I am seriously OBSESSED with my polka dot begonia. They’re oddly hard to get in my area and unfortunately I didn’t have a friend to steal a cutting from for polka dot begonia propagation, so I scoured all of the house plant stores in my area. I finally found one in February of this year–and paid a pretty penny for it. But oh MY has it grown! See the photo below for a really cool before and after comparison.
As you can see, these things SERIOUSLY grow like weeds. I even had to stake mine. Because these plants grow so quickly, they make the ideal candidate for propagation. Check out my guide below to learn everything you need about polka dot begonia propagation.
How to propagate polka dot begonias
The first steps are exactly like propagating a normal plant, take your sharpest cutting shears and select your leaf. Typically, I like to go for one that isn’t new. As you can see below, I actually picked a leaf that was somewhat damaged by the sun in this case.
After selecting your leaf for propagation, go ahead and make your cut as close to the stem as possible. Alternatively, if your plant has more than one branch, you can cut that and propagate it. However, I chose to propagate just a single leaf. Take a look at the photo below if you want to see how I did it.
Once you’ve made your cutting, dab a little cinnamon on the Mother plant, from where you took the cutting. This helps prevent disease, something that begonias can be crazy susceptible to. Next, place your cutting in filtered water and wait for roots to form! Take care not to place your cuttings in direct sunlight, this can scorch the leaves and prevent adequate root growth. I have this cutting in a vase from Vintage Revivals.
It should take at least two weeks for roots to begin forming. I like to wait to move to the soil until the roots are at least four inches long.
Polka dot begonia care
Once you have moved your cutting to soil, the real work begins! Polka dot begonias, though they grow fast, can be kind of tricky to care for if your home isn’t humid enough. Find out more care specifics below:
Light: Bright, indirect. Mine sits near an East-facing window. It also sits under a grow light for a few hours every day. It seems to love the light!
Water: Begonias LOVE water. Water when the top inch of soil is dry. However, make sure it’s in a well-draining pot as polka dot begonias hate soggy soil and make a perfect candidate for root rot. I water 2-3 times per week, depending on how hot it is.
Humidity: High humidity is key to a polka dot begonia that thrives. If you notice your leaves beginning to crisp, it’s likely that humidity is the issue. Use a pebble tray to supplement humidity, but NEVER mist the leaves–this could cause mildew and fungus issues.
