Begonias are lovesome perennial , get for their colorful flowers and foliage . Most begonias can be uprise outdoors in batch , in the ground , or in hanging basketball hoop in permeate light and moist , but well drained soil . Where not hardy , uprise as annual or indoors as houseplants . Most begonias can be propagated from foliage , radical or rhizome cuttings in addition to being seed from seeded player . The cultivar , ‘ Her Majesty ’ , maturate from a creeping rootstalk . The foliage is very attractive , featuring intermediate - sized , non - spiral leave of absence that are often colour and patterned . This works enjoys strain light but can take some sunlight in winter . Soil should ideally be dampish . Begonias grow very well in peat - based compost also . Likes humidness . Hardy . Does not like frigid weather . Pinching tips and pruning outer stems in the growing season gives a bushier plant life , serious for hang basketful . Remove dead leaf to prevent disease .
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Characteristics
Requirements
Plant Care
Fertilizing
Light
You will acknowledge that sun and shade patterns switch during the day . The westerly side of a house may even be shady due to shadower cast by magnanimous trees or a bodily structure from an adjacent property . If you have just bought a young home or just beginning to garden in your older plate , take fourth dimension to represent sun and spook throughout the day . You will get a more accurate flavor for your site ’s true wakeful conditions . Conditions : Filtered LightFor many plants that favour part suspect conditions , filtered lightis apotheosis . Good planting site are under a mid to bombastic sized Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree that rent some light through their branches or beneath taller plant that will provide some protection . circumstance : wet - loving HouseplantsHouseplants that involve ample water , or those label asmoisture - loving houseplantsrequire that they be water thoroughly until the dirt is saturate and then drains freely from holes in the bottom of potentiometer . Re - body of water when potting land becomes wry to the touch an inch or so below the land surface . Conditions : Partial Sun , Partial ShadePart sunorpart shadeplants opt visible light that is filtered . Sunlight , though not direct , is important to them . Often dawning Dominicus , because it is not as strong as afternoon sun , can be considered part Sunday or part tone . If you last in an orbit that does not get much intense sun , such as the Pacific Northwest , a full sun vulnerability may be ok . In other area such as Florida , plant in a location where good afternoon shade will be received . condition : Bright Light for HouseplantsHouseplants requiringbright lightshould be placed within 2 foot of an easterly or westerly exposure windowpane or within 2 to 5 feet of a southern exposure window . Conditions : Light and Plant SelectionFor best industrial plant execution , it is desirable to match the correct plant with the available light weather . correct industrial plant , right-hand position ! Plants which do not receive sufficient illumination may become sick in color , have fewer leaves and a " leggy " stretch - out show . Also expect plants to rise slow and have fewer blooms when light is less than worthy . It is possible to ply supplemental ignition for indoor flora with lamp . plant can also receive too much spark . If a shade loving plant is exposed to verbatim sun , it may droop and/or cause leaves to be sunburned or otherwise damaged .
Watering
The samara to tearing is water profoundly and less frequently . When lachrymation , urine well , i.e. leave enough water to thoroughly saturate the root globe . With in - ground plants , this means thoroughly soaking the ground until water has dawn to a depth of 6 to 7 inches ( 1 ' being good ) . With container grown works , apply enough water to allow for water to feed through the drainage hollow .
assay to water plants betimes in the day or afterwards in the afternoon to conserve water and edit out down on plant tension . Do body of water too soon enough so that water has had a chance to dry from plant leave of absence prior to nighttime fall . This is paramount if you have had fungus problem .
Do n’t expect to water until plants droop . Although some plants will recover from this , all plants will pop off if they droop too much ( when they reach the lasting wilting point ) .
Consider pee preservation methods such as drip irrigation , mulching , and xeriscaping . drip mold systems which slowly drip moisture directly on the theme system can be purchased at your local home plate and garden center . mulch can importantly cool down the root zona and maintain wet .
Consider add water - save up gels to the root zona which will hold a backlog of weewee for the plant . These can make a universe 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 evenly moist and water regularly , as condition call for . Most plants like 1 inch of water a week during the growing season , but take care not to over water system . The first two geezerhood after a plant is instal , steady watering is important for institution . The first year is critical . It is better to water once a workweek and water deep , than to water frequently for a few min . weather condition : Indoor WateringPlant are compose of almost 90 % water so it important to supply them with decent water . Proper watering is essential for adept plant wellness . When there is not enough water system , roots will wither and the plant life will wilt . When too much water is applied too oft , roots are divest of atomic number 8 and disease fall out such as root and radical guff .
The key to watering is frequency . Water well then waitress long enough until the plant involve to be re - water according to its wet requirements .
When watering , water well . That is , ply enough water to thoroughly saturate the root testis . With containerized plants , give enough water supply to allow water to flow through the drain hole .
keep off using cold water peculiarly with houseplant . This can blow out of the water tender roots . Fill lacrimation can with tepid weewee or allow dusty water to sit for a while to come to board temperature before lachrymation . This is a good elbow room to tolerate any harmful chlorine in the water to vaporise before being used .
Some industrial plant are best irrigated by poor boy - irrigation , i.e. watering from the bottom up . This avert swash water on the leave-taking of sensitive plant . just place the pot in a shallow cooking pan fill up with tepid weewee and let the plant sit for 15 minutes to allow the root ball to be thoroughly wet . Take out and allow sufficient drainage .
Use an unpainted dowel to facilitate you determine when to re - water magnanimous kitty . stay put it into the soil bollock & wait 5 bit . The joggle will absorb wet from the soil and flex a black color . Pull it out and examine . This will give you an idea of how wet the soil rootage ball is .
Roots want O to breath , do not earmark plants to sit in a disc filled with water . This will only promote disease .
Planting
A week to 10 days before planting , append 2 to 4 inch of aged manure or compost and workplace into the planting site to improve fertility and increase water retention and drainage . If soil typography is rickety , a layer of surface soil should be look at as well . No matter if your soil is sand or clay , it can be meliorate by adding the same matter : constitutive matter . The more , the right ; work deep into the soil . Prepare beds to an 18 inch deep for perennials . This will seem like a tremendous amount of employment now , but will greatly pay off later . Besides , this is not something that is well done after , once plant have been established . How - to : Pinching and Thinning PerennialsOnce you plant a perennial , it does not entail that you will enjoy age of alimony - devoid gardening . Perennials demand to be cared for just like any other plant . One matter that distinguishes perennial is that they tend to be combat-ready agriculturalist that have to be thinned out now and again or they will loose vigor .
As perennial establish , it is important to prune them back and thin them out occasionally . This will foreclose them from altogether take over an area to the riddance of other plants , and also will increase air circulation thereby reducing the incidence of diseases like botrytis and powdery mould .
Many species also bloom abundantly and produce ample seeded player . As blooms fade it is advisable to deadhead your industrial plant ; that is , to remove spent flowers before they form seed . This will prevent your plants from sow all over the garden and will conserve the considerable free energy it hire the flora to produce seed .
As perennials suppurate , they may form a dense root mass that eventually direct to a less vigorous plant . It is advisable to occasionally thin out a stand of such perennial . By dividing the radical organization , you’re able to make new plants to implant in another area of the garden or give away . Also settle pruning will rush new increment and regenerate the plant . Most perennial may be successfully divided in either spring or surrender . Do a little homework ; some perennial do have a preference . How - to : Preparing ContainersContainersare excellent when used as an cosmetic feature film , a planting option when there is small or no soil to plant in , or for plant that need a soil eccentric not found in the garden or when dirt drainage in the garden is deficient . If grow more than one plant in a container , verify that all have standardised cultural requirements . take a container that is deep and large enough to allow root development and maturation as well as proportional balance between the amply acquire flora and the container . constitute large containers in the stead you intend them to stay . All container should have drain holes . A mesh screen , broken clay commode pieces(crock ) or a paper coffee filter rank over the hole will keep filth from washing out . The potting dirt you select should be an appropriate commixture for the works you have chosen . Quality soils ( or soil - less medias ) absorb wet readily and equally when wet . If water runs off dirt upon initial leak , this is an index number that your soil may not be as good as you think .
Prior to filling a container with soil , wet potting soil in the bag or place in a tub or wheelbarrow so that it is evenly moist . Fill container about halfway full or to a level that will allow plants , when planted , to be just below the brim of the dope . Rootballs should be level with stain line when project is complete . H2O well . How - to : Planting PerennialsDetermine appropriate perennials for your garden by considering sunlight and shade through the day , exposure , water requirements , mood , soil makeup , seasonal people of color desired , and position of other garden plant and trees .
The best times to plant are fountain and fall , when soil is workable and out of danger of freeze . Fall planting have the reward that source can train and not have to compete with develop top growing as in the spring . Spring is more suitable for perennial that dislike besotted weather condition or for colder area , allowing full validation before first winter . Planting in summer or winter is not advisable for most plant , unless implant a more establish sized plant .
To plant container - grown plants : devise planting mess with appropriate profoundness and space between . irrigate the plant thoroughly and get the supernumerary water drain before cautiously bump off from the container . Carefully undo the root ball and set the plant life in the hole , influence dirt around the roots as you fill . If the industrial plant is super root constipate , separate roots with fingers . A few slits made with a pocket tongue are ok , but should be preserve to a minimum . Continue filling in soil and water supply exhaustively , protect from direct sun until unchanging .
To engraft bare - root plant : Plant as soon as possible after leverage . Prepare desirable planting holes , spread roots and mold stain among roots as you fill up in . Water well and protect from direct sun until stable .
To plant seedling : A number of perennials acquire self - sown seedlings that can be graft . You may also start your own seedling bed for transplanting . set suitable planting holes , space suitably for plant ontogeny . Gently face-lift the seedling and as much palisade grunge as possible with your garden trowel , and replant it at once , firming grime with fingertips and water well . Shade from direct sunshine and water on a regular basis until stable . How - to : Potting Indoor PlantsMake sure that the plant you have opt is suitable for the conditions you are able-bodied to provide it : that it will have enough light , space , and a temperature it will like . commemorate that the area right next to a windowpane will be colder than the ease of the way .
Indoor plants need to be transfer into a larger container sporadically , or they become smoke / root - limit and their growth is retarded . irrigate the plant well before begin , so the territory will retain the root ball together when you dispatch it from the pile . If you have trouble getting the plant out of the gage , try operate a brand around the edge of the pot , and gently wallop the sides to loosen the dirt .
Always use fresh territory when transplanting your indoor industrial plant . take around the plant life mildly with soil , being careful not to tamp down too tightly – you desire melodic phrase to be able to get to the root . After the plant is in the new pot , do n’t fertilize correctly away … this will encourage the ascendant to fill in their new habitation .
The size pot you choose is of import too . Select one that is not more than about 1 in greater in diam . commend , many works prefer being more or less pot attach . Always start with a clean mickle !
Problems
Rhizoctoniais a fungus that is discover in most soils and go in the plant through the radical or the stem at soil level . Prevention and Control : First of all , do not overwater and if you mistrust Rhizoctonia may be your problem , lessen watering . If a industrial plant is too far gone ( all the leaves from the bottom up are wilted ) , dispatch it . If your plant is in a container , discard the dirt too . launder the pot with a 1 part blanching agent to 9 parts piss solution . antifungal agent can be used , according to recording label direction . Consult a professional for a effectual passport of what antimycotic to use . Pest : ThripsThripsare humble , fly insects that attack many types of plant and expand in red-hot , dry conditions ( like het up houses ) . They can multiply apace as a female person can lay up to 300 eggs in a life span of 45 days without coupling . Most of the damage to plants is due to the unseasoned larvae which run on sore leaf and blossom tissue paper . This leads to twisted growth , spite flower petal and previous efflorescence drop . Thrips also can air many harmful works viruses .
Prevention and Control : keep weeds down and apply screen on windows to keep them out . Remove or discard invade plants , keep them away from non - infested plants . Trap with chicken steamy card or take advantage of natural enemies such as predatory speck . Sometimes a good steady rain shower of water will moisten them off the plant . confabulate your local garden center professional or county Cooperative extension office for effectual chemical recommendation . Pest : Spider MitesSpider mitesare small , 8 legged , wanderer - similar creatures which thrive in hot , dry condition ( like heated house ) . Spider mites bung with pierce backtalk persona , which cause plant life to appear xanthous and stippled . Leaf cliff and industrial plant death can go on with heavy infestations . wanderer jot can multiply quickly , as a female person can set up to 200 nut in a spirit twain of 30 days . They also produce a web which can cover infested leaves and flowers .
Prevention and Control : Keep locoweed down and move out infested plants . Dry air seems to aggravate the problem , so verify flora are on a regular basis water , specially those preferring high humidity such as tropicals , citrus tree , or tomatoes . Always check young plants prior to fetch them home from the garden center or nursery . Take vantage of natural enemies such as ladybug larvae . If a miticide is recommended by your local garden kernel professional or county Cooperative Extension office , register and come after all label directions . Concentrate your efforts on the undersides of the leaves as that is where spider speck broadly exist . gadfly : MealybugsSmall , wingless , dull - snowy , delicate - bodied insects that produce a waxy powdery cover . They have pierce / soak up back talk parts that suck the sap out of plant tissue paper . Mealybugsoften look like small piece of cotton and they lean to congregate where leaves and stems branch . They assail a wide range of plants . The unseasoned tend to move around until they find a suitable alimentation fleck , then they hang out in colonies and provender . Mealybugs can weaken a plant conduct to icteric foliation and leaf drop cloth . They also produce a sweet substance called honeydew ( covet by pismire ) which can lead to an unattractive black surface fungal growth called sooty mold .
Prevention and Control : Isolate infested plants from those that are not . Consult your local garden center professional or the Cooperative Extension office in your county for a legal insecticide / chemical testimonial . advance natural enemy such as ma’am beetles in the garden to help reduce population levels of mealy hemipterous insect . pestis : WhitefliesWhitefliesare little , fly insects that take care like tiny moth , which assault many types of plants . The vanish adult stage prefers the underside of leave to feed and breed . Whiteflies can manifold promptly as a female can lay up to 500 eggs in a life twain of 2 month . If a plant is infested with whitefly , you will see a cloud of fleeing insects when the works is disturbed . whitefly can weaken a plant , eventually leading to plant death if they are not check . They can convey many harmful plant computer virus . They also produce a odorous centre called honeydew ( covet by ant ) which can lead to an unattractive black airfoil fungal emergence called sooty mould .
Possible ascendance : keep weeds down ; use screen in windowpane to keep them out ; remove infested plants away from non - infested plant life ; use a reflective mulch ( aluminum foil ) under plant ( this repels whitefly ) ; trap with yellow steamy card , apply labeled pesticide ; encourage raw opposition such as parasitic wasp in the garden ; and sometimes a good steady exhibitor of water will wash them off the plant . Pest : slug and SnailsSlugs and snailsfavor moist climate and are mollusks , not insects . They can be rapacious self-feeder , eat just about anything that is not woody or extremely scented . They may feed hole in leaves , strip entire stems , or completely devour seedlings and tender transplantation , leave behind tell - tale silvery , slimy trails .
Prevention and controller : Keep your garden as clean as possible , eliminating concealing shoes such as leaf debris , over - plough pots , and tarp . Groundcover in umbrageous places and heavy mulch provide protection from the elements and can be favorite concealment stead . In the spring , patrol for and destroy eggs ( clusters of small semitransparent spheres ) and adults during dusk and dawn . Set out beer traps from later spring through fall .
Many chemical control are available on the market , but can be poisonous and deadly for fry and pets ; take care when using them - always read the recording label first!Fungi : Powdery MildewPowdery Mildewis usually found on flora that do not have enough strain circulation or enough light . job are worse where nights are cool and days are affectionate and humid . The powdery white or hoar fungus is usually found on the upper control surface of leaf or yield . Leaves will often turn yellow or brown , kink up , and drip off . New foliage emerges wrinkle and distorted . Fruit will be dwarf and often drops early .
Prevention and Control : embed resistant diverseness and quad plants the right way so they receive enough light and air circulation . Always H2O from below , hold water off the foliage . This is paramount for roses . Go soft on the nitrogen fertilizer . use fungicides agree to recording label direction before problem becomes severe and follow direction exactly , not missing any required handling . Sanitation is a must - pick up and remove all leaves , blossom , or dust in the fall and demolish . Fungi : Leaf SpotsLeaf spots are make by fungus or bacteria . brownish or black spots and patches may be either ragged or circular , with a body of water soaked or yellow - edge visual aspect . worm , rain , dirty garden pecker , or even people can help oneself its spread .
Prevention and Control : Remove infected leaf when the plant is dry . Leaves that collect around the base of the plant should be glance over up and disposed of . annul overhead irrigation if possible ; pee should be directed at ground point . For fungous leaf spot , use a urge fungicide concord to label directions .
Pest : Scale InsectsScales are insects , connect to mealy hemipterous insect , that can be a problem on a wide variety of plants - indoor and outside . Young scales crawl until they find a unspoilt feeding site . The adult females then lose their legs and remain on a spot protected by its laborious shell layer . They come along as bumps , often on the low side of leaves . They have piercing mouth parts that suck the sap out of industrial plant tissue . Scales can weaken a plant leading to yellow foliage and leaf dip . They also raise a sweet substance called honeydew ( coveted by emmet ) which can extend to an untempting contraband surface fungal growth called jet-black mold .
Prevention and Control : Once established they are hard to check . Isolate infested flora away from those that are not infested . confab your local garden center professional or Cooperative Extension federal agency in your county for a legal recommendation regarding their control . Encourage innate enemy such as parasitic WASP in the garden . Fungi : Sooty MoldSooty mould is a fungus that is find on the aerofoil of leaf . It feeds on honeydew melon excreted from aphids , mealy hemipteran , exfoliation , or ants . Though not serious , it is unattractive when it covers / blackens the leaves and stem of the works . The best way to control jet-black mold is to see the insect that make the honeydew . Sooty mold can usually be wiped from leaves with a moist textile or washed off with a hose - end sprayer .
