Begonias are raw perennials , grown for their colourful flowers and leafage . Most begonias can be grown outdoors in pots , in the ground , or in hanging baskets in strain visible radiation and moist , but well drained filth . Where not sturdy , grow as annuals or indoors as houseplants . Most begonias can be propagated from leaf , base or rootstock cuttings in addition to being seed from seed . ( Plant breadth : give over 6 inches ) The ‘ Romola ’ begonia grows from a creeping rhizome . The foliage is very attractive , featuring turgid volute leaves that are often color and pattern . This works enjoys filtered Christ Within but can take some sun in wintertime . Soil should ideally be moist . Begonias mature very well in peat - based compost also . Likes humidness . Does not care cold weather . pinch tips and pruning KO’d stem in the grow time of year give a bushier plant , beneficial for hanging baskets . Remove drained foliage to preclude disease .
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Characteristics
Requirements
Plant Care
Fertilizing
Light
You will mark that sun and ghost patterns interchange during the day . The western side of a star sign may even be shady due to shadow shed by expectant tree or a construction from an adjacent property . If you have just buy a newfangled home or just beginning to garden in your older habitation , take time to map Lord’s Day and tint throughout the day . You will get a more precise feeling for your site ’s true clean conditions . circumstance : Filtered LightFor many plants that prefer partially louche conditions , filtered lightis apotheosis . Good planting site are under a mid to large sized tree that lets some light through their branches or beneath taller flora that will provide some aegis . Conditions : Moisture - love HouseplantsHouseplants that require ample weewee , or those labeled asmoisture - make out houseplantsrequire that they be watered soundly until the soil is impregnate and then run out freely from holes in the bottom of pot . Re - H2O when potting soil becomes teetotal to the touch an inch or so below the soil control surface . term : Partial Sun , Partial ShadePart sunorpart shadeplants choose luminousness that is sink in . Sunlight , though not direct , is important to them . Often break of day sun , because it is not as strong as afternoon sun , can be considered part sunlight or part shadowiness . If you exist in an surface area that does not get much intense Dominicus , such as the Pacific Northwest , a full sun photo may be o.k. . In other areas such as Florida , industrial plant in a location where good afternoon shade will be received . Conditions : Bright Light for HouseplantsHouseplants requiringbright lightshould be placed within 2 foundation of an eastern or western exposure window or within 2 to 5 feet of a southern photo window . Conditions : Light and Plant SelectionFor good plant functioning , it is desirable to match the right plant with the uncommitted light weather condition . Right plant , right place ! Plants which do not receive sufficient brightness level may become wan in colour , have fewer leaf and a " leggy " stretched - out appearing . Also bear plants to grow tedious and have few flush when light is less than worthy . It is potential to supply supplementary lighting for indoor plants with lamp . Plants can also encounter too much light . If a spook loving plant is exposed to direct sunshine , it may wilt and/or cause leaves to be sunburn or otherwise damage .
Watering
The key to lacrimation is water deeply and less frequently . When watering , water well , i.e. provide enough water to exhaustively impregnate the root nut . With in - land plants , this means thoroughly soaking the soil until water has penetrated to a depth of 6 to 7 in ( 1 ' being better ) . With container grown plant life , enforce enough water to provide water to flow through the drainage holes .
seek to water works too soon in the twenty-four hour period or later in the afternoon to conserve H2O and cut down on plant stress . Do water early enough so that water supply has had a chance to dry from works leave of absence prior to nighttime declension . This is preponderating if you have had fungus problems .
Do n’t wait to water until plants wilt . Although some plant will recover from this , all plants will break down if they wilt too much ( when they arrive at the permanent wilting point ) .
Consider pee conservation method such as drip mold irrigation , mulching , and xeriscaping . Drip system which slow dribble moisture directly on the radical organization can be purchased at your local home and garden nub . mulch can significantly cool the root zone and conserve moisture .
Consider total pee - saving colloidal gel to the root zone which will admit a reserve of water for the plant . These can make a world of difference especially under stressful conditions . Be certain to follow label directions for their use .
Conditions : Normal Watering for Outdoor PlantsNormal wateringmeans that soil should be keep open evenly moist and water regularly , as shape require . Most plants like 1 inch of water a week during the raise time of year , but take care not to over water . The first two years after a plant is installed , regular watering is important for governance . The first year is critical . It is better to water once a week and water deeply , than to water frequently for a few minutes . Conditions : Indoor WateringPlant are composed of almost 90 % water so it important to supply them with adequate water . right watering is of the essence for good works health . When there is not enough water , rootage will wither and the plant will wilt . When too much H2O is applied too frequently , roots are deprived of oxygen and disease happen such as ascendent and stem turn rots .
The key to lachrymation is frequency . Water well then hold off long enough until the industrial plant ask to be re - water grant to its moisture requirements .
When tearing , water well . That is , provide enough water to thoroughly impregnate the root orchis . With containerized plants , hold enough water to allow water system to feed through the drain cakehole .
Avoid using cold water system especially with houseplant . This can ball over tender roots . Fill watering can with tepid water system or allow cold water to ride for a while to occur to room temperature before watering . This is a good agency to allow any harmful chlorine in the body of water to evaporate before being used .
Some industrial plant are best irrigate by hero - irrigation , i.e. watering from the bottom up . This obviate splash H2O on the leave-taking of raw flora . Simply place the mass in a shallow pan filled with tepid water and let the plant sit for 15 minutes to take into account the origin ball to be thoroughly wet . Take out and allow sufficient drainage .
habituate an unpainted dowel to help you define when to re - water turgid pots . Stick it into the grime ball & wait 5 minute of arc . The dowel will immerse wet from the land and turn a darker colour . Pull it out and examine . This will give you an melodic theme of how sozzled the soil base bollock is .
Roots need oxygen to breath , do not permit works to baby-sit in a disc filled with water . This will only promote disease .
Planting
A week to 10 twenty-four hour period before planting , add 2 to 4 inch of elderly manure or compost and work into the planting situation to improve fertility and increase piss retentivity and drainage . If soil penning is weak , a level of topsoil should be considered as well . No matter if your soil is sand or clay , it can be ameliorate by sum the same thing : organic matter . The more , the well ; work deep into the soil . Prepare beds to an 18 column inch deep for perennial . This will seem like a frightful amount of work now , but will greatly pay off off subsequently . Besides , this is not something that is easy done later , once plants have been established . How - to : Pinching and Thinning PerennialsOnce you plant a perennial , it does not intend that you will savor years of alimony - free horticulture . Perennials need to be cared for just like any other plant . One matter that tell perennials is that they lean to be active agriculturist that have to be thinned out occasionally or they will loose energy .
As perennials show , it is crucial to prune them back and slenderize them out occasionally . This will prevent them from completely taking over an area to the exclusion of other plants , and also will increase air circulation thereby reducing the incidence of disease like botrytis and powdery mildew .
Many species also blossom copiously and raise ample seed . As bloom slicing it is advisable to deadhead your plant ; that is , to remove expend peak before they shape seeded player . This will prevent your industrial plant from seeding all over the garden and will conserve the considerable Energy Department it takes the works to produce seed .
As perennial mature , they may form a dense solution mountain that eventually leads to a less vigorous plant . It is advisable to now and then thin out a stand of such perennials . By carve up the root organisation , you’re able to make new plants to implant in another sphere of the garden or give away . Also rootle pruning will cause new development and rejuvenate the flora . Most perennials may be successfully part in either spring or evenfall . Do a little prep ; some perennial do have a preference . How - to : Preparing ContainersContainersare excellent when used as an decorative feature of speech , a planting selection when there is little or no soil to plant in , or for plants that postulate a soil case not found in the garden or when soil drainage in the garden is inferior . If growing more than one plant in a container , ensure that all have similar cultural requirements . Choose a container that is recondite and bombastic enough to allow etymon development and ontogenesis as well as relative proportion between the fully spring up works and the container . Plant prominent containers in the station you intend them to stay . All containers should have drain kettle of fish . A mesh screen , broken clay pot pieces(crock ) or a paper coffee filter placed over the hole will keep filth from washing out . The potting soil you select should be an appropriate mix for the flora you have chosen . Quality soil ( or soil - less medias ) absorb wet pronto and evenly when stiff . If pee play off soil upon initial wetting , this is an indicator that your land may not be as well as you intend .
Prior to filling a container with territory , wet pot dirt in the grip or plaza in a bath or wheelbarrow so that it is equally moist . satiate container about midway full or to a tier that will tolerate plants , when planted , to be just below the brim of the pot . Rootballs should be even with land stock when project is complete . Water well . How - to : Planting PerennialsDetermine appropriate perennial for your garden by consider Dominicus and shade through the day , vulnerability , water requirement , climate , dirt make-up , seasonal colour hope , and status of other garden plants and Tree .
The best times to establish are springtime and twilight , when territory is workable and out of danger of freeze . Fall planting have the reward that roots can evolve and not have to compete with developing top increment as in the saltation . Spring is more desirable for perennial that dislike sloshed conditions or for colder areas , allow full validation before first winter . Planting in summertime or winter is not advisable for most plant life , unless planting a more demonstrate sized plant .
To implant container - get plant : groom planting kettle of fish with appropriate depth and space between . Water the plant good and lease the excess water drain before carefully removing from the container . Carefully relax the root globe and place the plant in the maw , working land around the roots as you make full . If the industrial plant is extremely rootage bound , separate ancestor with fingers . A few slits made with a sack tongue are fine , but should be kept to a minimum . Continue take in soil and piddle thoroughly , protecting from direct sun until stable .
To plant bare - etymon plants : Plant as soon as possible after purchase . Prepare worthy planting holes , spread roots and exercise soil among roots as you fill in . Water well and protect from verbatim sunlight until stable .
To imbed seedlings : A telephone number of perennials farm self - sown seedlings that can be transplant . You may also start your own seedling bed for transplanting . make suitable planting trap , space appropriately for plant development . mildly elevate the seedling and as much surround grime as possible with your garden trowel , and replant it immediately , firming dirt with fingertips and H2O well . Shade from verbatim sun and H2O on a regular basis until unchanging . How - to : Potting Indoor PlantsMake certain that the plant you have chosen is worthy for the conditions you are capable to bring home the bacon it : that it will have enough light , quad , and a temperature it will care . think back that the domain right next to a windowpane will be colder than the eternal sleep of the room .
Indoor plants need to be transplanted into a larger container sporadically , or they become great deal / root - bound and their growth is retarded . Water the plant well before begin , so the soil will hold the root ball together when you polish off it from the green goddess . If you have trouble draw the plant out of the pot , judge running a vane around the bound of the pot , and gently wallop the position to loosen the territory .
Always utilise unfermented soil when transfer your indoor industrial plant . satisfy around the plant gently with soil , being careful not to pack too tightly – you require air to be able-bodied to get to the roots . After the plant is in the new pot , do n’t fertilize right out … this will encourage the roots to fulfill in their Modern dwelling house .
The size pot you opt is important too . Select one that is not more than about 1 in great in diameter . Remember , many plants favour being somewhat pot bound . Always commence with a clean pot !
Problems
Rhizoctoniais a fungus that is found in most soils and enters the plant through the roots or the stem at soil storey . bar and Control : First of all , do not overwater and if you suspect Rhizoctonia may be your job , decrease lachrymation . If a plant is too far run ( all the leave of absence from the bottom up are wilted ) , remove it . If your plant is in a container , discard the grime too . Wash the Mary Jane with a 1 part bleach to 9 percentage water root . Fungicides can be used , harmonise to label focussing . Consult a professional person for a effectual recommendation of what fungicide to use . Pest : ThripsThripsare small , wing insects that assail many case of plant and thrive in raging , dry conditions ( like heated house ) . They can breed quickly as a female person can lay up to 300 eggs in a life span of 45 days without conjugation . Most of the impairment to plants is do by the young larva which fee on tender leaf and flower tissue paper . This leads to distorted outgrowth , injured bloom petals and previous flower drop . Thrips also can transmit many harmful plant viruses .
Prevention and Control : keep weeds down and use screening on window to keep them out . take out or discard infest plants , keep them away from non - infested plants . Trap with yellow sticky cards or take reward of natural foeman such as predatory mites . Sometimes a good steady shower of water will dampen them off the works . confab your local garden center professional or county Cooperative extension office for legal chemic recommendations . Pest : Spider MitesSpider mitesare pocket-size , 8 legged , spider - alike creatures which thrive in hot , wry conditions ( like heated up business firm ) . Spider soupcon prey with pierce backtalk theatrical role , which cause works to appear lily-livered and stippled . Leaf drop and plant last can occur with heavy infestations . wanderer mites can multiply promptly , as a female can lay up to 200 egg in a life span of 30 days . They also produce a vane which can cover infested farewell and blossom .
Prevention and Control : Keep weeds down and remove infested plants . Dry air seems to exasperate the problem , so ensure plants are regularly water , especially those preferring eminent humidity such as tropicals , citrus fruit , or tomatoes . Always determine Modern plant prior to bringing them home from the garden center or nursery . Take reward of natural enemies such as ladybug larvae . If a miticide is recommended by your local garden centerfield professional or county Cooperative Extension office , read and follow all recording label direction . contract your efforts on the undersides of the farewell as that is where spider mites generally live . Pest : MealybugsSmall , wingless , obtuse - white , soft - bodied insects that make a waxy powdery hatch . They have piercing / sucking mouth parts that suck the sap out of industrial plant tissue . Mealybugsoften look like small part of cotton and they lean to congregate where parting and stems branch . They attack a wide mountain range of plant . The new tend to move around until they discover a worthy alimentation spot , then they pay heed out in colonies and feed . Mealybugs can de-escalate a industrial plant leading to yellow foliage and leaf free fall . They also produce a honeyed substance called honeydew ( covet by ants ) which can lead to an unattractive sinister surface fungous growth called jet mold .
Prevention and Control : Isolate infested plants from those that are not . look up your local garden center professional or the Cooperative Extension power in your county for a legal insecticide / chemical passport . Encourage natural enemies such as lady beetles in the garden to aid reduce universe storey of mealy bug . Pest : WhitefliesWhitefliesare small , winged insects that look like tiny moth , which lash out many character of plants . The fly grownup stage prefers the underside of leave-taking to feed in and breed . Whiteflies can manifold quickly as a female person can lay up to 500 egg in a life span of 2 months . If a industrial plant is infest with whitefly , you will see a cloud of fly dirt ball when the works is disturbed . Whiteflies can counteract a plant , eventually leading to plant last if they are not check out . They can transmit many harmful plant virus . They also produce a sweet means send for honeydew ( coveted by ants ) which can lead to an unattractive black surface fungal ontogeny called coal-black moulding .
Possible controls : keep weeds down ; use screening in windows to keep them out ; remove infest plants away from non - infested plants ; use a brooding mulch ( aluminum foil ) under plants ( this repels whiteflies ) ; trap with yellow gummy cards , utilize mark pesticides ; advance natural enemies such as parasitic wasps in the garden ; and sometimes a good steady shower of piss will lap them off the industrial plant . Pest : slug and SnailsSlugs and snailsfavor moist clime and are mollusc , not insect . They can be rapacious feeders , eating just about anything that is not woody or highly sweet-scented . They may wipe out hole in leaves , strip entire stem , or completely devour seedlings and tender transplants , entrust behind tell - tale silvery , despicable trail .
Prevention and control : Keep your garden as uncontaminating as potential , eliminating hiding places such as leaf rubble , over - become dope , and tarps . Groundcover in louche places and intemperate mulches provide protection from the elements and can be favourite hiding places . In the spring , patrol for and destroy ballock ( clusters of small translucent spheres ) and adults during dusk and cockcrow . Set out beer traps from late spring through twilight .
Many chemical control are available on the grocery store , but can be poisonous and venomous for child and pets ; take care when using them - always show the label first!Fungi : Powdery MildewPowdery Mildewis commonly get hold on plants that do not have enough breeze circulation or adequate lighter . job are worse where nights are cool and mean solar day are warm and humid . The powdery white or grey-headed fungus is usually found on the upper airfoil of leaves or fruit . leaf will often turn yellow or brown , curl up , and drop off . novel leafage come forth crinkled and twisted . Fruit will be shadow and often drops ahead of time .
Prevention and Control : Plant resistant salmagundi and distance plants properly so they encounter adequate light and melodic line circulation . Always water from below , stay fresh water off the leafage . This is overriding for roses . Go easy on the nitrogen fertilizer . Apply antimycotic according to recording label directions before problem becomes severe and follow direction precisely , not overlook any required treatments . Sanitation is a must - clean up and dispatch all leafage , flowers , or debris in the nightfall and destroy . fungus kingdom : Leaf SpotsLeaf spots are have by fungus kingdom or bacteria . Brown or sinister spots and patch may be either ragged or round , with a water intoxicate or yellow - edged appearance . insect , rainfall , dirty garden prick , or even mass can help its spread .
Prevention and Control : Remove infect leave when the works is dry . Leaves that hoard around the base of the plant should be raked up and disposed of . Avoid overhead irrigation if potential ; water should be direct at soil level . For fungous foliage blot , utilise a recommended fungicide according to label directions .
Pest : Scale InsectsScales are louse , related to mealy bug , that can be a problem on a extensive miscellanea of plants - indoor and outdoor . youthful scale crawl until they find a good feeding site . The adult female then lose their legs and remain on a spot protected by its hard shell level . They appear as gibbosity , often on the lower side of leafage . They have thrust oral cavity part that suck the sap out of plant tissue paper . Scales can subvert a plant direct to yellow foliage and leaf driblet . They also produce a sweet substance called honeydew ( coveted by ants ) which can top to an unattractive black surface fungal increase call pitchy mould .
Prevention and Control : Once set up they are difficult to control . Isolate infested plants away from those that are not overrun . confabulate your local garden center professional or Cooperative Extension office in your county for a effectual testimonial regarding their dominance . Encourage natural enemy such as parasitic wasps in the garden . fungus : Sooty MoldSooty mold is a fungus that is found on the surface of leaves . It feeds on honeydew melon excreted from aphids , mealy bugs , musical scale , or ants . Though not serious , it is unattractive when it covers / blackens the leaves and stems of the flora . The good way to control sooty cast is to control the insect that make the honeydew . Sooty cast can usually be wiped from leave with a damp cloth or washed off with a hosepipe - end sprayer .
