How do I keep wax begonias from getting bare at the top?

Is one supposed to pinch wax begonias back to keep them bushy and free of the bare top stems?

Or am I just not feeding them enough? (I often forget to mix plant food and they sometimes go 6 weeks between feeding.)

Once the tops are bare, will pinching down to a leaf help?

Thanks,
Ann

Yes, pinch back - this should encourage it to put out new growth.

This is what I did with a lot of mine. Here is 'Charm' that I pinched back hard a few weeks ago and potted up to a bigger pot (4 inch to 8 inch).

Lovely Charm Begonia Butch. What's the blue fuzzy bloom? Ageratum?

Hi Jackie,

I lucked into finding 'Charm' this year. It has done very well.

A lot of people would think it is ageratum (except the leaves are different and the blooms probably are too but hard to tell with old eyes) so sometimes it is called wild or hardy ageratum. It is also known as blue mist flower (Conoclinium coelestinum - but in the past I think it was Eupatorium coelestinum)

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/625/

My eyes are definitely old. lol I couldn't even see the lvs. Glad to know
that it is sometimes called wild ageratum.

Thanks for the info, I will try pinching back even though it's late in the season. Guess it wouldn't hurt to feed them again, either...It should be about a month before the first frost here.

Ann