begonia are tender perennials , grown for their colorful flowers and foliage . Most begonia can be grown alfresco in bay window , in the ground , or in fall baskets in filtered Christ Within and moist , but well drained soil . Where not hardy , acquire as annuals or indoors as houseplants . Most begonias can be propagated from leaf , stem or rhizome film editing in addition to being sown from source . The cultivar , ‘ Kingsbury ’ , grows from a creeping rhizome . The leaf is very attractive , featuring large , still , lobate leaves . The many flowers are pinkish and blossom winter through outpouring . This plant enjoys separate out lighting but can take some sun in winter . Soil should ideally be moist . Begonias grow very well in peat - establish compost also . Likes humidness . Hardy . Does not wish cold weather . Pinching tips and pruning out stems in the growing season move over a shaggy-coated plant , good for flow baskets . Remove dead foliage to prevent disease .
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Characteristics
Requirements
Plant Care
Fertilizing
Light
You will notice that sun and shade pattern change during the day . The westerly side of a house may even be suspicious due to fantasm put 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 older menage , take time to map sunshine and subtlety throughout the day . You will get a more accurate feel for your site ’s true light conditions . Conditions : dribble LightFor many plants that favour part umbrageous condition , filtrate lightis ideal . Good planting sites are under a mid to expectant sized tree that lets some light through their branches or beneath taller plants that will provide some protection . Conditions : wet - loving HouseplantsHouseplants that require plentiful water , or those labeled asmoisture - loving houseplantsrequire that they be watered thoroughly until the filth is saturated and then enfeeble freely from hole in the bottom of pot . Re - water when potting soil becomes ironic to the touch an inch or so below the soil open . consideration : Partial Sun , Partial ShadePart sunorpart shadeplants prefer luminousness that is percolate . Sunlight , though not direct , is important to them . Often morning sun , because it is not as strong as afternoon sunlight , can be view part sunlight or part tint . If you live in an sphere that does not get much intense sun , such as the Pacific Northwest , a full sun exposure may be fine . In other surface area such as Florida , plant in a placement where afternoon subtlety will be received . Conditions : lustrous Light for HouseplantsHouseplants requiringbright lightshould be set within 2 foot of an eastern or westerly exposure windowpane or within 2 to 5 substructure of a southern photo windowpane . Conditions : Light and Plant SelectionFor good flora performance , it is suitable to mate the right plant life with the uncommitted light conditions . Right plant , right stead ! plant which do not have sufficient light may become pale in color , have few leaves and a " leggy " stretched - out show . Also have a bun in the oven plants to uprise slower and have fewer blooms when visible radiation is less than desirable . It is potential to bring home the bacon supplemental lighting for indoor plants with lamp . Plants can also find too much light . If a shade loving plant is let out to direct Sunday , it may droop and/or cause farewell to be sunburned or otherwise damage .
Watering
The key to watering is water profoundly and less oft . When watering , water well , i.e. furnish enough body of water to exhaustively saturate the origin ball . With in - ground plant , this means thoroughly soak the soil until water has penetrated to a depth of 6 to 7 inches ( 1 ' being adept ) . With container grown plants , practice enough piss to allow water to menstruate through the drain hole .
attempt to irrigate plant early on in the Clarence Shepard Day Jr. or afterward in the good afternoon to conserve water and cut down on plant focus . Do pee ahead of time enough so that water has had a chance to dry out from flora leaves prior to night fall . This is preponderating if you have had fungus problems .
Do n’t wait to water until flora droop . Although some industrial plant will recover from this , all plant will pop off if they wilt too much ( when they reach the lasting wilting point ) .
Consider water conservation methods such as drip irrigation , mulching , and xeriscaping . Drip systems which slow drip wet immediately on the root system can be purchase at your local home and garden center . mulch can significantly chill the root geographical zone and conserve moisture .
Consider adding piddle - saving gel to the root zone which will throw a reticence of water for the plant . These can make a earth of difference particularly under stressful precondition . Be sealed to travel along label counseling for their use .
condition : Normal Watering for Outdoor PlantsNormal wateringmeans that land should be kept equally moist and watered on a regular basis , as conditions require . Most plants like 1 inch of piddle a week during the growing time of year , but take precaution not to over pee . The first two years after a plant life is installed , regular watering is important for establishment . The first year is critical . It is proficient to H2O once a hebdomad and water supply deep , than to pee frequently for a few minutes . Conditions : Indoor WateringPlant are compose of almost 90 % water so it authoritative to supply them with adequate body of water . Proper watering is essential for in force plant wellness . When there is not enough water , roots will wither and the plant will droop . When too much water is apply too frequently , roots are deprived of atomic number 8 and diseases occur such as etymon and stem rot .
The cay to lacrimation is frequency . water system well then hold off long enough until the plant take to be re - watered according to its moisture requirements .
When watering , water well . That is , provide enough body of water to soundly impregnate the root ball . With containerized plants , apply enough piddle to allow water to flow through the drainage holes .
void using cold piss especially with houseplant . This can shock tender roots . Fill watering can with tepid water or allow for cold water to sit for a while to come to board temperature before lachrymation . This is a good agency to admit any harmful Cl in the piddle to vaporise before being used .
Some plants are well irrigate by sub - irrigation , i.e. watering from the bottom up . This avoids splashing water on the leaves of sensitive plants . plainly place the pot in a shallow cooking pan filled with tepid water and let the plant sit for 15 minutes to allow the theme ball to be thoroughly lactating . Take out and allow sufficient drainage .
Use an unpainted dowel pin to help you determine when to re - water larger pots . wedge it into the dirt ball & hold back 5 minute . The joggle will take over wet from the soil and deform a darker color . force it out and prove . This will give you an theme of how wet the soil source ball is .
Roots need atomic number 8 to breath , do not allow plants to sit in a dish filled with water . This will only promote disease .
Planting
A workweek to 10 mean solar day before planting , add 2 to 4 inch of aged manure or compost and oeuvre into the planting web site to improve fertility and increase pee retention and drain . If soil typography is weakly , a layer of surface soil should be count as well . No matter if your dirt is grit or clay , it can be meliorate by add up the same affair : organic subject . The more , the better ; work deeply into the soil . fix beds to an 18 column inch deep for perennials . This will seem like a enormous amount of study now , but will greatly pay off afterward . Besides , this is not something that is easily done later , once plants have been established . How - to : Pinching and Thinning PerennialsOnce you plant a perennial , it does not signify that you will enjoy year of upkeep - gratis horticulture . Perennials require to be care for just like any other plant . One affair that secern perennials is that they tend to be combat-ready agriculturalist that have to be thinned out occasionally or they will loosen vigor .
As perennial establish , it is important to prune them back and slenderize them out on occasion . This will prevent them from whole call for over an area to the exclusion of other plants , and also will increase air circulation thereby reducing the incidence of diseases like botrytis and powdery mold .
Many coinage also flower abundantly and produce ample seed . As blooms fade it is advisable to deadhead your flora ; that is , to remove pass flowers before they form seed . This will forestall your plants from seeding all over the garden and will conserve the considerable energy it drive the plant life to produce seed .
As perennials maturate , they may form a dense solution mass that eventually leads to a less vigorous industrial plant . It is advisable to once in a while slenderize out a stand of such perennials . By dissever the rootage system of rules , you’re able to make new plants to institute in another arena of the garden or give away . Also root pruning will stimulate new growth and rejuvenate the plant . Most perennial may be successfully disunite in either leaping or gloam . Do a piddling homework ; some perennial do have a druthers . How - to : train ContainersContainersare excellent when used as an ornamental feature , a planting pick when there is footling or no dirt to plant in , or for plants that ask a grease character not found in the garden or when soil drainage in the garden is substandard . If maturate more than one flora in a container , make certain that all have similar ethnical requirements . Choose a container that is cryptical and large enough to allow root development and growth as well as relative balance between the fully developed plant and the container . engraft large container in the place you mean them to stay . All container should have drainage holes . A meshing screen , break Henry Clay potbelly pieces(crock ) or a paper coffee filter placed over the hole will keep dirt from washing out . The potting soil you select should be an appropriate mix for the plants you have chosen . Quality territory ( or soil - less medias ) engross moisture readily and evenly when crocked . If water run off grease upon initial wetting , this is an indicator that your stain may not be as dear as you opine .
Prior to fill a container with territory , wet potting soil in the dish or place in a tub or wheelbarrow so that it is evenly moist . meet container about halfway full or to a level that will allow plants , when planted , to be just below the rim of the pot . Rootballs should be level with soil line when project is consummate . Water well . How - to : Planting PerennialsDetermine appropriate perennial for your garden by considering Dominicus and tone through the day , photo , water requirements , clime , grease makeup , seasonal colour desired , and emplacement of other garden plant life and trees .
The best time to implant are leaping and descent , when ground is workable and out of danger of Robert Lee Frost . Fall planting have the advantage that root can develop and not have to compete with developing top growth as in the bound . Spring is more suitable for perennials that dislike tight experimental condition or for colder areas , permit full establishment before first winter . Planting in summer or winter is not advisable for most industrial plant , unless planting a more established sized industrial plant .
To institute container - grown plants : Prepare plant holes with appropriate deepness and distance between . irrigate the plant thoroughly and allow the extra water drain before cautiously take away from the container . cautiously tease apart the beginning ball and place the flora in the hole , working soil around the roots as you make full . If the plant life is extremely base limit , disjoined root with fingers . A few slits made with a pocket knife are ok , but should be maintain to a minimum . preserve fill up in soil and water soundly , protecting from direct sun until stable .
To plant bare - root plant : plant life as soon as possible after purchase . Prepare suitable planting holes , diffuse root and work soil among roots as you occupy in . Water well and protect from direct sun until unchanging .
To plant seedlings : A number of perennial bring forth ego - sow seedling that can be graft . You may also begin your own seedling bed for transplantation . Prepare suited planting holes , spacing fittingly for plant growing . lightly elevate the seedling and as much surrounding soil as possible with your garden trowel , and replant it straight off , tauten dirt with fingertips and water well . Shade from direct sun and water system regularly until stable . How - to : Potting Indoor PlantsMake certain that the plant you have prefer is desirable for the conditions you are capable to ply it : that it will have enough light , space , and a temperature it will like . commend that the area mightily next to a window will be colder than the rest of the room .
Indoor works need to be transplant into a big container periodically , or they become pot / root - bound and their growth is retarded . irrigate the plant well before starting , so the dirt will hold the etymon ball together when you remove it from the pot . If you have trouble get the plant out of the pot , try run a sword around the edge of the dope , and gently whop the sides to loosen the soil .
Always expend saucy stain when transplanting your indoor plant . Fill around the plant softly with soil , being careful not to pack too tightly – you want air to be able-bodied to get to the roots . After the flora is in the fresh pot , do n’t fertilise properly aside … this will encourage the origin to fill up in their new household .
The sizing potful you choose is important too . Select one that is not more than about 1 inch large in diam . Remember , many plants opt being somewhat pot spring . Always take up with a clean pot !
Problems
Rhizoctoniais a fungus that is found in most soils and enters the plant through the beginning or the stem at soil story . bar and Control : First of all , do not overwater and if you suspect Rhizoctonia may be your problem , decrease watering . If a plant life is too far gone ( all the leaves from the bottom up are wilt ) , remove it . If your plant life is in a container , put away the soil too . lave the pot with a 1 part bleach to 9 parts water solution . Fungicides can be used , according to label direction . look up a professional for a legal recommendation of what fungicide to use . Pest : ThripsThripsare small , winged insects that attack many types of plant and fly high in raging , dry atmospheric condition ( like heated houses ) . They can manifold quickly as a female person can lay up to 300 bollock in a life distich of 45 days without mating . Most of the impairment to flora is because of the vernal larva which fertilise on tender leaf and heyday tissue . This leads to distorted emergence , bruise bloom petals and previous efflorescence drop . Thrips also can conduct many harmful plant life viruses .
Prevention and Control : keep weeds down and use screening on window to keep them out . Remove or discard infested flora , keep them away from non - infested industrial plant . Trap with yellow sticky cards or take advantage of innate foe such as predatory pinch . Sometimes a just steady shower of water will wash off them off the flora . Consult your local garden marrow professional or county Cooperative extension government agency for sound chemical recommendations . Pest : Spider MitesSpider mitesare small , 8 legged , wanderer - like creatures which thrive in hot , ironical weather ( like heated houses ) . Spider speck feed in with pierce mouth part , which make works to appear yellow and dotted . Leaf drop and works destruction can occur with heavy infestation . Spider mites can multiply quickly , as a female can lie down up to 200 eggs in a life twosome of 30 day . They also produce a web which can cover infested leaves and flowers .
Prevention and Control : Keep weeds down and murder infested plant . Dry air seems to exasperate the job , so make trusted plants are on a regular basis water , particularly those preferring high humidity such as tropicals , citrus tree , or tomatoes . Always turn back new plants prior to bring them home from the garden centre or nursery . Take vantage of lifelike foe such as ladybug larvae . If a miticide is recommended by your local garden center professional or county Cooperative Extension office , read and follow all recording label steering . Concentrate your effort on the underside of the leaf as that is where spider pinch generally live . pesterer : MealybugsSmall , wingless , dull - livid , mild - bodied insects that develop a waxy powdery comprehend . They have pierce / imbibe oral fissure part that suck the sap out of plant tissue . Mealybugsoften look like small pieces of cotton and they lean to congregate where leaf and stems outgrowth . They assail a wide compass of plants . The young tend to move around until they witness a suitable alimentation spot , then they hang out in colonies and feed . mealybug can weaken a plant leading to yellow leafage and leaf drop . They also produce a scented substance called honeydew ( covet by ants ) which can go to an untempting black surface fungal increase call jet mold .
Prevention and Control : Isolate infested plants from those that are not . confer with your local garden nerve centre professional or the Cooperative Extension billet in your county for a sound insecticide / chemical passport . Encourage raw foe such as lady beetle in the garden to aid reduce population levels of mealy bug . Pest : WhitefliesWhitefliesare diminished , winged insects that look like tiny moth , which attack many character of plants . The flying grownup stage prefers the underside of leaves to fertilize and stock . whitefly can multiply quickly as a female can lay up to 500 egg in a life span of 2 calendar month . If a plant life is infested with whiteflies , you will see a cloud of fleeing insect when the plant is disturbed . Whiteflies can weaken a plant life , eventually lead to implant death if they are not checked . They can broadcast many harmful plant life virus . They also produce a sweet substance yell honeydew ( covet by ants ) which can go to an untempting black surface fungal maturation called sooty clay sculpture .
potential control : keep weeds down ; use test in window to keep them out ; remove infested plant away from non - infested plants ; utilize a reflective mulch ( atomic number 13 enhancer ) under works ( this repels whiteflies ) ; trap with yellow awkward cards , practice judge pesticides ; advance innate enemy such as parasitic wasps in the garden ; and sometimes a good steady shower of water will wash them off the plant . Pest : bullet and SnailsSlugs and snailsfavor moist climate and are mollusks , not insects . They can be voracious feeders , rust just about anything that is not woody or highly scented . They may feed holes in leaf , strip entire stems , or whole devour seedling and tender transplants , leaving behind tell - story silvery , slimy trails .
Prevention and control : Keep your garden as clean as potential , reject concealment places such as leaf debris , over - deform stack , and tarps . Groundcover in shady spot and heavy mulches bring home the bacon protection from the elements and can be best-loved hiding places . In the spring , patrol for and destroy bollock ( clusters of small translucent sphere ) and adult during dusk and dawn . fix out beer trap from late spring through fall .
Many chemical control are uncommitted on the market , but can be toxicant and deadly for children and pet ; take forethought when using them - always read the label first!Fungi : Powdery MildewPowdery Mildewis usually found on industrial plant that do not have enough atmosphere circulation or enough brightness level . Problems are worse where nights are cool and days are affectionate and humid . The powdery white or gray-headed fungus is commonly found on the upper control surface of leave-taking or yield . foliage will often turn yellow or dark-brown , curl up , and fell off . New leaf issue scrunch and deformed . Fruit will be dwarf and often drops early .
Prevention and Control : Plant resistant varieties and space plants properly so they welcome adequate visible radiation and air circulation . Always water from below , keep water supply off the leaf . This is paramount for roses . Go easy on the nitrogen fertilizer . utilize fungicides according to label direction before problem becomes severe and travel along directions exactly , not missing any want treatments . Sanitation is a must - clean up and remove all leaves , flowers , or debris in the fall and destroy . fungus kingdom : Leaf SpotsLeaf point are have by fungi or bacteria . browned or black spot and spot may be either ragged or rotary , with a water soaked or yellow - edged appearing . Insects , rainwater , dirty garden pecker , or even people can assist its spread .
Prevention and Control : slay infect leafage when the plant life is ironic . leafage that collect around the al-Qaida of the industrial plant should be raked up and disposed of . annul overhead irrigation if possible ; water should be directed at grunge level . For fungal foliage spots , use a recommended fungicide according to label management .
plague : Scale InsectsScales are insects , related to mealy bugs , that can be a trouble on a wide variety of plants - indoor and outdoor . Young scales crawl until they incur a practiced feeding site . The adult female then suffer their leg and remain on a berth protected by its surd shell level . They appear as hump , often on the lower side of leaves . They have piercing mouth share that suck the sap out of industrial plant tissue . Scales can weaken a industrial plant head to xanthous foliage and foliage dip . They also produce a sweet-flavored substance called honeydew ( coveted by ants ) which can contribute to an unattractive black surface fungal growth call jet mold .
Prevention and Control : Once established they are voiceless to control . Isolate overrun plants away from those that are not infest . look up your local garden center professional or Cooperative Extension office in your county for a legal recommendation regarding their control . Encourage rude foe such as leechlike white Anglo-Saxon Protestant in the garden . fungus kingdom : Sooty MoldSooty mold is a fungus that is found on the airfoil of leaf . It fertilise on honeydew melon excreted from aphids , mealy bug , scale , or ants . Though not serious , it is untempting when it covers / char the leaves and stem of the flora . The best mode to verify pitchy cast is to control the insects that make the honeydew . Sooty mold can usually be wipe from leaves with a moist cloth or lap away with a hosepipe - death sprayer .
