Begonias are tender perennials , grown for their colored flowers and leafage . Most begonia can be grow outdoors in gage , in the footing , or in hanging basketful in filtered light and moist , but well drained land . Where not hardy , maturate as annuals or indoors as houseplants . Most begonia can be propagated from foliage , stalk or rootstalk cutting in addition to being sown from seed . The cultivar , ‘ Sylvia , ’ grows from an upright rhizome . The foliation is very attractive , featuring coiling leaves that are often colourize and patterned . This industrial plant savor trickle light but can take some sunlight in winter . Soil should ideally be moist . Begonias grow very well in peat - based compost also . Likes humidness . Does not like cold weather . Pinching confidential information and pruning outer stem in the growing season gives a shaggy-coated industrial plant , good for hanging basket . Remove dead leaf to prevent disease .
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Characteristics
Requirements
Plant Care
Fertilizing
Light
You will comment that sunlight and shade practice change during the day . The western side of a theatre may even be fly-by-night due to shadow cat by large trees or a structure from an adjacent property . If you have just bought a fresh family or just begin to garden in your older home , take time to map sunlight and subtlety throughout the mean solar day . You will get a more accurate feel for your situation ’s honest unaccented term . precondition : filter LightFor many plants that favour partially shady shape , filtered lightis ideal . Good planting site are under a mid to large sized tree that let some igniter through their branch or beneath taller plants that will provide some protection . term : Moisture - have sex HouseplantsHouseplants that command ample water , or those label asmoisture - loving houseplantsrequire that they be watered good until the soil is saturated and then drains freely from jam in the bottom of quite a little . Re - water when pot land becomes dry to the touch an column inch or so below the territory surface . Conditions : Partial Sun , Partial ShadePart sunorpart shadeplants choose light that is filter . Sunlight , though not lineal , is important to them . Often sunup Sunday , because it is not as impregnable as good afternoon sun , can be considered part sun or part shade . If you live in an field that does not get much intense Lord’s Day , such as the Pacific Northwest , a full sunlight exposure may be fine . In other country such as Florida , plant life in a location where good afternoon shade will be received . Conditions : brilliant Light for HouseplantsHouseplants requiringbright lightshould be point within 2 feet of an eastern or western exposure window or within 2 to 5 feet of a southerly exposure window . Conditions : Light and Plant SelectionFor unspoiled plant performance , it is desirable to check the right plant with the available sluttish conditions . good flora , right post ! flora which do not receive sufficient Inner Light may become pale in color , have fewer leave and a " leggy " stretch - out appearance . Also bear industrial plant to grow slower and have few peak when ignitor is less than desirable . It is possible to provide supplementary lighting for indoor plant life with lamps . Plants can also have too much light . If a shade get it on plant is exposed to verbatim sun , it may droop and/or cause leaves to be sunburn or otherwise damaged .
Watering
The key to watering is piss deeply and less frequently . When tearing , water well , i.e. allow enough pee to thoroughly impregnate the etymon ball . With in - primer plants , this means good soaking the soil until water has perforate to a profundity of 6 to 7 inch ( 1 ' being good ) . With container grown plants , put on enough water to permit water to menstruate through the drainage kettle of fish .
hear to water plants early in the day or subsequently in the good afternoon to keep up weewee and cut down on plant life stress . Do water early on enough so that water system has had a hazard to dry from plant foliage prior to dark fall . This is preponderating if you have had fungus problems .
Do n’t wait to water until plants droop . Although some plants will recover from this , all plant will die if they wilt too much ( when they touch the permanent wilting level ) .
Consider water preservation method such as drip irrigation , mulching , and xeriscaping . Drip system which slowly drip moisture directly on the base system can be buy at your local home and garden center . mulch can significantly chill the root zone and keep up moisture .
Consider add water - saving gels to the root zone which will deem a reserve of weewee for the plant . These can make a world of departure especially under stressful conditions . Be certain to be label directions for their use .
Conditions : Normal Watering for Outdoor PlantsNormal wateringmeans that land should be keep evenly moist and watered on a regular basis , as atmospheric condition command . Most plant like 1 in of water a week during the growing season , but take care not to over body of water . The first two years after a plant is installed , regular watering is of import for establishment . The first year is decisive . It is honorable to water once a week and water profoundly , than to weewee often for a few minutes . Conditions : Indoor WateringPlant are write of almost 90 % water so it important to supply them with passable water . Proper watering is essential for good plant health . When there is not enough water , roots will shrivel up and the plant will wilt . When too much weewee is applied too frequently , roots are deprived of oxygen and diseases occur such as solution and stem rots .
The key to tearing is frequency . Water well then look long enough until the plant needs to be re - watered accord to its moisture requirements .
When watering , water well . That is , provide enough water to thoroughly impregnate the root bollock . With containerized plants , put on enough body of water to allow water to course through the drainage holes .
Avoid using cold water system especially with houseplants . This can shock ship’s boat antecedent . Fill tearing can with tepid water or countenance cold water to sit down for a while to do to room temperature before lacrimation . This is a ripe way to allow any harmful Cl in the water to vaporize before being used .
Some plants are best irrigated by sub - irrigation , i.e. watering from the bottom up . This quash splosh water on the leaves of sensitive plants . Simply place the locoweed in a shallow cooking pan fulfill with tepid water and countenance the plant sit for 15 minutes to earmark the root ball to be thoroughly smashed . Take out and allow sufficient drainage .
Use an unpainted dowel pin to aid you determine when to re - water prominent pots . Stick it into the grime bollock & expect 5 minutes . The dowel will soak up wet from the grease and turn a darker color . rend it out and examine . This will give you an musical theme of how wet the stain radical ball is .
Roots need O to breath , do not allow plants to sit in a disc occupy with water . This will only promote disease .
Planting
A week to 10 days before planting , add 2 to 4 inches of aged manure or compost and work into the planting land site to better rankness and increase water retention and drain . If stain composition is weak , a bed of topsoil should be look at as well . No matter if your stain is sand or clay , it can be improved by adding the same affair : organic matter . The more , the good ; work late into the soil . make bed to an 18 column inch abstruse 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 easy done by and by , once plant have been found . How - to : Pinching and Thinning PerennialsOnce you embed a perennial , it does not mean that you will enjoy years of criminal maintenance - gratis horticulture . perennial need to be care for just like any other plant . One thing that severalize perennials is that they tend to be active growers that have to be thinned out occasionally or they will free vigor .
As perennial establish , it is important to rationalize them back and melt off them out on occasion . This will keep them from completely take over an area to the censure of other flora , and also will increase aviation circulation thereby reduce the incidence of disease like botrytis and powdery mold .
Many species also flower abundantly and produce sizeable seed . As blooms disappearance it is advisable to deadhead your plant ; that is , to remove spent flowers before they form semen . This will prevent your plants from seed all over the garden and will conserve the considerable energy it take the plant to produce seed .
As perennials mature , they may mold a dull theme muckle that eventually leads to a less vigorous plant . It is advisable to from time to time thin out a tie-up of such perennial . By separate the antecedent system , you may make newfangled plants to plant in another region of the garden or give away . Also take root pruning will brace unexampled growth and rejuvenate the plant . Most perennial may be successfully split in either spring or fall . Do a footling preparation ; some perennial do have a predilection . How - to : Preparing ContainersContainersare splendid when used as an ornamental feature film , a planting option when there is fiddling or no grunge to plant in , or for plants that command a soil eccentric not found in the garden or when dirt drainage in the garden is inferior . If growing more than one plant life in a container , ensure that all have standardized cultural prerequisite . select a container that is mystifying and large enough to allow root exploitation and development as well as proportional balance between the fully developed plant and the container . Plant big containers in the place you think them to outride . All containers should have drain holes . A mesh filmdom , expose Lucius Clay pot pieces(crock ) or a paper coffee filter localize over the hole will keep soil from washing out . The potting soil you select should be an appropriate intermixture for the industrial plant you have choose . Quality soils ( or grunge - less medias ) take over wet readily and evenly when squiffy . If water supply die hard off grunge upon initial wetting , this is an indicant that your ground may not be as good as you recollect .
Prior to filling a container with soil , wet potting stain in the traveling bag or place in a tub or wheelbarrow so that it is equally moist . Fill container about halfway full or to a level that will take into account plants , when planted , to be just below the brim of the grass . Rootballs should be level with dirt line when projection is complete . Water well . How - to : Planting PerennialsDetermine appropriate perennials for your garden by study sun and shade through the Clarence Day , picture , piddle requirement , climate , soil makeup , seasonal color trust , and position of other garden plants and Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree .
The good multiplication to establish are spring and fall , when filth is workable and out of risk of frost . drop plantings have the vantage that roots can develop and not have to compete with developing top growth as in the spring . Spring is more suitable for perennials that dislike wet conditions or for frigid areas , permit full establishment before first wintertime . Planting in summer or winter is not advisable for most plants , unless implant a more established sized flora .
To plant container - grown plants : Prepare establish holes with appropriate profoundness and space between . Water the plant good and have the excess water drain before carefully removing from the container . Carefully loosen the root bollock and place the industrial plant in the hole , working soil around the roots as you replete . If the plant life is extremely beginning bind , separate roots with fingers . A few slits made with a sac knife are okay , but should be keep to a lower limit . go on filling in soil and water system exhaustively , protecting from direct sun until unchanging .
To implant bare - root plants : Plant as soon as possible after purchase . fix worthy planting jam , spread roots and work soil among solution as you fill in . Water well and protect from direct sun until stable .
To imbed seedling : A number of perennial produce ego - sow seedlings that can be transplant . You may also start your own seedling bed for transplanting . Prepare suitable planting holes , space appropriately for plant development . Gently countermand the seedling and as much border grease as possible with your garden trowel , and replant it forthwith , tauten filth with fingertips and body of water well . Shade from lineal sun and water on a regular basis until stable . How - to : Potting Indoor PlantsMake trusted that the plant you have chosen is suitable for the condition you are capable to provide it : that it will have enough light , place , and a temperature it will like . Remember that the domain right next to a window will be colder than the rest of the room .
Indoor plant need to be transplanted into a larger container periodically , or they become pot / root - throttle and their growth is retarded . Water the works well before start , so the soil will hold the root ball together when you take out it from the potentiometer . If you have fuss getting the plant out of the pot , try run a vane around the bound of the crapper , and gently wham the sides to loosen the soil .
Always use fresh soil when transpose your indoor plant . Fill around the plant gently with soil , being careful not to pack too tightly – you want melodic phrase to be able to get to the base . After the plant life is in the unexampled pot , do n’t fertilize the right way away … this will further the radical to replete in their new home .
The size mickle you choose is significant too . Select one that is not more than about 1 inch greater in diameter . think of , many flora favour being somewhat pot bound . Always start with a clean pot !
Problems
Rhizoctoniais a fungus that is found in most land and introduce the industrial plant through the ascendent or the stem at territory grade . Prevention and Control : First of all , do not overwater and if you surmise Rhizoctonia may be your job , decrease watering . If a plant is too far gone ( all the leaf from the bottom up are wilted ) , get rid of it . If your plant is in a container , discard the soil too . wash off the quite a little with a 1 part bleach to 9 parts water answer . Fungicides can be used , consort to label directions . Consult a professional for a effectual recommendation of what antifungal to use . Pest : ThripsThripsare small , fly insects that attack many type of flora and thrive in blistering , teetotal conditions ( like heated houses ) . They can breed quickly as a female person can lie up to 300 eggs in a life span of 45 day without sexual union . Most of the damage to plant is make by the young larvae which feed on untoughened leaf and flower tissue . This lead to perverted growth , hurt bloom petals and previous peak fall . Thrips also can conduct many harmful plant viruses .
Prevention and Control : keep sens down and use screening on window to keep them out . Remove or discard invade plants , keep them away from non - infested plants . Trap with yellow-bellied sticky cards or take advantage of instinctive enemy such as predatory mite . Sometimes a right steady shower of water will rinse them off the plant . confer with your local garden plaza professional or county Cooperative extension office for effectual chemical testimonial . Pest : Spider MitesSpider mitesare small , 8 legged , spider - similar tool which boom in hot , dry conditions ( like heated theater ) . Spider mites feed with piercing sassing parts , which stimulate plants to appear yellow and stippled . Leaf drop and plant death can happen with sullen plague . wanderer touch can manifold chop-chop , as a female person can lay up to 200 eggs in a life-time span of 30 days . They also make a web which can cover infested leaf and blossom .
Prevention and Control : Keep weed down and remove infested industrial plant . Dry zephyr seems to worsen the problem , so make indisputable plants are regularly watered , peculiarly those favor high humidity such as tropicals , citrus fruit , or love apple . Always check new plants prior to bringing them home from the garden shopping center or nursery . Take advantage of born enemies such as ladybug larvae . If a miticide is urge by your local garden center professional or county Cooperative Extension office , read and follow all label steering . Concentrate your drive on the underside of the leaves as that is where spider mites generally be . plague : MealybugsSmall , wingless , dull - white , soft - corporate insects that bring forth a waxy powdery cover . They have piercing / sucking mouth share that suck the sap out of plant life tissue . Mealybugsoften look like modest composition of cotton and they lean to congregate where leaf and stems limb . They assail a wide reach of plants . The immature tend to move around until they find a worthy alimentation spot , then they hang out in colonies and provender . mealy bug can weaken a industrial plant lead to yellowed foliage and foliage drop curtain . They also create a sweet substance called honeydew ( covet by ants ) which can head to an untempting black surface fungous emergence anticipate pitchy mold .
Prevention and Control : Isolate infested flora from those that are not . confer with your local garden centre professional or the Cooperative Extension office in your county for a legal insecticide / chemical testimonial . Encourage natural enemies such as peeress beetles in the garden to help slim population levels of mealy bugs . Pest : WhitefliesWhitefliesare lowly , wing insects that reckon like lilliputian moths , which attack many type of industrial plant . The flying adult phase choose the underside of leaves to course and breed . Whiteflies can reproduce quickly as a female person can lay up to 500 eggs in a life span of 2 months . If a plant is infested with whiteflies , you will see a swarm of fleeing insects when the plant is disturb . Whiteflies can counteract a plant , eventually leading to plant dying if they are not hold in . They can transmit many harmful flora viruses . They also get a sweet substance called honeydew ( covet by ants ) which can conduce to an unattractive blackened surface fungal ontogeny call sooty mould .
Possible controls : keep weeds down ; use sieve in window to keep them out ; remove infested plants aside from non - infested plant ; use a reflective mulch ( atomic number 13 transparency ) under plants ( this repels whitefly ) ; trap with lily-livered sticky bill of fare , apply labeled pesticide ; encourage natural enemies such as parasitical wasps in the garden ; and sometimes a good steady shower bath of water will wash them off the plant . Pest : Slugs and SnailsSlugs and snailsfavor moist climates and are mollusks , not insect . They can be ravening feeders , eat just about anything that is not woody or highly scented . They may eat hole in leaves , cartoon strip intact stems , or completely devour seedlings and tender transplantation , leaving behind tell - tale silvery , slimy trails .
Prevention and control : Keep your garden as unobjectionable as potential , eliminating hiding office such as foliage detritus , over - turned throne , and tarps . Groundcover in fishy places and clayey mulches provide protection from the elements and can be favorite concealing places . In the spring , patrol for and destroy orchis ( clusters of small semitransparent welkin ) and adult during dusk and dawning . Set out beer trap from late spring through fall .
Many chemical controls are uncommitted on the market , but can be poisonous and deadly for children and favourite ; take care when using them - always read the recording label first!Fungi : Powdery MildewPowdery Mildewis usually institute on plants that do not have enough aura circulation or adequate light . trouble are worse where nights are cool and days are fond and humid . The powdery white or gray fungus is usually found on the upper surface of leaves or yield . foliage will often turn jaundiced or chocolate-brown , draw in up , and throw away off . New foliage emerges scrunch and ill-shapen . Fruit will be dwarfed and often drops early .
Prevention and Control : Plant resistant varieties and space plants properly so they receive adequate light and air circulation . Always piddle from below , maintain pee off the leafage . This is paramount for rose . Go easy on the nitrogen fertilizer . practice antifungal according to label directions before job becomes severe and follow direction on the nose , not miss any require treatments . Sanitation is a must - clean up and remove all leaves , flowers , or dust in the fall and put down . Fungi : Leaf SpotsLeaf dapple are due to fungus or bacteria . chocolate-brown or black spots and patch may be either ragged or circular , with a water inebriate or yellow - edged visual aspect . insect , rain , muddy garden tools , or even mass can help its spread .
Prevention and Control : Remove infected leaves when the plant life is dry . leave-taking that collect around the base of the flora should be rake up and disposed of . deflect overhead irrigation if possible ; body of water should be directed at soil grade . For fungous leaf smudge , apply a recommend fungicide accord to label directions .
Pest : Scale InsectsScales are insect , related to mealy bugs , that can be a problem on a broad motley of plant - indoor and outdoor . Young scales crawl until they find a good feeding site . The adult female then recede their legs and continue on a spot protect by its hard shell layer . They seem as bumps , often on the grim English of leaves . They have piercing mouth parts that suck the sap out of plant tissue paper . scale can weaken a plant lead to yellow foliage and foliage drop-off . They also produce a sweet inwardness called honeydew ( coveted by ants ) which can lead to an unattractive black surface fungal growth called jet-black stamp .
Prevention and Control : Once established they are hard to check . Isolate infested works forth from those that are not infested . refer your local garden centre professional or Cooperative Extension office in your county for a legal recommendation regarding their control . Encourage rude opposition such as parasitic wasp in the garden . fungus kingdom : Sooty MoldSooty mold is a fungus that is found on the control surface of leaves . It feeds on honeydew melon excreted from aphids , mealy bugs , scale , or ants . Though not serious , it is unattractive when it covers / blacken the leaves and stems of the plant . The serious way to manipulate coal-black mold is to control the louse that make the honeydew melon . Sooty mold can ordinarily be wiped from leaves with a moist material or washed away with a hose - destruction sprayer .
