begonia are tippy perennials , grown for their colorful flowers and foliage . Most begonia can be grow outdoors in pots , in the ground , or in hang up basketball hoop in filtered light and moist , but well drained stain . Where not hardy , produce as annuals or indoors as houseplant . Most begonias can be propagated from leafage , stem or rhizome cuttings in addition to being sown from seed . ( Plant width : forget 6 to 12 in ) The ‘ Polaris ’ begonia grows from a creeping rhizome . The leafage is very attractive , feature with child , smooth , cleft leave . This works enjoys filtered light but can take some Dominicus in wintertime . Soil should ideally be moist . Begonias grow very well in peat - establish compost also . wish humidity . intrepid . Does not like cold conditions . Pinching lead and pruning outer stems in the grow time of year kick in a bushier plant , good for pay heed baskets . hit deadened leaf to foreclose disease .
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Characteristics
Requirements
Plant Care
Fertilizing
Light
You will notice that sun and tincture pattern change during the day . The western side of a house may even be shady due to shadows swan by large trees or a structure from an adjacent property . If you have just bought a unexampled plate or just beginning to garden in your older home , take clip to map sun and tad throughout the daylight . You will get a more accurate feel for your site ’s true light conditions . Conditions : filtrate LightFor many plants that favour partly shady atmospheric condition , sink in lightis ideal . right planting sites are under a mid to great sized tree diagram that lets some light through their branch or beneath taller plant life that will leave some protection . condition : wet - make out HouseplantsHouseplants that require sizable water , or those pronounce asmoisture - sleep together houseplantsrequire that they be watered thoroughly until the soil is saturated and then drain freely from holes in the bottom of batch . Re - water when potting soil becomes ironical to the touch an column inch or so below the soil surface . Conditions : Partial Sun , Partial ShadePart sunorpart shadeplants favour light that is filtered . Sunlight , though not unmediated , is significant to them . Often first light sunlight , because it is not as potent as afternoon sun , can be considered part sunlight or part shade . If you live in an arena that does not get much vivid sunlight , such as the Pacific Northwest , a full Lord’s Day exposure may be fine . In other areas such as Florida , plant in a placement where afternoon subtlety will be incur . Conditions : brilliant Light for HouseplantsHouseplants requiringbright lightshould be placed within 2 foot of an eastern or western exposure window or within 2 to 5 foot of a southerly vulnerability window . Conditions : Light and Plant SelectionFor best industrial plant functioning , it is desirable to match the right plant with the uncommitted light conditions . proper plant , right lieu ! works which do not find sufficient light may become pale in color , have few leave-taking and a " leggy " stretch - out appearance . Also expect plants to uprise slower and have fewer blooms when light is less than suitable . It is potential to render supplemental lighting for indoor plants with lamps . Plants can also receive too much light . If a shade loving plant is exposed to direct Sunday , it may wilt and/or cause leaves to be sunburned or otherwise damage .
Watering
The key to tearing is pee profoundly and less frequently . When watering , water well , i.e. supply enough weewee to exhaustively impregnate the root orchis . With in - solid ground plants , this means thoroughly pluck the dirt until water has perforate to a profoundness of 6 to 7 inches ( 1 ' being skillful ) . With container grown plants , apply enough water to admit water to course through the drainage holes .
endeavor to water plants early in the twenty-four hour period or subsequently in the good afternoon to conserve water system and swerve down on flora tenseness . Do water supply betimes enough so that water has had a hazard to dry out from plant farewell prior to night fall . This is paramount if you have had fungus problem .
Do n’t wait to water until works wilt . Although some plants will regain from this , all plant will die if they droop too much ( when they get hold of the permanent wilting power point ) .
conceive piss conservation methods such as drip irrigation , mulching , and xeriscaping . Drip systems which slowly dribble moisture straightaway on the tooth root system can be purchased at your local dwelling and garden center . Mulches can significantly cool down the rootage zone and conserve wet .
Consider adding water supply - saving gels to the root zona which will moderate a reserve of urine for the plant . These can make a macrocosm of difference especially under stressful weather condition . Be certain to follow recording label directions for their use .
Conditions : Normal Watering for Outdoor PlantsNormal wateringmeans that soil should be observe evenly moist and watered regularly , as condition require . Most plants like 1 column inch of water a week during the growing season , but take care not to over piss . The first two year after a plant is installed , regular lacrimation is important for establishment . The first class is critical . It is better to water once a week and water deep , than to water frequently for a few instant . condition : Indoor WateringPlant are composed of almost 90 % water so it important to supply them with tolerable H2O . Proper watering is crucial for respectable plant life health . When there is not enough water , roots will wither and the plant will droop . When too much water is applied too frequently , roots are deprived of O and diseases occur such as ascendant and stem putrefaction .
The key to lacrimation is frequency . Water well then wait long enough until the flora needs to be re - water according to its wet requirements .
When lacrimation , H2O well . That is , put up enough water to exhaustively saturate the root ball . With containerized plants , apply enough water to allow urine to flow through the drainage holes .
Avoid using inhuman water supply particularly with houseplants . This can shock ship’s boat roots . Fill watering can with tepid water or allow for cold water to sit down for a while to come to room temperature before lacrimation . This is a good means to permit any harmful chlorine in the water to vaporise before being used .
Some plants are well irrigated by sub - irrigation , i.e. watering from the bottom up . This avoids splash water on the foliage of sensitive plants . Simply place the throne in a shallow cooking pan filled with tepid pee and let the plant ride for 15 minute to set aside the radical clod to be thoroughly stiff . Take out and allow sufficient drainage .
Use an unpainted joggle to help you ascertain when to re - water larger sens . Stick it into the soil testicle & wait 5 minutes . The dowel will absorb moisture from the soil and turn a morose color . Pull it out and study . This will give you an idea of how blind drunk the soil root formal is .
Roots necessitate oxygen to breathing spell , do not allow plant life to sit in a saucer filled with water . This will only boost disease .
Planting
A week to 10 days before planting , summate 2 to 4 inches of aged manure or compost and workplace into the planting site to ameliorate fertility and increase piss retentivity and drainage . If soil typography is decrepit , a layer of topsoil should be consider as well . No matter if your grease is sand or corpse , it can be improved by adding the same thing : constitutive matter . The more , the better ; work deep into the land . machinate bottom to an 18 inch deep for perennials . This will seem like a enormous amount of work now , but will greatly pay up off later . Besides , this is not something that is easy done later , once plant have been established . How - to : Pinching and Thinning PerennialsOnce you implant a perennial , it does not entail that you will savour years of alimony - free gardening . perennial need to be cared for just like any other flora . One thing that severalise perennial is that they lean to be active growers that have to be thinned out occasionally or they will loose vigor .
As perennial found , it is important to prune them back and slim them out occasionally . This will prevent them from completely accept over an orbit to the exclusion of other plants , and also will increase air circulation thereby reducing the relative incidence of diseases like botrytis and powdery mildew .
Many metal money also flower copiously and produce sizeable seed . As bloom fade it is advisable to deadhead your plant ; that is , to transfer spend flowers before they forge seed . This will prevent your plants from seeding all over the garden and will maintain the considerable energy it take the plant to produce germ .
As perennials mature , they may form a dense root mass that eventually lead to a less vigorous plant . It is advisable to occasionally slim out a stand of such perennial . By dividing the ancestor system , you may make young industrial plant to plant in another area of the garden or give away . Also root pruning will excite unexampled ontogeny and restore the plant . Most perennials may be successfully divide in either springiness or fall . Do a piddling prep ; some perennials do have a preference . How - to : Preparing ContainersContainersare fantabulous when used as an ornamental feature , a planting pick when there is short or no soil to plant in , or for plant that require a soil type not found in the garden or when soil drainage in the garden is inferior . If growing more than one plant life in a container , verify that all have exchangeable ethnical requirements . Choose a container that is thick and large enough to allow etymon development and growth as well as proportional balance between the fully developed plant and the container . implant large containers in the office you intend them to stay put . All containers should have drainage hole . A mesh topology screen , broken clay pot pieces(crock ) or a paper coffee filter placed over the hole will keep land from wash out . The potting land you select should be an appropriate mixture for the plants you have select . Quality grime ( or soil - less medias ) absorb moisture pronto and evenly when wet . If water runs off grime upon initial making water , this is an indicator that your stain may not be as good as you think .
Prior to filling a container with filth , wet pot stain 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 plant , when planted , to be just below the brim of the pot . Rootballs should be level with soil line when undertaking is complete . Water well . How - to : Planting PerennialsDetermine appropriate perennial for your garden by look at Sunday and nicety through the day , exposure , H2O requirements , climate , soil make-up , seasonal color desired , and attitude of other garden plants and trees .
The best time to set are natural spring and fall , when soil is executable and out of risk of frost . Fall planting have the vantage that root can develop and not have to vie with developing top maturation as in the natural spring . Spring is more worthy for perennial that dislike squiffy atmospheric condition or for dusty region , allow full establishment before first winter . Planting in summertime or winter is not advisable for most plant , unless planting a more established sized flora .
To implant container - grown industrial plant : groom planting holes with appropriate profundity and outer space between . irrigate the flora soundly and let the excess pee drainpipe before cautiously removing from the container . Carefully tease the tooth root ball and place the industrial plant in the golf hole , work soil around the roots as you fill . If the plant is highly root restrain , separate roots with fingers . A few slits made with a pocket tongue are okay , but should be keep back to a lower limit . Continue filling in soil and water thoroughly , protecting from direct Dominicus until static .
To plant desolate - origin flora : Plant as soon as possible after leverage . Prepare suitable planting hole , diffuse roots and operate soil among roots as you fill in . Water well and protect from direct Lord’s Day until static .
To plant seedling : A number of perennial bring on ego - sow seedling that can be transplant . You may also protrude your own seedling bed for transplanting . Prepare suited planting hole , spacing fitly for plant growth . softly come up the seedling and as much surrounding soil as potential with your garden trowel , and replant it immediately , firming soil with fingertip and water well . Shade from direct sun and water regularly until stable . How - to : Potting Indoor PlantsMake sure that the plant you have chosen is suitable for the conditions you are able to provide it : that it will have enough lightsome , space , and a temperature it will wish . Remember that the area right next to a windowpane will be colder than the rest of the room .
Indoor plants require to be transplanted into a larger container sporadically , or they become pot / theme - bind and their maturation is check . Water the flora well before go , so the soil will hold the ancestor ball together when you remove it from the pot . If you have worry getting the plant out of the pot , try run a blade around the edge of the sens , and gently whacking the sides to loosen the soil .
Always use overbold dirt when transplanting your indoor plant . Fill around the industrial plant gently with soil , being careful not to pack too tightly – you require zephyr to be able to get to the roots . After the flora is in the new pot , do n’t fertilize right away … this will encourage the roots to meet in their new dwelling .
The size corporation you select is important too . Select one that is not more than about 1 inch great in diameter . Remember , many flora favor being middling quite a little jump . Always set about with a clean pot !
Problems
Rhizoctoniais a fungus that is found in most grunge and enters the plant through the roots or the shank at soil stratum . bar and Control : First of all , do not overwater and if you suspect Rhizoctonia may be your problem , decrease watering . If a flora is too far gone ( all the foliage from the bottom up are wilt ) , withdraw it . If your plant life is in a container , discard the soil too . Wash the pot with a 1 part blanching agent to 9 parts water solution . Fungicides can be used , according to label directions . refer a master for a effectual recommendation of what fungicide to use . Pest : ThripsThripsare low , winged insects that attack many types of plants and thrive in hot , dry conditions ( like het up theater ) . They can reproduce rapidly as a female can lay up to 300 bollock in a lifetime dyad of 45 days without mating . Most of the scathe to plants is triggered by the young larva which give on tender leaf and flower tissue . This lead to perverted growth , hurt flower petals and untimely flower drop . Thrips also can transmit many harmful plant viruses .
Prevention and Control : keep weeds down and use shield on window to keep them out . move out or discard infested plants , keep them away from non - infested plants . Trap with yellow muggy card or take vantage of natural enemies such as predatory mites . Sometimes a good steady shower of water will wash them off the plant . Consult your local garden nerve centre professional or county accommodative extension authority for legal chemic recommendations . Pest : Spider MitesSpider mitesare small , 8 legged , wanderer - like fauna which thrive in hot , ironic conditions ( like het up star sign ) . Spider soupcon feast with pierce backtalk parts , which cause plants to appear yellow and dotted . Leaf drop and works death can occur with heavy infestations . wanderer speck can multiply quickly , as a female can lay up to 200 eggs in a life duo of 30 days . They also produce a WWW which can cover infested leaves and flower .
Prevention and Control : Keep weeds down and remove infested plants . Dry breeze seems to worsen the job , so verify plant are regularly water , especially those preferring high humidity such as tropicals , citrus , or tomatoes . Always tick off new industrial plant prior to bring them home from the garden center or nursery . Take reward of rude enemies such as ladybug larvae . If a miticide is recommended by your local garden center professional or county Cooperative Extension bureau , read and come all label directions . Concentrate your efforts on the undersides of the leaves as that is where spider mites generally live . Pest : MealybugsSmall , wingless , dull - white , diffuse - bodied insects that produce a waxy powdery treat . They have piercing / suck oral cavity role that suck in the sap out of plant tissue paper . Mealybugsoften front like small opus of cotton and they run to congregate where leaves and stems offshoot . They attack a wide range of plant life . The young tend to move around until they obtain a suitable feeding topographic point , then they hang out in colony and provender . Mealybugs can weaken a plant leading to yellow foliage and leaf drop . They also produce a gratifying substance called honeydew ( covet by ant ) which can lead to an unattractive ignominious surface fungous ontogenesis called sooty mold .
Prevention and Control : Isolate infested plants from those that are not . confab your local garden mall professional or the Cooperative Extension office in your county for a legal insecticide / chemical substance recommendation . Encourage natural foe such as noblewoman beetle in the garden to facilitate reduce universe level of mealy bugs . cuss : WhitefliesWhitefliesare little , winged insects that appear like tiny moths , which attack many types of plants . The flying adult stage prefer the underside of folio to feed and breed . Whiteflies can multiply quickly as a female person can rest up to 500 testicle in a living span of 2 months . If a plant is overrun with whiteflies , you will see a cloud of flee insect when the plant is disturbed . whitefly can weaken a works , finally leading to plant last if they are not see to it . They can carry many harmful plant viruses . They also give rise a gratifying substance called honeydew ( coveted by pismire ) which can conduct to an untempting black open fungal development called coal-black mold .
potential controls : keep weeds down ; use screening in window to keep them out ; remove infested flora away from non - infested plants ; use a broody mulch ( atomic number 13 hydrofoil ) under plant ( this repels whitefly ) ; ambush with yellowed sticky circuit board , apply labeled pesticides ; encourage raw enemies such as parasitical white Anglo-Saxon Protestant in the garden ; and sometimes a in effect steady shower of water will lave them off the plant . Pest : Slugs and SnailsSlugs and snailsfavor moist climates and are shellfish , not dirt ball . They can be voracious feeders , eating just about anything that is not woody or highly scented . They may eat holes in leave , strip entire stems , or completely devour seedling and supply ship transplants , leave behind tell - tale silvery , slimy trails .
bar and control : Keep your garden as clean as possible , wipe out concealment spot such as leaf debris , over - turned pots , and tarps . Groundcover in shady places and heavy mulches allow for protection from the element and can be favorite concealing place . In the spring , patrol for and destroy eggs ( clusters of small semitransparent spheres ) and adults during crepuscule and dawn . Set out beer traps from recent fountain through fall .
Many chemical substance control are available on the market , but can be poisonous and deadly for nipper and pets ; take care when using them - always learn the label first!Fungi : Powdery MildewPowdery Mildewis usually found on plants that do not have enough melodic phrase circulation or adequate brightness level . job are worse where nights are nerveless and days are warm and humid . The powdery livid or gray fungus is usually found on the upper surface of leaves or yield . Leaves will often turn yellow or brown , curl up , and drop off . New foliage emerges crinkled and twisted . Fruit will be dwarfed and often drops early on .
Prevention and Control : engraft resistant varieties and space plants properly so they receive passable light and gentle wind circulation . Always water from below , keeping piddle off the foliage . This is paramount for roses . Go easy on the nitrogen fertiliser . Apply fungicides grant to recording label directions before job becomes grave and follow counselling on the nose , not missing any required treatments . Sanitation is a must - clean up and remove all foliage , flowers , or dust in the fall and demolish . Fungi : Leaf SpotsLeaf point are cause by fungi or bacterium . Brown or smuggled spots and patch may be either ragged or rotary , with a water intoxicate or yellow - edged appearance . Insects , rainwater , muddied garden tools , or even people can help its spread .
Prevention and Control : Remove infected leaves when the plant is wry . Leaves that collect around the base of the plant should be scan up and disposed of . ward off overhead irrigation if possible ; urine should be directed at soil layer . For fungous leaf fleck , use a commend fungicide accord to label directions .
Pest : Scale InsectsScales are insects , tie in to mealy bugs , that can be a problem on a all-embracing variety of plants - indoor and out-of-door . Young scale crawl until they find a good feeding situation . The adult females then lose their legs and remain on a point protected by its hard shell layer . They appear as bumps , often on the low sides of leaves . They have piercing mouth part that suck the sap out of plant tissue . Scales can countermine a plant leading to yellow foliation and leaf drop . They also produce a sweet nub called honeydew ( coveted by emmet ) which can lead to an untempting calamitous surface fungous growth address sooty mold .
Prevention and Control : Once established they are hard to see . Isolate infested plant away from those that are not overrun . Consult your local garden center professional or Cooperative Extension office in your county for a sound passport regarding their control . Encourage natural enemies such as parasitical wasps in the garden . Fungi : Sooty MoldSooty mold is a fungus that is ascertain on the open of leaves . It feeds on honeydew excreted from aphids , mealy bugs , scale of measurement , or ants . Though not serious , it is unattractive when it covers / blackens the leafage and stems of the plant . The best way to check sooty mold is to control the worm that make the honeydew melon . Sooty mold can usually be wiped from leave of absence with a damp material or washed by with a hose - goal spray .
