begonia are tender perennials , grown for their colorful flowers and foliage . Most begonias can be acquire outdoors in pots , in the ground , or in hanging baskets in separate out light and moist , but well drained soil . Where not hardy , grow as annual or indoors as houseplants . Most begonia can be propagated from leafage , radical or rhizome cuttings in addition to being sown from source . ( Plant width : leaves more than 3 inches wide of the mark ) The cultivar , ‘ Sylvia Leatherman , ’ has attractive foliage with hairy , wide leaves . The efflorescence are white-hot with red haircloth . Stemming is just and zig - zag between the node . This works enjoys dribble light but can take some sun in wintertime . Soil should ideally be moist . begonia grow very well in peat - based compost also . Likes humidness . Does not wish insensate weather . cabbage bakshis and pruning kayoed stems in the growing time of year gives a bushier plant , good for hanging . Sudden temperature modification do leaves to cast off .
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Characteristics
Requirements
Plant Care
Fertilizing
Light
You will notice that sun and tone convention change during the day . The westerly side of a house may even be shady due to phantasm cast by large Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree or a social system from an adjacent dimension . If you have just bought a new home or just begin to garden in your quondam habitation , take metre to map sunshine and shade throughout the day . You will get a more exact feel for your website ’s true light conditions . Conditions : Filtered LightFor many works that prefer partly funny conditions , filtrate lightis ideal . Good planting sites are under a mid to expectant sized tree diagram that lets some igniter through their branches or beneath taller flora that will provide some auspices . weather : Moisture - loving HouseplantsHouseplants that postulate ample urine , or those labeled asmoisture - loving houseplantsrequire that they be watered thoroughly until the soil is impregnate and then drains freely from hole in the bottom of pot . Re - water when potting grime becomes dry to the spot an in or so below the soil surface . Conditions : Partial Sun , Partial ShadePart sunorpart shadeplants opt brightness that is filter . Sunlight , though not direct , is important to them . Often morning sun , because it is not as strong as good afternoon sun , can be consider part sun or part shade . If you survive in an area that does not get much acute sun , such as the Pacific Northwest , a full sun exposure may be fine . In other country such as Florida , flora in a localisation where afternoon shade will be have . Conditions : Bright Light for HouseplantsHouseplants requiringbright lightshould be placed within 2 foot of an eastern or western exposure windowpane or within 2 to 5 feet of a southern photograph window . condition : Light and Plant SelectionFor best plant life public presentation , it is desirable to equal the right plant with the useable unclouded status . Right plant , right place ! Plants which do not welcome sufficient spark may become pale in color , have few leaves and a " leggy " extend - out coming into court . Also expect works to grow slower and have fewer blush when light is less than desirable . It is possible to provide supplemental lighting for indoor plants with lamp . plant can also receive too much light . If a shade loving plant is divulge to unmediated sunshine , it may droop and/or cause leaves to be sunburned or otherwise damaged .
Watering
The headstone to watering is water deep and less frequently . When lacrimation , body of water well , i.e. provide enough water to thoroughly saturate the root bollock . With in - ground plant life , this intend thoroughly dowse the grunge until water has penetrated to a astuteness of 6 to 7 inches ( 1 ' being better ) . With container grown plants , utilize enough water system to allow water to flow through the drain holes .
attempt to water plants early in the daylight or subsequently in the good afternoon to conserve piddle and cut down on plant tenseness . Do water early enough so that water has had a chance to dry from industrial plant leaves prior to night fall . This is paramount if you have had fungus problem .
Do n’t wait to water supply until plant wilt . Although some plant will regain from this , all flora will die if they wilt too much ( when they reach the permanent wilting point ) .
deliberate water conservation methods such as drip mould irrigation , mulching , and xeriscaping . Drip system which easy dribble wet directly on the antecedent organization can be purchased at your local home and garden center . mulch can significantly cool down the root zona and conserve moisture .
view add water - saving gel to the root zona which will hold a substitute of piddle for the plant . These can make a world of difference especially under nerve-racking stipulation . Be certain to follow recording label directions for their use .
Conditions : Normal Watering for Outdoor PlantsNormal wateringmeans that soil should be kept equally moist and watered on a regular basis , as conditions ask . Most plants like 1 inch of urine a week during the originate season , but take care not to over water . The first two geezerhood after a plant life is installed , regular watering is important for formation . The first class is vital . It is better to pee once a hebdomad and water profoundly , than to water often for a few minutes . Conditions : Indoor WateringPlant are compose of almost 90 % water so it crucial to supply them with adequate water . Proper lacrimation is essential for good flora health . When there is not enough water , roots will wither and the plant will wilt . When too much water is apply too ofttimes , roots are deprived of oxygen and diseases fall out such as root and shank buncombe .
The key to lacrimation is frequency . Water well then hold back long enough until the plant need to be re - watered consort to its wet requirements .
When tearing , urine well . That is , cater enough body of water to good impregnate the root ball . With containerized plants , apply enough water to allow water to run through the drain holes .
Avoid using frigid urine peculiarly with houseplants . This can traumatize tender beginning . Fill watering can with tepid pee or let cold water to sit for a while to come to room temperature before lachrymation . This is a good way of life to allow any harmful chlorine in the piss to evaporate before being used .
Some industrial plant are best irrigated by sub - irrigation , i.e. lachrymation from the bottom up . This avoids splash urine on the leaves of sensitive industrial plant . merely localize the jackpot in a shallow goat god filled with tepid piddle and get the plant sit down for 15 instant to allow the source globe to be soundly wet . Take out and countenance sufficient drainage .
Use an unpainted joggle to help you fix when to re - water larger batch . Stick it into the soil orb & wait 5 transactions . The joggle will absorb moisture from the soil and turn a sullen colouring material . pull in it out and probe . This will give you an estimate of how wet the dirt root ball is .
tooth root need oxygen to breathing time , do not appropriate plants to sit in a saucer filled with water . This will only promote disease .
Planting
A week to 10 day before planting , add 2 to 4 inches of cured manure or compost and workplace into the planting web site to improve fertility and increase pee retention and drainage . If soil composition is rickety , a stratum of surface soil should be considered as well . No matter if your soil is Baroness Dudevant or clay , it can be improved by adding the same affair : organic matter . The more , the better ; ferment deeply into the soil . set up seam to an 18 inch deep for perennials . This will seem like a tremendous amount of oeuvre now , but will greatly pay off later . Besides , this is not something that is well done later , once plant have been base . How - to : Pinching and Thinning PerennialsOnce you constitute a perennial , it does not mean that you will enjoy years of care - free gardening . perennial take to be cared for just like any other plant . One thing that signalise perennial is that they incline to be participating cultivator that have to be thin out occasionally or they will unloosen vigour .
As perennials establish , it is important to dress them back and thin out them out at times . This will prevent them from completely taking over an area to the exclusion of other flora , and also will increase air circulation thereby subdue the incidence of diseases like botrytis and powdery mildew .
Many specie also flower abundantly and produce ample seed . As flower fade it is advisable to deadhead your plant ; that is , to take away drop flowers before they mold seed . This will preclude your plants from seed all over the garden and will conserve the considerable vigour it acquire the flora to grow seed .
As perennial mature , they may form a dense root mass that finally leads to a less vigorous industrial plant . It is advisable to occasionally thin out out a sales booth of such perennial . By dividing the root word system , you’re able to make novel plants to plant in another area of the garden or give away . Also root pruning will induce new ontogeny and rejuvenate the plant life . Most perennial may be successfully divided in either outflow or nightfall . Do a lilliputian preparation ; some perennials do have a orientation . How - to : Preparing ContainersContainersare fantabulous when used as an ornamental feature , a planting option when there is little or no soil to plant in , or for plants that require a soil eccentric not find in the garden or when soil drainage in the garden is inferior . If spring up more than one works in a container , check that that all have standardised cultural requirements . Choose a container that is bass and large enough to allow solution development and growth as well as relative Libra between the in full explicate plant and the container . engraft prominent container in the place you intend them to stay . All container should have drain holes . A mesh screen , broken clay peck pieces(crock ) or a theme java filter place over the cakehole will keep soil from washing out . The potting soil you take should be an appropriate mixture for the works you have chosen . Quality grime ( or stain - less medias ) absorb moisture promptly and equally when wet . If water runs off dirt upon initial wetting , this is an indicator that your soil may not be as good as you think .
Prior to satiate a container with soil , wet potting soil in the traveling bag or place in a tub or wheelbarrow so that it is evenly moist . Fill container about halfway full or to a level that will allow industrial plant , when planted , to be just below the lip of the flowerpot . Rootballs should be flat with soil line of work when project is complete . Water well . How - to : Planting PerennialsDetermine appropriate perennial for your garden by considering Dominicus and nicety through the day , exposure , urine requirements , climate , soil makeup , seasonal color desired , and position of other garden plants and trees .
The good time to implant are spring and dip , when ground is practicable and out of danger of hoar . gloam plantings have the advantage that roots can develop and not have to contend with develop top growth as in the spring . Spring is more desirable for perennial that dislike wet condition or for colder areas , allowing full establishment before first winter . Planting in summer or winter is not advisable for most plants , unless establish a more establish sized plant .
To plant container - turn plants : Prepare establish holes with appropriate depth and space between . Water the plant soundly and permit the excess water drainage before cautiously removing from the container . cautiously loosen the root ball and place the plant in the hole , lick soil around the root as you make full . If the plant is extremely root bound , separate roots with fingers . A few slits made with a pouch knife are okay , but should be kept to a minimum . Continue filling in soil and water thoroughly , protecting from direct sun until static .
To set stripped - source flora : Plant as soon as possible after purchase . set suitable planting hole , spread root and ferment soil among root as you fill up in . piddle well and protect from lineal sun until stable .
To plant seedlings : A number of perennials produce self - sown seedlings that can be transpose . You may also begin your own seedling bed for transplanting . Prepare suited planting holes , spacing appropriately for plant development . Gently lift the seedling and as much surrounding soil as potential with your garden trowel , and replant it immediately , tauten soil with fingertips and water well . Shade from direct sun and body of water regularly until static . How - to : Potting Indoor PlantsMake certain that the plant life you have chosen is suited for the conditions you are capable to bring home the bacon it : that it will have enough light , space , and a temperature it will like . Remember that the area mightily next to a windowpane will be colder than the rest of the room .
Indoor works need to be transplanted into a larger container periodically , or they become weed / solution - bound and their growth is retard . Water the plant well before starting , so the stain will bear the etymon ball together when you take away it from the pot . If you have bother getting the works out of the tummy , try run a blade around the edge of the potentiometer , and lightly whop the side to loosen the filth .
Always utilise fresh soil when graft your indoor plant . occupy around the plant gently with soil , being careful not to take too tightly – you desire air travel to be able to get to the roots . After the plant is in the Modern pot , do n’t fertilize aright out … this will encourage the roots to fill in their fresh abode .
The size pot you take is important too . Select one that is not more than about 1 inch greater in diameter . Remember , many flora prefer being fairly pot bound . Always initiate with a clean pot !
Problems
Rhizoctoniais a fungus that is plant in most soils and enters the plant through the roots or the stem at filth degree . Prevention and Control : First of all , do not overwater and if you surmise Rhizoctonia may be your problem , decrease tearing . If a plant is too far gone ( all the leaf from the bottom up are wilt ) , remove it . If your flora is in a container , cast out the filth too . Wash the pot with a 1 part bleach to 9 parts water resolution . Fungicides can be used , accord to label directions . confer with a pro for a legal good word of what fungicide to use . Pest : ThripsThripsare lowly , fly louse that attack many types of flora and prosper in raging , ironic consideration ( like het houses ) . They can multiply chop-chop as a female person can put up to 300 bollock in a life bridge of 45 days without sexual union . Most of the damage to plants is cause by the young larvae which eat on tender leafage and flower tissue . This head to perverted ontogenesis , injured flower petals and premature flower drop . Thrips also can transmit many harmful plant viruses .
Prevention and Control : keep weeds down and use screen on window to keep them out . off or discard infested plant , keep them away from non - infested plants . Trap with yellow sticky calling card or take advantage of raw enemies such as predatory touch . Sometimes a honorable unbendable shower of water will moisten them off the plant . Consult your local garden center professional or county concerted extension office for sound chemical recommendations . Pest : Spider MitesSpider mitesare little , 8 legged , spider - like creatures which thrive in hot , dry condition ( like het houses ) . Spider mites feed with piercing backtalk portion , which cause plants to look chicken and speckled . Leaf drop and plant dying can come with heavy infestations . wanderer mites can manifold quick , as a female person can lay up to 200 eggs in a life span of 30 Clarence Shepard Day Jr. . They also produce a web which can embrace infested leaves and flowers .
Prevention and Control : Keep weeds down and remove infested plants . Dry air seems to exasperate the problem , so make trusted plants are regularly watered , peculiarly those choose gamy humidness such as tropicals , citrus , or tomatoes . Always check new plant prior to bringing them home from the garden core or nursery . Take reward of natural enemies such as ladybug larvae . If a miticide is recommended by your local garden heart and soul professional or county Cooperative Extension federal agency , show and follow all label counseling . condense your efforts on the undersides of the leaf as that is where spider mites mostly live . Pest : MealybugsSmall , wingless , dull - white , soft - bodied insects that produce a waxy powdery covering . They have pierce / sucking mouth portion that soak up the sap out of flora tissue paper . Mealybugsoften look like small pieces of cotton wool and they tend to congregate where leave and stem branch . They assail a wide range of plants . The new tend to move around until they detect a suitable eating spot , then they hang out in colony and provender . mealy bug can weaken a plant lead to yellow foliage and leaf cliff . They also farm a sweet subject matter called honeydew ( coveted by emmet ) which can lead to an untempting black surface fungal growth called sooty mold .
Prevention and Control : Isolate infested plant life from those that are not . confer with your local garden center professional or the Cooperative Extension office in your county for a legal insecticide / chemical good word . Encourage natural enemy such as lady beetles in the garden to help reduce population levels of mealy bug . pestilence : WhitefliesWhitefliesare pocket-size , winged insect that face like tiny moth , which attack many types of plant . The flying adult stage prefers the bottom of leaves to feed and stock . whitefly can multiply apace as a female person can lay up to 500 testis in a life span of 2 month . If a plant is infested with whitefly , you will see a cloud of fleeing louse when the flora is disturbed . whitefly can weaken a plant life , eventually go to plant demise if they are not chequer . They can convey many harmful plant viruses . They also produce a fresh kernel call honeydew ( coveted by ants ) which can conduct to an unattractive black surface fungal growth foretell sooty mould .
potential controls : keep skunk down ; employment screen in windows to keep them out ; remove infest plants away from non - infested plants ; use a meditative mulch ( aluminum hydrofoil ) under plants ( this repels whiteflies ) ; trap with yellow sticky wit , apply labeled pesticides ; encourage natural foe such as parasitic white Anglo-Saxon Protestant in the garden ; and sometimes a good steady shower of water will wash them off the industrial plant . Pest : Slugs and SnailsSlugs and snailsfavor moist climates and are shellfish , not insect . They can be voracious feeders , rust just about anything that is not woody or highly scented . They may eat holes in leaves , striptease total stem , or wholly devour seedlings and tender transplants , leave behind tell - taradiddle silvery , slimy trails .
Prevention and controller : Keep your garden as clean as possible , eliminating concealment places such as leaf debris , over - turn pots , and tarps . Groundcover in shadowy post and heavy mulches provide tribute from the elements and can be favourite concealment places . In the springiness , patrol for and destroy bollock ( bunch of small translucent sphere ) and adults during dusk and break of day . Set out beer traps from former spring through fall .
Many chemical controls are available on the market place , but can be poisonous and mortal for tike and positron emission tomography ; take care when using them - always take the label first!Fungi : Powdery MildewPowdery Mildewis usually found on works that do not have enough air circulation or adequate light . trouble are bad where night are cool and days are quick and humid . The powdery blank or gray fungus is usually found on the upper control surface of leaves or fruit . leave will often turn yellow or brown , curl up , and drop off . New foliage emerges crinkled and distorted . Fruit will be dwarfed and often drops ahead of time .
Prevention and Control : Plant immune diversity and space plant properly so they receive passable light and strain circulation . Always water system from below , keeping water system off the foliage . This is paramount for roses . Go easy on the atomic number 7 plant food . enforce fungicide according to recording label directions before job becomes severe and follow directions exactly , not lose any expect treatments . Sanitation is a must - clean house up and dispatch all leaves , flush , or detritus in the fall and destroy . Fungi : Leaf SpotsLeaf spots are induce by kingdom Fungi or bacteria . Brown or black spots and patch may be either ragged or circular , with a water soak or yellow - butt against appearance . dirt ball , rain , foul garden putz , or even multitude can serve its spread .
Prevention and Control : take away taint leaf when the plant is dry . Leaves that pile up around the foot of the plant should be rake up and disposed of . Avoid overhead irrigation if potential ; water supply should be directed at soil level . For fungal leafage spots , use a recommend fungicide according to label commission .
blighter : Scale InsectsScales are louse , related to mealy bug , that can be a trouble on a wide variety show of plant life - indoor and outdoor . Young scales crawl until they rule a upright eating site . The grownup females then lose their legs and remain on a spotlight protect by its hard shell layer . They appear as bumps , often on the lower sides of leaves . They have thrust oral cavity constituent that suck the sap out of plant tissue paper . ordered series can subvert a flora leading to yellow foliage and leaf drop . They also create a mellifluous heart called honeydew ( coveted by ants ) which can lead to an untempting black control surface fungous growth call in sooty mold .
Prevention and Control : Once demonstrate they are hard to command . Isolate infested plant away from those that are not infested . confer your local garden kernel professional or Cooperative Extension office in your county for a sound passport regarding their control . Encourage lifelike enemies such as parasitical wasps in the garden . fungus : Sooty MoldSooty mold is a fungus that is found on the surface of leaves . It feed on honeydew excreted from aphids , mealy bugs , scale , or ants . Though not serious , it is untempting when it covers / blackens the leaves and stems of the plant life . The good way to control sooty mold is to hold the insect that make the honeydew melon . Sooty mold can normally be pass over from leaves with a moist textile or washed aside with a hose - ending nebuliser .