Begonia Bipinnatifida - Part 2

Photo Credit to Dr Rabiatuadawiyah Kari

 

CHARACTERISTICS:

This particular Begonia is found growing on highland areas of Mount Horne in rocky places of Western New Guinea. The name bipinnatifida derives from the Latin bipinnatus which means twice pinnate. Similar like most highland climate zone begonias - these requires high humidity and special care needs as something like terrarium growing conditions. 

However this particular begonia also does well in lowland climate when it has managed to acclimatized properly. This unique begonia appears like a fern foliage structure with the red colored stem in which a small portion of those stem are actually quite versatile for propagation.

Do note however, the challenges when these start to rot - the whole plant can be infected and none of their parts can be viable for emergency propagation. This begonia has a little pink blooms appearing at a side of the node - as you can note from the 1st pic above - although it may not be appearing very significant.

GENERAL BEGONIA PLANT CARE:

Plant Care is very similar like most Rhizome Begonia Care & Cultivation Needs. This depends in different garden or indoor conditions - its all depending on getting the right balanced conditions.

Depending on the Begonia adaptation and its ability to handle hardy conditions - if the plant is stress it may drop all it's leaves before regeneration - hence more care is required to ensure the right balance of watering and humidity verse root and stem rot. 

Medium:

Fast Draining - 1/3 Compost at the bottom layered with coconut chips and sand in between the rhizome root-ball.

Watering
Water only when the Medium is Dry

Feeding
Foliar Fertilizer - Once a Week with 1/2 Dilution Strength. 

(Depending on what works best in your garden conditions - some gardeners use chicken/goat manure, coffee based fertilizer, organic fertilizer - test out and see on a trial basis to see what works best in your garden conditions)

Light

Place in Bright, Indirect Light - Shaded from direct hot sun areas - Ideal for Balcony Plants.

Do take note that this one truly hate too much water - the leaves may also change colors, especially turning pale green and the red and burgundy coloration faded. Do take note that if this happens - most likely the plant lifespan is numbered and the eventually leaf by leaf - they start dropping and the rhizome dried up or rotting and it is too late to safe the plant or rectify the problem.

Hence - do watch out on the overwatering part - the medium too play a big part on this, especially if it purchased with cocopeat planted with it - its more likely a dooms-day time clocking by the days for it to kaput.  It is much better to take the risk to replant it to a new medium and allow the plant to grow through shock and recover and safe the plant - keeping it long term for years to go by then seeing it fall apart when the cocopeat dried up together with the root-ball.

 Begonia Common Names and Images

Do click on the Link Above ☝

Here is the link where I had put together a list of all the begonias that I had come across. 

A database of all the different types & their characteristics. 

Please click on the link on the title above for the post.