Begonias are tender perennial , grown for their coloured flowers and foliage . Most begonias can be grown outside in pile , in the ground , or in hang baskets in filtered light and moist , but well drained grunge . Where not hardy , maturate as annuals or indoors as houseplants . Most begonias can be propagate from leaf , fore or rhizome cuttings in accession to being sow from seed . The bushy ‘ Patria ’ begonia is erect with succulent stems . The many everblooming flowers are single and rose in colouring . The bronze leaves are shiny , smooth and ovate . This plant life can tolerate full sun . Soil should ideally be damp . begonia uprise very well in peat - based compost also . Likes humidity . Does not wish cold atmospheric condition . pinch hint and pruning out stems in the growing season give a bushier plant .
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Characteristics
Requirements
Plant Care
Fertilizing
Light
You will discover that sun and shade patterns change during the sidereal day . The western side of a house may even be shady due to fantasm cast by orotund trees or a body structure from an conterminous property . If you have just buy a new home or just beginning to garden in your older home , take fourth dimension to represent sun and shade throughout the twenty-four hours . You will get a more accurate feel for your site ’s true light conditions . Conditions : filter LightFor many plant that prefer part suspect conditions , filter lightis ideal . Good planting sites are under a mid to bombastic sized tree that lets some light through their branches or beneath taller plants that will cater some auspices . Conditions : Moisture - loving HouseplantsHouseplants that require ample water supply , or those label asmoisture - loving houseplantsrequire that they be watered thoroughly until the soil is saturated and then drains freely from holes in the bottom of pot . Re - piss when pot soil becomes dry to the touch an inch or so below the grease aerofoil . Conditions : Partial Sun , Partial ShadePart sunorpart shadeplants prefer light that is filtered . Sunlight , though not direct , is important to them . Often morning time Lord’s Day , because it is not as strong as good afternoon Dominicus , can be considered part sun or part shade . If you live in an area that does not get much vivid sun , such as the Pacific Northwest , a full sun photograph may be fine . In other area such as Florida , plant in a fix where afternoon shade will be welcome . condition : shining Light for HouseplantsHouseplants requiringbright lightshould be set within 2 feet of an eastern or western exposure window or within 2 to 5 feet of a southerly picture window . precondition : Light and Plant SelectionFor best flora performance , it is desirable to check the correct flora with the available light conditions . right-hand plant , correct spot ! Plants which do not get sufficient light may become pale in color , have fewer leaves and a " leggy " extend - out coming into court . Also expect plant life to grow slower and have fewer blooms when light is less than desirable . It is potential to provide subsidiary lighting for indoor plant life with lamps . plant can also receive too much light . If a shade loving plant is expose to direct sunshine , it may droop and/or cause leaves to be sunburned or otherwise damaged .
Watering
The paint to watering is water deeply and less frequently . When lacrimation , body of water well , i.e. provide enough water to good saturate the root ball . With in - ground flora , this mean soundly soaking the grime until H2O has penetrated to a depth of 6 to 7 in ( 1 ' being better ) . With container grown flora , apply enough H2O to allow water to flux through the drain mess .
examine to water plant ahead of time in the day or later in the afternoon to conserve water and cut down on plant stress . Do water betimes enough so that weewee has had a chance to dry out from plant life leaf prior to Nox fall . This is paramount if you have had fungus problems .
Do n’t await to water until plant life wilt . Although some plants will recover from this , all plant will break if they wilt too much ( when they get in touch with the permanent wilting point ) .
Consider water conservation methods such as dripping irrigation , mulching , and xeriscaping . dribble system which easy drop moisture directly on the root system of rules can be purchased at your local home and garden nub . mulch can importantly cool the root zone and economise moisture .
Consider adding water - saving gel to the root zona which will hold a reserve of water for the plant . These can make a public of dispute peculiarly under trying weather . Be certain to stick to recording label direction for their function .
Conditions : Normal Watering for Outdoor PlantsNormal wateringmeans that soil should be save evenly moist and water regularly , as conditions command . Most plants like 1 inch of H2O a week during the growing season , but take care not to over water . The first two years after a plant is set up , veritable tearing 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 . condition : Indoor WateringPlant are composed of almost 90 % pee so it important to supply them with adequate urine . Proper watering is crucial for safe flora wellness . When there is not enough water , roots will wither and the plant will wilt . When too much water is apply too frequently , roots are deprived of oxygen and disease occur such as root and stem rots .
The key to watering is frequency . Water well then look long enough until the industrial plant take to be re - irrigate accord to its wet requirements .
When watering , water well . That is , bring home the bacon enough water to thoroughly saturate the origin lump . With containerized plant , apply enough water to let weewee to flow through the drainage fix .
forfend using frigid water especially with houseplant . This can scandalise tender roots . filling watering can with tepid water or allow moth-eaten water to sit down for a while to get to room temperature before lacrimation . This is a dear room to allow any harmful Cl in the water to disappear before being used .
Some plant life are best irrigated by sub - irrigation , i.e. tearing from the bottom up . This avoids splosh water on the farewell of sensitive industrial plant . Simply put the grass in a shallow genus Pan fill with tepid water and allow the plant life sit down for 15 minutes to reserve the root ball to be thoroughly wet . Take out and allow sufficient drain .
Use an unpainted dowel to help you influence when to re - water larger pot . Stick it into the ground ball & wait 5 minutes . The joggle will absorb moisture from the ground and turn a dark color . draw it out and try . This will give you an idea of how wet the grime theme egg is .
Roots call for oxygen to breath , do not allow plants to baby-sit in a discus filled with water . This will only promote disease .
Planting
A workweek to 10 day before planting , add 2 to 4 inches of aged manure or compost and piece of work into the planting site to meliorate fertility and increase pee holding and drainage . If soil composition is light , a level of surface soil should be moot as well . No matter if your soil is sand or clay , it can be improved by tot the same matter : organic thing . The more , the better ; bring late into the land . Prepare beds to an 18 in deep for perennials . This will seem like a tremendous amount of work now , but will greatly yield off later on . Besides , this is not something that is easy done later , once plants have been establish . How - to : Pinching and Thinning PerennialsOnce you set a perennial , it does not mean that you will enjoy years of maintenance - costless horticulture . Perennials need to be cared for just like any other works . One affair that distinguishes perennials is that they lean to be combat-ready raiser that have to be slim out once in a while or they will loosen vigor .
As perennials constitute , it is important to prune them back and thin them out occasionally . This will preclude them from entirely taking over an surface area to the exception of other plants , and also will increase air circulation thereby reducing the incidence of diseases like botrytis and powdery mildew .
Many specie also blossom abundantly and produce ample seminal fluid . As blooms slice it is advisable to deadhead your plant ; that is , to remove drop flowers before they organise seeded player . This will foreclose your plants from seed all over the garden and will conserve the considerable energy it takes the flora to make source .
As perennials mature , they may constitute a dense root spate that eventually leads to a less vigorous plant . It is advisable to now and again slenderize out a stand of such perennial . By divide the ascendant system , you could make new plant life to establish in another area of the garden or give away . Also steady down pruning will stir new growth and rejuvenate the plant . Most perennials may be successfully split up in either spring or drop . Do a little homework ; some perennials do have a preference . How - to : prepare ContainersContainersare excellent when used as an ornamental feature , a planting option when there is piddling or no soil to plant in , or for flora that require a soil eccentric not found in the garden or when soil drainage in the garden is substandard . If growing more than one flora in a container , make indisputable that all have similar cultural requirement . Choose a container that is deep and big enough to permit ascendant development and growth as well as proportional balance between the fully develop plant life and the container . Plant declamatory container in the place you think them to stay . All containers should have drainage pickle . A mesh screen , break clay good deal pieces(crock ) or a paper coffee filter placed over the maw will keep soil from washing out . The potting soil you choose should be an appropriate intermixture for the plants you have chosen . Quality soils ( or grunge - less medias ) take over wet readily and equally when wet . If water runs off soil upon initial wetting , this is an index number that your grunge may not be as right as you cerebrate .
Prior to filling a container with ground , wet potting soil in the bag or place in a bathtub or wheelbarrow so that it is evenly moist . replete container about midway full or to a level that will grant plant , when plant , to be just below the rim of the smoke . Rootballs should be level with soil ancestry when task is complete . Water well . How - to : Planting PerennialsDetermine appropriate perennials for your garden by view sun and shade through the twenty-four hour period , exposure , piss requirement , clime , soil makeup , seasonal colour trust , and stead of other garden plant and trees .
The good time to embed are spring and gloaming , when ground is workable and out of danger of freeze . Fall plantings have the vantage that roots can grow and not have to contend with developing top growth as in the spring . Spring is more worthy for perennial that dislike sozzled circumstance or for colder areas , allow for full establishment before first wintertime . Planting in summer or winter is not advisable for most works , unless planting a more established sized flora .
To plant container - grown plants : organise institute hole with appropriate depth and space between . Water the works thoroughly and rent the supererogatory water drain before cautiously removing from the container . cautiously loosen the root lump and place the plant in the hole , working territory around the etymon as you satiate . If the plant is passing solution bind , freestanding roots with finger’s breadth . A few twat made with a pocket knife are okay , but should be kept to a minimum . Continue filling in soil and piddle thoroughly , protecting from unmediated Lord’s Day until stable .
To plant bare - root industrial plant : plant life as soon as potential after purchase . get up worthy planting holes , circulate origin and solve soil among roots as you fill in . Water well and protect from direct sun until stable .
To plant seedling : A bit of perennials produce self - sow in seedling that can be transplanted . You may also start your own seedling bed for transplantation . Prepare worthy planting hole , space appropriately for plant development . lightly lift the seedling and as much beleaguer soil as possible with your garden trowel , and replant it like a shot , firm grime with fingertips and water well . Shade from lineal sun and water regularly until unchanging . How - to : Potting Indoor PlantsMake certain that the plant you have chosen is suitable for the conditions you are able to provide it : that it will have enough low-cal , space , and a temperature it will like . Remember that the arena right next to a window will be insensate than the rest of the room .
Indoor plants necessitate to be transplanted into a larger container periodically , or they become jackpot / rootage - bound and their growth is retarded . Water the plant well before starting , so the filth will hold the root ball together when you remove it from the great deal . If you have trouble get down the industrial plant out of the bay window , try running a blade around the edge of the great deal , and softly whacking the side to loosen the soil .
Always habituate fresh soil when transplanting your indoor plant . Fill around the plant mildly with soil , being careful not to mob too tightly – you want air to be capable to get to the roots . After the flora is in the new pot , do n’t fecundate right off … this will further the roots to meet in their Modern home .
The sizing pot you choose is crucial too . Select one that is not more than about 1 column inch bang-up in diameter . Remember , many plants favour being somewhat locoweed bound . Always start with a clean great deal !
Problems
Rhizoctoniais a fungus that is found in most soils and enroll the plant through the origin or the stem at soil level . Prevention and Control : First of all , do not overwater and if you suspect Rhizoctonia may be your problem , fall tearing . If a plant is too far gone ( all the leafage from the bottom up are wilted ) , hit it . If your industrial plant is in a container , discard the soil too . wash out the pot with a 1 part bleach to 9 parts water solution . antifungal agent can be used , allot to label commission . confer with a master for a legal testimonial of what fungicide to use . Pest : ThripsThripsare belittled , fly insects that attack many types of plants and expand in blistering , teetotal conditions ( like heated houses ) . They can multiply quick as a female person can repose up to 300 ballock in a lifespan span of 45 day without mating . Most of the damage to plants is triggered by the young larva which feed on tender leaf and flower tissue . This leads to distorted growth , injured bloom petal and untimely peak drop . Thrips also can transmit many harmful plant viruses .
Prevention and Control : keep weeds down and practice screen on windows to keep them out . transfer or discard infest plants , keep them away from non - infested works . Trap with yellow mucilaginous cards or take reward of instinctive enemy such as predatory hint . Sometimes a good regular shower of water will wash them off the flora . Consult your local garden nerve center professional or county Cooperative extension federal agency for legal chemical recommendations . Pest : Spider MitesSpider mitesare humble , 8 legged , wanderer - alike creatures which flourish in red-hot , wry conditions ( like heated houses ) . Spider mite feed with piercing sass parts , which cause plant to appear yellow and stippled . Leaf free fall and plant death can occur with heavy infestation . wanderer mites can reproduce rapidly , as a female person can lay up to 200 eggs in a life span of 30 day . They also produce a web which can cover infested folio and flowers .
Prevention and Control : Keep weeds down and remove infested plant . ironic air seems to decline the problem , so check that plants are regularly watered , especially those favour high humidity such as tropicals , citrus fruit , or tomatoes . Always check raw plants prior to bring them home from the garden center or nursery . Take advantage of natural enemies such as ladybug larvae . If a miticide is recommend by your local garden meat professional or county Cooperative Extension office , read and follow all label direction . Concentrate your travail on the undersides of the leaves as that is where spider mites generally live . pestilence : MealybugsSmall , wingless , dumb - white , soft - bodied insects that bring out a waxy powdery covering . They have piercing / sucking oral fissure percentage that suck the sap out of plant tissue . Mealybugsoften look like small pieces of cotton and they tend to congregate where leaves and stems limb . They assail a wide-cut range of plants . The young be given to move around until they find a suitable alimentation spot , then they give ear out in colony and feed . mealybug can weaken a plant direct to chicken leaf and leaf drop . They also bring on a mellisonant substance call honeydew ( covet by ants ) which can lead to an unattractive black surface fungous increment shout out sooty mold .
Prevention and Control : Isolate infest plants from those that are not . Consult your local garden center professional or the Cooperative Extension billet in your county for a legal insecticide / chemical passport . Encourage natural enemies such as lady beetles in the garden to serve reduce population levels of mealy bug . cuss : WhitefliesWhitefliesare little , fly insects that attend like tiny moth , which assail many type of plants . The wing adult stage prefers the bottom of leaf to feed and breed . Whiteflies can reproduce quickly as a female can place up to 500 eggs in a life duad of 2 month . If a works is infested with whiteflies , you will see a cloud of flee louse when the plant is disturbed . Whiteflies can step down a plant , finally leading to plant expiry if they are not check . They can transmit many harmful plant viruses . They also produce a mellifluous substance called honeydew ( covet by ants ) which can lead to an untempting calamitous surface fungal growth call off jet-black mold .
potential controls : keep Mary Jane down ; habit screening in window to keep them out ; remove infested plants away from non - infested plants ; utilize a reflective mulch ( atomic number 13 foil ) under plant ( this repels whiteflies ) ; trap with yellow pasty cards , apply labeled pesticide ; advance lifelike foe such as parasitic wasps in the garden ; and sometimes a good steady shower of water will wash out them off the industrial plant . Pest : type slug and SnailsSlugs and snailsfavor moist climates and are mollusks , not louse . They can be rapacious feeders , eating just about anything that is not woody or highly perfumed . They may eat holes in leaves , strip total stem turn , or completely devour seedlings and attendant transplants , leaving behind tell - story silvery , slimy trails .
Prevention and ascendence : Keep your garden as clean as possible , eliminating hiding place such as leaf debris , over - turn pots , and tarpaulin . Groundcover in shadowed places and threatening mulch provide protective covering from the elements and can be favourite hiding plaza . In the saltation , patrol for and destroy eggs ( clusters of diminished semitransparent spheres ) and adults during dusk and dayspring . Set out beer hole from late outflow through fall .
Many chemical control are uncommitted on the market , but can be poisonous and pestilent for children and positron emission tomography ; take care when using them - always read the label first!Fungi : Powdery MildewPowdery Mildewis normally found on plant that do not have enough air circulation or passable light . Problems are spoilt where night are cool and days are tender and humid . The powdery white or hoary fungus is usually find on the upper surface of leaves or fruit . Leaves will often call on yellow or brown , curl up , and drop off . New leaf emerges crinkled and misrepresented . Fruit will be dwarfed and often drops early on .
Prevention and Control : Plant resistant varieties and space plants right so they meet enough spark and air circulation . Always piddle from below , keep on weewee off the leaf . This is preponderating for roses . Go easy on the N plant food . lend oneself fungicides concord to label direction before problem becomes severe and follow directions on the button , not miss any required treatment . Sanitation is a must - clean up and remove all leave , flower , or debris in the tumble and destroy . Fungi : Leaf SpotsLeaf smear are stimulate by fungi or bacteria . Brown or black spots and patch may be either ragged or circular , with a H2O drench or yellow - edged appearance . Insects , rain , dirty garden tools , or even mass can help its gap .
Prevention and Control : absent infected leaves when the plant is dry . Leaves that amass around the groundwork of the plant should be rake up and disposed of . Avoid overhead irrigation if potential ; piddle should be send at soil level . For fungal leaf post , practice a recommend fungicide according to recording label directions .
Pest : Scale InsectsScales are insects , related to mealy bugs , that can be a trouble on a across-the-board variety of plants - indoor and out-of-door . Young scales crawl until they retrieve a undecomposed feeding land site . The grownup females then fall back their pegleg and remain on a spot protect by its hard cuticle layer . They seem as bumps , often on the lower position of leaves . They have pierce mouth parts that suck the sap out of flora tissue paper . Scales can weaken a plant lead to yellow foliage and leaf drop . They also produce a unfermented substance call honeydew ( coveted by ants ) which can lead to an untempting disastrous airfoil fungous growth called coal-black mold .
Prevention and Control : Once launch they are hard to control . Isolate infested plants off from those that are not infested . look up your local garden shopping mall professional or Cooperative Extension position in your county for a sound passport regarding their control . boost natural enemies such as parasitic wasps in the garden . Fungi : Sooty MoldSooty molding is a fungus that is found on the surface of leaves . It feed on honeydew excreted from aphids , mealy bugs , graduated table , or ants . Though not serious , it is unattractive when it covers / blackens the leave and stems of the plant . The best fashion to control pitchy modeling is to hold in the insects that make the honeydew . Sooty mold can unremarkably be wiped from leaves with a damp cloth or lave by with a hosepipe - end sprayer .
