---
title: "hi! first time posting here:) i was gifted a very suffering but…"
description: "hi! first time posting here:) i was gifted a very suffering but previously very beautiful begonia rex recently. i believe she was underwatered, then someone…"
url: "https://getplanta.com/community/E0XplorCSjGLEBS-wt3jlg/ZoH870yEkjVPIzc7eZliSu"
community: "Begonia Buddies"
author: "kal"
published: "2026-10-22T14:47:56.039231Z"
language: "en"
image: "https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/nHU8mdfURNJLJaerQF4tUDX_pdJCJhgDxQi9TbBXPcc/F7zMwrD5SqKYLydMxvynJQ.webp?size=large"
---

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# hi! first time posting here:) i was gifted a very suffering but…

_Posted by kal on 2026-10-22_

hi! first time posting here:)

i was gifted a very suffering but previously very beautiful begonia rex recently. i believe she was underwatered, then someone noticed and overwatered her, but her drainage situation was bad. that was when i got her.

up until a few days ago when i trimmed, she was super mushy with no leaves. i repotted her, and her roots look okay? i trimmed away most of the rot and there are still stems with healthy roots on them.

all this to say, does this plant seem alive? i just can't tell. people keep saying she is, but i am not seeing progress. no matter what i do, it seems to overwater, then underwater, then overwater...

the photo with the pink stick is her now, with the other being her when i first got her. seems a bit hopeless now. obviously i can give any more information, im just not sure what's relevant tbh.

any suggestions?

![Attachment 1 of 2](https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/nHU8mdfURNJLJaerQF4tUDX_pdJCJhgDxQi9TbBXPcc/F7zMwrD5SqKYLydMxvynJQ.webp?size=large)

![Attachment 2 of 2](https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/nHU8mdfURNJLJaerQF4tUDX_pdJCJhgDxQi9TbBXPcc/U3qgarorR_-RRcEJHMGo0A.webp?size=large)

## 2 comments

### Waspinator commented on 2026-10-24

Those stems don't look healthy enough to recover. You probably didn't get all of the rot when you trimmed it (mold can extend as far as a full inch past the visible part). Tips for maintaining soil moisture: I usually put begonias in a self-watering style pot; it really helps keep things wet without rotting. If you do a pot with drainage, bottom-watering works well. With sick plants that have dropped all their leaves, you may need to water less often because it can't use much water without leaves to photosynthesize with. To judge if it needs water or not, stick your finger down into the soil. If it's dry an inch down, water. If it's still wet down there, wait. It's also good to fluff up the soil from time to time; the mix begonias like is prone to getting compacted

### Robert commented on 2026-10-31

I got a begonia from a garden centre. They watered it too much! I have it on stones to ventilate it

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