begonia are crank perennial , grown for their colorful flowers and foliage . Most begonias can be produce outdoors in pots , in the flat coat , or in hanging baskets in filtered light and moist , but well drain soil . Where not hardy , grow as yearbook or indoors as houseplant . Most begonia can be propagated from leaf , stalk or rhizome cutting in addition to being sow from come . ( Plant width : leaves over 6 inches ) The cultivar , ‘ Stanley Wilson , ’ grows from a creeping rhizome . The foliage is very attractive , sport large non - spiral leaves that are often distort and patterned . This works enjoys filtered light but can take some Lord’s Day in winter . Soil should ideally be dampish . Begonias grow very well in peat - establish compost also . Likes humidity . Does not like stale weather . Pinching tips and pruning outer stem in the growing time of year gives a bushier plant , sound for hanging baskets . Remove idle foliage to prevent disease .
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Characteristics
Requirements
Plant Care
Fertilizing
Light
You will notice that sun and wraith pattern transfer during the day . The westerly side of a house may even be shady due to shadows cast by large Tree or a structure from an contiguous property . If you have just bought a Modern home or just beginning to garden in your older home , take time to represent sun and shade throughout the daylight . You will get a more exact feel for your land site ’s true light condition . Conditions : Filtered LightFor many plant life that prefer partially shady conditions , filtered lightis ideal . honest planting sites are under a mid to large sized tree that allow some light through their offset or beneath tall plant that will provide some trade protection . condition : Moisture - loving HouseplantsHouseplants that need ample water , or those mark asmoisture - lie with houseplantsrequire that they be water thoroughly until the dirt is saturated and then drains freely from holes in the bottom of pot . Re - water when potting soil becomes dry to the trace an in or so below the stain surface . Conditions : Partial Sun , Partial ShadePart sunorpart shadeplants choose ignitor that is filtered . Sunlight , though not direct , is crucial to them . Often morning sun , because it is not as strong as good afternoon sunshine , can be regard part sun or part shade . If you endure in an area that does not get much acute sun , such as the Pacific Northwest , a full sun photo may be fine . In other arena such as Florida , plant in a location where afternoon spook will be received . precondition : brilliant Light for HouseplantsHouseplants requiringbright lightshould be locate within 2 feet of an easterly or westerly picture window or within 2 to 5 feet of a southerly vulnerability window . stipulation : Light and Plant SelectionFor best plant performance , it is worthy to pair the correct works with the available light conditions . correct flora , right place ! Plants which do not receive sufficient light source may become pale in color , have few leaves and a " leggy " stretched - out visual aspect . Also expect plants to grow slower and have fewer flower when light is less than worthy . It is potential to provide supplementary firing for indoor plant life with lamp . plant can also receive too much lighter . If a wraith loving plant life is exposed to lineal Sunday , it may droop and/or cause leaves to be sunburned or otherwise damage .
Watering
The key to watering is piss deep and less frequently . When watering , weewee well , i.e. provide enough water to thoroughly impregnate the stem ball . With in - primer plants , this have in mind thoroughly hit it up the soil until water has penetrated to a deepness of 6 to 7 inches ( 1 ' being better ) . With container grown plants , apply enough water to let water to menstruate through the drainage hollow .
endeavor to water plant life early in the daylight or later in the good afternoon to conserve water and cut down on plant accent . Do water early enough so that H2O has had a hazard to dry out from plant leaves prior to night fall . This is predominant if you have had fungus problem .
Do n’t wait to water until plant wilt . Although some works will recover from this , all plants will die if they droop too much ( when they gain the permanent wilting point ) .
Consider water preservation methods such as dribble irrigation , mulching , and xeriscaping . Drip organization which slowly dribble moisture instantly on the ascendent system can be purchased at your local domicile and garden essence . Mulches can significantly cool the stem zona and conserve moisture .
Consider add together body of water - spare gels to the root zone which will hold a reserve of water for the plant . These can make a world of divergence especially under stressful consideration . Be certain to conform to recording label direction for their use .
condition : Normal Watering for Outdoor PlantsNormal wateringmeans that soil should be keep equally moist and watered regularly , as conditions want . Most plants like 1 inch of water a workweek during the growing season , but take charge not to over pee . The first two years after a plant is installed , regular lacrimation is important for establishment . The first yr is critical . It is better to water once a workweek and water profoundly , than to piddle frequently for a few minutes . Conditions : Indoor WateringPlant are composed of almost 90 % water so it important to supply them with adequate water supply . Proper lacrimation is all important for good plant health . When there is not enough water , ascendant will wither and the plant life will droop . When too much water is applied too frequently , roots are deprived of oxygen and disease pass off such as etymon and stem bunk .
The key to watering is frequency . piss well then hold back long enough until the works needs to be re - water according to its moisture requirements .
When watering , water well . That is , bring home the bacon enough water system to exhaustively saturate the root formal . With containerized plant , apply enough urine to let water to flow through the drainage trap .
void using dusty piss especially with houseplant . This can appal cutter root . Fill watering can with tepid water or allow cold water to sit down for a while to come to room temperature before tearing . This is a good way to allow any harmful Cl in the water to evaporate before being used .
Some plants are best irrigated by sub - irrigation , i.e. watering from the bottom up . This avoids splashing H2O on the leaves of tender flora . Simply place the pot in a shallow goat god filled with tepid water and lease the works sit for 15 minutes to tolerate the root ball to be thoroughly stiff . Take out and allow sufficient drain .
Use an unpainted dowel to assist you square up when to re - water larger pots . beat it into the dirt ball & wait 5 minutes . The dowel will engage wet from the soil and bend a darker colour . pull in it out and canvass . This will give you an idea of how wet the soil root ball is .
Roots need oxygen to hint , do not allow plants to sit in a disc fill up with body of water . This will only promote disease .
Planting
A week to 10 days before planting , add 2 to 4 inch of aged manure or compost and employment into the planting site to improve birthrate and increase water retention and drainage . If land composition is weak , a layer of topsoil should be consider as well . No matter if your dirt is sand or clay , it can be improved by adding the same affair : constituent matter . The more , the better ; work deep into the soil . train beds to an 18 column inch inscrutable for perennial . This will seem like a tremendous amount of work now , but will greatly pay off later on . Besides , this is not something that is well done later , once plants have been established . How - to : Pinching and Thinning PerennialsOnce you plant a perennial , it does not entail that you will enjoy years of maintenance - free horticulture . perennial need to be cared for just like any other plant life . One thing that distinguishes perennials is that they incline to be active raiser that have to be thin out at times or they will loose muscularity .
As perennials establish , it is important to lop them back and thin them out occasionally . This will prevent them from wholly taking over an area to the exclusion of other plants , and also will increase air circulation thereby reducing the incidence of diseases like botrytis and powdery mold .
Many specie also flower copiously and produce plentiful seeded player . As bloom fade it is advisable to deadhead your flora ; that is , to remove spent efflorescence before they form seed . This will prevent your plant from seeding all over the garden and will economize the considerable vigour it take the flora to grow seed .
As perennials mature , they may shape a dense root pile that finally leads to a less vigorous plant life . It is advisable to from time to time reduce out a standstill of such perennial . By dividing the solution system , you’re able to make new plants to plant in another field of the garden or give away . Also root pruning will stimulate new growth and rejuvenate the plant . Most perennials may be successfully divide in either outpouring or fall . Do a small preparation ; some perennials do have a preference . How - to : prepare ContainersContainersare first-class when used as an cosmetic characteristic , a planting option when there is little or no grunge to plant in , or for works that require a grunge case not find in the garden or when filth drainage in the garden is inferior . If growing more than one industrial plant in a container , make certain that all have standardised cultural requirements . take a container that is cryptic and large enough to reserve radical maturation and growing as well as relative balance between the fully developed works and the container . institute large containers in the lieu you intend them to stay . All container should have drainage holes . A meshing screen , broken clay green goddess pieces(crock ) or a paper deep brown filter place over the gob will keep soil from washing out . The potting dirt you pick out should be an appropriate mix for the plant you have chosen . Quality soils ( or soil - less medias ) suck up wet readily and evenly when pissed . If water persist off soil upon initial wetting , this is an index number that your soil may not be as good as you think .
Prior to filling a container with soil , wet pot soil in the bag or position in a tub or wheelbarrow so that it is equally moist . Fill container about midway full or to a level that will allow plant , when planted , to be just below the brim of the pot . Rootballs should be tied with soil line when labor is gross . Water well . How - to : Planting PerennialsDetermine appropriate perennials for your garden by considering sun and shade through the day , exposure , water requisite , clime , soil makeup , seasonal people of color trust , and posture of other garden plants and trees .
The best prison term to plant are spring and capitulation , when stain is feasible and out of peril of frost . Fall planting have the advantage that roots can develop and not have to compete with developing top growth as in the spring . Spring is more worthy for perennials that dislike wet condition or for cold field , allowing full organization before first winter . Planting in summer or winter is not advisable for most works , unless implant a more establish sized plant .
To plant container - grow plants : Prepare planting holes with appropriate depth and space between . Water the plant soundly and permit the spare water drain before carefully removing from the container . cautiously relax the rootage ball and localise the plant life in the hole , working dirt around the roots as you fill up . If the plant is extremely root bound , separate roots with fingers . A few slit made with a pocket knife are o.k. , but should be continue to a lower limit . Continue filling in soil and water thoroughly , protect from direct sun until stable .
To set bare - root plants : Plant as soon as possible after leverage . Prepare suitable planting holes , spread root and solve soil among roots as you fill in . Water well and protect from direct sunshine until unchanging .
To plant seedlings : A telephone number of perennial produce ego - inseminate seedlings that can be transplanted . You may also start your own seedling bed for transplant . Prepare suited planting holes , spacing fittingly for plant life development . softly lift the seedling and as much ring soil as possible with your garden trowel , and replant it immediately , tauten dirt with fingertips and piss well . Shade from direct Lord’s Day and water on a regular basis until stable . How - to : Potting Indoor PlantsMake certain that the plant you have chosen is suitable for the weather condition you are able to provide it : that it will have enough light , blank space , and a temperature it will like . commend that the area right next to a windowpane will be cold than the repose of the room .
Indoor plant need to be transplanted into a larger container periodically , or they become pot / root - bound and their growth is retarded . irrigate the plant well before starting , so the territory will hold the root chunk together when you remove it from the mass . If you have trouble getting the flora out of the pot , adjudicate scat a blade around the edge of the pot , and gently wallop the sides to loosen the land .
Always use fresh soil when transplant your indoor plant . Fill around the plant life lightly with soil , being heedful not to bundle too tightly – you require airwave to be able to get to the roots . After the plant is in the newfangled pot , do n’t fecundate properly aside … this will further the roots to fill up in their Modern house .
The size of it batch you choose is important too . Select one that is not more than about 1 in greater in diam . Remember , many plants prefer being somewhat pot bound . Always start with a clean pot !
Problems
Rhizoctoniais a fungus that is found in most soils and get in the plant through the radical or the root word at grease degree . Prevention and Control : First of all , do not overwater and if you distrust Rhizoctonia may be your problem , decrease watering . If a plant is too far last ( all the leaves from the bottom up are wilt ) , slay it . If your plant is in a container , discard the dirt too . lave the pot with a 1 part bleach to 9 parts water solution . Fungicides can be used , according to recording label directions . confer with a professional for a sound good word of what fungicide to use . Pest : ThripsThripsare small , winged insects that snipe many eccentric of plant and thrive in raging , ironic conditions ( like heated houses ) . They can multiply apace as a female can lay up to 300 egg in a life bridge of 45 days without mating . Most of the hurt to plant is because of the young larvae which feed on tender leaf and flower tissue . This leads to distorted growth , injured flower petals and premature flower drop . Thrips also can transmit many harmful industrial plant viruses .
Prevention and Control : keep green goddess down and apply sieve on window to keep them out . murder or discard overrun flora , keep them away from non - infested plants . Trap with yellow sticky menu or take vantage of natural enemies such as predatory tinge . Sometimes a good steady shower bath of urine will rinse them off the plant . Consult your local garden centre professional or county Cooperative annex business office for legal chemic recommendation . Pest : Spider MitesSpider mitesare small , 8 legged , spider - similar beast which thrive in hot , ironical conditions ( like heated houses ) . Spider tinge feed with piercing mouth parts , which get plants to appear chicken and flecked . Leaf drop-off and plant decease can pass off with heavy plague . Spider mites can multiply rapidly , as a female can put up to 200 orchis in a life story span of 30 days . They also produce a web which can cover infested leaves and flowers .
Prevention and Control : Keep sess down and remove infested industrial plant . Dry air seems to worsen the job , so ensure plants are regularly watered , peculiarly those preferring high humidity such as tropicals , citrus , or tomatoes . Always check off new plant prior to bring them home from the garden center field or nursery . Take advantage of natural foe such as ladybug larvae . If a miticide is recommended by your local garden center professional or county Cooperative Extension office , interpret and accompany all label directions . condense your efforts on the undersides of the leaves as that is where spider mites generally live . Pest : MealybugsSmall , wingless , dull - lily-white , piano - bodied insect that produce a waxy powdery covering . They have piercing / suck mouthpiece parts that suck the sap out of plant tissue paper . Mealybugsoften look like small pieces of cotton and they run to congregate where leafage and stem arm . They attack a wide cooking stove of plants . The young tend to move around until they happen a suitable feeding spot , then they flow out in colony and feed . mealybug can weaken a plant leading to lily-livered leaf and folio drop . They also produce a fresh substance called honeydew ( covet by ants ) which can lead to an untempting ignominious airfoil fungous growth called sooty mold .
Prevention and Control : Isolate infested plants from those that are not . Consult your local garden centre of attention professional or the Cooperative Extension office in your county for a effectual insecticide / chemical substance testimonial . Encourage rude enemies such as lady beetle in the garden to help reduce universe point of mealy bugs . Pest : WhitefliesWhitefliesare small , wing insects that look like tiny moth , which lash out many types of plant life . The fly grownup point prefer the underside of leave of absence to bung and breed . Whiteflies can multiply quickly as a female person can lie up to 500 nut in a life sentence span of 2 months . If a plant is infested with whiteflies , you will see a cloud of fleeing insects when the industrial plant is disturbed . Whiteflies can weaken a plant , eventually leading to plant death if they are not checked . They can transmit many harmful plant viruses . They also produce a sweet substance called honeydew ( coveted by ants ) which can head to an untempting black surface fungous ontogenesis foretell sooty mold .
Possible control : keep smoke down ; utilisation screening in window to keep them out ; murder infested plant life aside from non - infested plants ; utilize a reflective mulch ( atomic number 13 foil ) under plant life ( this repels whiteflies ) ; sand trap with yellow sticky cards , apply labeled pesticides ; encourage raw enemy such as epenthetic wasp in the garden ; and sometimes a good steady cascade of water will dampen them off the plant . Pest : Slugs and SnailsSlugs and snailsfavor moist climates and are mollusks , not louse . They can be voracious feeders , eating just about anything that is not woody or highly odorous . They may eat maw in leaves , airstrip total stems , or entirely devour seedlings and tender transplanting , leave behind tell - tale silvery , slimy trails .
bar and control : Keep your garden as clean as potential , eliminating concealment places such as leafage debris , over - turned tummy , and tarps . Groundcover in fishy places and grievous mulches put up protection from the elements and can be favored hiding places . In the springiness , patrol for and destroy eggs ( clusters of small translucent spheres ) and adults during gloam and break of day . Set out beer trap from recent spring through nightfall .
Many chemical substance controls are useable on the market , but can be toxicant and deadly for baby and pets ; take tutelage when using them - always study the label first!Fungi : Powdery MildewPowdery Mildewis ordinarily regain on plant that do not have enough air circulation or tolerable light . Problems are worse where nights are cool and day are warm and humid . The powdery white or gray fungus is usually found on the upper surface of foliage or yield . farewell will often turn yellow or chocolate-brown , curl up , and drop off . New foliage egress crinkled and distorted . Fruit will be dwarfed and often drops early on .
Prevention and Control : embed resistant variety and space plants the right way so they meet adequate luminousness and air circulation . Always water system from below , keeping water off the foliage . This is overriding for pink wine . Go soft on the nitrogen fertilizer . Apply fungicide according to recording label directions before problem becomes severe and postdate way precisely , not pretermit any require treatments . Sanitation is a must - pick up and withdraw all leave-taking , flowers , or debris in the fall and destroy . kingdom Fungi : Leaf SpotsLeaf spots are triggered by fungi or bacterium . chocolate-brown or black spots and patches may be either ragged or round , with a body of water soaked or yellow - edged appearance . worm , rain , muddy garden tools , or even people can help oneself its spread .
Prevention and Control : Remove infected leave when the industrial plant is dry . Leaves that amass around the radical of the plant life should be raked up and disposed of . Avoid overhead irrigation if possible ; water should be calculate at soil level . For fungal leafage spots , use a recommended fungicide consort to label counselling .
Pest : Scale InsectsScales are worm , link up to mealy bugs , that can be a job on a across-the-board variety of plant - indoor and outdoor . Young scale front crawl until they find a safe feeding site . The adult females then lose their ramification and remain on a spot protect by its hard shell layer . They appear as bumps , often on the lower sides of leave . They have piercing mouth parts that give suck the sap out of plant tissue . Scales can weaken a industrial plant leading to yellow foliage and folio drop . They also produce a angelical substance called honeydew ( covet by ants ) which can lead to an unattractive bootleg Earth’s surface fungal growth call pitchy mold .
Prevention and Control : Once established they are hard to control . Isolate infested plants aside from those that are not infest . Consult your local garden center professional or Cooperative Extension office in your county for a sound recommendation regarding their mastery . Encourage natural foe such as parasitic wasps in the garden . Fungi : Sooty MoldSooty mold is a fungus that is found on the surface of folio . It feed on honeydew melon eliminate from aphids , mealy hemipterous insect , scale , or ants . Though not serious , it is unattractive when it covers / scorch the leave of absence and stems of the works . The good way of life to control jet mold is to control the dirt ball that make the honeydew . Sooty mold can usually be wiped from leaves with a moist textile or wash away with a hosiery - end sprayer .
