Begonia 'Picotee Lace Pink' (picotee lace pink begonia) care

Light

Begonia 'Picotee Lace Pink' wants the spot a few feet back from a sunny window — bright enough to read a paperback at noon, but the sun never falls directly on the leaves. Flowers best in partial shade or dappled light, ideally morning sun with afternoon shade. Deep shade reduces blooming and the picotee edge colour; hot, full afternoon sun scorches the pale, delicate petals and the soft foliage. A faint hand shadow at midday is the right amount; a sharp dark shadow means it's getting direct sun and probably too much.

Watering

Water begonia 'picotee lace pink' keep evenly moist; water when the surface begins to dry, often every 2-4 days in summer pots. The actual day count varies with pot size, light, and season — the finger test (or lifting the pot to feel its weight) is more reliable than a fixed calendar. Empty any drainage saucer afterwards so the pot isn't sitting in water. Keep the compost consistently moist but never waterlogged, watering at the base so the ruffled blooms and brittle stems stay dry. Pots and baskets dry quickly in summer and may need daily attention. Reduce watering as foliage yellows in autumn to begin tuber dormancy.

Soil and pot

Begonia 'Picotee Lace Pink' grows best in rich, moisture-retentive but free-draining potting compost. Use a good multipurpose or peat-free compost with added grit or perlite for drainage. The shallow roots and brittle, succulent stems need an open mix; heavy, waterlogged compost rots the crown and tuber. A pot with a working drainage hole is non-negotiable for this species — even free-draining mix will turn soggy in a closed planter. If you love the look of a decorative pot without a hole, use it as a cachepot around an inner nursery pot you can lift out to water.

Humidity and temperature

Begonia 'Picotee Lace Pink' sits happiest at around Average to moderately high (40-60%) humidity and 13-24°C (frost-tender) (55-75°F (frost-tender)). Content in normal garden and patio humidity. Good airflow matters more than added humidity; crowded, damp, stagnant conditions promote powdery mildew and botrytis on the soft, double blooms. If you keep the room above 13 year-round and avoid placing the plant near a cold draught, a hot radiator, or an air-conditioning vent, you have already handled the two biggest indoor stressors.

Fertilising

Feed begonia 'picotee lace pink' sparingly. Feed every 1-2 weeks through summer with a high-potash liquid feed such as a tomato fertiliser to sustain the double flowers. Start with balanced feed and switch to high-potash once buds form; stop feeding as the plant dies back in autumn. Skip fertiliser entirely on a stressed, recently-repotted, or actively wilting plant — fertiliser salts make damage worse, not better. Wait for a round of healthy new growth before resuming a feeding rhythm.

Common problems

Below are the issues we see most often on begonia 'picotee lace pink' in the Growli community. Each is annotated with the most common cause so you know where to start.

• Botrytis (grey mould) — Double blooms hold moisture and rot in cool, damp weather. Deadhead promptly, improve airflow and avoid overhead watering.
• Powdery mildew — White coating on leaves in humid, crowded, still conditions. Space plants and keep the foliage dry.
• Petal scorch — Direct hot sun marks the pale picotee petals. Site in partial or dappled shade.
• Tuber rot — Overwet compost or damp winter storage rots the tuber. Use free-draining compost and store dried tubers cool, dry and frost-free.

Propagation

Propagate by basal stem cuttings taken in spring or by dividing dormant tubers so each piece has a growth bud. As a named picotee cultivar it is increased vegetatively to keep the flower colour true. Propagation is the cheapest, most satisfying way to expand a collection — and it doubles as insurance against losing a mature plant to an accident. Take a backup cutting once the parent is established and healthy.

Toxicity to pets

Begonia 'Picotee Lace Pink' is toxic to pets. The ASPCA lists Begonia as toxic to cats, dogs and horses. The toxic principle is soluble calcium oxalates, most concentrated in the underground tubers, which are large in tuberous begonias. Ingestion causes oral irritation, hypersalivation, vomiting and difficulty swallowing; large amounts can cause kidney failure in grazing animals. If you keep cats, dogs, or curious children in the house, weigh placement carefully — a high shelf or a hanging planter is enough for casual safety. For severe ingestion incidents, call your local vet and the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (in the US, 888-426-4435).

Pet-safety status is sourced from the ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List, which catalogues the most-asked-about plants for cats, dogs, and horses.

Begonia 'Picotee Lace Pink' deep-dive guides

Every aspect of begonia 'picotee lace pink' care, each with its own calibrated guide:

• Begonia 'Picotee Lace Pink' watering schedule
• Begonia 'Picotee Lace Pink' light requirements
• Best soil mix for begonia 'picotee lace pink'
• Begonia 'Picotee Lace Pink' fertilizing guide
• When to repot begonia 'picotee lace pink'
• How to propagate begonia 'picotee lace pink'
• Begonia 'Picotee Lace Pink' growth rate & size
• Begonia 'Picotee Lace Pink' cold hardiness
• Begonia 'Picotee Lace Pink' temperature & humidity
• Is begonia 'picotee lace pink' toxic to cats & dogs?
• Is begonia 'picotee lace pink' toxic to cats?
• Is begonia 'picotee lace pink' toxic to dogs?
• Getting begonia 'picotee lace pink' to bloom

Featured in these plant shortlists

Begonia 'Picotee Lace Pink' qualifies for 8 curated Growli shortlists — each one filtered objectively from our structured plant-care library, so the selection is consistent and checkable:

• Best low-light houseplants — Houseplants that need no direct sun and cope with a north-facing room or a spot well back from a window.
• Best plants for a north-facing window — Houseplants for a north-facing window: bright, even, indirect light and no scorching direct sun. Each pick verified against its documented light needs.
• Best drought-tolerant houseplants — Houseplants that prefer to dry out — forgiving of forgotten watering and ideal for travel or busy weeks.
• Best houseplants for beginners — Forgiving of irregular light and watering — the houseplants least likely to die in a new plant parent’s first season.
• Best flowering houseplants — Indoor plants grown for their blooms — selected from the flowering species in Growli’s plant-care library.
• Houseplants toxic to cats & dogs — The common houseplants the ASPCA lists as toxic to cats and dogs — the ones to keep out of reach, each with its symptoms and a safe alternative.
• Best succulents for beginners — The easiest succulents and cacti to keep alive — selected by documented growth habit, each with the light and watering it actually wants.
• Best small & tabletop houseplants — Compact houseplants that stay under about 40 cm — desk, shelf and windowsill plants that never outgrow a small space.
• Browse all 29 plant shortlists — pet-safe, low-light, drought-tolerant and more

Related guides

Begonia 'Picotee Lace Pink' is also commonly called picotee lace pink begonia or picotee tuberous begonia.

• Types of begonia — varieties identified, with care and pet-safety
• Peace lily care — light, water and common problems
• Bird of paradise care — light, water and common problems
• Hoya care — light, water and common problems
• All 2464 plant care guides in the Growli library