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My cat chewed up my begonia!
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Posted by melcolton Texas (My Page) on Wed, May 9, 07 at 16:04
| I have a beautiful orange begonia on my dining room table and while I was away my cat chewed up a lot of the leaves.
What can I do to help my plant, should I cut off the chewed up leaves? |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: My cat chewed up my begonia!
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| I am sorry, it is a Rieger Begonia. |
RE: My cat chewed up my begonia!
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| I was told by a begonia expert when I was just starting out, many years ago, that the plant will waste energy trying to repair damaged leaves instead of growing new ones. I'm not sure that's true, but I know they can't succeed and I always take them off. If quite a few are damaged it's probably best not to take them all off at once. She also told me to leave a bit of the leaf petiole (stem) and let it dry off by itself as sometimes if you cut it too close rot can set in in the wound. Some begonias are recommended for adding to salads and such, so I guess it's not surprising your kitty thought it would make a good snack! |
RE: My cat chewed up my begonia!
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| Thanks for the advice, I went ahead and cut the damaged leaves and I make sure to put the plant up high before I go out for a long period of time and at night. |
RE: My cat chewed up my begonia!
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| I had (note, HAD) a cat that climbed up on top of my refrigerator where I *thought* my orchid would be safe. NOT. Now it's just me and the dogs! |
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