How often should I water my wax begonia hanging baskets? Can you fix them after they have stem rot?

I'm not sure if I have stem rot, but quite a few leaves have fallen off. It looks as though it may be possible that new leaves are coming through.

How often should I water my wax begonia hanging baskets? Can you fix them after they have stem rot?
I broke off healthy stems on mine this year and put them in a pot of dirt, keep them moist but not soaking wet, I now have several more pots of begonias, all started from a three year old plant that I bring in the house for the winter and set out in the summer, I trim it back when it gets leggy and it keeps coming back.
Reply:Let them dry out before you water them again. It sounds like you've been over watering them. I bought a moisture meter for plants at Walmart and I use that to determine when to water all my basket flowers. It will tell you how wet the soil is and then you can decide whether or not they need water. In my experience, wax begonias shouldn't be kept soaking wet because it will cause the roots to rot.
Reply:New growth will come out of the broken stems. In fact as soon as they start getting leggy you can cut them back give them a snack of plant food and they will regrow into another beautiful plant.
Reply:you can feel the pot is heavy after you first water.. if it is a regular 12" basket.. then you should have no problem.. you can tell by the weight if it needs water. When the pot is light, then you water.. but you HAVE TO let the soil dry almost completly before you water again.