When planting your polka dot begonia, you need to consider the size of the plant. It’s very easy to spot the polka dot plant by its staple freckled leaves. Ideally, it lives on a table in a south-facing room, away from the window, or in an east-facing room. Polka dot plant care: soil and planting Soil. The humidity from the shower will perk up the plant. Polka Dot Plant Light. Basically Just Start with the tallest stem at the top, prune it back and then check for another stem that is hanging downward and shorten them an inch. Polka dot plants prefer a rich, loose, peat-based soil that drains well. It is a member of the Hypoestes species. I gave a small plant a quarter cup about twice a week. Provide a temperature of 60 F (16 C.) at any rate. Cultivation. Below you will find our complete Polka Dot Begonia care guide with all the info you need to keep your plant thriving. See more ideas about plant care, plants, house plants. Family Acanthaceae . Polka Dot Begonia Indoor Care … Fertilize polka dot plant monthly . Our team reserves the right to alter this privacy policy with no prior notice to you. Polka dot plants should be in indirect light. The Polka Dot Plant, or Hypoestes phyllostachya, is not only super cute, but also an easy to care for house plant. Plant them in warm, moist soil and keep watering a little every day. The plant gets very leggy very quickly, to avoid it, pinch the plant weekly. Polka Dot Plants also grow quickly, and they’re super easy to propagate in water! Polka dot Begonias are part of the so-called cane begonias. We use the latest security measures to make sure the information you provide and the information we gather stays confidential, such as encryption, user behavior monitoring, and a series of managerial procedures. Growing Polka Dots as House Plants The Polka Dot plant, Hypoestes phyllostachya, needs bright light but not full sun. Prolonged exposure to bright direct sunlight may burn and scorch their leaves. I have been an avid plant lover for as long as I can remember. If you want your plant to continue growing, repot every year or so or when you notice the roots are coming out of the pot. The delicate, downy green leaves are covered in spots and splashes of red, rose, white, or light green which give the plant its other nickname pink, red, or white splash. Take a look at this spotted beauty! Trim back polka dot plant flowers, as they are too small to be relevant and eat up a lot of resources. Cookies collect non-personally-identifiable information about your browsing patterns, which helps us pinpoint the areas of our website that require extra work and the areas that fully meet your needs. Cane begonias have these a-symmetrical angel wing leaves growing on long bamboo-like stems. Polka dot plant (Hypoestes phyllostachya), also known as freckle face plant, is a popular indoor plant (though it can be grown outdoors in warmer climates) grown for its attractive foliage. These plants tend to get pretty leggy, so to keep them nice and lush you need to cut off the tips of the stems every one to two weeks. How to care for begonia maculata: Polka dot begonia (Wightii) needs well-draining soil, and the pot should be in bright, indirect light. Polka Dot plants are only hardy in USDA zones 10-12. If you want to grow the plant outdoors then place it under a tree. Fairly easy to care for and propagate. Growing and caring for the Polka Dot plant is relatively easy. The scientific name for this plant is Hypoestes Phyllostachya. Try a slow-release fertilizer as well and see which works best. The potting mix should allow good drainage. Like many houseplants, the Hypoestes phyllostachya is prone to root rot if overwatered and so it is much better to underwater the plant as opposed to overwatering it. Once a month, feed the plant with a high-quality organic fertilizer designed for houseplants. Polka Dot Plant Indoor care. Part of the Latin name means “with a leaf spike,” referring to the pointed end of the ovate-shaped leaves. Simply place the seeds on the surface of warm, moist, rich soil and spray them every day to keep them watered. Strive for a healthy amount of sunlight for best results. The polka dot plant has the scientific name Hypoestes phyllostachya and is in the plant family Acanthaceae. I have been taking car e of my own plants for a year and have learned a lot along the way. Seeds are easy to germinate, and the plant can be started from cuttings. Do you already have a polka dot plant, or plan on getting one? Ever kill a plant on accident? How to care for a Begonia Maculata (Polka dot plant) Begonias are beautiful plants and they're surprisingly easy to take care of. Polka dot plants enjoy a constantly moist soil, without it being soggy. It grows to about 12×12 inches in size. When I give my garden talk on decorating your home with houseplants, polka dot plant (hypoestes phyllostachya) is one of my favorite examples. Southern gardeners should consider the polka dot begonia a shade plant, but those in colder climes can put them in bright windows with limited direct morning or afternoon sun. Begonias come in all shapes and sizes and can be quite intimidating because it has so many details on it. Dry air doesn’t agree with it, so keep it away from heating vents. Remove terminal growth at a node and pull off the leaves closest to the end. The polka dot plant is a relatively easy indoor plant to start with if for someone who is new to plants. The polka-dotted leaves feature colored splotches which can vary from a silvery green to bright pink, which makes it a great option if you’re looking for a pop of color. The polka dot plant prefers an environment with high humidity. So it’s not a big plant even though the leaves can get quite wide and you’ll need a medium-sized pot to grow it. This plant is one of the quirkier favorites among homeowners and gardeners. The plant gets very leggy very quickly, to avoid it, pinch the plant weekly. So it’s not a big plant even though the leaves can get quite wide and you’ll need a medium-sized pot to grow it. Polka dot plants enjoy a constantly moist soil, without it being soggy. This video will teach you tricks & tips for keeping your polka dot houseplant healthy & happy as an indoor plant! If you’re looking for something unusual that attracts attention, this over-the-top begonia is a great choice. Trim off about an inch for maintenance or up to 1/3 of the stem to shrink the plant. We want to know which pages and sections of our website satisfy your needs and are of real value to you and which ones need improvement so we can make the proper adjustments. These include pink and green, pink and white, green and white and red and green. In fact, this is where the plant’s name derived, as its leaves are dotted with splotches of color—from white to green, pink, or red. The easiest method for growing a polka dot plant, however, is from cuttings. Sunlight is very important for your polka dot plant as it directly affects how much color its foliage has. Indoors, it likes bright indirect light or a bit of sun in the morning. Hypoestes phyllostachya (polka dot plant) Like Fittonia, Hypoestes is appreciated for its interesting leaf colors and patterns. The care needs for this plant are simple. Leaf drop, distorted and stunted plant growth can occur. Its USDA hardiness zones are 10 and 11. However, if the alterations made affect your personal data in any way, you will be notified immediately by email, on our homepage, or here. If polka dots aren’t enough to turn your head, you’ll find polka dot plant in several striking color combos. Grow under glass in loam-freee compost in filtered, bright sunlight. Some use it as a singular houseplant, others like it for adding accents to garden beds outdoors. This Site is affiliated with CMI Marketing, Inc., d/b/a CafeMedia (“CafeMedia”) for the purposes of placing advertising on the Site, and CafeMedia will collect and use certain data for advertising purposes. This information cannot be used to track down your identity. It needs well-lit places and fertile soil to grow. Polka Dot Plant Care Guide. They can be grown either individually or in a terrarium, growing up to 20” tall. Hypoestes is the scientific name for the Polka Dot Plant, another name for it is Freckle Face. They all grow very nicely indoors, and because they tend to be small even as adults, they make great small indoor plants. Provide them with ample … A south facing window would be an ideal place for the polka dot plant to be. Polka dot plants are native to South Africa, Madagascar, and Southeast Asia. POLKA DOT PLANT CARE. Polka Dot Plant Light. Feed during the growing season. The Begonia maculata is a relatively fast grower and makes an excellent indoor houseplant or terrarium plant. Here I combine my passion for writing with my love for gardening and bring you tips, tricks and cool ideas! If you choose to opt in for our newsletter, we will also use your information to keep in touch. Leaves will look healthy and attractive. After purchasing the polka dot plant, the first step would be to transplant to a pot, because they come in plastic containers. Polka dot plants need fast-draining soil, with a high nutrient component. Grow it indoors or in your garden, and have fun with your new plant! 28-feb-2020 - Fortunate is the gardener who lives within the boundaries of U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 10 and 11 and is looking for an attractive shade-tolerant plant. The plants can be grown indoors with the use of a small to medium-sized planter. Information YouHadMeAtGardening.com Collects. During the fall and winter, fertilize every other month. Winter temperature should not be allowed to fall below 13 C. Warmth promotes healthy growth. With their unique angel-shaped dotted leaves, Polka Dot Begonia is a fairly easy plant to care for once you know what to do! Polka dot plant care. Treat severe outbreaks by spraying the entire plant with horticultural oil, mixed at a rate of 1 1/4 … Polka dot plants are native to South Africa, Madagascar, and Southeast Asia. Over the years I gathered knowledge about both domestic and wild plants, how they grow and their uses. Mix a layer of compost or organic fertilizer in the soil before planting and use a liquid fertilizer once a month during growth season. If you are starting from seeds, sow the seeds indoors in early spring under lights and pinch out the weaker seedlings. After flowering, the plant will likely become dormant or die outright. For best results, feed every two to four weeks and prune regularly. I had a pink polka dot plant around last year or so but i didnt take very good care of it, so i bought ANOTHER one the other day which i have named Sprout and I promised that i would water him when he needed watering, talk when needed, and on the occasion sing (i hear plants like singing and talking) and i pledged i would NOT let him diee!!!! Although polka dot plants are on the list of easy-to-care-for houseplants, following a few care tips will help your plant thrive. The white variant of the one above, also grows to about 12×12 inches, with white pointy leaves. 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