Home Gardening, if done properly, can be a very therapeutic practice. Contrary to popular belief, though, it is not as easy as it looks.
While taking care of plants can bring a lot of contentment and satisfaction to a person, it can also, at the same time, be an extremely tedious and frustrating task if one lacks the knowledge on how to care for plants properly.
If you want to learn the best ways to care for and propagate the painted leaf begonia plant in your home, you’ve come to the right place. Stick with us as we teach you the top 5 tips that you should be mindful of while taking care of your painted leaf begonia plant.
If you want to learn how to propagate this plant in your home garden, don’t worry; we’ve got you covered over there as well. We’ll tell you exactly what steps you need to follow to properly propagate this plant in your home.

The Painted Leaf Begonia Plant And Its Distinctive Characteristics
Before we discuss how one should properly care for their painted leaf begonia plant, it will be helpful to pause for a moment and learn a bit more about the plant itself.
Besides, how can you possibly hope to properly care for a plant you know nothing about. What follows is a brief introduction to the painted leaf begonia plant and a discussion on some of its main characteristics and features.
The painted leaf begonia plant goes by many names; Begonia rex, kind begonia and fancy leaf begonia are just a few examples. Native to South Asia, these plants have colourful leaves of breathtaking beauty.
Just take a look at its colourful, heart-shaped leaves, and you will instantly realize that this plant stands out from your regular houseplant collection.
Its beauty, enhanced by the stunning colours of its leaves, is exactly why so many people so commonly use this plant to upgrade the aesthetics of their home gardens.
The leaves of this plant come in various colours such as crimson, silver, green and purple. This vast variety of colours is where this plant draws its beauty from, and it is exactly why it is called “the painted leaf begonia”.
How To Take Care Of Your Painted Leaf Begonia Plant – Top 5 Tips
Of course, as you might expect, a plant of such great beauty does require a lot of maintenance and effort. In this section, we will tell what steps you need to follow to properly take care of your painted leaf begonia plant so that it grows well.
While home gardening, it is extremely important to be mindful of the specific needs of each and every single plant you’re growing. This is because plants aren’t all the same; they require different nutritional and environmental conditions to grow properly.
Just follow the tips we’ve outlined below, and you will see your painted leaf begonia plant grow to health in no time.
Humidity is extremely important.
Begonia plants grow best when they’re kept in a fairly humid environment. If you’re not sure how to provide it with enough humidity, don’t worry. We’ve got you covered.
Plant your begonia rex alongside some other moisture-loving house plants, and you’ll be able to create your very own indoor microclimate where your begonia plant can grow and thrive.
Alternatively, you could place your plant in a container of moist clay balls, which would capture the moisture for longer periods and help maintain humidity around your plant.
Lighting matters
The painted leaf begonia requires a lot of exposure to bright light to grow properly. However, keeping it exposed to direct sunlight for long periods of time may scorch its leaves and eventually kill the plant. The solution, of course, is to keep the plant in a place where it receives indirect sunlight.
This will ensure that its lighting requirements are met without its leaves being burned by the scorching heat of the sun. If you can’t figure out how to provide it with indirect sunlight, try placing your begonia plant under fluorescent lights. This should work just as well.

Water once a week, in regular intervals
As far as watering this plant is concerned, we recommend you water your begonia plant at least once a week. Make sure you water it in regular intervals and be cautious; the plant does not and will not respond well to overwatering. Also, make sure you never let the soil dry out completely.
As we mentioned earlier, this plant needs humid environments to grow well. So, make sure you keep a check on how moist the soil is every now and then.
Finally, during winters, the painted leaf begonia does not grow a lot. During this time, you may not need to water it as much as you do during summers.
Use Fertilizers
You will notice that your painted leaf begonia plant grows best during springtime. You can boost your plant’s growth even further by using fertilizers. Your plant will thank you for it.
Do make sure, though, that the fertilizer that you use isn’t too strong. If it is, make sure you dilute it before using it. painted leaf plants do not respond well to strong fertilizers
Temperature
Ideally, you should keep this plant at around 63 – 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Make sure it isn’t exposed to temperatures below 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The plant’s growth is stunned in extreme temperatures.
How To Propagate A Painted Leaf Begonia In Your Home Garden
Propagating a painted leaf begonia is really easy. A single leaf may be used to propagate upto 10 new begonia plants. Here is what you need to do:
Take a healthy leaf from your begonia plant and turn it over so that its veins are visible. These veins are where your new plant will grow from.
So, cut the leaf into smaller segments and make sure each section has a part of the vein in it. Next, take a container (make sure there are holes cut at the bottom of this container which ensure proper drainage).
In this container, add organic compost and some horticultural sand and then bury the leaf sections into this mixture so that some part of the leaf is visible.
Finally, keep watering these sections sparingly and monitor the moisture level of the soil (make sure it isn’t too wet or too dry). Keep this up, and your new painted leaf begonia plant should grow out in no time.
Key takeaways
The painted leaf begonia is a beautiful plant that is known for its ability to enhance the aesthetics of any home garden with the variety of its colours.
The beauty of this plant does come at a price; It requires a fair bit of care and oversight to grow properly. Make sure that your plant is kept in a moist place where it receives indirect sunlight and temperatures around 63 – 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
To propagate this plant, cut out a leaf and expose its veins. Then, put the leaf in a planter containing a healthy mixture of soil and watch the plant grow.