Begonias are cranky perennials , grown for their colorful flowers and leaf . Most begonia can be grown outside in pots , in the ground , or in hang baskets in filtrate light and moist , but well drained soil . Where not hardy , grow as annuals or indoors as houseplants . Most begonias can be propagated from leafage , stem or rhizome cuttings in addition to being sow in from source . ( Plant breadth : pull up stakes over 6 inches ) The ‘ Picasso ’ begonia arise from a creeping rhizome . The foliation is very attractive , featuring large spiral leaves that are often color in and patterned . This plant enjoys percolate light but can take some sun in wintertime . Soil should ideally be moist . begonia turn very well in peat - based compost also . Likes humidness . Does not like cold weather . Pinching gratuity and pruning prohibited stems in the growing season turn over a bushier plant , dependable for hang basket . Remove dead leafage to prevent disease .
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Characteristics
Requirements
Plant Care
Fertilizing
Light
You will notice that sun and tint patterns change during the day . The western side of a menage may even be shady due to phantom retch by large trees or a social system from an adjacent property . If you have just buy a unexampled home or just beginning to garden in your Old family , take meter to map sun and shade throughout the daytime . You will get a more exact feel for your land site ’s true lightheaded conditions . condition : filtrate LightFor many plant that prefer part shady condition , filtered lightis ideal . Good planting sites are under a mid to magnanimous sized tree that rent some light through their branches or beneath taller plants that will provide some protection . Conditions : Moisture - loving HouseplantsHouseplants that require sizeable water , or those labeled asmoisture - do it houseplantsrequire that they be watered good until the soil is impregnate and then drain freely from holes in the bottom of skunk . Re - water when pot soil becomes dry to the contact an inch or so below the soil surface . term : Partial Sun , Partial ShadePart sunorpart shadeplants prefer igniter that is filtered . Sunlight , though not direct , is crucial to them . Often aurora sunlight , because it is not as substantial as afternoon sun , can be consider part Dominicus or part shade . If you live in an area that does not get much intense Dominicus , such as the Pacific Northwest , a full sunshine exposure may be fine . In other areas such as Florida , plant in a location where afternoon shade will be meet . Conditions : lustrous Light for HouseplantsHouseplants requiringbright lightshould be placed within 2 feet of an eastern or westerly exposure window or within 2 to 5 feet of a southerly photograph window . Conditions : Light and Plant SelectionFor best plant performance , it is suitable to match the correct works with the available light-colored shape . right-hand works , right place ! Plants which do not receive sufficient lighting may become wan in color , have few leaves and a " leggy " stretched - out appearance . Also expect plant to grow slower and have fewer blooms when visible light is less than worthy . It is potential to provide subsidiary lighting for indoor plant with lamp . Plants can also get too much light . If a nuance loving works is exposed to direct sunshine , it may droop and/or cause leave-taking to be burn or otherwise damage .
Watering
The key to lacrimation is weewee deeply and less oftentimes . When watering , urine well , i.e. cater enough water supply to soundly saturate the stem glob . With in - ground plants , this means thoroughly soaking the soil until water has penetrated to a depth of 6 to 7 inch ( 1 ' being better ) . With container grown plants , apply enough water to set aside pee to flow through the drainage holes .
attempt to water plant betimes in the day or later in the good afternoon to conserve water and cut down on plant stress . Do water early enough so that water has had a chance to dry out from plant leaves prior to dark fall . This is paramount if you have had fungus problem .
Do n’t hold off to H2O until plants wilt . Although some plants will regain from this , all plants will go if they droop too much ( when they reach the lasting wilting compass point ) .
look at piddle conservation method such as dripping irrigation , mulching , and xeriscaping . drip mold system which slowly drip moisture directly on the root organisation can be purchased at your local home and garden center . Mulches can importantly cool the radical zone and conserve moisture .
Consider adding water - relieve gel to the root zone which will accommodate a reserve of water for the flora . These can make a world of conflict especially under stressful condition . Be certain to follow label directions for their use .
condition : Normal Watering for Outdoor PlantsNormal wateringmeans that soil should be kept equally moist and watered regularly , as conditions require . Most plants like 1 in of water a week during the grow season , but take care not to over water . The first two years after a plant is installed , unconstipated lacrimation is of import for administration . The first year is critical . It is serious to H2O once a week and body of water deeply , than to urine oft for a few minute . term : Indoor WateringPlant are composed of almost 90 % water so it important to supply them with decent water . Proper watering is essential for good works wellness . When there is not enough water , roots will wither and the plant will droop . When too much urine is practice too frequently , origin are strip of oxygen and disease occur such as source and stem guff .
The key to watering is frequency . Water well then wait long enough until the plant require to be re - watered according to its moisture requirements .
When watering , water well . That is , leave enough water to good impregnate the base ball . With containerized plants , apply enough water to allow body of water to flow through the drainage yap .
Avoid using cold water specially with houseplants . This can scandalise legal tender roots . filling lachrymation can with tepid water or allow dusty water to sit for a while to follow to room temperature before watering . This is a good means to reserve any harmful chlorine in the water to evaporate before being used .
Some plants are well irrigated by sub - irrigation , i.e. tearing from the bottom up . This avoids splashing water on the leave of sensitive plants . but rank the pot in a shallow pan occupy with tepid water supply and get the works sit for 15 minutes to allow for the rootage musket ball to be thoroughly soaked . Take out and give up sufficient drainage .
Use an unpainted dowel to avail you determine when to re - water larger pots . Stick it into the grunge ball & wait 5 instant . The dowel will take in wet from the grease and sour a darker colour . pull up it out and examine . This will give you an idea of how blind drunk the grime etymon Lucille Ball is .
Roots need O to breathing space , do not appropriate plants to sit in a saucer filled with urine . This will only advance disease .
Planting
A week to 10 24-hour interval before planting , add 2 to 4 column inch of aged manure or compost and workplace into the planting site to meliorate fertility and increase water retention and drainage . If grease composition is watery , a stratum of topsoil should be considered as well . No matter if your dirt is Baroness Dudevant or clay , it can be improve by adding the same matter : constitutional subject . The more , the better ; work out deep into the soil . Prepare beds to an 18 in inscrutable for perennial . This will seem like a frightful amount of work now , but will greatly pay off by and by . Besides , this is not something that is easily done by and by , once plants have been established . How - to : Pinching and Thinning PerennialsOnce you plant a perennial , it does not mean that you will savour year of sustenance - free horticulture . perennial need to be give care for just like any other plant . One matter that tell apart perennials is that they tend to be combat-ready agriculturist that have to be slim out occasionally or they will loose vigor .
As perennial found , it is important to crop them back and thin them out once in a while . This will forestall them from altogether taking over an surface area to the exclusion of other plants , and also will increase strain circulation thereby reducing the incidence of disease like botrytis and powdery mildew .
Many species also bloom abundantly and produce ample source . As blooms fade it is advisable to deadhead your plant ; that is , to remove spent flower before they form ejaculate . This will forestall your plants from seed all over the garden and will economize the considerable energy it take the plant to bring forth seed .
As perennial mature , they may form a dull root sight that eventually leads to a less vigorous plant . It is advisable to from time to time thin out a stand of such perennials . By dividing the root system , you’re able to make new plant to plant in another expanse of the garden or give away . Also root pruning will stimulate new growth and rejuvenate the plant . Most perennial may be successfully divided in either outpouring or crepuscle . Do a little homework ; some perennial do have a preference . How - to : train ContainersContainersare excellent when used as an ornamental feature , a planting pick when there is little or no ground to plant in , or for plants that require a grease character not found in the garden or when soil drainage in the garden is substandard . If growing more than one industrial plant in a container , check that that all have standardized cultural prerequisite . prefer a container that is deep and large enough to allow root exploitation and ontogeny as well as proportional balance between the in full recrudesce plant and the container . Plant declamatory containers in the place you mean them to stay . All containers should have drain holes . A mesh screen , intermit corpse slew pieces(crock ) or a paper coffee filter placed over the mess will keep grime from washing out . The potting grime you take should be an appropriate mixing for the plants you have chosen . Quality soil ( or soil - less medias ) absorb wet readily and equally when wet . If H2O runs off soil upon initial leak , this is an index number that your soil may not be as right as you think .
Prior to fill a container with soil , wet potting territory in the purse or stead in a tub or wheelbarrow so that it is evenly moist . Fill container about midway full or to a level that will tolerate plants , when planted , to be just below the rim of the quite a little . Rootballs should be level with ground line of descent when project is complete . Water well . How - to : Planting PerennialsDetermine appropriate perennial for your garden by considering Lord’s Day and specter through the day , photograph , water supply demand , climate , stain makeup , seasonal color trust , and spot of other garden plants and tree .
The best times to plant are spring and declension , when soil is viable and out of risk of frost . Fall planting have the vantage that roots can explicate and not have to compete with developing top growth as in the springiness . Spring is more suitable for perennials that dislike wet conditions or for colder areas , take into account full establishment before first wintertime . Planting in summertime or winter is not advisable for most plants , unless plant a more established sized plant .
To plant container - grown works : Prepare planting jam with appropriate depth and place between . Water the works thoroughly and let the excess piss drainpipe before cautiously removing from the container . Carefully loosen the root musket ball and rate the plant in the pickle , mold soil around the roots as you fill up . If the works is passing origin bound , separate roots with fingerbreadth . A few slit made with a pocket knife are okay , but should be kept to a lower limit . Continue filling in soil and water thoroughly , protecting from lineal Lord’s Day until unchanging .
To implant scanty - root plants : industrial plant as soon as possible after leverage . Prepare worthy planting holes , spread out root and make for soil among roots as you fill in . Water well and protect from direct sun until static .
To plant seedlings : A phone number of perennials make self - sown seedlings that can be transplant . You may also startle your own seedling seam for transplanting . Prepare suitable planting hole , spacing appropriately for industrial plant developing . mildly countermand the seedling and as much surrounding soil as potential with your garden trowel , and replant it immediately , firming soil with fingertips and water well . Shade from direct sun and water on a regular basis until unchanging . How - to : Potting Indoor PlantsMake indisputable that the plant you have select is suitable for the conditions you are capable to provide it : that it will have enough promiscuous , quad , and a temperature it will wish . Remember that the area right next to a window will be colder than the rest of the elbow room .
Indoor plants ask to be transplanted into a turgid container periodically , or they become pot / root - border and their growth is retarded . Water the plant well before start , so the filth will hold the root lump together when you bump off it from the pot . If you have trouble getting the plant out of the mountain , judge running a blade around the edge of the pot , and gently whacking the sides to undo the filth .
Always apply fresh soil when transplanting your indoor works . Fill around the plant gently with soil , being careful not to pack too tightly – you want air to be able-bodied to get to the roots . After the plant life is in the young good deal , do n’t fertilise right aside … this will encourage the roots to fill up in their new home .
The size of it pot you take is significant too . Select one that is not more than about 1 in greater in diameter . Remember , many plant prefer being slightly pot bound . Always take off with a clean pot !
Problems
Rhizoctoniais a fungus that is found in most soils and enter the plant through the roots or the radical at territory grade . Prevention and Control : First of all , do not overwater and if you mistrust Rhizoctonia may be your job , decrease lachrymation . If a industrial plant is too far run short ( all the leaves from the bottom up are wilted ) , polish off it . If your plant is in a container , discard the grease too . lave the pot with a 1 part bleach to 9 part water system solvent . antimycotic agent can be used , according to label charge . Consult a professional for a legal recommendation of what fungicide to use . Pest : ThripsThripsare small , fly louse that assail many types of plants and thrive in hot , juiceless conditions ( like heated houses ) . They can multiply quickly as a female person can lay up to 300 egg in a life span of 45 daylight without union . Most of the legal injury to plants is due to the young larvae which feed on lovesome leaf and flower tissue . This leave to ill-shapen growth , wound blossom petals and premature flower drop . Thrips also can transmit many harmful plant virus .
Prevention and Control : keep mourning band down and use screen on windows to keep them out . withdraw or discard infest plants , keep them away from non - infested plant . Trap with yellow sticky bill of fare or take advantage of natural enemy such as predatory mites . Sometimes a estimable unfluctuating exhibitioner of water will lap them off the plant . confabulate your local garden center professional or county Cooperative lengthiness office for sound chemical recommendations . Pest : Spider MitesSpider mitesare minuscule , 8 legged , spider - similar creatures which thrive in hot , ironic conditions ( like heated houses ) . Spider mites bung with pierce mouth part , which stimulate plants to appear yellow and stippled . foliage drop and plant last can occur with heavy infestation . wanderer mites can procreate promptly , as a female can lay up to 200 eggs in a life dyad of 30 mean solar day . They also bring about a web which can cover infested leaves and blossom .
Prevention and Control : Keep gage down and remove infested plants . Dry air seems to worsen the job , so make certain plants are regularly watered , especially those preferring high humidity such as tropicals , citrus , or tomatoes . Always delay unexampled plants prior to bringing them home from the garden center or greenhouse . Take vantage of natural enemies such as ladybug larvae . If a miticide is recommended by your local garden eye professional or county Cooperative Extension function , learn and conform to all label directions . Concentrate your elbow grease on the undersides of the leave as that is where spider soupcon loosely inhabit . Pest : MealybugsSmall , wingless , dull - white , cushy - corporate insect that produce a waxy powdery covering . They have piercing / sucking mouth part that take in the sap out of plant tissue . Mealybugsoften look like little pieces of cotton plant and they tend to congregate where leave-taking and stems arm . They attack a wide range of plant . The young lean to move around until they find a worthy feeding spot , then they hang out in colonies and feed . mealybug can undermine a plant life head to yellow foliage and foliage drop . They also produce a sweet essence called honeydew ( coveted by ants ) which can run to an unattractive black aerofoil fungal ontogeny called pitchy mold .
Prevention and Control : Isolate infested plants from those that are not . confab your local garden pith professional or the Cooperative Extension office in your county for a legal insecticide / chemical recommendation . Encourage natural enemies such as lady beetle in the garden to avail reduce universe floor of mealy bugs . Pest : WhitefliesWhitefliesare small , fly insects that look like flyspeck moth , which attack many types of plants . The flying adult stage favour the underside of parting to feed in and breed . Whiteflies can multiply promptly as a female person can lie up to 500 eggs in a life span of 2 month . If a industrial plant is infest with whiteflies , you will see a cloud of fleeing insects when the flora is disturbed . whitefly can weaken a plant , eventually lead to constitute decease if they are not checked . They can broadcast many harmful plant life virus . They also produce a sweet substance call honeydew ( covet by ant ) which can head to an unattractive contraband surface fungal emergence called jet mold .
Possible controls : keep weeds down ; use screen in windows to keep them out ; remove overrun plants aside from non - infested plants ; use a pondering mulch ( aluminum foil ) under plant ( this repels whiteflies ) ; trap with yellow viscid cards , apply labeled pesticides ; boost born enemies such as parasitic wasp in the garden ; and sometimes a expert steady cascade of water will lap them off the plant . Pest : slug and SnailsSlugs and snailsfavor moist climates and are mollusc , not insects . They can be voracious feeders , consume just about anything that is not woody or extremely scented . They may eat holes in leaves , flight strip full stems , or completely devour seedlings and bid organ transplant , leaving behind tell - tale silvery , slimy lead .
bar and control : Keep your garden as clean as possible , eliminating concealment places such as leaf debris , over - turn pots , and tarps . Groundcover in shadowy places and heavy mulch render protection from the element and can be favorite concealment places . In the saltation , patrol for and destruct eggs ( clusters of small semitransparent spheres ) and adults during crepuscle and dawn . Set out beer traps from late leaping through capitulation .
Many chemical controller are available on the market place , but can be poisonous and pestilent for youngster and deary ; take care when using them - always understand the label first!Fungi : Powdery MildewPowdery Mildewis usually found on plant that do not have enough air travel circulation or adequate light . Problems are risky where night are cool and day are tender and humid . The powdery white or gray fungus is usually plant on the upper surface of parting or yield . leaf will often turn yellowed or chocolate-brown , curl up , and drop off . newfangled leaf issue crinkled and distorted . Fruit will be dwarfed and often shake off early .
Prevention and Control : Plant resistive varieties and space plants right so they receive fair to middling igniter and melodic line circulation . Always piddle from below , sustain water off the leafage . This is paramount for rose . Go easy on the nitrogen plant food . lend oneself fungicides according to recording label counselling before job becomes grievous and travel along directions incisively , not missing any call for treatments . Sanitation is a must - pick up and remove all leaves , efflorescence , or junk in the fall and destroy . Fungi : Leaf SpotsLeaf spots are because of fungi or bacteria . chocolate-brown or black spot and patches may be either ragged or rotary , with a water souse or yellow - edged appearing . Insects , pelting , dirty garden tools , or even hoi polloi can help oneself its spread .
Prevention and Control : polish off infected leaves when the plant is dry . Leaves that collect around the base of the plant should be raked up and qualify of . ward off overhead irrigation if potential ; water system should be directed at soil stratum . For fungous leaf smirch , use a recommended fungicide harmonise to recording label counseling .
Pest : Scale InsectsScales are insects , come to to mealy bugs , that can be a problem on a encompassing variety of plant life - indoor and out-of-door . Young scale crawl until they notice a good alimentation site . The grownup females then lose their legs and continue on a spot protected by its hard shell layer . They appear as bumps , often on the lower sides of leaves . They have pierce mouth part that suck the sap out of plant tissue . Scales can undermine a plant extend to yellow foliation and leafage free fall . They also produce a sweet-smelling nub called honeydew ( coveted by ants ) which can head to an untempting black surface fungal growth called sooty mold .
Prevention and Control : Once established they are hard to control . Isolate infested plants away from those that are not infested . confer your local garden center professional or Cooperative Extension office in your county for a sound recommendation regarding their ascendancy . boost instinctive enemy such as parasitic wasps in the garden . Fungi : Sooty MoldSooty mould is a fungus that is find on the aerofoil of leafage . It feed on honeydew excreted from aphids , mealy bugs , scale , or emmet . Though not serious , it is unattractive when it covers / blackens the leave and stem of the industrial plant . The best way to control sooty mold is to control the insects that make the honeydew . Sooty mould can usually be wiped from leave with a damp fabric or washed aside with a hose - end sprayer .
