more lighted place in the house or add artificial light. Begonias prefer intense lighting. You need to choose the windows on the south side.
With an excess of moisture, begonias also begin to turn yellow and foliage curl (why do begonias twist leaves?). It is worth paying attention to watering.
Decision. Make humidification of begonia regular and moderate, while waiting for the top lump of the earth. Watering the soil should be 2 times a week. A good drainage layer in a pot can help from overflow.
It happens that in indoor flowers dry spots appear on the leaves. This is due to the scorching rays of the sun. The foliage is so delicate that direct sunlight on them, burns appear in the form of spots.
Decision. If the plant is located on the windowsill on the south side, in the summer it is better to shade the sunlight or simply rearrange it to another place.

Nutrient deficiency

Experienced growers recommend begonia to feed. If the soil is depleted, and fertilizers are not applied, then the plant begins to "starve." This affects the foliage, which turns pale, becomes lethargic, turns yellow. In decorative blooming begonias buds are smaller, the flowering time is reduced (why do begonias buds fall?). These varieties are best fed with mineral fertilizers, which are dominated by potassium and phosphorus. But nitrogen should be as low as possible. Plants are important to nourish throughout the flowering period. Read how and how to feed begonia for abundant flowering here, and what to do if it does not bloom at all, you will learn in this article.

Decorative leafy begonias should be fed from spring to autumn. It is advisable to make fertilizers from the beginning of the active growth phase, for these plants, on the contrary, nitrogen should be the main mineral in top dressing. It stimulates growth and makes leaf color more intense, juicy.

Important! However, you should not overfeed the plant, otherwise the effect will be the opposite of the desired.

Winter season

Winter time is a difficult period for flowers.

At this time, daylight hours decrease, which is the first negative factor. For full bloom and the absence of problems with foliage, it is better to take care of additional artificial lighting.
Secondly, the cold season comes. The temperature decreases, respectively, it becomes cooler indoors. At the same time, plentiful watering is poorly absorbed, which means it should be reduced.
The following are drafts and cold air infiltration through crevices and openings in window frames. Such phenomena for begonias are not permissible, it can begin to hurt. It is necessary to protect the flower from hypothermia of the roots.
And finally, in no case do not place pots with begonias near heating radiators. The plant is hot, and air humidity is also reduced. You can cover the radiators with a wet cloth, which will slightly improve the situation.

You will find all important tips for plant care in the winter in a separate article.

Diseases and Pests

Excess fluid in a pot, which leads to rotting of the root system, a malfunction, then the negative process spreads to the foliage. The leaves begin to turn yellow, rot, which indicates the development of a disease such as gray rot. You can deal with this phenomenon with special solutions of fungicides, as well as 1% Bordeaux fluid.
Following fungal disease, which is characterized by a white coating on begonia leaves, yellow spots, is called powdery mildew. It develops well in conditions of high humidity and a complete lack of ventilation. If measures are not taken in time, the plant, starting from the leaves, dries. With a similar misfortune, they are also poisoned with the help of fungicides.
Another disease is dangerous begonias - bacterial spotting. The plant becomes covered with watery spots, which soon turn brown, and the inflorescences and shoots acquire a black color. For treatment, the soil is treated with disinfectants, and as a preventative measure, it is enough to treat the flower with a mixture of copper oxychloride.
Begonias can deliver no less problems pests such as aphids, whiteflies, spider mites. The most effective way to combat them is with insecticides.

Read more about the diseases and pests of begonias in this material.

Home conditions

In order for begonia to feel within normal limits, it is necessary to adhere to the fundamental rules:

The optimum temperature regime in summer should be at + 22-24 ° C, in winter at least + 18 ° C.
Maintain humidity between 50-70%.
Begonias need intense sunlight. In winter, an additional light source is needed.
Humidification is moderate, about 2 times a week. In the heat of watering to carry out daily. In winter, minimize watering, once every 10 days.
Be sure to feed the flower with complex mineral fertilizers once every two weeks. Twice a year, you can feed organic fertilizers. The winter season is no exception.

You will learn all the details of home begonia care in this article, and what are the rules for growing a house, read here.

Preventative measures

Foliage turns yellow in begonias not only due to illness or improper courtship. Sometimes it happens that the leaves turn yellow, dry out due to old agetherefore it is not necessary to worry, it is natural. Over time, they will grow back.

Advice! As necessary, you should pick off dried flowers, loosen the soil, remove dust from the foliage, inspect the plant for pests.

Love your plants, take care of them, eliminate the possible causes of discomfort in time. After all, as astrologers say, begonia gives confidence and strength. It is also considered a symbol of wealth and prosperity in the house (about the meaning of this flower and whether it can be kept at home, read here). Especially useful for creative natures, the flower encourages new ideas and projects.