How to Grow Begonia Fannie Moser - Plant Care Guide

Last Updated on April 18, 2022 by Admin

The Begonia Fannie Moser is an angel wing begonia. It s also known by the name Begonia Little Miss Mummy.

Although, I’ve almost never heard anyone use that name to refer to this plant oddly enough.

In any case, the is a hybrid that cam about from crossing the Begonia Jumbo Jet and Begonia Amelia.

The Begonia Fannie Moser have beautiful wing-shaped leaves that feature dark green leaves with small white spots. The undersides are cherry red.

How do you care for the Begonia Fannie Moser? It does well in different lighting conditions. But the plant grows best.

Keep the plant in a warm environment with moderate to high humidity. It likes evenly moist soil but is prone to overwatering. So, always allow the soil to dry between waterings.

Table of Contents

Begonia Fannie Moser Plant Care

Light Requirements

The Begonia Fannie Moser enjoys medium to bright indirect light indoors. Outdoors, it is best placed in shelter or with shade over it. There, it thrives in partial shade.

It is also worth thing that it can tolerate low light.

This makes it somewhat easier to position indoors. As you can almost choose whatever spot you want based on lighting.

However, I say almost because there are two areas you want to avoid.

These are the extremes. Very dim or dark spaces as well as areas with harsh direct sunlight.

Too little light is detrimental for the plant since it relies on photosynthesis to produce its energy. On the other hand, photosynthesis needs sunlight to work.

So, lack of light, dim locations and dark corners are no-nos.

These will make the plant weaker over time as it won’t be able to produce enough energy due to the lack of illumination.

You’ll also see the plant become leggy or even bend towards the light source.

On the other hand, like other begonia varieties, the Begonia Fannie Moser cannot tolerate very intense direct sunlight for long hours at a time daily.

This will eventually burn its beautiful foliage.

At the very least, the excess light will dull its color and cause them to fade.

As such, avoid putting it near a south facing window. Outdoors, don’t leave it in full sun.

If you want to keep in facing the southern direction, you can keep it 3 feet away or more from the. Or you can block some of the light coming in from shat window with sheer curtains.

Temperature

The Begonia Fannie Moser is a warm weather loving plant. It comes from tropical and subtropical regions which makes it used to moderate to warm temperatures.

As such, its ideal temperature is between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit.

It can likewise tolerate higher temperatures. But this range is where it feels most comfortable in.

That said, try to avoid very hot environments over 86 degrees Fahrenheit.

The other important thing to remember is that the plant is not frost hardy. In fact, it does not like the cold. And its temperature tolerance stops at 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

Therefore, try to avoid leaving it in areas that are colder that this. There, you’ll see its growth slow down.

And if the conditions persist or get colder, growth may completely stunt as well.

Its leaves will turn color and the plant will wilt.

Needless to say, never leave the plant outdoors through the winter. Instead, move the plant indoors by mid-fall once the temperature starts dropping.

In the winter, try to keep the plant warm indoors. You can use a heat mat under the pot if your homes internal temperature stays quite cold.

Cold weather couples with little light (due to shorter days) can make the Begonia Fannie Moser go dormant.

If this happens, cut down on water significantly but don’t let the soil go completely dry. Once the warmth of spring arrives, the plant will bounce back and start growing again.

Humidity

The Begonia Fannie Moser likes humidity. Its ideal humidity is 60% to 80%. And it won’t mind higher humidity as well.

That said, it can tolerate humidity of 50% or slightly less.

But be careful not do leave it anywhere with dry air.

This will cause its beautiful leaves to crisp up on the edges and tips. They will turn brown and get brittle. Additionally, the plant will struggle.

The lower the humidity and the longer it is left there, the more brown leaves it will develop.

As such, if your home does not get sufficient humidity for the plant’s needs, try to increase the air moisture around the plant.

You don’t have to increase humidity in your entire home or the entire room.

Instead, just the surrounding area around the plant.

One easy solution to do this is to set up a pebble tray. You can also use a humidity tray instead if you prefer.

Both work the same but just different apparatus.

Alternatively, you can get a humidifier and use that as well.

If you want something simple, you can just move the plant to the bathroom or group it with your other houseplants.

Misting is also an option. But I do not like it.

While misting does help with humidity, there’s always the risk of wetting the leaves too much and leaving them that way.

This increases the risk of fungal disease.

How Often to Water Begonia Fannie Moser

The Begonia Fannie Moser has medium watering needs. It likes moist soil. But it does not like overwatering. Nor does it enjoys going completely dry.

As such, staying in the middle and not trying to be too generous with water is very important with this plant.

Similarly, don’t the soil or root ball completely go dry especially for long periods.

Of the two, excess water is more dangerous as it can lead to root rot. Therefore, it is better to stay on the drier side of things.

It also means, if you’re not sure when you last watered or if the soil needs water or not, don’t water it. Instead, just wait.

Erring on the dry side of things is much more prudent.

This is why the best way to water the Begonia Fannie Moser is to allow the top 1-2 inches of soil to dry between waterings.

Doing so ensures that part of the soil has dried before more water is adding.

This prevents overwatering.

It also keeps the roots from sitting in too much liquid for long periods of time which can happen if you keep adding water when the soil is still moist.

Begonia Fannie Moser Potting Soil

The Begonia Fannie Moser needs well-draining soil. Ideally, the soil should stay most as well.

The plant will likewise appreciate humus-rich soil with organic matter.

Keep soil pH between 6.1 to 7.5. Mildly acidic to neutral soil will allow the plant to thrive and absorb as much nutrients from the soil and fertilizer as it can.

Soil plays an important role with the Begonia Fannie Moser because it can help or harm the plant’s roots.

Dense, heavy soils can hold too much moisture which leave the roots swimming in too much water. This can eventually lead to root rot.

On the other hand, very sandy soil will drain too much water too quickly. As a result, the roots dry out.

Therefore, well-draining soil is what you want to supply the plant.

This kind of soil holds some (not a lot) of water to keep the roots hydrated. At the same time, quickly drains excess water to keep the roots from root rot.

To create the perfect soil for the Begonia Fannie Moser at home, you can mix:

2 parts peat moss
1 part perlite
1 part compost

This combination will give you enjoy moisture retention so the roots stay happily hydrated. But to avoid overwatering and waterlogging, perlite is there to quickly drain excess liquid.

Compost gives the soil some slow release organic matter to provide the plant with nutrients.

On the other hand, if you prefer buying soil from the store instead, you can go ahead and pick up an African violet mix.

Fertilizer

The Begonia Fannie Moser will benefit from regular fertilizer. But it does not need it all the time.

Therefore, be careful in being too generous with plant food.

That’s because too much fertilizer can harm the plant. It can cause fertilizer burn that will damage the roots.

This will prevent the roots from functioning efficiently.

As a result, the roots won’t be able to absorb the same amount of water or nutrients as they used to. This will negatively affect the plant’s health.

That said, the Begonia Fannie Moser is not overly picky about fertilizer.

So, you can choose from many different kinds.

You can use an all-purpose fertilizer one a month during its growing season. Once fall comes around, you can stop feeding.

Don’t fertilize in the winter. And only restart feeding in spring.

Also, dilute the dose by half strength to avoid over concentration. Never apply fertilizer on dry soil either. It always needs to be moist before you do.

Pruning

The Begonia Fannie Moser can grow to between 2 to 3 feet high and 1.5 to 2 feet wide.

This is a beautiful looking plant with large spotted leaves that go out the sides in a flat fashion.

Depending on how you grow and groom the plant, it can get really bushy and dense.

If you let it grow out, the leaves will overlap one another and make the plant look like a large bush in a pot.

I particular like this look especially if you keep the plant in the patio, porch or deck.

But you may prefer a less fuller plant.

If so, you can prune it to reduce its size or density.

However, don’t overdo things. Avoid pruning more than a third in one sitting. Instead, trim little by little.

How to Propagate Begonia Fannie Moser

Begonia Fannie Moser propagation is usually done with stem cuttings or division.

The two methods work really well.

But they are very different.

Stem propagation takes stem cuttings and grows these into new plant. On the other hand, division splits up your mother plant into smaller plants and grows them from there.

As such, which propagation method you go with depends on the situation.

That said, the best time to propagate the Begonia Fannie Moser is during spring.

Here’s how to propagate Begonia Fannie Moser from stem cuttings.

Begin by looking for healthy stem cuttings. You’re looking for herbaceous stems. You want healthy stems with at least 1-2 nodes and 2 or more leaves.
Use a sterile cutting tool and snip off the stem just below the node.
Plant the cuttings into a pot with well-draining potting mix. Then water the soil to keep it moist.
Leave the pot in bright, indirect sunlight with good humidity.

It usually takes about a month for new roots to grow.

Then will then establish themselves into the soil.

In about 1-2 months from then, you’ll see some new shoots develop. And it they coming months, new leaves will follow.

How to Repot or Transplant Begonia Fannie Moser

The Begonia Fannie Moser needs repotting every 1-2 years. But it likes being lightly root bound. Therefore, don’t be in a hurry to move it.

Instead, wait for the plant to outgrow the pot before doing so.

You’ll know when this happens as its roots will be poking out from the drainage holes at the bottom of the pot.

Similarly, if the soil dries unusually quickly despite you just recently watering it.

Other reasons to repot is if the plant begins to tip over. As more leaves grow, it will be come top heavy. And in some cases, the pot may not balance the weight of the large leaves.

So, you’ll see the plant tip over.

Another reason to repot is either the current potting mix is holding too much liquid or the soil mix has been depleted.

If the plant needs repotting, do this early in spring.

When repotting, also replace the potting mix with a fresh one.

Is It Toxic/Poisonous to Humans, Cats & Dogs

Yes, Begonia Fannie Moser are toxic to people, dogs and cats. This makes it important to keep the plant out of reach from kids and pets since they may end up consuming the leaves while playing around the plant.

Begonia Fannie Moser Problems & Troubleshooting

Pests

As far as pests go, aphids and mealybugs are the most common problems you’ll experience.

Both are bothersome.

And they are almost harmless when there are only a few of the present.

Unfortunately, these bugs have short life cycles so they lay eggs sooner than later. They lay several eggs at a time It only takes a few days for the eggs to hatch.

This means they will develop quite quickly into an infestation.

So, get rid of these bugs when there are only a few of them.

You can use neem oil or insecticidal soap to eradicate them.

Diseases

Begonia Fannie Moser is prone to fungal diseases as well as rotting.

Stem and root rot can happen due to overwatering and excessive humidity. Therefore, be careful with too much moisture.

Allowing the soil to dry between waterings and having good ventilation will help prevent this.

Similarly, powdery mildew and botrytis can happen to the plant. Both are fungal diseases and you may need to use a fungicide.

However, you can likewise use neem oil if you prefer something more organic.

In the case of fungal infections, it is wetting the leaves too much when watering and not allowing them to quickly dry that’s often the cause.

How to Grow Begonia Fannie Moser – Plant Care Guide