When you are planning your garden or your indoor jungle, you will want to know what flowers and when, so that you can prepare for gaps.
With this in mind, you may be wondering do betulia come back every year – well, read on to find the answers to this and other questions you may have!
What You'll Learn Today
Do Betulia Come Back Every Year?
The majority of the begonia family and its subspecies, including betulia, come from tropical areas in south and central America, Africa and Asia.
Because of their roots (excuse the pun!) they do like a warm climate and won’t handle getting cold.
The majority of begonia and betulia are perennials, but because of our colder climate they are treated as annuals as winter will almost always kill them off.
With the right conditions and care, however, your betulia can happily survive to flower another year.
This being said, even with the perfect conditions betulia won’t last forever. Generally after 2-3 years, the plant is spent and will die off naturally.
You can get around this by buying a new betulia every year, meaning that you will always have a supply of this lovely plant!
Difference Between Annual And Perennial?
You may have heard the terms “annual” and “perennial” bandied around your local garden canter and wondered what they mean. Wonder no more!
- Annual refers to a plant that grows, has its growing season with leaves flowers and fruits, then dies off in the winter, never to be seen again.
- Perennial is a plant that has its growing season as above, then appears to die back in the winter but is actually dormant, then pops back up again in the spring.
(There’s also Biennial, which means plants that come up for 2 years only, but we’re not talking about that here – that’s just so you know in case you need to impress someone at the garden canter.)
If a plant is naturally an annual, you cannot change its habits and bring it back for another year. Sorry!
A perennial plant can die off in the winter and not come back again as if it were an annual, if it is not given its preferred conditions.
Many plants that are considered perennial may die off because of cold temperatures, diseases or pests – there’s no guarantee it will come back if conditions are adverse.
Most begonia – and therefore betulia – plants are perennial in their native environments; however in colder areas they may die off in the colder winters.
If you can get your betulia plant to survive the winter, you’ve got yourself a perennial plant!
How Do I Deadhead A Betulia?
Deadheading is not as vicious as it sounds – it simply means removing the spent flowers from where they have grown and died.
Deadheading is actually a great way to encourage more blooming – the plant can then focus all its energies on new blossoms.
Deadheading a betulia could hardly be easier – generally the dead flowers will fall off by themselves, or even be blown away by the wind.
If you have one or two that are hanging on stubbornly, simply nip them off with your thumb and forefinger.
This is a great opportunity to check the health of the overall plant; make sure that the leaves and stems are looking healthy and that there are no pests.
If you spot dropping foliage, it is worth making sure that the plant has all its favorite conditions to grow in so that it is in its best health.
You can snip off damaged or diseased leaves or stems while deadheading too, to give the plant the best chance at survival.
If you have never deadheaded before, have a look through this article.
How To Store Betulia Tubers?
If you want to keep your betulia fighting for another year and you live in a cool part of the world, digging up the roots to overwinter is your best bet.
- Using a garden fork, dig around the foliage of your betulia, about a foot away from the main plant.
- Gently lift the entire root ball, and shake off the excess dirt. Remove any leaves and stems right at the base of where they grow.
- Place the tubers (roots) in a cool, dry area for several weeks to allow them to “cure”.
- After this time, shake off the remaining soil and remove any stray roots or stalks, as these can rot and damage the tuber.
- Place the tubers in a single layer on screen trays, or pack them in sand or sawdust for insulation.
- Store the tubers in a cool, dry place that will remain above freezing temperatures for the whole of the winter.
- When spring arrives, place the tubers into damp potting soil and store them in a warm environment.
- You will soon see shoots appearing and the plant should start to root; at this point plant them into rich, well-draining potting soil.
- Once they are fully established, you can replant your betulia back outside, or grow them on indoors for a lovely display.
This video gives some great tips on how to store your different plants’ tubers (begonia family starts at 3 minutes!):
How Long Does Betulia Live For?
Although this plant IS considered a perennial, it sadly will not grow forever, even with the best wintertime care.
All plants have a “shelf life” – ie they will stop growing and die eventually, once they have reached their age limits.
For betulia, this age limit is around 2-3 years. Some growers can squeeze an extra season or two, but the plant will not be as vibrant as it once was.
If you stagger your buying of betulia, and buy at least one new plant every year, you can keep your supply of these lovely plants steady and never have to be without one!
This easygoing little plant is a great addition to your garden, whether that be indoors or out. Once you have figured out how to grow it, it will repay you with pretty flowers for a long time to come!
If you want to keep your betulia going for longer than a season (and who wouldn’t!) then know you have some great ideas on how to do just that.
