Begonias are tender perennial , grown for their colorful flowers and foliage . Most begonia can be grown outdoors in pots , in the ground , or in hang basket in strain light and moist , but well drained soil . Where not hardy , farm as annual or indoors as houseplant . Most begonias can be propagated from leafage , stem or rhizome cuttings in increase to being sow from seed . The cultivar , ‘ Joel Gillingwators ’ , grows from a creeping rootstalk . The leafage is very attractive , boast large , non - spiral folio that are often colour and patterned . This plant bask separate out light but can take some sunlight in wintertime . Soil should ideally be damp . begonia grow very well in peat - based compost also . Likes humidness . Does not like cold weather . Pinching wind and pruning outer halt in the growing season gives a bushier plant life , good for flow baskets . Remove dead leaf to prevent disease .
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Characteristics
Requirements
Plant Care
Fertilizing
Light
You will notice that sun and spook patterns change during the twenty-four hours . The western side of a house may even be shady due to shadower cast by large trees or a structure from an adjacent attribute . If you have just bought a Modern domicile or just beginning to garden in your old home , take clock time to map sun and shade throughout the twenty-four hour period . You will get a more accurate feel for your internet site ’s on-key weak status . Conditions : Filtered LightFor many plants that choose partially shadowy conditions , dribble lightis paragon . honorable planting website are under a mid to large sized Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree that allow some brightness through their branches or beneath taller plants that will put up some protection . Conditions : Moisture - have it off HouseplantsHouseplants that expect ample H2O , or those labeled asmoisture - loving houseplantsrequire that they be watered thoroughly until the soil is impregnate and then drains freely from holes in the bottom of pot . Re - urine when pot stain becomes dry to the touch an inch or so below the soil aerofoil . experimental condition : Partial Sun , Partial ShadePart sunorpart shadeplants favour light that is filter out . Sunlight , though not direct , is important to them . Often dayspring sun , because it is not as inviolable as afternoon sun , can be look at part sun or part ghost . If you live in an area that does not get much intense sun , such as the Pacific Northwest , a full Lord’s Day exposure may be o.k. . In other areas such as Florida , flora in a location where afternoon shade will be received . Conditions : Bright Light for HouseplantsHouseplants requiringbright lightshould be placed within 2 feet of an easterly or westerly exposure window or within 2 to 5 feet of a southern exposure window . condition : Light and Plant SelectionFor good flora carrying out , it is desirable to match the correct works with the uncommitted wakeful conditions . Right plant , right property ! Plants which do not receive sufficient light may become pale in color , have few leave and a " leggy " extend - out appearing . Also expect plants to grow dense and have few blooms when light is less than desirable . It is potential to provide supplemental lighting for indoor plants with lamps . plant can also receive too much lighter . If a shade loving plant is expose to direct sunlight , it may wilt and/or have leaves to be burn or otherwise damage .
Watering
The cay to watering is water deeply and less frequently . When watering , weewee well , i.e. provide enough piss to good saturate the root word ball . With in - ground plant , this means thoroughly soaking the soil until water has pervade to a depth of 6 to 7 inch ( 1 ' being better ) . With container grown industrial plant , lend oneself enough water to earmark water to flux through the drainage maw .
seek to irrigate plant life early in the day or later in the afternoon to conserve H2O and cut down on plant emphasis . Do water early on enough so that water has had a chance to dry from plant leaves prior to night nightfall . This is preponderating if you have had fungus problems .
Do n’t wait to water until plants wilt . Although some plants will recuperate from this , all plant will die if they droop too much ( when they reach the permanent wilting distributor point ) .
Consider water supply conservation methods such as drip irrigation , mulching , and xeriscaping . Drip systems which slowly dribble wet directly on the root system of rules can be purchased at your local home and garden centre . Mulches can importantly cool the root zone and conserve moisture .
Consider append pee - saving gel to the radical zone which will hold a reserve of water for the plant . These can make a world of divergence especially under nerve-wracking condition . Be sure to follow recording label directions for their use .
Conditions : Normal Watering for Outdoor PlantsNormal wateringmeans that soil should be kept equally moist and watered regularly , as conditions want . Most flora like 1 column inch of water a calendar week during the growing season , but take care not to over water . The first two twelvemonth after a plant is install , regular lacrimation is important for institution . The first year is vital . It is better to water supply once a week and body of water deeply , than to water frequently for a few minutes . Conditions : Indoor WateringPlant are composed of almost 90 % water so it important to supply them with adequate piddle . Proper watering is crucial for estimable flora health . When there is not enough water , root will wither and the plant will droop . When too much water is applied too frequently , radical are deprived of oxygen and diseases go on such as root and stem rots .
The key to watering is frequency . Water well then look long enough until the plant needs to be re - irrigate according to its moisture necessary .
When lachrymation , water well . That is , render enough weewee to thoroughly saturate the root ballock . With containerized plants , apply enough weewee to allow water to flow through the drainage holes .
Avoid using cold water particularly with houseplants . This can shock tender roots . filling lachrymation can with tepid water or allow insensate water to sit down for a while to come to room temperature before lacrimation . This is a good way to allow any harmful chlorine in the water to evaporate before being used .
Some industrial plant are best irrigate by sub - irrigation , i.e. watering from the bottom up . This head off splashing water on the leaves of raw flora . Simply place the can in a shallow pan fill with tepid water and let the plant sit for 15 minute to allow the theme ball to be thoroughly wet . Take out and earmark sufficient drainage .
Use an unpainted joggle to help you determine when to re - water larger pots . vex it into the soil glob & wait 5 minutes . The dowel will draw moisture from the grunge and turn a darker colour . pluck it out and canvass . This will give you an idea of how cockeyed the soil root ballock is .
root need O to breather , do not allow plants to ride in a saucer fill with water . This will only promote disease .
Planting
A workweek to 10 days before planting , add 2 to 4 inches of aged manure or compost and oeuvre into the planting site to amend rankness and increase water retention and drainage . If soil composition is washy , a layer of topsoil should be considered as well . No matter if your soil is sand or clay , it can be improved by adding the same thing : organic matter . The more , the effective ; sour deep into the grunge . Prepare beds to an 18 column inch deep for perennial . This will seem like a tremendous amount of work now , but will greatly pay off later . Besides , this is not something that is well done later , once plant have been established . How - to : Pinching and Thinning PerennialsOnce you plant a perennial , it does not mean that you will delight years of maintenance - free gardening . Perennials require to be care for just like any other industrial plant . One thing that distinguishes perennial is that they tend to be active growers that have to be thinned out occasionally or they will loose vigor .
As perennials install , it is important to prune them back and melt off them out now and then . This will prevent them from all have over an area to the riddance of other plants , and also will increase air circulation thereby reduce the relative incidence of diseases like botrytis and powdery mildew .
Many coinage also flower abundantly and bring out sizeable ejaculate . As blooms fade it is advisable to deadhead your plant ; that is , to remove spent flowers before they form seed . This will prevent your plant from seeding all over the garden and will maintain the considerable vigour it takes the plant to grow seed .
As perennials maturate , they may shape a dense ascendent mass that eventually leads to a less vigorous industrial plant . It is advisable to occasionally thin out a point of view of such perennial . By dividing the source system , you’re able to make new plants to plant in another sphere of the garden or give away . Also root pruning will stimulate new ontogenesis and rejuvenate the plant . Most perennials may be successfully divided in either outflow or autumn . Do a niggling homework ; some perennial do have a preference . How - to : develop ContainersContainersare excellent when used as an ornamental feature , a planting option when there is little or no soil to plant in , or for flora that require a grease character not found in the garden or when stain drainage in the garden is inferior . If growing more than one plant in a container , make indisputable that all have similar ethnic requirements . prefer a container that is recondite and large enough to allow root development and development as well as relative correspondence between the fully developed plant and the container . Plant large container in the place you intend them to stay . All container should have drain hollow . A mesh screen , broken corpse locoweed pieces(crock ) or a newspaper publisher coffee filter placed over the hole will keep soil from wash out . The potting filth you select should be an appropriate mix for the plants you have chosen . Quality soils ( or stain - less medias ) absorb wet promptly and evenly when fuddled . If water run off soil upon initial wetting , this is an indicant that your soil may not be as good as you conceive .
Prior to meet a container with land , wet potting grime in the bag or place in a tub or barrow so that it is evenly moist . Fill container about halfway full or to a level that will allow industrial plant , when plant , to be just below the rim of the pot . Rootballs should be level with soil line when undertaking is stark . Water well . How - to : Planting PerennialsDetermine appropriate perennials for your garden by view sunlight and nicety through the day , vulnerability , water requirements , climate , stain makeup , seasonal colouring material desired , and place of other garden flora and trees .
The best time to establish are outpouring and fall , when soil is workable and out of risk of Robert Lee Frost . Fall planting have the advantage that roots can develop and not have to vie with spring up top ontogeny as in the spring . Spring is more suitable for perennials that dislike wet conditions or for colder areas , allow full establishment before first wintertime . Planting in summertime or winter is not advisable for most plant , unless plant a more show sized plant .
To constitute container - grow plant life : Prepare plant holes with appropriate profundity and space between . Water the industrial plant thoroughly and let the excess water drain before cautiously removing from the container . cautiously loosen the beginning ball and place the plant in the hole , form soil around the roots as you fill . If the plant is extremely root bound , separate roots with fingers . A few slits made with a pocket knife are okay , but should be kept to a minimum . Continue filling in filth and pee thoroughly , protecting from direct Lord’s Day until static .
To implant bare - root plants : Plant as shortly as potential after purchase . Prepare suited planting holes , unfold roots and work ground among roots as you sate in . water supply well and protect from direct Sunday until unchanging .
To plant seedling : A number of perennials produce self - sow seedling that can be transplanted . You may also start your own seedling bottom for transplantation . Prepare suitable planting holes , space suitably for plant ontogeny . softly elevate the seedling and as much surrounding land as potential with your garden trowel , and replant it immediately , firming grease with fingertips and water well . Shade from direct Dominicus and water on a regular basis until stable . How - to : Potting Indoor PlantsMake sure that the plant you have chosen is suitable for the status you are capable to provide it : that it will have enough light , quad , and a temperature it will like . recollect that the area right next to a windowpane will be colder than the rest of the way .
Indoor works need to be transplanted into a larger container periodically , or they become stool / root - bound and their emergence is retarded . Water the plant well before starting , so the soil will concur the radical ball together when you remove it from the pot . If you have trouble getting the industrial plant out of the sens , try out bleed a blade around the edge of the pot , and gently wham the sides to loosen the soil .
Always use clean dirt when transplanting your indoor works . occupy around the works gently with soil , being careful not to pack too tightly – you want atmosphere to be capable to get to the beginning . After the industrial plant is in the new skunk , do n’t fertilise right away … this will encourage the root to fill in their new home .
The size pot you choose is authoritative too . Select one that is not more than about 1 inch bully in diameter . Remember , many plants prefer being somewhat plenty bound . Always start with a clean pot !
Problems
Rhizoctoniais a fungus that is set up in most grime and enters the plant through the roots or the stem at territory level . bar and Control : First of all , do not overwater and if you distrust Rhizoctonia may be your trouble , decrease tearing . If a plant is too far go ( all the leaf from the bottom up are wilted ) , remove it . If your plant is in a container , put away the soil too . Wash the pot with a 1 part bleach to 9 parts water solution . fungicide can be used , concord to label directions . Consult a pro for a legal recommendation of what fungicide to use . Pest : ThripsThripsare small , winged insects that attack many type of plants and expand in live , dry conditions ( like heated houses ) . They can multiply cursorily as a female can lay up to 300 eggs in a life brace of 45 days without coupling . Most of the equipment casualty to plant is triggered by the young larvae which feed on sensitive leaf and flower tissue . This conduct to distorted increase , injure flower petals and premature flower drop . Thrips also can transmit many harmful works computer virus .
Prevention and Control : keep weeds down and utilise screening on windows to keep them out . withdraw or discard invade plants , keep them away from non - infested industrial plant . Trap with lily-livered sticky cards or take advantage of natural enemies such as predatory mites . Sometimes a good firm shower of water will lave them off the works . Consult your local garden center professional or county Cooperative extension berth for sound chemical recommendations . Pest : Spider MitesSpider mitesare small , 8 legged , spider - alike creatures which flourish in spicy , ironical conditions ( like heated houses ) . Spider mites prey with piercing back talk parts , which do plants to appear yellow and specked . Leaf bead and plant life destruction can go on with intemperate infestation . wanderer soupcon can multiply quickly , as a female can lie up to 200 ballock in a life span of 30 daytime . They also produce a vane which can cover infested leaves and flowers .
Prevention and Control : Keep locoweed down and polish off infested plants . Dry air seems to worsen the trouble , so ensure plants are on a regular basis water , especially those preferring in high spirits humidness such as tropicals , citrus fruit , or tomatoes . Always check new industrial plant prior to bringing 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 inwardness professional or county Cooperative Extension billet , read and follow all label directions . Concentrate your effort on the undersurface of the leaves as that is where wanderer mites generally exist . Pest : MealybugsSmall , wingless , dull - white , soft - bodied louse that produce a waxy powdery covering . They have pierce / sucking mouth part that suck the sap out of plant tissue paper . Mealybugsoften look like small-scale pieces of cotton wool and they tend to congregate where leave of absence and stems branch . They attack a wide chain of plant . The young tend to move around until they find a suitable alimentation fleck , then they give ear out in colony and provender . Mealybugs can weaken a works lead to icteric foliage and leaf drop . They also produce a honeyed meaning call in honeydew ( coveted by ants ) which can lead to an unattractive black surface fungous ontogeny called sooty mould .
Prevention and Control : Isolate overrun plants from those that are not . confer your local garden center professional or the Cooperative Extension part in your county for a legal insecticide / chemical substance recommendation . Encourage natural enemies such as lady beetles in the garden to avail reduce universe levels of mealy bug . Pest : WhitefliesWhitefliesare pocket-sized , winged insect that seem like diminutive moths , which attack many character of plant . The fly adult level prefers the bottom of leaves to feed in and breed . whitefly can manifold quickly as a female can lie up to 500 orchis in a life history duet of 2 months . If a plant is infested with whiteflies , you will see a cloud of flee insects when the plant is trouble . Whiteflies can weaken a plant , eventually leading to plant decease if they are not checked . They can transmit many harmful plant virus . They also acquire a mellisonant substance name honeydew ( covet by ants ) which can go to an unattractive pitch-dark surface fungous growth call jet mould .
potential control : keep weeds down ; use of goods and services screening in window to keep them out ; remove infested industrial plant aside from non - infested industrial plant ; employ a reflective mulch ( aluminum foil ) under plants ( this repels whiteflies ) ; cakehole with icteric sticky cards , put on label pesticides ; encourage natural foeman such as parasitic wasps in the garden ; and sometimes a good steady cascade of water will wash them off the plant . Pest : slug and SnailsSlugs and snailsfavor moist climates and are mollusks , not louse . They can be voracious feeders , exhaust just about anything that is not woody or highly odorous . They may eat holes in leaves , strip entire prow , or entirely devour seedling and tender transplants , leaving behind tell - narration silvery , slimy trails .
Prevention and control : Keep your garden as clean as possible , eliminating hiding places such as leaf detritus , over - turned pot , and tarpaulin . Groundcover in fishy places and heavy mulch supply protection from the elements and can be favorite concealment places . In the spring , police for and put down eggs ( bunch of small semitransparent spheres ) and adult during dusk and daybreak . Set out beer traps from late spring through fall .
Many chemical substance controls are available on the food market , but can be vicious and deadly for minor and pet ; take precaution when using them - always read the label first!Fungi : Powdery MildewPowdery Mildewis unremarkably found on plants that do not have enough air circulation or passable light . Problems are defective where night are cool and day are quick and humid . The powdery white or grey fungus is commonly found on the upper surface of leave or fruit . leaf will often change by reversal yellow or dark-brown , coil up , and send packing off . New leafage emerges crease and distorted . Fruit will be dwarfed and often drop early .
Prevention and Control : constitute resistant variety and space plant life right so they receive adequate light and melody circulation . Always weewee from below , keeping water off the foliage . This is preponderating for roses . Go easy on the nitrogen fertilizer . use fungicides according to label direction before problem becomes knockout and follow directions exactly , not missing any involve treatments . Sanitation is a must - clean up and remove all leaves , flowers , or debris in the fall and destruct . fungus : Leaf SpotsLeaf smear are triggered by fungus kingdom or bacterium . Brown or mordant spot and patches may be either ragged or circular , with a water gazump or yellow - edged appearance . Insects , rain , dirty garden tools , or even citizenry can assist its spread .
Prevention and Control : off infected leaf when the flora is dry . Leaves that take in around the base of the works should be raked up and dispose of . Avoid overhead irrigation if possible ; urine should be lead at land storey . For fungous leaf smear , use a recommended fungicide according to label management .
Pest : Scale InsectsScales are insects , colligate to mealy bugs , that can be a job on a wide kind of plants - indoor and out-of-door . Young scales crawling until they encounter a right alimentation web site . The adult females then lose their leg and rest on a spot protected by its arduous case stratum . They seem as bumps , often on the lower side of leaves . They have pierce mouth region that suck the sap out of plant tissue paper . exfoliation can weaken a industrial plant leading to yellow foliage and leaf drop . They also produce a sweet substance called honeydew ( coveted by emmet ) which can lead to an untempting black surface fungous growing called coal-black modeling .
Prevention and Control : Once ground they are knockout to control . Isolate infested plants away from those that are not infested . confer with your local garden shopping mall professional or Cooperative Extension office in your county for a legal testimonial regarding their control condition . further innate enemy such as bloodsucking wasps in the garden . fungus : Sooty MoldSooty mold is a fungus that is found on the surface of leaves . It feeds on honeydew excreted from aphids , mealy microbe , scale , or emmet . Though not serious , it is unattractive when it traverse / blackens the leaves and stem of the plant . The good fashion to moderate sooty mould is to see the insects that make the honeydew melon . Sooty mold can normally be wiped from leaves with a damp cloth or washed by with a hose - end sprayer .
