Begonias come in three distinct versions; winter-flowering, leaf-type and cane-type. The variation within each version is very wide. All begonias flower, except for the leaf-type who make up for it by having beautifully textured and coloured leaves.

Care for this plant is very similar to that required by African Violets. To ensure you grow a nice healthy plant, use terracotta pots, pick a warm (20-22° C) bright spot with no or very little direct sun and always remove dead flowers and damaged/dead leaves. Finally only water with room temperature rain/filtered tap water.

Watering can be a bit tricky. The idea is to keep the soil moist, but not too wet as the roots will rot. This is one of the easiest plants to kill with kindness/over watering. There is nothing Begonias hate more than soggy feet, so try to avoid this situation at all costs!

I found the following approach to watering quite affective for my cane-type Begonias. Only use terracotta pots, which are porous and breathe, not plastic ones that don't. If the top ¼-½ an inch of the topsoil is dry and dusty to the touch, it needs watering. Stand the plant in a bowl/sink of water for 15-20 minutes or until soaked fully. Stand the now soggy plant on the kitchen drainer, for at least 15 minutes, to allow the excess water to drain off. This way soil won't get waterlogged, thus avoiding the root rot problem.

It is recommended to feed begonias every 8-14 days from early Spring to late Summer.

Begonias are pretty much pest free and are a good plant for a beginner as they don't require loads of special treatment. Leaf and flower drop is caused by lack of light, indicating that the plant needs to be moved to a more sunny location. Once moved it will soon recover. The only major thing to avoid is soggy soil which produces mildew or mould growths that will eventually rot the plant. Leaf-type begonias dislike water on their leaves as they rot too.

Cuttings can be taken from all types of begonias and at almost any time of the year. Although those taken from winter-flowering varieties don't tend to produce good plants. They are considered to be "throw-away" plants as they flower less and less as the years go by. Plants in their first year of flowering produce the most spectacular results. The best method of propagation in their case is from seed. All the others can be reproduced from top or leaf cuttings, with little or no loss in flower production.

Simply find a reasonably large leaf (cut off cleanly as near to the base of the plant as possible) or a strong and healthy top shoot. Fill a small glass with rain water/filtered tap water and place a small piece of charcoal in the bottom (to prevent algae from growing in the water) and cover the top with cling-film. Pierce a hole in the centre of the cling-film with a pencil, large enough to get the stem of the cutting through and allow it to sit in the water, but not touching the bottom or sides of the glass. Place the glass next to the plant you took the cutting from or in a location as described above and leave to grow roots. Change the water regularly, weekly should be reasonable. Take care to not damage the developing root system when doing this.

When a reasonably large root network has formed, pot up the cuttings and find suitable location for them. In the case of leaf cuttings, a mixture of peat and sand is advised. For top shoot cuttings, compost from a cucumber or tomato grow bag is best. Start feeding immediately to encourage new growth.