Begonia ‚Flamingo Soul‘ - Care

A location with partial shade or a grow light without any direct sun suits this begonia best. Direct light scorches the sensitive, velvety leaf surface and causes the silvery-purple pattern to fade quickly. Placed in too much darkness, however, the growth becomes tougher, so bright but well-filtered light is therefore ideal.

Water moderately once the top layer of the substrate has dried out – this begonia cannot tolerate waterlogging and reacts to it quickly with rot at the rhizome. The high humidity this variety needs is therefore not achieved through particularly frequent watering, but through the ambient air. When watering, try to avoid getting water on the leaves as much as possible.

During the growth phase, a well-diluted liquid fertilizer every 3 to 4 weeks is sufficient; fertilization should be stopped in autumn and winter. As a guideline for the genus, a pH value of about 5.5 to 6.5 and an electrical conductivity of the irrigation water of roughly 1.0 to 1.5 mS/cm are considered suitable. If the plant is only placed by the window in autumn and winter, no further fertilization is needed due to the weaker light anyway; however, with year-round bright plant lamp illumination, fertilization can continue for a somewhat longer period at the normal rhythm.

We consciously alternate between different fertilizers for our own plants – currently including COMPO COMPLETE, Foliage Focus, Liquid Gold Leaf, and Hesi TNT-Complex, supplemented with Hesi Root Complex, Hesi PowerZyme, and CalMag as needed.

A very loose, nutrient-rich substrate with a high proportion of organic material ensures the right balance between moisture retention and drainage. A pot with good drainage is mandatory, as the rhizome is sensitive to prolonged wetness.

When it comes to humidity, this begonia is significantly more demanding than average: levels between 70 and 90 % are universally considered necessary for it to thrive. A closed or semi-open terrarium or greenhouse is therefore much more suitable than an open windowsill. In terms of temperature, the ideal range is between 20 and 28 °C, with around 25 °C being particularly comfortable.

As a rhizomatous begonia, ‚Flamingo Soul‘ spreads quite rapidly under warm, consistent conditions. The asymmetrical leaves appear silvery with a purple edge and a similarly purple main vein, while the underside of the leaf shimmers in an intense, almost luminous purple and is densely covered with fine purple hairs—a detail that is especially noticeable upon closer inspection. During the autumn and winter months, when kept solely indoors near a window, growth noticeably slows due to weaker light; however, growth remains largely consistent under year-round bright plant lamp illumination.