The Sophie Cecile

Holes

And one more

Looks to me as though there is not enough humidity as the leaves look dry around the edges.I think the light could be too hot or too strong for the location of the plant. It looks healthy otherwise.Yes, begonias need good drainage, if you leave it in that pot be careful with the watering.

I'd cut the worst leaves off, pull the entire rootball out and put it in a container with good drainage and probably new potting mix. You can put the new pot back in this bowl for decorative looks. You can drill a hole in the bottom of this bowl as well if you don't want to use a new pot.

I have a feeling the ivy will eventually take over choking out the begonia. You can cut the tops before that happens though and start them in a new pot. Sophie is an easy begonia to propagate but hard to find anyone who has had it to bloom. I've had one for close to 30 years and I don't remember it ever blooming but the leaves are enough for me.

I had one bloom many years ago, it was in an East window with strong light, I took two pictures and sent them on a round robin as so many people find it a shy bloomer. The hybridizer (Kusler) always denied it was a poor bloomer. I wonder how she grew it at her home . . . I think it looks a lot like B . 'Lana', maybe I didn't have the plant I thought I had back then. I've grown it from cuttings a few times since, never had any more blooming.

I can't tell if the holes were caused by some kind of critter munching, or maybe hail or acorns falling on the plant. Great looking plant, though. I would get rid of the ivy or at least separate the plants. Ivy + inside = spider mites.

Woe, Lana is an easy bloomer and smaller than Sophie. The leaves aren't as cut as Sophie either. There are a couple more that look like Sophie but hard to tell them apart - Pagoda and Ina Mae or Ida May or something like that (passalong plant with longer narrower leaves than Sophie).

It really doesn't matter how the holes got there once they are there - either let them alone or clean them up - won't hurt other than visual annoyance. Often it is mechanical damage from falling debris - not too many insects munch on begonias but they do from time to time.

My old{{gwi:440103}} photo of 'Sophie', I never had any more blooms.