Angel Wing Begonia

[canesisters]

This past summer a friend gave me 2 of these. I put them in pots on the back porch and they got huge. They are probably 18” or better tall and about that wide. I brought them inside and sprayed them with a mixture of finely ground hot pepper flakes and water – to try and keep the cats from eating them. (working sorta so-so, so far).
They are dropping leaves like crazy and the blooms have turned from the summer time dark red to a pale pink. Too dry? Too dark? Too much pepper???
They are sitting beside a window that faces west – same as the porch they were on all summer.
Should I cut them way back? I was thinking that maybe I could try to root the trimmings and maybe start over next spring in case the big ones die. ? Will cutting them back to mostly stems finish them off for good?
They were water hogs this summer – should I try to keep them wet through the winter???

 

[thistlebloom]

It sounds like they need stronger light and more humidity.
Do you have a south window you could put them in?
And to raise the humidity around them, put the pot on a tray filled with little rocks and water. The rocks will keep the pot from sitting in the water.

But I have no experience overwintering begonias.

 

[Just-Moxie]

I had 2 in water, brought back from my dad last year...May 2013. I finally got one potted this spring..but the other is still in its glass vase. Mine, stayed on the unheated porch last winter...but I don't remember if I brought them in for the polar vortex we had. It got down to -20..so I prob brought them inside. They dropped leaves...but they were still alive by springtime. They are doing good now...although the one in dirt likes it better

 

[ninnymary]

With our mild winters I leave mine outside. They usually come back. The ones that don't are the ones that get bitten by frost. I would trim back and keep them slightly moist.

Mary

 

[goatgurl]

@canesisters i have some angel wings that belonged to my grandmother and i bring them in and out every year. i trim them back, stick the trimmings in a glass of water and they root easily. i water the mother plants and put they a sunny south window for the winter. sometimes they get a little spindly but most of the time they are just fine. come spring out they go again. hope this helps

 

[canesisters]

Thanks everyone. I'm going to trim the WAY back and try to root the trimmings. I don't have any south-facing windows but I can move some things around and put them directly in front of the window (they are currently on each side with the kitchen table between).

 

[Nyboy]

Goatgirl thats so great you have a plant from your grandmother. Was she good at gardening?

 

[goatgurl]

@Nyboy , yes grandma was a great gardener, had to be. she raised 6 kids by herself during the depression after my grandfather was killed in a mining accident. besides a great veggie garden her yard was always beautiful. she passed her talent to my mother who could grow anything... anything. I've seen her take sticks that i thought were dead and dry, stick them in water and have them take root. mom just passed this last july and used a wheeled walker with a seat, didn't need it to walk, had a cane for that, but used it to carry jugs of water to her plants on the porch. she was 92. she and i both love our birds and flowers

 

[ninnymary]

I hope all of us are still gardening at age 92! What a great teacher to have, you were so lucky.

Mary

 

[thistlebloom]

@goatgurl