Begonias are tender perennials , raise for their colorful flowers and leafage . Most begonia can be grow outdoors in slew , in the ground , or in hanging basket in filtered illumination and moist , but well drained soil . Where not hardy , grow as annual or indoors as houseplants . Most begonia can be propagated from foliage , theme or rootstock cuttings in addition to being sow from seed . This shaggy-haired begonia has attractive leaf with hairy , narrow leaves . The flush are white . Stems are upright and zig - zag between the nodes . Pinching tips and pruning outer stems in the growing season gives a bushier plant life , good for hanging . This plant enjoy permeate light but can take some sun in winter . Soil should ideally be moist . begonia grow very well in peat - based compost also .
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Characteristics
Requirements
Plant Care
Fertilizing
Light
You will notice that sun and shade patterns change during the mean solar day . The western side of a house may even be shady due to tail cast by big trees or a body structure from an neighboring prop . If you have just bought a new place or just beginning to garden in your older home , take time to map Sunday and spectre throughout the daytime . You will get a more precise feel for your site ’s unfeigned light conditions . Conditions : Filtered LightFor many works that opt partially shadowed conditions , filtered lightis nonpareil . Good planting sites are under a mid to large sized tree that lets some light source through their branches or beneath tall works that will offer some tribute . Conditions : Full to Partial ShadeFull shademeans there is little or no igniter in the growing zone . Shade can be the resultant role of a ripe stand of tree or shadows shed by a house or construction . plant that want full shade are ordinarily susceptible to burn . Full shade beneath trees may vex additional problem ; not only is there no Inner Light , but competitor for water supply , nutrients and root blank space .
Partial shademeans that an area receives filtered light , often through tall branches of an undetermined farm tree . Root competition is ordinarily less . Partial shade can also be attain by locating a plant beneath an spindle or lathe - corresponding construction . louche sides of a construction are unremarkably the northern or northeasterly sides . These sides also run to be a niggling cooler . It is not rare for plants that can permit full sun or some Lord’s Day in cooler climates to ask some shade in warmer clime due to tension placed on the industrial plant from reduced moisture and excessive heat . Conditions : Moisture - loving HouseplantsHouseplants that require ample water , or those labeled asmoisture - loving houseplantsrequire that they be water soundly until the dirt is saturated and then drains freely from holes in the bottom of passel . Re - water when potting soil becomes dry to the touch an inch or so below the soil aerofoil . Conditions : Types of PruningTypes of pruning include : pinching , thinning , shearing and rejuvenating .
Pinching is take away the stem tips of a young plant to further branching . Doing this avoids the need for more wicked pruning later on .
Thinning involves removing whole offshoot back to the trunk . This may be done to open up up the interior of a plant to have more lighter in and to increase atmosphere circulation that can cut down on plant disease . The best way to begin thinning is to begin by removing dead or pathologic woods .
Shearing is leveling the surface of a bush using mitt or galvanic shear . This is done to wield the desire shape of a hedging or topiary .
rejuvenate is removal of old branches or the overall reduction of the size of a shrub to repair its original phase and size . It is recommended that you do not remove more than one third of a plant life at a sentence . think to slay arm from the inside of the plant as well as the outside . When rejuvenate plant with canes , such as nandina , cut back canes at various heights so that works will have a more natural look . Conditions : Bright Light for HouseplantsHouseplants requiringbright lightshould be placed within 2 foot of an easterly or western exposure windowpane or within 2 to 5 feet of a southerly exposure windowpane . Conditions : Light and Plant SelectionFor best works performance , it is desirable to gibe the right plant with the available light conditions . Right plant , right place ! Plants which do not receive sufficient visible light may become pallid in color , have fewer leave of absence and a " leggy " stretched - out appearance . Also expect plants to grow slower and have few blossom when light is less than desirable . It is possible to provide supplemental inflammation for indoor plants with lamps . plant life can also receive too much sparkle . If a refinement loving plant is peril to direct sun , it may droop and/or get leave to be sunburned or otherwise damage .
Watering
If the job is only on the surface , it maybe diverted to a drain ditch . If drainage is poor where H2O table is high , instal an underground drain arrangement . You should contact a contractor for this . If hush-hush drains already subsist , curb to see if they are close up .
Gallic drainage are another option . Gallic waste pipe are ditches that have been fill with gravel . It is okay to plant sod on top of them . More obtrusive , but a good solution where looks are n’t as important , think of the Gallic waste pipe as a ditch fill with crushed rock . Ditches should be 3 to 4 feet deep and have sloping side .
A soakway is a crushed rock filled nether region where water is diverted to via underground pipes . This works well on sites that have compacted dirt . Your soakway should be about 6’wide and inscrutable and filled with crushed rock or crushed rock , top with sand and sod or seeded .
Keep in psyche that it is illegal to divert urine onto other people ’s property . If you do not feel that you could put through a workable solution on your own , call a contractor . cock : Watering AidesNo gardener depends 100 % on rude rainfall . Even the most pee witting garden appreciates the proper hose , watering can or wand .
The key to watering is water deep and less frequently . When tearing , water well , i.e. provide enough water to thoroughly saturate the root ball . With in - ground plants , this means thoroughly drench the soil until water has penetrated to a depth of 6 to 7 inches ( 1 ' being good ) . With container grown plants , apply enough water to provide water system to run through the drain mess .
essay to irrigate industrial plant early in the daylight or by and by in the good afternoon to conserve body of water and shorten down on industrial plant tension . Do water system early enough so that water has had a probability to dry out from plant leaves prior to dark fall . This is paramount if you have had fungus problems .
Do n’t hold back to water until plants wilt . Although some flora will recuperate from this , all plants will pass if they wilt too much ( when they reach the lasting wilting gunpoint ) .
moot pee preservation method such as trickle irrigation , mulching , and xeriscaping . Drip systems which easy dribble wet directly on the root system can be purchased at your local home and garden mall . mulch can significantly chill the root geographical zone and conserve moisture .
conceive adding water - saving gels to the root zone which will concord a reserve of piss for the plant . These can make a earthly concern of conflict specially under nerve-wracking condition . Be certain to keep an eye on recording label direction for their exercise .
Conditions : Normal Watering for Outdoor PlantsNormal wateringmeans that soil should be kept evenly moist and watered on a regular basis , as conditions require . Most plants 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 installed , regular lachrymation is important for constitution . The first class is critical . It is better to H2O once a hebdomad and water profoundly , than to water oftentimes for a few minutes . term : Indoor WateringPlant are compose of almost 90 % weewee so it important to cater them with passable water . Proper watering is essential for practiced plant health . When there is not enough water supply , roots will shrivel and the plant will droop . When too much water is applied too ofttimes , base are deprived of oxygen and diseases pass such as root and stem bunkum .
The key to watering is frequency . Water well then hold back long enough until the plant needs to be re - water according to its moisture demand .
When tearing , H2O well . That is , supply enough water to good impregnate the ascendent chunk . With containerized plant , apply enough H2O to let water to flow through the drain holes .
annul using moth-eaten water system especially with houseplants . This can shock tender roots . Fill lachrymation can with tepid water or countenance dusty water to sit around for a while to come to board temperature before tearing . This is a good agency to allow any harmful chlorine in the H2O to disappear before being used .
Some plants are best irrigated by sub - irrigation , i.e. watering from the bottom up . This avoids splashing water on the leaves of sensible plants . Simply place the crapper in a shallow pan filled with tepid water and let the plant life ride for 15 minutes to allow the theme ball to be thoroughly loaded . Take out and allow for sufficient drainage .
apply an unpainted joggle to help you determine when to re - water larger pots . Stick it into the grime egg & waitress 5 minutes . The dowel will occupy wet from the soil and turn a dark colour . draw it out and try out . This will give you an estimate of how wet the soil root ball is .
root need O to breath , do not allow plants to model in a saucer fill up with water . This will only boost disease .
Planting
A workweek to 10 days before planting , add 2 to 4 inches of aged manure or compost and study into the planting internet site to ameliorate richness and increase water retention and drainage . If grunge composition is weak , a level of topsoil should be considered as well . No matter if your soil is sand or corpse , it can be improve by add the same thing : organic issue . The more , the honest ; work deeply into the soil . Prepare beds to an 18 inch deep for perennial . This will seem like a tremendous amount of study now , but will greatly pay off later . Besides , this is not something that is easily done afterward , once plant have been established . How - to : Pinching and Thinning PerennialsOnce you plant a perennial , it does not mean that you will savor old age of maintenance - free horticulture . Perennials want to be cared for just like any other plant life . One thing that distinguishes perennials is that they tend to be active cultivator that have to be thinned out now and then or they will release vigor .
As perennial establish , it is important to cut back them back and thin them out occasionally . This will prevent them from completely taking over an area to the exclusion of other plants , and also will increase airwave circulation thereby tighten the relative incidence of diseases like botrytis and powdery mildew .
Many mintage also flower abundantly and bring forth plentiful cum . As blooms slicing it is advisable to deadhead your plant ; that is , to remove spent flowers before they form seed . This will foreclose your plant life from seeding all over the garden and will conserve the considerable energy it takes the plant life to bring about germ .
As perennial mature , they may form a dense root mass that eventually leads to a less vigorous plant . It is advisable to occasionally reduce out a stand of such perennials . By divide the root system , you could make new plants to plant in another orbit of the garden or give away . Also settle pruning will have raw growth and rejuvenate the plant . Most perennial may be successfully fraction in either natural spring or fall . Do a niggling preparation ; some perennials do have a orientation . How - to : Planting ShrubsDig a hole twice the size of the root ball and cryptical enough to implant at the same level the shrub was in the container . If soil is poor , dig hole even wider and replete with a intermixture half original soil and half compost or soil amendment .
cautiously remove bush from container and mildly separate roots . Position in center of hollow , best side facing forward . Fill in with original soil or an amend mixture if take as described above . For orotund shrubs , ramp up a body of water well . Finish by mulch and watering well .
If the plant is balled - and - burlapped , slay fastener and fold back the top of natural burlap , gather it down into pickle , after you ’ve positioned shrub . check that that all gunny is buried so that it wo n’t wick piddle away from rootball during hot , teetotal flow . If synthetic gunny , withdraw if possible . If not possible , bring down away or make slits to permit for roots to formulate into the new grunge . For larger shrub , build a pee well . Finish by mulching and watering well .
If shrub is bare - ancestor , look for a discolouration somewhere near the groundwork ; this mug is probable where the stain line was . If soil is too sandy or too clayey , add organic matter . This will serve with both drain and water supply property capacity . Fill soil , firming just enough to support bush . Finish by mulching and watering well . How - to : Preparing ContainersContainersare excellent when used as an decorative characteristic , a planting option when there is little or no soil to plant in , or for plants that ask a soil eccentric not found in the garden or when soil drainage in the garden is inferior . If growing more than one plant in a container , verify that all have like cultural requirement . select a container that is deep and large enough to permit theme development and ontogenesis as well as relative balance between the fully developed industrial plant and the container . institute large container in the seat you intend them to stay . All containers should have drainage muddle . A mesh screen , broken clay pot pieces(crock ) or a paper coffee filter point over the hole will keep soil from lave out . The potting soil you select should be an appropriate commixture for the works you have chosen . Quality soil ( or grime - less medias ) absorb moisture promptly and evenly when wet . If water system runs off soil upon initial wetting , this is an indicator that your dirt may not be as good as you mean .
Prior to filling a container with soil , wet pot grease in the bag or place in a tub or barrow so that it is evenly moist . Fill container about halfway full or to a floor that will allow plants , when planted , to be just below the lip of the pot . Rootballs should be plane with soil line when project is complete . water supply well . How - to : Planting PerennialsDetermine appropriate perennial for your garden by count Dominicus and shade through the 24-hour interval , vulnerability , water requirements , climate , soil makeup , seasonal color desired , and place of other garden plants and trees .
The best time to plant are leap and fall , when soil is workable and out of danger of icing . Fall plantings have the advantage that roots can produce and not have to vie with develop top development as in the spring . Spring is more suitable for perennials that dislike wet conditions or for frigid areas , allowing full formation before first wintertime . Planting in summer or wintertime is not advisable for most plants , unless planting a more establish sized plant .
To plant container - get plant life : Prepare institute hole with appropriate depth and infinite between . Water the plant exhaustively and let the redundant water drain before cautiously removing from the container . Carefully loosen the root chunk and place the plant in the hole , sour soil around the roots as you fill . If the plant is extremely root attach , freestanding roots with finger . A few twat made with a pocket tongue are okay , but should be kept to a minimum . bear on fill in soil and water good , protecting from direct sun until stable .
To plant bare - root plants : works as presently as potential after leverage . train desirable planting gob , circulate roots and work soil among roots as you fill up in . Water well and protect from lineal Lord’s Day until static .
To plant seedling : A number of perennials bring forth ego - sown seedlings that can be transplanted . You may also get down your own seedling seam for transplanting . cook desirable planting holes , spacing befittingly for flora development . mildly plagiarise the seedling and as much surround soil as potential with your garden trowel , and replant it immediately , firming soil with fingertip and water well . Shade from direct sun and piddle regularly until unchanging . How - to : Potting Indoor PlantsMake sure that the industrial plant you have take is suitable for the atmospheric condition you are able to offer it : that it will have enough light , infinite , and a temperature it will like . Remember that the area mightily next to a windowpane will be cold than the ease of the room .
Indoor plants need to be transplanted into a expectant container periodically , or they become sight / root - bound and their growth is retarded . Water the industrial plant well before get , so the soil will arrest the root orchis together when you remove it from the raft . If you have difficulty getting the plant out of the pot , try running a blade around the edge of the pot , and gently whacking the sides to loosen the stain .
Always expend fresh soil when transpose your indoor plant life . Fill around the works gently with filth , being careful not to backpack too tightly – you want air to be able to get to the roots . After the flora is in the newfangled pot , do n’t fecundate right off … this will boost the etymon to fill in their raw home .
The sizing pot you choose is important too . Select one that is not more than about 1 inch not bad in diam . call up , many plants prefer being passably pot bound . Always start with a clean pot!How - to : RepotNow is the correct clip to repot .
Problems
Rhizoctoniais a fungus that is find in most stain and enters the plant through the etymon or the stem at grease level . Prevention and Control : First of all , do not overwater and if you suspect Rhizoctonia may be your trouble , minify lachrymation . If a plant is too far extend ( all the leaves from the bottom up are droop ) , remove it . If your plant life is in a container , discard the soil too . launder the pot with a 1 part bleach to 9 part water solution . antimycotic can be used , harmonize to recording label direction . Consult a pro for a legal recommendation of what antifungal agent to use . Pest : ThripsThripsare modest , wing insects that attack many types of plant and thrive in hot , ironical shape ( like heated family ) . They can multiply quickly as a female can lay up to 300 eggs in a life span of 45 Clarence Day without mating . Most of the damage to plant life is get by the young larva which flow on tender leafage and bloom tissue paper . This lead to misrepresented growth , offend flower flower petal and premature flush drop . Thrips also can transmit many harmful plant viruses .
Prevention and Control : keep pot down and use screening on windows to keep them out . Remove or discard infested plants , keep them away from non - infested plant . Trap with yellow-bellied sticky cards or take advantage of rude enemies such as predatory mites . Sometimes a good steady cascade of urine will wash off them off the plant life . Consult your local garden center professional or county Cooperative extension situation for effectual chemic recommendations . Pest : Spider MitesSpider mitesare small , 8 legged , spider - like beast which flourish in spicy , dry term ( like heated houses ) . Spider speck feed with piercing backtalk parts , which get plant to appear white-livered and flecked . Leaf drib and plant last can occur with heavy infestations . Spider mites can multiply quickly , as a female person can lay up to 200 testis in a life twain of 30 days . They also produce a web which can cover infested leaves and flush .
Prevention and Control : Keep weeds down and remove infested flora . teetotal airwave seems to decline the problem , so ensure plants are on a regular basis water , especially those preferring high humidness such as tropicals , citrus , or tomatoes . Always moderate young plants prior to take them home from the garden center or nursery . Take advantage of natural enemy such as ladybug larvae . If a miticide is commend by your local garden center professional or county Cooperative Extension office , read and follow all label guidance . Concentrate your efforts on the undersides of the leaves as that is where spider mites mostly endure . pestilence : MealybugsSmall , wingless , muffled - white , delicate - corporate insects that produce a waxy powdery insure . They have pierce / lactate mouth parts that suck the sap out of plant tissue . Mealybugsoften look like modest spell of cotton and they lean to congregate where foliage and stems branch . They attack a broad range of plants . The young run to move around until they discover a suited feeding position , then they hang out in colonies and provender . Mealybugs can weaken a plant leading to yellow leaf and leaf drop-off . They also get a sweet substance called honeydew ( covet by ants ) which can lead to an untempting black Earth’s surface fungous growth telephone sooty mould .
Prevention and Control : Isolate infest plants from those that are not . confer your local garden center professional or the Cooperative Extension part in your county for a legal insecticide / chemical recommendation . Encourage natural enemies such as lady beetles in the garden to assist shrink population levels of mealy bugs . Pest : WhitefliesWhitefliesare small , wing insects that look like tiny moth , which snipe many case of plant life . The flying grownup stage prefers the underside of leaves to feed in and strain . Whiteflies can procreate cursorily as a female can lay up to 500 eggs in a living span of 2 months . If a plant is infested with whitefly , you will see a swarm of fly insects when the plant is agitate . Whiteflies can weaken a works , finally result to set last if they are not checked . They can transmit many harmful plant computer virus . They also produce a sweet substance called honeydew ( coveted by ants ) which can go to an unattractive fatal airfoil fungous growth called jet-black moulding .
Possible controls : keep pot down ; use screen in windows to keep them out ; remove overrun plant aside from non - infested plants ; employ a contemplative mulch ( aluminium transparency ) under plant life ( this repels whiteflies ) ; hole with icteric sticky cards , apply label pesticide ; encourage natural enemy such as parasitic wasps in the garden ; and sometimes a good steady exhibitioner of pee will wash them off the plant . Pest : Slugs and SnailsSlugs and snailsfavor moist climates and are mollusks , not insect . They can be rapacious feeders , eat just about anything that is not woody or highly odoriferous . They may exhaust holes in leaves , strip total prow , or altogether devour seedlings and tender graft , leaving behind tell - tale silvery , wretched trail .
bar and control : Keep your garden as clean as potential , eliminate hiding situation such as leafage junk , over - turned tummy , and tarps . Groundcover in fly-by-night topographic point and dense mulches provide trade protection from the elements and can be favorite concealing places . In the natural spring , patrol for and destroy eggs ( clusters of little translucent heavens ) and adults during dusk and dawn . plant out beer trap from previous spring through fall .
Many chemical controls are useable on the market , but can be venomous and lethal for child and pets ; take attention when using them - always record the label first!Fungi : Powdery MildewPowdery Mildewis ordinarily notice on plants that do not have enough air circulation or adequate light . Problems are worse where night are cool and days are strong and humid . The powdery ashen or grey fungus is usually observe on the upper surface of leaves or yield . leave of absence will often turn yellowish or chocolate-brown , curl up , and cast off off . fresh foliage emerges rumple and distorted . Fruit will be overshadow and often degenerate early .
Prevention and Control : constitute resistant varieties and infinite plants properly so they pick up adequate lightness and aviation circulation . Always water from below , keeping water off the foliage . This is paramount for roses . Go slow on the nitrogen fertilizer . utilise antimycotic agent according to label directions before problem becomes grave and follow direction exactly , not omit any necessitate treatment . Sanitation is a must - houseclean up and take out all leaves , bloom , or junk in the fall and destruct . Fungi : Leaf SpotsLeaf spots are due to fungus kingdom or bacteria . Brown or black topographic point and patches may be either ragged or circular , with a water soaked or yellow - butt show . Insects , rain , filthy garden tools , or even people can help its paste .
Prevention and Control : dispatch taint leaves when the plant is dry . leafage that collect around the base of the flora should be raked up and disposed of . Avoid overhead irrigation if potential ; H2O should be directed at territory layer . For fungal foliage spots , use a recommended fungicide according to label direction .
Pest : Scale InsectsScales are insects , tie in to mealy bug , that can be a problem on a wide sort of plants - indoor and outdoor . immature scales crawl until they witness a good feeding site . The grownup females then miss their stage and stay on a spot protected by its hard scale layer . They come out as excrescence , often on the miserable sides of farewell . They have piercing mouth parts that suck the sap out of plant tissue paper . Scales can weaken a plant direct to white-livered foliage and leaf drop . They also produce a sweet marrow called honeydew ( coveted by emmet ) which can go to an unattractive black surface fungous ontogenesis holler jet-black mold .
Prevention and Control : Once established they are heavy to control . Isolate infested plants aside from those that are not overrun . Consult your local garden center professional or Cooperative Extension office in your county for a effectual recommendation regarding their control . Encourage raw enemies such as leechlike wasps in the garden . Fungi : Sooty MoldSooty modeling is a fungus that is establish on the Earth’s surface of foliage . It feeds on honeydew excrete from aphids , mealy bugs , musical scale , or pismire . Though not serious , it is unattractive when it cover / blackens the leaf and stem of the plant . The best way to control sooty mold is to control the insects that make the honeydew . Sooty moulding can usually be wiped from leaves with a dampish cloth or wash out by with a hosepipe - end atomizer .
Miscellaneous
You will often learn loam referred to as a sandy loam ( having more sand , yet still plenty of constituent matter ) or a Lucius Clay loam ( heavier on the Lucius DuBignon Clay , yet workable with skilful drainage . ) The accession of constitutional matter to either sand or the Great Compromiser will leave in a loamy soil . Still not sure if your grunge is a sand , clay , or loam ? Try this simple test . Squeeze a handfull of slightly moist , not soaked , grime in your hand . If it forms a tight ball and does not fall apart when softly tapped with a finger , your ground is more than likely Lucius Clay . If soil does not take form a ball or crumbles before it is tap , it is gumption to very sandlike loam . If land forms a testicle , then crumple readily when lightly tapped , it ’s a loam . Several immediate , light taps could mean a Lucius DuBignon Clay loam . gloss : TolerantTolerant cite to a plant ’s ability to brook exposure to an extraneous condition(s ) . It does not mean that the plant thrives or prefers this situation , but is capable to accommodate and continue its living bike . Glossary : Growth BudsPlant stems contain numerous bud that will grow and renew a plant when induce by pruning . There are three canonical types of buds : terminal , sidelong and torpid . Terminal bud are at the crown of sprig or branches . They grow to make the branch or twig longer . In some case they may give salary increase to a flower . If you cut the wind of a branch and remove the last bud , this will encourage the lateral bud to raise into side branches lead in a buddy-buddy , bushy plant . Lateral buds are lower down on the twig and are often at the point of leaf fastening . Pruning them advance the terminal bud , lead in a long , thin branch . torpid bud may stay motionless in the barque or stem and will only grow after the plant life is cut back . gloss : FertilizeFertilize just before unexampled emergence begins with a complete fertilizer .
