Begonia goegoensis

The genus Begonia comprises over 2000 described species, found in tropical and subtropical regions around the world, where they inhabit every conceivable habitat from desert to rainforest. Some of them are very rewarding, easy, and fast-growing houseplants, while others are highly specialized rainforest dwellers that can only be cultivated in a terrarium. It is therefore almost impossible to give general care tips for begonias that truly apply to all species.

However, for a rough classification, one can orient oneself by growth habit, size, and leaf color:

• Species with purely green leaves usually originate from open, sunny habitats and are better suited as houseplants.
• Species with very colorful, curiously shaped leaves are usually more suitable as terrarium plants. An exception to this are the very colorful "Rex Begonias."
• Large, upright growing species (cane begonias) are usually also more robust than small, low-growing species (rhizomatous begonias).

Depending on which group they belong to, they should be cared for accordingly. More on this in the other tabs.

This begonia originates from the undergrowth of rather sparse rainforests, and is accordingly adapted to semi-shady conditions. It grows best in a protected environment with elevated humidity, such as a plant display case or a grow tent. It does not like it quite as moist as other similar rainforest begonias, and is therefore best kept in a not-too-humid terrarium or plant display case.

When cared for under grow lights, medium lighting is sufficient. It grows well at 2000 to 5000 lux or 35 to 100 PPFD (µmol/m²/s), and its leaves develop their ideal coloration.

It prefers a humidity of 70% or more and still grows well at over 90% rH. The leaves should not remain permanently wet and ideally should not be misted. Plant pathogenic fungal spores can germinate more easily and penetrate the plant on wet leaves. This species is particularly sensitive to this, which is why we believe it is best cultivated in a plant display case or a larger grow tent.

It should always be kept above 20°C, both in the pot and in the substrate. Temperatures exceeding 30°C should be avoided.

This begonia likes a fine yet airy and consistently moist substrate.

In nature, this plant grows in very nutrient-poor soil. There is little to no humus in the rainforest, unlike what is found in native forests. A thin layer of leaves/detritus, only 1 to 3 cm thick, is usually followed directly by dense clay soil or rock. The plant roots creep along the surface under the thin leaf layer and almost never go deeper than a few centimeters into the soil.
Therefore, this plant should be potted in a loose, only slightly acidic (pH ~ 6 to 6.5) and very airy mix. For this plant, we recommend our ASP mix.

The pot for this plant does not need to be particularly large. A pot that is too large leads to the substrate being dry on top but still wet underneath. Then one quickly thinks they need to water and drowns the plant, which is actually still moist enough. Even when planted in a terrarium, a deep substrate layer is not required. The roots usually penetrate no deeper than about 5 cm into the substrate.

Begonias can be kept in astonishingly small pots and can remain in fully rooted pots for a long time. Well-established, healthy plants tolerate repotting well and can even receive a root trim of approx. 30% when repotted or divided.

This begonia prefers soft water and should therefore be watered with distilled water, rainwater, or water from an osmosis system. It should never dry out completely.

Normal all-purpose fertilizer(N-P-K + trace elements) for houseplants is sufficient. We recommend halving the dosage indicated by the manufacturer (this corresponds to about 500 µS/cm conductivity from fertilizer), but fertilizing weekly. The conductivity can be determined with a TDS meter. For stronger leaves and stems, a potassium-rich fertilizer (e.g., cactus fertilizer) can be used instead of a standard fertilizer.