Begonias are tender perennial , grown for their coloured flower and foliation . Most begonias can be grown outdoors in pots , in the ground , or in hanging basketful in filtered light and moist , but well debilitate filth . Where not hardy , grow as annuals or indoors as houseplants . Most begonia can be spread from leaf , stem or rhizome cuttings in addition to being sow from seed . The ‘ Silver Sweet ’ begonia grows from an upright rhizome . The foliage is very attractive , feature non - spiral leafage that are often gloss and model . The flowers are fragrant and pinkish . This flora enjoy separate out light but can take some Sunday in winter . Soil should ideally be moist . Begonias grow very well in peat - based compost also . like humidity . Does not like cold weather . Pinching tips and pruning knocked out stems in the growing time of year yield a shaggy industrial plant , just for flow baskets . Remove dead foliage to prevent disease .
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Characteristics
Requirements
Plant Care
Fertilizing
Light
You will find that sunshine and shade patterns change during the sidereal day . The western side of a house may even be shady due to phantom cast by large trees or a structure from an adjacent dimension . If you have just grease one’s palms a new house or just begin to garden in your older home , take time to map out sun and tincture throughout the day . You will get a more accurate feel for your site ’s unfeigned light conditions . Conditions : Filtered LightFor many plants that favor partially shady conditions , filter lightis paragon . sound planting sites are under a mid to large sized tree that lets some light through their branches or beneath grandiloquent plants that will provide some security . precondition : wet - loving HouseplantsHouseplants that expect ample H2O , or those labeled asmoisture - loving houseplantsrequire that they be water thoroughly until the territory is saturate and then drains freely from gob in the bottom of good deal . Re - pee when potting dirt becomes dry to the touch an inch or so below the land control surface . Conditions : Partial Sun , Partial ShadePart sunorpart shadeplants favor light that is filter out . Sunlight , though not direct , is important to them . Often morning sun , because it is not as strong as afternoon sun , can be debate part sun or part shadiness . If you live on in an domain that does not get much vivid sunshine , such as the Pacific Northwest , a full sun exposure may be fine . In other areas such as Florida , flora in a fix where good afternoon shade will be received . term : shining Light for HouseplantsHouseplants requiringbright lightshould be placed within 2 foot of an easterly or western picture windowpane or within 2 to 5 feet of a southerly exposure window . Conditions : Light and Plant SelectionFor proficient plant carrying out , it is desirable to match the right plant with the useable light-headed conditions . good flora , right property ! plant which do not find sufficient light may become sick in color , have fewer leave and a " leggy " stretched - out visual aspect . Also expect plants to uprise obtuse and have fewer blooms when light is less than desirable . It is possible to provide supplemental kindling for indoor plant life with lamp . plant can also find too much luminosity . If a shade lie with plant is exposed to unmediated sunlight , it may wilt and/or cause leave to be sunburned or otherwise damage .
Watering
The tonality to watering is water supply deep and less frequently . When tearing , water well , i.e. leave enough H2O to thoroughly impregnate the root nut . With in - soil plants , this intend thoroughly souse the soil until water has penetrate to a depth of 6 to 7 inches ( 1 ' being better ) . With container grown plants , apply enough water to allow pee to flow through the drain fix .
seek to irrigate flora betimes in the day or later in the afternoon to conserve water and cut down on plant stress . Do weewee early enough so that urine has had a chance to dry out from plant leaves prior to dark autumn . This is predominant if you have had fungus problems .
Do n’t wait to piss until plants wilt . Although some plant will recover from this , all plant will die if they wilt too much ( when they reach the permanent wilting point ) .
Consider water conservation methods such as drip irrigation , mulching , and xeriscaping . Drip systems which slowly drip moisture directly on the root system can be purchased at your local dwelling house and garden middle . Mulches can importantly cool down the root zone and conserve wet .
Consider adding piddle - save gels to the theme geographical zone which will hold a reserve of body of water for the flora . These can make a world of divergence peculiarly under stressful conditions . Be certain to follow recording label steering for their use .
Conditions : Normal Watering for Outdoor PlantsNormal wateringmeans that soil should be kept evenly moist and watered regularly , as conditions require . Most works like 1 inch of water a workweek during the growing season , but take care not to over water . The first two old age after a plant is put in , unconstipated lachrymation is important for formation . The first twelvemonth is decisive . It is better to water once a workweek and weewee profoundly , than to water frequently for a few minutes . Conditions : Indoor WateringPlant are compose of almost 90 % water system so it authoritative to supply them with adequate water . right tearing is essential for dear plant health . When there is not enough water supply , roots will wither and the works will droop . When too much body of water is applied too frequently , roots are deprive of oxygen and diseases go on such as root and stem rots .
The key fruit to lacrimation is frequency . Water well then hold back long enough until the plant needs to be re - water harmonise to its moisture prerequisite .
When watering , weewee well . That is , offer enough H2O to thoroughly impregnate the ascendant clod . With containerized plants , use enough water to allow water to flow through the drainage holes .
Avoid using dusty water especially with houseplant . This can shock tender roots . Fill lachrymation can with tepid water or provide insensate water to sit for a while to descend to room temperature before watering . This is a good way to allow any harmful chlorine in the weewee to disappear before being used .
Some plants are best water by bomber - irrigation , i.e. tearing from the bottom up . This avoids splosh water system on the leafage of sensitive works . Simply set the pot in a shallow genus Pan occupy with tepid water and have the flora sit for 15 minutes to allow the radical orchis to be good wet . Take out and allow sufficient drainage .
Use an unpainted dowel pin to facilitate you determine when to re - water larger pots . dumbfound it into the grime formal & look 5 minutes . The joggle will plunge wet from the soil and turn a darker color . Pull it out and probe . This will give you an idea of how wet the soil ascendant chunk is .
Roots require oxygen to breath , do not allow industrial plant to sit in a saucer filled with weewee . This will only promote disease .
Planting
A week to 10 days before planting , add 2 to 4 in of aged manure or compost and employment into the planting land site to improve fertility and increase piss retention and drain . If soil composition is weak , a bed of topsoil should be considered as well . No matter if your soil is sand or the Great Compromiser , it can be improved by add up the same affair : organic matter . The more , the better ; work deeply into the dirt . Prepare bed to an 18 column inch recondite for perennial . This will seem like a wondrous amount of work now , but will greatly bear off later . Besides , this is not something that is easily done later , once plants have been establish . How - to : Pinching and Thinning PerennialsOnce you plant a perennial , it does not mean that you will revel year of sustenance - detached horticulture . Perennials require to be worry for just like any other plant . One matter that distinguishes perennial is that they tend to be active growers that have to be thinned out occasionally or they will loosen energy .
As perennial give , it is important to snip them back and thin out them out occasionally . This will prevent them from totally taking over an area to the ejection of other plants , and also will increase air circulation thereby reduce the relative incidence of diseases like botrytis and powdery mildew .
Many mintage also flower extravagantly and bring out ample seed . As bloom fade it is advisable to deadhead your flora ; that is , to remove pass flowers before they form seed . This will prevent your plants from seed all over the garden and will conserve the considerable energy it deal the plant to make seed .
As perennials grow , they may form a dim root sight that eventually leads to a less vigorous plant . It is advisable to occasionally thin out a stand of such perennial . By dividing the root system , you could make young plants to implant in another area of the garden or give away . Also steady down pruning will stir new maturation and rejuvenate the flora . Most perennial may be successfully divided in either spring or crepuscle . Do a fiddling homework ; some perennials do have a preference . How - to : prepare ContainersContainersare excellent when used as an ornamental feature , a planting selection when there is short or no soil to plant in , or for plant that require a soil case not get in the garden or when soil drainage in the garden is deficient . If growing more than one works in a container , make trusted that all have similar cultural requirements . Choose a container that is deep and large enough to take into account tooth root development and increment as well as proportional counterbalance between the fully developed plant and the container . institute magnanimous containers in the post you designate them to stay . All containers should have drainage holes . A interlocking blind , broken Lucius DuBignon Clay pot pieces(crock ) or a paper chocolate filter placed over the hole will keep grunge from washing out . The potting filth you select should be an appropriate mix for the plants you have select . Quality soils ( or soil - less medias ) absorb moisture promptly and evenly when pissed . If pee runs off filth upon initial leak , this is an index number that your soil may not be as in effect as you think .
Prior to fill a container with land , wet potting soil in the udder or place in a bath or barrow so that it is evenly moist . sate container about midway full or to a level that will allow plant life , when planted , to be just below the rim of the pot . Rootballs should be plane with soil line when undertaking is complete . water supply well . How - to : Planting PerennialsDetermine appropriate perennial for your garden by considering sun and shade through the day , exposure , water requirement , clime , soil makeup , seasonal colour desired , and side of other garden plants and trees .
The best times to establish are spring and fall , when grunge is workable and out of danger of frost . drop planting have the reward that base can uprise and not have to contend with developing top increment as in the spring . Spring is more desirable for perennials that dislike wet conditions or for cold areas , leave full validation before first winter . Planting in summertime or wintertime is not advisable for most industrial plant , unless planting a more found sized works .
To plant container - grown plants : Prepare planting kettle of fish with appropriate deepness and place between . Water the plant good and get the excess water waste pipe before cautiously removing from the container . Carefully loose the root ball and place the plant in the hole , working grease around the origin as you satisfy . If the flora is passing source bound , separate roots with finger’s breadth . A few slits made with a sac knife are okay , but should be hold back to a lower limit . Continue filling in soil and water thoroughly , protect from direct sun until stable .
To plant bare - tooth root plants : Plant as soon as possible after leverage . fix suitable planting holes , spread roots and mold soil among ancestor as you sate in . Water well and protect from direct sunshine until unchanging .
To plant seedlings : A number of perennials produce self - sown seedling that can be transplanted . You may also start your own seedling bottom for transplanting . Prepare suited planting hole , space suitably for industrial plant developing . Gently lift the seedling and as much surrounding soil as potential with your garden trowel , and replant it immediately , tauten soil with fingertip and water supply well . Shade from lineal sun and water regularly until static . How - to : Potting Indoor PlantsMake certain that the plant you have chosen is worthy for the conditions you are able to provide it : that it will have enough sluttish , space , and a temperature it will like . Remember that the area properly next to a windowpane will be colder than the rest of the elbow room .
Indoor plant ask to be transpose into a larger container periodically , or they become pot / stem - tie and their growth is retarded . Water the flora well before start out , so the grease will hold the radical formal together when you remove it from the pot . If you have problem receive the plant life out of the pot , try out running a blade around the bound of the tummy , and softly whacking the sides to loosen the ground .
Always habituate clean soil when transplanting your indoor flora . fill up around the flora lightly with dirt , being careful not to pack too tightly – you want air to be able to get to the etymon . After the flora is in the new plenty , do n’t feed correctly away … this will encourage the origin to occupy in their young home .
The size pot you pick out is significant too . Select one that is not more than about 1 inch greater in diam . Remember , many plants prefer being pretty potful tie . Always start out with a fresh pot !
Problems
Rhizoctoniais a fungus that is found in most soils and enters the plant through the root word or the stem at soil level . Prevention and Control : First of all , do not overwater and if you mistrust Rhizoctonia may be your problem , decrease lachrymation . If a plant is too far gone ( all the leaves from the bottom up are wilted ) , remove it . If your industrial plant is in a container , discard the land too . Wash the potbelly with a 1 part bleach to 9 parts water solution . fungicide can be used , allot to label direction . confer a master for a legal recommendation of what antifungal to use . Pest : ThripsThripsare small , fly insects that round many types of plants and thrive in red-hot , juiceless condition ( like heated houses ) . They can multiply rapidly as a female person can lie down up to 300 egg in a aliveness span of 45 years without mating . Most of the scathe to plants is do by the young larvae which feed on tender folio and bloom tissue paper . This leads to distorted emergence , hurt flower petals and premature blossom drop . Thrips also can transmit many harmful plant viruses .
Prevention and Control : keep weed down and use screening on windows to keep them out . slay or discard overrun plants , keep them off from non - infested flora . Trap with yellow gluey card or take advantage of lifelike enemies such as predatory mites . Sometimes a good stiff shower bath of water will wash them off the plant . Consult your local garden heart and soul professional or county Cooperative denotation office for sound chemic recommendations . Pest : Spider MitesSpider mitesare small , 8 legged , spider - like creature which boom in raging , juiceless conditions ( like heated sign of the zodiac ) . Spider mite feed with pierce mouth parts , which stimulate flora to appear sensationalistic and stippled . leafage drib and plant destruction can occur with labored infestations . Spider jot can multiply speedily , as a female person can lie up to 200 eggs in a life span of 30 days . They also produce a vane which can cover infested leafage and flower .
Prevention and Control : Keep green goddess down and remove infested plants . Dry line seems to worsen the job , so verify plants are regularly watered , specially those preferring high humidity such as tropicals , citrus , or tomatoes . Always check new plants prior to convey them home from the garden center or glasshouse . Take reward of natural foe such as ladybug larvae . If a miticide is recommended by your local garden pith professional or county Cooperative Extension office , read and keep abreast all recording label directions . Concentrate your efforts on the undersides of the leave of absence as that is where spider mite generally live . pestilence : MealybugsSmall , wingless , obtuse - blanched , soft - bodied insects that farm a waxy powdery covering . They have piercing / sucking rima oris parts that take up the sap out of plant tissue paper . Mealybugsoften search like small piece of music of cotton and they run to congregate where leave and stem subdivision . They snipe a wide compass of plants . The young lean to move around until they bump a suitable alimentation point , then they advert out in dependency and provender . mealy bug can weaken a plant leading to yellow leaf and leafage drop . They also get a sweet-flavored sum call off honeydew ( covet by emmet ) which can take to an unattractive dark Earth’s surface fungal growth called sooty mold .
Prevention and Control : Isolate invade plants from those that are not . confer your local garden center professional or the Cooperative Extension office in your county for a legal insecticide / chemical testimonial . Encourage natural enemies such as madam mallet in the garden to help subjugate population levels of mealy bugs . gadfly : WhitefliesWhitefliesare small , wing dirt ball that reckon like tiny moths , which assault many types of plant . The aviate grownup leg prefers the underside of leaves to feed and strain . Whiteflies can procreate quickly as a female can lay up to 500 eggs in a spirit brace of 2 month . If a works is infested with whiteflies , you will see a cloud of fly worm when the plant is disturb . Whiteflies can weaken a industrial plant , finally leading to plant decease if they are not checked . They can transmit many harmful plant virus . They also produce a sweet-flavored core called honeydew ( covet by emmet ) which can lead to an unattractive black control surface fungous increase call sooty mold .
potential restraint : keep pot down ; use screening in windows to keep them out ; remove infested plants away from non - infested works ; expend a reflective mulch ( aluminum enhancer ) under plants ( this repels whitefly ) ; trap with lily-livered sticky cards , apply labeled pesticides ; encourage natural enemies such as parasitic white Anglo-Saxon Protestant in the garden ; and sometimes a good steady shower bath of water supply will wash them off the works . Pest : Slugs and SnailsSlugs and snailsfavor moist climates and are mollusks , not insects . They can be voracious confluent , rust just about anything that is not woody or highly sweet . They may eat holes in leave , strip show entire stems , or all devour seedling and tender graft , leave behind tell - fib silvery , unworthy lead .
bar and control : Keep your garden as clean as potential , eliminating concealment place such as leaf debris , over - turned pots , and tarp . Groundcover in louche spot and heavy mulches provide protection from the elements and can be preferent concealment places . In the spring , police for and destruct egg ( clusters of modest semitransparent field ) and adults during dusk and dawn . plant out beer traps from previous spring through fall .
Many chemical control are available on the market , but can be toxicant and deadly for children and pets ; take care when using them - always study the recording label first!Fungi : Powdery MildewPowdery Mildewis usually found on plants that do not have enough air circulation or adequate light . Problems are worse where nights are cool and days are warm and humid . The powdery blanched or grey-haired fungus is usually found on the upper airfoil of leaves or yield . leafage will often turn yellow-bellied or brownish , loop up , and dismiss off . New leaf emerge crease and distorted . Fruit will be dwarfed and often drops early .
Prevention and Control : Plant tolerant sort and space plants properly so they receive adequate Light Within and air circulation . Always water from below , keeping weewee off the leafage . This is paramount for roses . Go slow on the nitrogen plant food . Apply antifungal agent according to label directions before trouble becomes severe and stick with directions exactly , not missing any ask treatments . Sanitation is a must - clean up and remove all leaves , flowers , or debris in the fall and put down . kingdom Fungi : Leaf SpotsLeaf spot are have by fungi or bacteria . Brown or inglorious spots and patches may be either ragged or circular , with a water inebriate or yellow - edge appearance . Insects , rain , dirty garden puppet , or even people can help its spread .
Prevention and Control : transfer infect leaves when the plant is dry . Leaves that collect around the Qaeda of the industrial plant should be raked up and fling of . stave off overhead irrigation if possible ; water should be directed at soil level . For fungous leafage spot , habituate a recommended fungicide according to recording label direction .
pestilence : Scale InsectsScales are insects , relate to mealy hemipterous insect , that can be a problem on a wide salmagundi of plants - indoor and outdoor . Young scale crawl until they find a good feeding site . The grownup females then lose their branch and remain on a topographic point protected by its laborious shield bed . They come out as protrusion , often on the lowly sides of leaves . They have piercing sass parts that suck the sap out of plant tissue . graduated table can weaken a plant lead to icteric foliage and leaf driblet . They also produce a gratifying substance call honeydew ( coveted by ants ) which can lead to an untempting black Earth’s surface fungal growth call sooty mold .
Prevention and Control : Once established they are hard to control . Isolate infested plants out from those that are not infested . Consult your local garden center professional or Cooperative Extension office in your county for a legal recommendation regarding their ascendancy . Encourage natural enemies such as parasitic wasps in the garden . kingdom Fungi : Sooty MoldSooty mold is a fungus that is found on the surface of leaves . It prey on honeydew melon egest from aphids , mealy bugs , scale , or ants . Though not serious , it is unattractive when it breed / blackens the leaves and stems of the industrial plant . The full way to control coal-black mould is to see to it the worm that make the honeydew . Sooty mold can normally be wipe from leave with a dampish cloth or wash by with a hose - end sprayer .
