Killed or saved

My successful plant has been badly potbound for some time. It’s been trying to grow, but it’s struggling. I finally put it out of its misery today – by repotting it, not killing it! How dare you! ;)

My begonia has also been horribly potbound. I also thought I’d killed it by overwatering it so much that the roots rotted. I removed all the permanently wilted leaves, then left what was left to dry out by putting its pot in a too-small decorative plastic pot with holes in it, and putting that pot in a tall orchid pot. The roots that had grown out the bottom of the pot were in the air, free to drain and dry out.

Once dried out, I could perform root-rot surgery, as directed in the book.

However, from the tuber things, shoots started growing, till it was covered in leaves like it used to be. Instead of the surgery, I misted it and watered it sparingly, with any excess water draining down into the orchid pot, so not drowning the roots again.

I noticed the plain-red big leaves had little greyish-green splotchy markings, like there was something wrong. Then I noticed that new leaves were variegated. That explained the greyish green markings. But why did they fade?

The begonia was still potbound, though, so I repotted it as well. I checked the book to see if the tuber things should go above or below ground. It didn’t say, but it noted that potbound plants lose their variegation. Ah.

Maybe all the new leaves will keep their colours for now.