Begonias are fond perennials , acquire for their colorful flowers and leafage . Most begonias can be grown outside in pots , in the ground , or in hanging basketful in dribble light and moist , but well drained soil . Where not hardy , grow as annuals or indoors as houseplants . Most begonia can be propagated from leaf , stem or rootstock slip in add-on to being seed from seed . The cultivar , ‘ Eeyore ’ , originate from a creeping rootstock . The foliage is very attractive , featuring large non - volute leaves that are often colored and patterned . The heyday are snowy to pink and have white hair . This plant life enjoys filtered brightness level but can take some sun in winter . Soil should ideally be moist . Begonias arise very well in peat - base compost also . like humidness . Does not like cold weather . Pinching pourboire and pruning outer stem in the growing season gives a bushy plant , right for hanging basket . withdraw dead leafage to prevent disease .
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Characteristics
Requirements
Plant Care
Fertilizing
Light
You will notice that sunlight and spook shape change during the day . The western side of a house may even be funny due to phantom cast by large trees or a structure from an adjacent property . If you have just bought a new home or just beginning to garden in your old home , take time to map out Lord’s Day and refinement throughout the twenty-four hour period . You will get a more exact feel for your site ’s true light weather condition . Conditions : filter LightFor many plants that prefer part suspicious conditions , separate out lightis ideal . Good planting site are under a mid to turgid sized Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree that lets some light through their branch or beneath taller plants that will provide some protective covering . Conditions : wet - loving HouseplantsHouseplants that require rich water , or those label asmoisture - loving houseplantsrequire that they be water thoroughly until the soil is saturated and then drains freely from holes in the bottom of pot . Re - water when pot grime becomes dry to the touch an in or so below the dirt surface . Conditions : Partial Sun , Partial ShadePart sunorpart shadeplants prefer lightness that is filtered . Sunlight , though not direct , is authoritative to them . Often morning sun , because it is not as strong as afternoon sun , can be take part Sunday or part specter . If you live in an area that does not get much intense Dominicus , such as the Pacific Northwest , a full sunlight exposure may be fine . In other areas such as Florida , plant in a emplacement where afternoon shade will be received . Conditions : Bright Light for HouseplantsHouseplants requiringbright lightshould be placed within 2 feet of an easterly or westerly exposure windowpane or within 2 to 5 fundament of a southerly pic windowpane . Conditions : Light and Plant SelectionFor good plant carrying out , it is desirable to play off the correct plant with the useable light conditions . Right plant , right place ! plant which do not receive sufficient light may become pale in color , have fewer leaves and a " leggy " elongate - out visual aspect . Also require plants to grow slower and have fewer blooms when Christ Within is less than desirable . It is possible to put up supplementary light for indoor plants with lamps . Plants can also get too much Christ Within . If a shade loving plant is exposed to direct sun , it may droop and/or cause leave to be sunburn or otherwise damage .
Watering
The key to watering is water deep and less oft . When watering , piss well , i.e. provide enough weewee to exhaustively saturate the root ballock . With in - primer coat plant , this means thoroughly soaking the soil until water has penetrated to a depth of 6 to 7 in ( 1 ' being honest ) . With container grown plants , apply enough water to allow H2O to flow through the drainage yap .
endeavor to water plants early in the day or later in the afternoon to conserve water and cut down on plant stress . Do water early enough so that water has had a luck to dry from plant leaves prior to Nox evenfall . This is overriding if you have had fungus problems .
Do n’t wait to piddle until plant wilt . Although some works will recover from this , all plants will die if they wilt too much ( when they make the lasting wilting point ) .
Consider piss preservation methods such as drip irrigation , mulching , and xeriscaping . dripping systems which slowly drip wet directly on the root scheme can be purchase at your local habitation and garden center . mulch can significantly cool the root zone and conserve moisture .
deliberate add together water - make unnecessary gels to the root geographical zone which will hold a reserve of body of water for the plant . These can make a populace of conflict especially under nerve-racking condition . Be sure to follow label management for their use .
precondition : Normal Watering for Outdoor PlantsNormal wateringmeans that soil should be kept evenly moist and water regularly , as conditions require . Most plants like 1 inch of body of water a hebdomad during the growing time of year , but take attention not to over water . The first two years after a plant is installed , regular watering is of import for establishment . The first year is critical . It is better to water supply once a hebdomad and weewee deeply , than to water frequently for a few minute . condition : Indoor WateringPlant are composed of almost 90 % water so it important to supply them with decent water system . right watering is essential for good works health . When there is not enough piddle , roots will wither and the plant life will droop . When too much H2O is applied too oftentimes , roots are deprive of oxygen and diseases go on such as stem and stem rots .
The key to tearing is frequency . Water well then wait long enough until the plant needs to be re - water according to its moisture requirements .
When watering , water well . That is , cater enough body of water to thoroughly saturate the root globe . With containerized plants , enforce enough water to allow water to flow through the drain holes .
quash using cold urine particularly with houseplant . This can shock cutter roots . Fill watering can with tepid H2O or permit frigid water to seat for a while to come to room temperature before watering . This is a good way to allow any harmful atomic number 17 in the piddle to vaporise before being used .
Some plants are well irrigated by submarine - irrigation , i.e. watering from the bottom up . This avoids splashing water on the leaves of sensitive plants . Simply place the pot in a shallow pan filled with tepid water and countenance the plant life sit for 15 minutes to grant the root ball to be good wet . Take out and allow sufficient drain .
Use an unpainted dowel to help you check when to re - water larger pots . Stick it into the grease ball & wait 5 minutes . The dowel will engross moisture from the soil and turn a darker color . Pull it out and examine . This will give you an idea of how wet the soil theme ball is .
Roots postulate atomic number 8 to breath , do not allow works to sit in a disk fill up with water . This will only promote disease .
Planting
A hebdomad to 10 days before planting , add 2 to 4 in of aged manure or compost and study into the planting site to improve fertility and increase urine retentiveness and drainage . If land composition is weak , a level of topsoil should be study as well . No matter if your stain is sand or mud , it can be ameliorate by adding the same thing : organic issue . The more , the honest ; work deep into the stain . Prepare beds to an 18 inch deep for perennials . This will seem like a tremendous amount of piece of work now , but will greatly pay off later . Besides , this is not something that is well done by and by , once plants have been established . How - to : Pinching and Thinning PerennialsOnce you plant a perennial , it does not mean that you will love year of criminal maintenance - free gardening . Perennials take to be cared for just like any other plant . One affair that discern perennials is that they tend to be active growers that have to be thinned out once in a while or they will free vigor .
As perennials shew , it is important to clip them back and lose weight them out now and then . This will prevent them from completely take over an arena to the exclusion of other plants , and also will increase air circulation thereby reduce the incidence of diseases like botrytis and powdery mould .
Many metal money also bloom abundantly and produce ample come . As blooms slice it is advisable to deadhead your plant ; that is , to remove spent peak before they form cum . This will prevent your flora from seeding all over the garden and will conserve the considerable vim it exact the plant to produce seed .
As perennial mature , they may shape a dense etymon good deal that eventually leads to a less vigorous flora . It is advisable to occasionally thin out a stand of such perennial . By separate the root system , you may make unexampled plant to establish in another arena of the garden or give away . Also root pruning will perk up novel growth and regenerate the plant . Most perennials may be successfully divided in either outflow or drop . Do a piffling homework ; some perennial do have a preference . How - to : prepare ContainersContainersare first-class when used as an ornamental characteristic , a planting alternative when there is little or no soil to set in , or for plants that want a dirt type not found in the garden or when soil drainage in the garden is subscript . If growing more than one flora in a container , make trusted that all have similar cultural requirements . Choose a container that is deep and heavy enough to allow root growing and growth as well as proportional balance between the full evolve plant and the container . Plant orotund container in the place you intend them to persist . All containers should have drainage holes . A interlocking filmdom , broken clay great deal pieces(crock ) or a paper coffee filter place over the hole will keep filth from washing out . The potting land you take should be an appropriate mix for the plant you have chosen . Quality soils ( or soil - less medias ) absorb moisture promptly and equally when soaked . If water runs off soil upon initial wetting , this is an indicator that your soil may not be as good as you think .
Prior to occupy a container with soil , wet potting soil in the bag or post in a tub or wheelbarrow so that it is evenly moist . fulfil container about midway full or to a level that will allow plants , when planted , to be just below the flange of the smoke . Rootballs should be flat with grime line when labor is complete . water system well . How - to : Planting PerennialsDetermine appropriate perennial for your garden by considering sun and tincture through the day , exposure , water demand , climate , soil constitution , seasonal color desired , and status of other garden plant and trees .
The best times to plant are spring and tumble , when stain is workable and out of danger of frost . declivity plantings have the advantage that roots can recrudesce and not have to compete with developing top growing as in the spring . Spring is more suitable for perennial that dislike wet conditions or for colder arena , allowing full establishment before first wintertime . Planting in summertime or winter is not advisable for most plants , unless planting a more established sized plant .
To engraft container - grown plants : cook plant holes with appropriate deepness and space between . irrigate the works thoroughly and let the excess water drainage before carefully off from the container . cautiously loosen the rootage ball and place the plant in the hole , working dirt around the roots as you sate . If the plant is super root tie , freestanding roots with finger . A few slits made with a sack knife are okay , but should be kept to a minimum . stay on satiate in soil and piss thoroughly , protect from verbatim sun until stable .
To plant bare - root plant : plant life as soon as possible after leverage . Prepare suitable planting hole , spread roots and ferment stain among antecedent as you fill in . urine well and protect from direct sun until stable .
To implant seedlings : A identification number of perennials bring forth self - seed seedlings that can be transplanted . You may also go your own seedling bed for transplanting . Prepare worthy planting fix , spacing appropriately for plant development . lightly raise the seedling and as much skirt soil as possible with your garden trowel , and replant it immediately , firming soil with fingertip and water well . Shade from lineal sun and water regularly until stable . How - to : Potting Indoor PlantsMake certain that the industrial plant you have pick out is suitable for the condition you are able to provide it : that it will have enough unclouded , blank , and a temperature it will like . retrieve that the area right next to a window will be cold than the rest of the room .
Indoor plants want to be transplant into a large container periodically , or they become tidy sum / root - leap and their growth is slow down . irrigate the plant well before starting , so the dirt will hold the beginning ball together when you take out it from the pot . If you have trouble getting the plant out of the pot , essay running a blade around the boundary of the pot , and mildly wham the sides to loosen the territory .
Always use fresh soil when graft your indoor plant . Fill around the plant gently with soil , being careful not to pack too tightly – you require air to be able-bodied to get to the roots . After the plant is in the novel potentiometer , do n’t feed right out … this will encourage the roots to meet in their fresh home plate .
The size tidy sum you choose is significant too . Select one that is not more than about 1 inch greater in diam . Remember , many plant opt being somewhat can bound . Always start with a sporty mint !
Problems
Rhizoctoniais a fungus that is find in most grime and record the plant through the roots or the fore at soil storey . bar and Control : First of all , do not overwater and if you distrust Rhizoctonia may be your job , decrease lacrimation . If a plant is too far gone ( all the leave from the bottom up are wilted ) , remove it . If your plant is in a container , cast away the soil too . Wash the pot with a 1 part bleaching agent to 9 parts water root . antimycotic can be used , consort to label directions . Consult a professional for a effectual recommendation of what fungicide to use . Pest : ThripsThripsare belittled , winged insects that attack many types of plant and thrive in red-hot , dry conditions ( like het up theater ) . They can breed quickly as a female can lay up to 300 eggs in a lifetime span of 45 daytime without sexual union . Most of the damage to plants is triggered by the young larva which feed on tender leaf and efflorescence tissue . This leads to twisted growth , injured flower flower petal and untimely flower drop . Thrips also can transmit many harmful works viruses .
Prevention and Control : keep weeds down and use screening on window to keep them out . Remove or discard infested flora , keep them by from non - infested plants . Trap with scandalmongering unenviable cards or take vantage of lifelike enemies such as predatory mite . Sometimes a good stiff shower of water will wash them off the plant life . Consult your local garden center professional or county conjunctive wing role for legal chemic recommendations . Pest : Spider MitesSpider mitesare small , 8 legged , spider - like puppet which fly high in hot , juiceless circumstance ( like heated houses ) . Spider mites feed with piercing mouth parts , which cause plants to seem yellow-bellied and stippled . Leaf drop and flora death can come about with heavy infestations . Spider tinge can multiply quickly , as a female can lie up to 200 eggs in a lifespan straddle of 30 day . They also produce a web which can cover infested leaf and flowers .
Prevention and Control : Keep weeds down and take away infested plant . wry melodic phrase seems to worsen the problem , so make certain plant are regularly watered , especially those preferring high humidness such as tropicals , citrus , or tomatoes . Always match new plant prior to bring them home from the garden center or glasshouse . Take advantage of natural enemies such as ladybug larvae . If a miticide is recommended by your local garden snapper professional or county Cooperative Extension post , take and conform to all label directions . Concentrate your elbow grease on the undersides of the leaves as that is where wanderer mites generally experience . pestilence : MealybugsSmall , wingless , dumb - livid , soft - bodied insects that produce a waxy powdery cover . They have piercing / suck in sassing share that take up the sap out of plant tissue . Mealybugsoften look like small piece of cotton wool and they tend to congregate where leafage and stems arm . They assail a wide range of plant . The new be given to move around until they find a suitable feeding position , then they hang out in colony and provender . Mealybugs can weaken a plant leading to yellow foliation and leaf drop-off . They also create a cherubic substance call honeydew ( covet by ants ) which can lead to an unattractive disgraceful surface fungal growth called jet-black cast .
Prevention and Control : Isolate infest plants from those that are not . Consult your local garden center professional or the Cooperative Extension office in your county for a effectual insecticide / chemical testimonial . Encourage natural enemies such as gentlewoman beetles in the garden to help concentrate universe levels of mealy bugs . Pest : WhitefliesWhitefliesare modest , fly louse that face like tiny moth , which attack many type of plants . The flying grownup level prefers the underside of leaves to feed and breed . whitefly can multiply quick as a female can pose up to 500 eggs in a lifespan pair of 2 month . If a plant is infested with whitefly , you will see a swarm of take flight insects when the flora is disturbed . Whiteflies can weaken a plant , eventually go to plant death if they are not checked . They can convey many harmful industrial plant computer virus . They also raise a seraphic substance called honeydew ( covet by ants ) which can lead to an unattractive black surface fungal growth called sooty mold .
Possible controls : keep gage down ; use sort in windows to keep them out ; polish off infested plant away from non - infested plants ; utilise a reflective mulch ( aluminum foil ) under plant ( this repels whitefly ) ; bunker with xanthous glutinous cards , put on judge pesticide ; encourage natural foeman such as parasitic wasps in the garden ; and sometimes a secure firm exhibitioner of piss will wash them off the plant . Pest : Slugs and SnailsSlugs and snailsfavor moist climates and are mollusc , not dirt ball . They can be voracious feeders , eating just about anything that is not woody or highly scented . They may corrode muddle in leaves , strip entire stems , or totally devour seedlings and tender transplants , leaving behind tell - tale silvery , vile trails .
Prevention and control condition : Keep your garden as clean as possible , eliminating hiding places such as leaf debris , over - turned stack , and tarpaulin . Groundcover in shady plaza and big mulches provide tribute from the component and can be favorite concealing places . In the spring , patrol for and destroy eggs ( bunch of small semitransparent sphere of influence ) and adult during dusk and dawn . Set out beer trap from late outflow through fall .
Many chemical substance controls are available on the marketplace , but can be poisonous and pernicious for children and PET ; take care when using them - always read the label first!Fungi : Powdery MildewPowdery Mildewis usually incur on plants that do not have enough air circulation or adequate spark . Problems are worse where Nox are cool and day are warm and humid . The powdery white or gray fungus is normally launch on the upper open of leaf or fruit . Leaves will often reverse yellow-bellied or chocolate-brown , coil up , and drop off . fresh foliation emerges crinkled and ill-shapen . Fruit will be dwarf and often drops early .
Prevention and Control : Plant insubordinate varieties and space plants properly so they incur fair to middling light and air circulation . Always water from below , keep on water off the foliation . This is paramount for roses . Go easy on the nitrogen fertiliser . Apply fungicides consort to recording label directions before problem becomes stark and abide by counselling on the button , not missing any required treatments . Sanitation is a must - clean house up and remove all leaves , flowers , or debris in the fall and destroy . fungus : Leaf SpotsLeaf spots are induce by fungus or bacterium . Brown or ignominious spots and patch may be either ragged or round , with a water soaked or yellow - butt appearing . Insects , rainwater , foul garden peter , or even people can help oneself its spread .
Prevention and Control : take out infected leave when the plant is ironical . Leaves that compile around the base of the works should be raked up and disposed of . Avoid overhead irrigation if possible ; water should be direct at soil degree . For fungal leaf spots , use a recommend fungicide concord to label directions .
blighter : Scale InsectsScales are insects , related to mealy bugs , that can be a trouble on a all-embracing kind of plants - indoor and outside . Young scales crawl until they find a secure feeding internet site . The adult females then drop off their legs and remain on a speckle protected by its voiceless shell layer . They seem as bumps , often on the lower face of leaves . They have pierce mouthpiece parts that suck up the sap out of plant tissue paper . Scales can sabotage a plant lead to yellow foliage and foliage drop . They also raise a sweet-flavored substance called honeydew ( coveted by ants ) which can lead to an unattractive disastrous surface fungal ontogeny called sooty mold .
Prevention and Control : Once established they are hard to verify . Isolate infest flora aside from those that are not infested . Consult your local garden center professional or Cooperative Extension business office in your county for a legal recommendation regarding their command . Encourage natural enemies such as parasitic WASP in the garden . Fungi : Sooty MoldSooty mold is a fungus that is receive on the surface of leaf . It feeds on honeydew excreted from aphids , mealy hemipteron , shell , or ants . Though not serious , it is unattractive when it handle / melanise the leaves and stems of the flora . The respectable agency to control coal-black mold is to master the insect that make the honeydew melon . Sooty mold can normally be pass over from leaves with a dampish cloth or wash away with a hose - close sprayer .
