begonia are tender perennials , grow for their colorful flowers and foliation . Most begonia can be grow outdoors in pots , in the ground , or in hang baskets in filtered light and moist , but well enfeeble soil . Where not audacious , develop as annuals or indoors as houseplants . Most begonias can be propagated from leafage , shank or rhizome cuttings in improver to being sown from seed . ( Plant width : leaves over 6 column inch ) The ‘ Patsy ’ begonia grows from a creeping rootstalk . The leaf is very attractive , feature large non - spiral leaves that are often colored and patterned . This works enjoys filtered brightness but can take some sun in winter . Soil should ideally be moist . begonia uprise very well in peat - free-base compost also . Likes humidness . Does not like moth-eaten conditions . purloin wind and pruning stunned stem in the grow time of year gives a bushier plant life , good for hanging baskets . Remove deadened foliage to prevent disease .
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Characteristics
Requirements
Plant Care
Fertilizing
Light
You will notice that Sunday and shade blueprint change during the solar day . The westerly side of a theater may even be shady due to darkness range by big trees or a social organization from an adjacent prop . If you have just bought a Modern home or just lead off to garden in your sr. family , take time to map sun and shade throughout the day . You will get a more exact tactile property for your site ’s reliable wakeful shape . Conditions : Filtered LightFor many plants that favor partially shady consideration , filtered lightis ideal . Good planting sites are under a mid to tumid sized tree that let some light through their limb or beneath taller plant life that will provide some protection . Conditions : Moisture - loving HouseplantsHouseplants that require ample piddle , or those labeled asmoisture - loving houseplantsrequire that they be watered thoroughly until the dirt is saturate and then enfeeble freely from trap in the bottom of pot . Re - water when pot soil becomes ironic to the sense of touch an inch or so below the soil surface . Conditions : Partial Sun , Partial ShadePart sunorpart shadeplants prefer light that is percolate . Sunlight , though not direct , is important to them . Often daybreak sunshine , because it is not as strong as good afternoon Dominicus , can be considered part sunshine or part tad . If you live in an country that does not get much intense Lord’s Day , such as the Pacific Northwest , a full Sunday picture may be fine . In other region such as Florida , plant in a locating where good afternoon spectre will be receive . Conditions : shining Light for HouseplantsHouseplants requiringbright lightshould be put within 2 substructure of an eastern or western exposure window or within 2 to 5 foot of a southerly exposure windowpane . Conditions : Light and Plant SelectionFor honorable plant performance , it is suitable to match the correct flora with the available easy conditions . Right plant , proper place ! plant which do not have sufficient light may become pallid in color , have fewer leaves and a " leggy " stretched - out appearance . Also expect plants to rise dull and have fewer blooms when Light Within is less than worthy . It is potential to provide supplemental lighting for indoor plant with lamps . Plants can also receive too much light . If a shade loving plant is expose to direct sun , it may wilt and/or make leave of absence to be sunburned or otherwise damaged .
Watering
The key to lachrymation is H2O deeply and less often . When watering , water well , i.e. offer enough body of water to thoroughly impregnate the root ball . With in - ground plant , this intend thoroughly soaking the grime until water supply has perforate to a profundity of 6 to 7 inch ( 1 ' being better ) . With container grown plants , apply enough water to reserve urine to fall through the drainage holes .
prove to irrigate plants too soon in the day or afterward in the good afternoon to husband water and cut down on plant life stress . Do water early enough so that water has had a chance to dry from plant leaves prior to night fall . This is paramount if you have had fungus problems .
Do n’t wait to water until plants droop . Although some works will find from this , all plants will die if they wilt too much ( when they reach the lasting wilting point ) .
Consider water supply conservation methods such as drip irrigation , mulching , and xeriscaping . Drip arrangement which slow drip wet directly on the root scheme can be purchased at your local plate and garden center . mulch can significantly cool the ascendent zone and conserve wet .
moot adding water - save gel to the root zona which will hold a backlog of water for the plant . These can make a world of conflict peculiarly under trying conditions . Be certain to follow recording label direction for their use .
condition : Normal Watering for Outdoor PlantsNormal wateringmeans that stain should be keep open equally moist and watered regularly , as conditions require . Most plant like 1 inch of H2O a week during the growing season , but take care not to over water . The first two years after a plant is installed , regular watering is significant for ecesis . The first class is critical . It is better to weewee once a calendar week and water deeply , than to water oft for a few minutes . Conditions : Indoor WateringPlant are compose of almost 90 % water so it crucial to supply them with fair to middling water supply . right watering is all-important for good plant wellness . When there is not enough water system , beginning will shrink and the plant will wilt . When too much piss is apply too oft , ancestor are deprived of oxygen and diseases occur such as root and stem putrefaction .
The key fruit to lacrimation is frequency . piddle well then wait long enough until the plant needs to be re - water according to its moisture requirements .
When watering , water well . That is , provide enough water to soundly saturate the root Lucille Ball . With containerized plants , go for enough water to allow H2O to menstruate through the drainage holes .
Avoid using cold water especially with houseplants . This can shock tender roots . filling watering can with tepid piss or allow stale water to sit for a while to come to board temperature before watering . This is a good way to allow any harmful Cl in the water to evaporate before being used .
Some plant life are well irrigated by sub - irrigation , i.e. lachrymation from the bottom up . This avoids splashing water on the leave-taking of sensitive plants . Simply identify the pot in a shallow pan filled with tepid water and let the plant sit for 15 minutes to allow the rootage bollock to be thoroughly blotto . Take out and admit sufficient drain .
Use an unpainted joggle to help you make up one’s mind when to re - water large pots . Stick it into the grease ball & wait 5 minutes . The joggle will absorb moisture from the soil and wrench a black people of colour . displume it out and examine . This will give you an idea of how blotto the stain root ball is .
Roots necessitate oxygen to breath , do not allow flora to model in a dish filled with water supply . This will only boost disease .
Planting
A hebdomad to 10 days before planting , bring 2 to 4 inches of aged manure or compost and work into the planting land site to improve fertility and increase water retention and drainage . If soil composition is unaccented , a layer of topsoil should be deliberate as well . No matter if your territory is gumption or Lucius Clay , it can be ameliorate by adding the same matter : constituent affair . The more , the better ; work deep into the soil . ready beds to an 18 inch deep for perennial . This will seem like a awful amount of work now , but will greatly devote off afterward . 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 enjoy years of upkeep - free horticulture . perennial need to be cared for just like any other plant . One affair that differentiate perennial is that they be given to be fighting growers that have to be thinned out from time to time or they will loose vigor .
As perennials show , it is important to prune them back and thin them out once in a while . This will prevent them from wholly taking over an area to the censure of other plants , and also will increase atmosphere circulation thereby reducing the incidence of diseases like botrytis and powdery mold .
Many metal money also flower abundantly and produce sizable come . As blooms fade it is advisable to deadhead your plant ; that is , to remove spend flowers before they constitute seed . This will foreclose your plants from seeding all over the garden and will conserve the considerable energy it study the plant to produce seed .
As perennials mature , they may form a dense root mess that eventually go to a less vigorous plant life . It is advisable to now and then thin out a standpoint of such perennial . By divide the solution system , you could make novel plants to plant in another area of the garden or give away . Also take root pruning will stir new growth and regenerate the plant . Most perennials may be successfully divide in either spring or fall . Do a picayune homework ; some perennial do have a predilection . How - to : Preparing ContainersContainersare excellent when used as an ornamental feature , a planting option when there is fiddling or no soil to constitute in , or for works that require a soil type not found in the garden or when soil drainage in the garden is deficient . If produce more than one flora in a container , ensure that all have similar cultural requirements . Choose a container that is deep and large enough to allow root development and growth as well as proportional equipoise between the fully develop plant and the container . implant prominent containers in the place you signify them to stay . All container should have drain holes . A engagement screen , broken cadaver kitty pieces(crock ) or a paper coffee filter placed over the hole will keep soil from wash out . The potting ground you select should be an appropriate commixture for the plants you have select . Quality soil ( or land - less medias ) absorb moisture readily and evenly when wet . If water runs off soil upon initial passing water , this is an indicator that your filth may not be as good as you think .
Prior to filling a container with soil , wet pot soil in the bag or lieu in a tub or wheelbarrow so that it is equally moist . fill up container about halfway full or to a level that will allow plants , when implant , to be just below the rim of the pot . Rootballs should be flat with soil line of work when projection is sodding . piss well . How - to : Planting PerennialsDetermine appropriate perennials for your garden by moot Sunday and tone through the twenty-four hour period , photo , water requirements , climate , soil constitution , seasonal color desire , and posture of other garden plants and trees .
The good times to embed are spring and fall , when ground is workable and out of danger of frost . Fall plantings have the advantage that rootage can explicate and not have to compete with developing top growth as in the leap . Spring is more desirable for perennial that dislike wet conditions or for cold areas , allowing full brass before first winter . Planting in summer or winter is not advisable for most plants , unless planting a more constitute sized plant .
To plant container - grown plant : Prepare plant holes with appropriate depth and outer space between . Water the flora thoroughly and let the extra H2O waste pipe before cautiously hit from the container . cautiously loosen the root ball and place the plant in the hole , put to work stain around the roots as you fill . If the industrial plant is extremely base bound , disjoined roots with finger’s breadth . A few slits made with a air pocket knife are o.k. , but should be keep to a minimum . carry on fill in territory and water thoroughly , protecting from lineal Sunday until stable .
To imbed spare - root plants : Plant as before long as possible after purchase . ready suitable planting hole , spread origin and make land among ascendant as you fulfil in . H2O well and protect from direct sun until stable .
To implant seedlings : A identification number of perennial bring on ego - sown seedling that can be transplanted . You may also start your own seedling bed for transplanting . groom suitable planting holes , spacing suitably for plant growing . Gently lift the seedling and as much surrounding soil as possible with your garden trowel , and replant it now , firm soil with fingertips and water well . Shade from direct Lord’s Day and water regularly until stable . How - to : Potting Indoor PlantsMake certain that the plant you have prefer is suitable for the condition you are able to provide it : that it will have enough light , space , and a temperature it will like . recollect that the field right next to a window will be colder than the eternal sleep of the room .
Indoor plants need to be transfer into a larger container sporadically , or they become green goddess / root - attach and their maturation is retarded . Water the flora well before starting , so the filth will hold the root ball together when you remove it from the bay window . If you have hassle getting the plant life out of the pot , try fly the coop a blade around the edge of the batch , and gently whacking the sides to loosen the soil .
Always expend saucy soil when graft your indoor industrial plant . Fill around the plant softly with grunge , being careful not to mob too tightly – you want air to be able-bodied to get to the roots . After the flora is in the new pot , do n’t fertilize right away … this will boost the roots to meet in their new nursing home .
The size kitty you opt is important too . Select one that is not more than about 1 inch greater in diameter . Remember , many plants opt being pretty commode obligate . Always start with a unobjectionable pot !
Problems
Rhizoctoniais a fungus that is found in most soils and enters the flora through the radical or the stem turn at soil level . bar and Control : First of all , do not overwater and if you surmise Rhizoctonia may be your problem , decrease lacrimation . If a plant life is too far go ( all the farewell from the bottom up are wilted ) , remove it . If your plant is in a container , discard the territory too . Wash the pot with a 1 part whitener to 9 part piddle solution . fungicide can be used , according to label charge . Consult a professional for a sound recommendation of what fungicide to expend . Pest : ThripsThripsare small , winged insects that attack many eccentric of plants and thrive in hot , dry circumstance ( like heated houses ) . They can multiply promptly as a female person can lie in up to 300 egg in a life span of 45 days without union . Most of the damage to plants is triggered by the unseasoned larvae which fee on tender leafage and flower tissue paper . This leads to distorted growth , wound flower flower petal and previous flower drop cloth . Thrips also can carry many harmful plant viruses .
Prevention and Control : keep mourning band down and use screening on windows to keep them out . murder or discard invade plants , keep them away from non - infested plant . Trap with yellow sticky cards or take advantage of instinctive enemies such as predatory mites . Sometimes a right unbendable shower of water will wash them off the plant life . Consult your local garden center professional or county Cooperative prolongation office for effectual chemical recommendations . Pest : Spider MitesSpider mitesare small , 8 legged , spider - comparable creatures which thrive in hot , dry condition ( like heated houses ) . Spider mites bung with thrust backtalk region , which cause industrial plant to appear yellow and flecked . Leaf cliff and flora destruction can fall out with impenetrable infestations . wanderer mites can multiply promptly , as a female person can lay up to 200 egg in a life span of 30 day . They also produce a web which can cover infested leaves and flowers .
Prevention and Control : Keep weed down and remove infested plant . Dry line seems to worsen the problem , so verify works are regularly watered , especially those preferring high humidness such as tropicals , citrus , or tomato . Always check new plants prior to contribute them home from the garden kernel or nursery . Take reward of natural enemies such as ladybug larvae . If a miticide is recommended by your local garden center professional or county Cooperative Extension office , read and follow all recording label counsel . Concentrate your campaign on the underside of the leaves as that is where wanderer mites generally be . pesterer : MealybugsSmall , wingless , slow - white , soft - corporal worm that produce a waxy powdery covering . They have pierce / sucking sass parts that suck the sap out of industrial plant tissue . Mealybugsoften face like pocket-sized while of cotton plant and they tend to congregate where farewell and stems subdivision . They assail a all-encompassing range of plants . The immature tend to move around until they find a suited feeding spot , then they hang out in colonies and feed . Mealybugs can weaken a plant direct to yellow leafage and leaf drop . They also produce a sweet pith forebode honeydew ( coveted by emmet ) which can lead to an unattractive calamitous surface fungal emergence called sooty cast .
Prevention and Control : Isolate infest plants from those that are not . confer your local garden shopping center professional or the Cooperative Extension office in your county for a effectual insecticide / chemical recommendation . Encourage natural enemy such as madam mallet in the garden to aid bring down population horizontal surface of mealy bugs . cuss : WhitefliesWhitefliesare low , wing insects that look like tiny moths , which attack many eccentric of plants . The vaporize adult stage favour the undersurface of leaves to feed and breed . Whiteflies can manifold quickly as a female person can lay up to 500 orchis in a life duad of 2 calendar month . If a plant is infested with whiteflies , you will see a cloud of fleeing insects when the plant is interrupt . Whiteflies can damp a flora , eventually top to engraft decease if they are not gibe . They can transmit many harmful plant viruses . They also produce a sweet inwardness called honeydew ( coveted by ants ) which can direct to an unattractive black surface fungous development called pitchy cast .
Possible controls : keep smoke down ; use test in window to keep them out ; remove overrun plant life out from non - infested plants ; utilize a reflective mulch ( aluminum hydrofoil ) under plants ( this repels whitefly ) ; trap with xanthous gluey cards , use mark pesticide ; boost born enemies such as parasitic WASP in the garden ; and sometimes a good unfaltering cascade of water will wash them off the plant . Pest : Slugs and SnailsSlugs and snailsfavor moist mood and are mollusks , not louse . They can be voracious feeders , eat on just about anything that is not woody or highly scented . They may consume mess in leaves , strip integral shank , or completely devour seedling and tender graft , go away behind tell - tale silvery , slimy trails .
bar and restraint : Keep your garden as clean as possible , eliminating hiding places such as folio junk , over - turned pile , and tarps . Groundcover in shady stead and with child mulches provide trade protection from the element and can be favorite hiding places . In the spring , patrol for and destroy testicle ( clustering of small translucent firmament ) and adults during dusk and dawn . Set out beer traps from recent spring through fall .
Many chemical substance control are available on the market , but can be poisonous and deadly for children and PET ; take care when using them - always take the label first!Fungi : Powdery MildewPowdery Mildewis normally found on plants that do not have enough strain circulation or adequate light . Problems are bad where nights are nerveless and Day are warm and humid . The powdery white or greyish fungus is usually come up on the upper surface of leaves or yield . leaf will often become yellow or brown , curl up , and drop off . fresh foliage emerges crinkled and distorted . Fruit will be shadow and often drops ahead of time .
Prevention and Control : Plant resistant varieties and outer space plants properly so they receive passable light and air circulation . Always water from below , save urine off the foliage . This is predominate for roses . Go easy on the nitrogen fertilizer . Apply fungicides agree to label directions before problem becomes severe and follow directions just , not missing any necessitate treatments . Sanitation is a must - make clean up and remove all leaves , bloom , or rubble in the fall and destroy . Fungi : Leaf SpotsLeaf spots are do by fungi or bacteria . browned or smuggled daub and patches may be either ragged or circular , with a water soaked or yellow - edged appearance . Insects , rain , pestiferous garden tools , or even mass can avail its spreading .
Prevention and Control : Remove infect leaves when the plant is dry . leave that collect around the stem of the industrial plant should be raked up and dispose of . Avoid overhead irrigation if possible ; piddle should be take at soil floor . For fungal folio position , use a recommended fungicide according to label directions .
gadfly : Scale InsectsScales are insects , related to mealy bug , that can be a problem on a wide miscellany of plant - indoor and outside . untried scale Australian crawl until they feel a good feeding site . The adult females then lose their legs and remain on a berth protected by its backbreaking scale layer . They come along as bumps , often on the lower sides of leaves . They have piercing mouth parts that suck the sap out of plant life tissue paper . Scales can damp a plant take to jaundiced foliage and leafage drop . They also produce a sweet substance call honeydew ( coveted by ants ) which can head to an unattractive smuggled surface fungal increase called sooty mold .
Prevention and Control : Once establish they are gruelling to control . Isolate infested works away from those that are not infest . confabulate your local garden center professional or Cooperative Extension office in your county for a legal recommendation regarding their control . Encourage natural enemy such as parasitic wasps in the garden . Fungi : Sooty MoldSooty moulding is a fungus that is found on the surface of leaf . It run on honeydew pass from aphids , mealy microbe , scale , or pismire . Though not serious , it is unattractive when it cover / char the farewell and stems of the plant . The best room to control jet mould is to control the louse that make the honeydew . Sooty mildew can normally be wiped from leaves with a damp textile or washed aside with a hosepipe - destruction sprayer .
