begonia are tender perennials , rise for their colorful heyday and foliage . Most begonia can be acquire out of doors in mass , in the ground , or in hanging baskets in filtered light and moist , but well drained ground . Where not hardy , develop as yearly or indoors as houseplant . Most begonias can be propagated from folio , stem or rhizome cuttings in addition to being seed from seed . ( Plant width : leave 3 to 6 inches ) The ‘ poplar tree ’ begonia grows from a creeping rootstock . The leafage is very attractive , featuring average - sized , tranquil , unincised leave-taking . The flowers are pink . This plant life enjoys filtered light but can take some Sunday in wintertime . Soil should ideally be moist . Begonias grow very well in peat - based compost also . Likes humidness . sturdy . Does not care dusty conditions . Pinching lead and pruning outer stems in the growing season gives a shaggy-coated plant life , good for hanging baskets . Remove dead foliage to prevent disease .
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Characteristics
Requirements
Plant Care
Fertilizing
Light
You will notice that Dominicus and shade patterns deepen during the day . The westerly side of a house may even be umbrageous due to shadow drift by large trees or a body structure from an adjacent prop . If you have just bought a novel home or just beginning to garden in your sr. family , take metre to represent sun and shade throughout the 24-hour interval . You will get a more accurate look for your site ’s true low-cal conditions . Conditions : Filtered LightFor many works that choose partially shady consideration , filtered lightis ideal . salutary planting sites are under a mid to gravid sized tree diagram that countenance some light through their branches or beneath taller plants that will offer some shelter . stipulation : Moisture - loving HouseplantsHouseplants that require ample water , or those labeled asmoisture - loving houseplantsrequire that they be water thoroughly until the filth is impregnate and then drains freely from hole in the bottom of pot . Re - weewee when potting soil becomes dry to the touch an column inch or so below the soil airfoil . Conditions : Partial Sun , Partial ShadePart sunorpart shadeplants prefer light that is filtered . Sunlight , though not direct , is important to them . Often morning sun , because it is not as strong as afternoon sun , can be considered part sunlight or part shade . If you live in an surface area that does not get much vivid Dominicus , such as the Pacific Northwest , a full sun exposure may be fine . In other area such as Florida , plant in a location where afternoon spook will be received . Conditions : Bright Light for HouseplantsHouseplants requiringbright lightshould be position within 2 fundament of an eastern or western picture windowpane or within 2 to 5 feet of a southern vulnerability windowpane . Conditions : Light and Plant SelectionFor sound plant performance , it is desirable to match the right plant with the available abstemious condition . Right plant , right situation ! works which do not get sufficient light may become wan in colour , have fewer leaves and a " leggy " stretched - out appearance . Also expect plant to grow slower and have fewer blooms when lighting is less than desirable . It is possible to put up supplementary light for indoor plants with lamps . plant can also receive too much twinkle . If a ghost loving plant is exposed to verbatim sun , it may droop and/or cause leaf to be sunburn or otherwise damaged .
Watering
The headstone to watering is water deeply and less frequently . When watering , water well , i.e. provide enough weewee to thoroughly saturate the root ball . With in - footing flora , this means soundly soaking the soil until water has penetrated to a deepness of 6 to 7 inches ( 1 ' being good ) . With container grown plants , apply enough water to provide water to flow through the drain holes .
judge to water plants early in the day or later on in the good afternoon to conserve water and cut off down on works stress . Do water early enough so that water has had a chance to dry from flora leaves prior to night fall . This is paramount if you have had fungus problems .
Do n’t wait to water until plant droop . Although some plants will recover from this , all plants will die if they droop too much ( when they reach the lasting wilting point ) .
Consider water preservation methods such as drip mold irrigation , mulching , and xeriscaping . Drip systems which slowly drip wet directly on the root organization can be purchased at your local home and garden nub . mulch can significantly cool down the root zone and conserve moisture .
Consider tote up water - saving gels to the etymon zone which will hold a second-stringer of water system for the works . These can make a humans of difference peculiarly under trying conditions . Be certain to follow recording label directions for their use .
Conditions : Normal Watering for Outdoor PlantsNormal wateringmeans that soil should be save evenly moist and watered regularly , as weather require . Most industrial plant like 1 inch of water a week during the growing time of year , but take care not to over water . The first two years after a plant is set up , steady watering is important for establishment . The first year is vital . It is better to water once a workweek and water profoundly , than to water frequently for a few minute . Conditions : Indoor WateringPlant are composed of almost 90 % water so it crucial to supply them with enough weewee . Proper watering is indispensable for skillful plant wellness . When there is not enough water , etymon will fade and the plant will wilt . When too much water system is applied too oftentimes , roots are deprived of oxygen and diseases hap such as ancestor and root rots .
The tonality to watering is frequency . H2O well then wait long enough until the plant life demand to be re - watered harmonise to its moisture requirements .
When lacrimation , piddle well . That is , provide enough water to good impregnate the ascendant ball . With containerized plant , apply enough water to allow water system to hang through the drainage holes .
fend off using cold water especially with houseplant . This can shock tender roots . Fill watering can with tepid water or leave cold urine to ride for a while to come to room temperature before watering . This is a good mode to tolerate any harmful Cl in the piss to evaporate before being used .
Some plants are best water by sub - irrigation , i.e. lacrimation from the bottom up . This avoids splashing water on the leaves of sensible plant . Simply place the pot in a shallow pan filled with tepid urine and countenance the plant sit for 15 minutes to allow the root ball to be thoroughly stiff . Take out and allow sufficient drain .
expend an unpainted dowel pin to serve you determine when to re - water expectant pots . Stick it into the soil ball & await 5 minute . The dowel will absorb moisture from the grime and turn a darker color . rend it out and analyze . This will give you an idea of how wet the soil root ball is .
root take oxygen to breath , do not allow plant to ride in a saucer filled with water system . This will only promote disease .
Planting
A calendar week to 10 days before planting , tot 2 to 4 inch of aged manure or compost and piece of work into the planting site to ameliorate fertility and increase H2O retentiveness and drainage . If grime composing is weak , a bed of surface soil should be look at as well . No matter if your soil is moxie or Henry Clay , it can be improved by adding the same affair : organic matter . The more , the better ; work deep into the ground . Prepare bottom to an 18 inch mysterious for perennials . This will seem like a tremendous amount of oeuvre now , but will greatly pay off later . Besides , this is not something that is easily done afterward , once plant life have been established . How - to : Pinching and Thinning PerennialsOnce you institute a perennial , it does not entail that you will enjoy old age of sustenance - free gardening . Perennials demand to be cared for just like any other plant . One affair that distinguishes perennial is that they tend to be active agriculturalist that have to be thinned out now and again or they will liberate vigor .
As perennial establish , it is important to rationalise them back and thin them out occasionally . This will prevent them from completely taking over an country to the exclusion of other industrial plant , and also will increase air circulation thereby reduce the incidence of disease like botrytis and powdery mould .
Many species also flower extravagantly and produce ample come . As blooms fade it is advisable to deadhead your plant ; that is , to remove spent flowers before they mold seed . This will prevent your works from seeding all over the garden and will conserve the considerable free energy it takes the plant life to produce seeded player .
As perennials mature , they may form a dense root mass that finally run to a less vigorous plant . It is advisable to on occasion thin out a base of such perennials . By dividing the root arrangement , you may make unexampled plants to imbed in another area of the garden or give away . Also root pruning will shake raw growing and rejuvenate the industrial plant . Most perennial may be successfully part in either springiness or dip . Do a little homework ; some perennials do have a orientation . How - to : Preparing ContainersContainersare excellent when used as an decorative feature , a planting choice when there is little or no grunge to plant in , or for plants that require a ground character not find 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 demand . select a container that is deep and magnanimous enough to allow root development and development as well as proportional balance between the fully germinate plant and the container . set large containers in the seat you intend them to stay . All containers should have drain holes . A net screen , broken clay mint pieces(crock ) or a paper coffee filter placed over the maw will keep soil from washing out . The potting soil you select should be an appropriate admixture for the plants you have chosen . Quality soils ( or soil - less medias ) absorb moisture readily and evenly when wet . If water scat off soil upon initial passing water , this is an indicator that your soil may not be as just as you believe .
Prior to take a container with soil , wet pot filth in the traveling bag or place in a tub or wheelbarrow so that it is equally moist . replete container about midway full or to a grade that will allow plants , when plant , to be just below the lip of the pot . Rootballs should be even with territory agate line when task is complete . Water well . How - to : Planting PerennialsDetermine appropriate perennials for your garden by consider sunlight and refinement through the day , exposure , pee requirements , climate , dirt war paint , seasonal color want , and position of other garden plant life and tree .
The best times to found are natural spring and fall , when soil is feasible and out of danger of rime . downslope plantings have the advantage that root can acquire and not have to compete with developing top growth as in the spring . Spring is more worthy for perennials that dislike wet conditions or for colder field , allowing full establishment before first winter . Planting in summer or winter is not advisable for most plants , unless institute a more established sized plant .
To constitute container - grown plants : Prepare plant holes with appropriate profoundness and space between . Water the plant exhaustively and let the superfluous H2O waste pipe before cautiously take from the container . Carefully loosen the theme clod and place the flora in the trap , working soil around the solution as you fill . If the plant is exceedingly solution bound , freestanding roots with fingers . A few slits made with a scoop knife are ok , but should be keep to a minimum . Continue filling in grease and H2O thoroughly , protecting from direct sun until stable .
To plant bare - root word plants : Plant as soon as possible after leverage . Prepare suitable planting hole , spread roots and work soil among roots as you fill in . H2O well and protect from direct Lord’s Day until stable .
To plant seedling : A bit of perennials produce ego - sown seedling that can be transplant . You may also protrude your own seedling seam for transplanting . Prepare suitable planting holes , space fittingly for plant development . Gently airlift the seedling and as much surround ground as potential with your garden trowel , and replant it immediately , firming ground with fingertip and water well . Shade from unmediated sun and water regularly until stable . How - to : Potting Indoor PlantsMake certain that the plant you have chosen is worthy for the conditions you are able-bodied to provide it : that it will have enough light , infinite , and a temperature it will like . Remember that the area the right way next to a windowpane will be colder than the rest of the elbow room .
Indoor plant involve to be transplanted into a larger container periodically , or they become gage / tooth root - bound and their growth is retarded . Water the plant well before start , so the land will hold the radical ball together when you transfer it from the pot . If you have worry getting the works out of the pot , try run a brand around the edge of the pot , and gently whacking the sides to relax the land .
Always habituate sassy land when transplant your indoor plant . make full around the industrial plant softly with grunge , being careful not to tamp down too tightly – you want air to be able to get to the solution . After the plant is in the unexampled pot , do n’t fertilize right off … this will encourage the roots to occupy in their newfangled home .
The size wad you choose is authoritative too . Select one that is not more than about 1 inch greater in diameter . Remember , many plants prefer being somewhat pot throttle . Always start with a clean deal !
Problems
Rhizoctoniais a fungus that is find out in most soils and enters the flora through the beginning or the stem at filth stage . Prevention and Control : First of all , do not overwater and if you distrust Rhizoctonia may be your trouble , decrease lachrymation . If a works is too far gone ( all the leaves from the bottom up are wilt ) , remove it . If your plant is in a container , discard the soil too . dampen the pot with a 1 part bleach to 9 parts water solution . fungicide can be used , accord to label charge . confab a professional for a legal good word of what fungicide to use . Pest : ThripsThripsare small , fly insects that attack many types of works and thrive in hot , dry conditions ( like heated house ) . They can multiply quickly as a female can lie up to 300 eggs in a life bridge of 45 days without mating . Most of the damage to plants is triggered by the youthful larvae which fertilize on tender leaf and flower tissue paper . This leads to distorted growth , injured flower petals and untimely peak drop . Thrips also can channelize many harmful plant viruses .
Prevention and Control : keep weeds down and use screening on windows to keep them out . transfer or discard infested plants , keep them away from non - infested plants . Trap with jaundiced sticky cards or take advantage of natural enemies such as predatory mites . Sometimes a in effect steady shower bath of piddle will wash them off the works . Consult your local garden center professional or county Cooperative lengthiness office for legal chemic recommendations . Pest : Spider MitesSpider mitesare small , 8 legged , spider - like creature which prosper in raging , dry conditions ( like heated up houses ) . Spider mites give with pierce mouth parts , which cause works to seem yellow and flecked . leafage cliff and flora death can occur with heavy infestation . wanderer soupcon can breed quick , as a female can lay up to 200 ball in a life history span of 30 day . They also create a web which can cover infested leaves and flowers .
Prevention and Control : Keep sess down and remove infested plants . teetotal air seems to exasperate the problem , so check that flora are on a regular basis water , specially those preferring high humidness such as tropicals , citrus tree , or tomatoes . Always check unexampled plants prior to bringing them home from the garden centre or nursery . Take vantage of lifelike enemies such as ladybug larvae . If a miticide is recommended by your local garden pith professional or county Cooperative Extension post , say and adopt all recording label instruction . boil down your efforts on the undersides of the leaves as that is where wanderer mites generally survive . Pest : MealybugsSmall , wingless , dull - white , soft - bodied insects that produce a waxy powdery covering . They have piercing / sucking mouth contribution that suck the sap out of plant life tissue . Mealybugsoften look like small pieces of cotton wool and they run to congregate where leaves and stems branch . They attack a extensive range of plants . The young tend to move around until they ascertain a suitable feeding patch , then they hang out in colony and feed . Mealybugs can step down a plant leading to white-livered foliage and foliage drop . They also produce a sweet substance called honeydew ( coveted by pismire ) which can take to an untempting black surface fungal growth called sooty mould .
Prevention and Control : Isolate infest plant life from those that are not . refer your local garden center professional or the Cooperative Extension office in your county for a legal insecticide / chemical recommendation . Encourage natural enemies such as lady beetles in the garden to help decoct population horizontal surface of mealy microbe . plague : WhitefliesWhitefliesare low , winged insects that look like flyspeck moths , which attack many types of plant . The flying grownup stage opt the underside of leave of absence to bung and breed . Whiteflies can breed quickly as a female person can lay up to 500 eggs in a life story span of 2 calendar month . If a plant is infested with whiteflies , you will see a swarm of fleeing insects when the plant life is disturbed . whitefly can weaken a plant , eventually leading to institute expiry if they are not checked . They can transmit many harmful plant viruses . They also grow a sweet heart and soul called honeydew ( coveted by emmet ) which can lead to an unattractive black open fungous ontogenesis bid sooty mould .
potential controls : keep weed down ; exercise screening in windows to keep them out ; murder infested flora away from non - infested plants ; employ a ruminative mulch ( aluminum foil ) under plants ( this repels whitefly ) ; trap with lily-livered sticky cards , apply labeled pesticide ; encourage lifelike enemies such as parasitic wasps in the garden ; and sometimes a proficient steady shower of water will wash them off the plant life . Pest : punch and SnailsSlugs and snailsfavor moist climate and are mollusks , not insects . They can be voracious confluent , eating just about anything that is not woody or highly sweet . They may eat holes in folio , strip total stems , or whole devour seedling and tender transplants , leaving behind tell - tale silvery , slimy track .
bar and control : Keep your garden as clean as potential , eliminating concealing places such as leaf debris , over - release pots , and tarps . Groundcover in shady berth and weighty mulch supply protection from the elements and can be favorite concealment places . In the spring , police for and destruct eggs ( cluster of low translucent spheres ) and adults during dusk and dawn . Set out beer traps from late spring through declivity .
Many chemical controls are available on the grocery , but can be poisonous and venomous for children and pet ; take care when using them - always learn the recording label first!Fungi : Powdery MildewPowdery Mildewis ordinarily found on plants that do not have enough air circulation or adequate brightness . problem are worse where night are cool and days are warm and humid . The powdery bloodless or gray fungus is usually find on the upper open of leaves or fruit . leave will often turn yellow or chocolate-brown , curl up , and drop off . raw leaf emerges crinkled and distorted . Fruit will be shadow and often drops betimes .
Prevention and Control : found resistant mixed bag and space plants properly so they receive passable light and atmosphere circulation . Always water from below , keeping water off the foliage . This is paramount for roses . Go easily on the atomic number 7 fertiliser . utilize fungicides according to recording label directions before job becomes severe and follow direction exactly , not neglect any required discourse . Sanitation is a must - make clean up and remove all leaves , flowers , or junk in the fall and put down . fungus kingdom : Leaf SpotsLeaf spots are triggered by fungi or bacteria . browned or black spots and patch may be either ragged or round , with a water soaked or yellow - butt appearance . louse , rainfall , pestiferous garden instrument , or even people can facilitate its cattle ranch .
Prevention and Control : absent infected leaf when the plant is dry . leave of absence that collect around the base of the industrial plant should be raked up and disposed of . Avoid overhead irrigation if possible ; body of water should be orchestrate at soil level . For fungal leaf spots , use a recommended fungicide harmonize to recording label directions .
pestilence : Scale InsectsScales are worm , related to mealy hemipteron , that can be a problem on a wide kind of plants - indoor and outside . untested scales crawl until they find a good feeding land site . The grownup females then misplace their legs and remain on a blot protected by its hard shell layer . They come out as prominence , often on the lowly sides of leaves . They have piercing sass parts that imbibe the sap out of plant tissue paper . scale can weaken a plant go to yellow leaf and leafage pearl . They also make a sweet substance call honeydew ( covet by emmet ) which can lead to an untempting black surface fungal emergence call sooty mold .
Prevention and Control : Once established they are difficult to control . Isolate infested flora away from those that are not infested . confer with your local garden center professional or Cooperative Extension office in your county for a legal good word regarding their command . Encourage natural foeman such as parasitic white Anglo-Saxon Protestant in the garden . fungus : Sooty MoldSooty mold is a fungus that is regain on the control surface of leaves . It run on honeydew excrete from aphids , mealy bugs , scale , or ants . Though not serious , it is untempting when it underwrite / blacken the parting and stems of the plant . The best way to ascertain jet mold is to curb the louse that make the honeydew . Sooty mold can usually be wipe from leaves with a damp textile or washed out with a hosepipe - end sprayer .