Begonias are tender perennials , grown for their colourful flush and foliage . Most begonia can be grow alfresco in pots , in the earth , or in hanging baskets in filtered light and moist , but well drain soil . Where not hardy , grow as yearbook or indoors as houseplants . Most begonias can be propagated from leaf , stem or rootstock cutting in addition to being sown from come . The cultivar , ‘ John R. ’ arise from a creeping rhizome . The foliage is very attractive , featuring big , smooth , cleft leaves . The flowers are green and blossom in winter through summer . This plant enjoys filtered light source but can take some sun in wintertime . Soil should ideally be moist . Begonias produce very well in peat - based compost also . Likes humidity . Hardy . Does not like cold conditions . Pinching tips and pruning outer stems in the maturate season gives a shaggy-coated plant life , good for hanging baskets . slay drained foliage to prevent disease .
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Characteristics
Requirements
Plant Care
Fertilizing
Light
You will notice that sun and shade pattern change during the day . The western side of a house may even be suspect due to shadows regurgitate by large Tree or a social structure from an adjacent property . If you have just bought a new home or just begin to garden in your older home , take time to represent Dominicus and shade throughout the day . You will get a more accurate feel for your site ’s rightful loose condition . Conditions : Filtered LightFor many plants that opt partially shady conditions , percolate lightis ideal . Good planting sites are under a mid to with child sized tree diagram that lets some light through their branches or beneath taller plant life that will provide some protective covering . Conditions : Moisture - lie with HouseplantsHouseplants that require rich water , or those labeled asmoisture - have intercourse houseplantsrequire that they be water thoroughly until the soil is saturated and then drains freely from trap in the bottom of pot . Re - water when potting grunge becomes teetotal to the feeling an inch or so below the soil surface . condition : Partial Sun , Partial ShadePart sunorpart shadeplants favor light that is percolate . Sunlight , though not unmediated , is crucial to them . Often morning Dominicus , because it is not as strong as good afternoon sun , can be considered part sun or part shade . If you last in an expanse that does not get much vivid sun , such as the Pacific Northwest , a full sun exposure may be ok . In other area such as Florida , flora in a locating where afternoon shade will be receive . term : Bright Light for HouseplantsHouseplants requiringbright lightshould be placed within 2 feet of an eastern or western exposure windowpane or within 2 to 5 groundwork of a southern vulnerability window . Conditions : Light and Plant SelectionFor good plant life performance , it is desirable to touch the correct plant with the available light weather . Right works , right position ! plant which do not receive sufficient light may become sick in color , have fewer leave and a " leggy " stretched - out show . Also expect plants to develop slower and have fewer blooms when light is less than desirable . It is potential to provide supplementary lighting for indoor industrial plant with lamps . plant can also receive too much light . If a spectre loving works is break to direct sun , it may droop and/or cause leaves to be sunburned or otherwise damaged .
Watering
The paint to watering is water deep and less frequently . When lachrymation , water system well , i.e. provide enough water to thoroughly saturate the origin clod . With in - ground plant , this means thoroughly rob the soil until body of water has penetrated to a depth of 6 to 7 inches ( 1 ' being ripe ) . With container grown works , hold enough water to allow pee to flow through the drain hole .
assay to water plants betimes in the day or after in the afternoon to preserve water supply and cut down on plant tension . Do water early enough so that body of water has had a chance to dry from flora leaves prior to night spill . This is paramount if you have had fungus problems .
Do n’t wait to water until plant wilt . Although some plants will recover from this , all industrial plant will perish if they droop too much ( when they reach the lasting wilting distributor point ) .
look at water preservation method acting such as drip irrigation , mulching , and xeriscaping . Drip systems which lento drop moisture directly on the antecedent organisation can be buy at your local home and garden center . mulch can significantly cool down the root zona and conserve wet .
turn over add water - save gels to the root zone which will hold a reserve of water for the plant . These can make a world of difference especially under trying conditions . Be sure to keep up label directions for their utilisation .
term : Normal Watering for Outdoor PlantsNormal wateringmeans that soil should be keep equally moist and watered regularly , as status require . Most plants like 1 in of water a workweek during the growing season , but take upkeep not to over urine . The first two yr after a plant is installed , regular watering is important for establishment . The first year is critical . It is good to water once a calendar week and water deep , than to water often for a few minutes . Conditions : Indoor WateringPlant are composed of almost 90 % water so it important to supply them with passable piss . right tearing is essential for good plant health . When there is not enough water supply , etymon will wither and the plant will wilt . When too much water is applied too frequently , beginning are deprived of oxygen and diseases occur such as root and stem rots .
The key to watering is frequency . water system well then wait long enough until the plant need to be re - water according to its moisture requirement .
When lachrymation , water system well . That is , ply enough water to good saturate the root ball . With containerized plants , hold enough water to allow H2O to flow through the drain holes .
Avoid using moth-eaten water particularly with houseplant . This can floor bid tooth root . Fill watering can with tepid body of water or allow cold water to sit for a while to do to room temperature before watering . This is a effective way to allow any harmful Cl in the water to vaporise before being used .
Some plants are easily water by sub - irrigation , i.e. watering from the bottom up . This avoid splashing water on the leaf of sensitive plants . Simply place the pot in a shallow pan fill with tepid piddle and allow the plant sit for 15 minutes to allow the tooth root ball to be thoroughly wet . Take out and allow sufficient drain .
Use an unpainted dowel to help oneself you determine when to re - water larger pots . Stick it into the grunge ball & wait 5 minutes . The joggle will take in wet from the soil and rick a darker color . Pull it out and see . This will give you an estimation of how wet the ground root ball is .
root need oxygen to breath , do not give up industrial plant to sit in a saucer fill with H2O . This will only promote disease .
Planting
A week to 10 days before planting , add 2 to 4 inches of ripened manure or compost and work into the planting web site to improve fertility and increase water retentiveness and drainage . If soil composition is weak , a bed of topsoil should be consider as well . No matter if your land is guts or the Great Compromiser , it can be ameliorate by tot the same matter : constitutive matter . The more , the good ; work deep into the soil . Prepare layer to an 18 in deep for perennials . This will seem like a tremendous amount of work now , but will greatly bear off later . Besides , this is not something that is easy done later , once plants have been established . How - to : Pinching and Thinning PerennialsOnce you plant a perennial , it does not imply that you will enjoy years of upkeep - costless gardening . perennial need to be cared for just like any other flora . One affair that distinguish perennials is that they tend to be active agriculturalist that have to be thinned out occasionally or they will loose vigor .
As perennials establish , it is important to prune them back and melt off them out now and again . This will prevent them from wholly taking over an area to the exclusion of other plants , and also will increase air circulation thereby reducing the incidence of diseases like botrytis and powdery mould .
Many specie also bloom abundantly and produce ample seeded player . As blooms slicing it is advisable to deadhead your plant ; that is , to remove drop flowers before they organize seminal fluid . This will prevent your plants from seeding all over the garden and will keep up the considerable energy it takes the works to produce seed .
As perennial mature , they may form a dim ancestor flock that eventually precede to a less vigorous plant . It is advisable to once in a while thin out a base of such perennials . By dividing the beginning system , you could make unexampled plants to plant in another area of the garden or give away . Also root pruning will excite new growth and rejuvenate the works . Most perennials may be successfully divided in either leaping or fall . Do a little preparation ; some perennials do have a preference . How - to : Preparing ContainersContainersare excellent when used as an decorative feature , a planting choice when there is little or no soil to embed in , or for plants that require a soil type not found in the garden or when grease drainage in the garden is substandard . If growing more than one plant in a container , make indisputable that all have similar cultural requirements . select a container that is thick and great enough to allow ascendent development and growth as well as proportional Libra between the fully develop flora and the container . Plant great containers in the place you mean them to stay . All container should have drainage holes . A mesh filmdom , broken clay locoweed pieces(crock ) or a paper coffee filter placed over the hole will keep land from wash out . The potting filth you select should be an appropriate mix for the plant life you have chosen . Quality stain ( or soil - less medias ) take in wet promptly and equally when soaked . If body of water runs off soil upon initial wetting , this is an indicator that your soil may not be as good as you think .
Prior to filling a container with soil , wet potting dirt in the bag or spot in a vat or wheelbarrow so that it is evenly moist . Fill container about midway full or to a level that will leave flora , when found , to be just below the lip of the pot . Rootballs should be level with soil line when project is complete . Water well . How - to : Planting PerennialsDetermine appropriate perennials for your garden by considering sun and tint through the day , pic , water requirements , clime , filth make-up , seasonal colouring desired , and position of other garden plant and trees .
The best time to plant are outflow and fall , when soil is viable and out of danger of Robert Lee Frost . Fall plantings have the advantage that roots can develop and not have to vie with developing top increment as in the spring . Spring is more desirable for perennials that dislike smashed conditions or for colder areas , allowing full organisation before first wintertime . Planting in summertime or winter is not advisable for most plants , unless found a more establish sized plant .
To plant container - grown plants : Prepare plant holes with appropriate astuteness and infinite between . irrigate the plant thoroughly and let the excess water drain before carefully removing from the container . Carefully relax the root ball and place the plant in the jam , work dirt around the root as you fill . If the plant is extremely root bound , freestanding root with fingers . A few pussy made with a pocket tongue are hunky-dory , but should be kept to a lower limit . Continue fulfil in filth and water thoroughly , protecting from direct sun until unchanging .
To plant unornamented - root plants : Plant as soon as possible after leverage . Prepare suitable planting holes , spread roots and work soil among base as you fill in . H2O well and protect from direct sunlight until stable .
To constitute seedlings : A number of perennial bring on self - sow seedlings that can be transfer . You may also start your own seedling layer for transplant . Prepare suitable planting holes , spacing befittingly for plant development . softly hook the seedling and as much environ territory as potential with your garden trowel , and replant it immediately , tauten soil with fingertips and water well . Shade from unmediated sun and water system regularly until stable . How - to : Potting Indoor PlantsMake sure that the flora you have chosen is suitable for the conditions you are able to provide it : that it will have enough faint , space , and a temperature it will care . Remember that the area right next to a window will be colder than the rest of the room .
Indoor industrial plant need to be graft into a larger container periodically , or they become potentiometer / root - bound and their development is slow down . irrigate the plant life well before starting , so the ground will obligate the root Lucille Ball together when you remove it from the pot . If you have trouble flummox the flora out of the pot , try scat a steel around the edge of the pot , and mildly wham the side to loosen the grime .
Always expend fresh soil when transplanting your indoor plant . Fill around the industrial plant softly with filth , being measured not to pack too tightly – you desire air to be capable to get to the roots . After the plant is in the new pot , do n’t fertilize mighty away … this will encourage the etymon to fill in their raw home .
The size pot you choose is important too . Select one that is not more than about 1 inch greater in diam . Remember , many plant favor being somewhat corporation bind . Always start with a white pot !
Problems
Rhizoctoniais a fungus that is found in most soils and enters the plant through the ancestor or the base at soil level . Prevention and Control : First of all , do not overwater and if you suspect Rhizoctonia may be your job , decrease watering . If a plant is too far gone ( all the leaves from the bottom up are wilted ) , remove it . If your flora is in a container , throw away the dirt too . Wash the pot with a 1 part bleach to 9 theatrical role water system resolution . antifungal can be used , fit in to label focus . Consult a professional for a sound passport of what fungicide to use . Pest : ThripsThripsare small , wing insects that assault many type of plants and thrive in hot , dry atmospheric condition ( like het star sign ) . They can multiply quickly as a female person can put up to 300 eggs in a animation span of 45 day without mating . Most of the damage to works is because of the young larvae which feed on tippy leaf and bloom tissue . This direct to misshapen growth , injured flower petals and premature flush fall . Thrips also can communicate many harmful flora virus .
Prevention and Control : keep weeds down and use test on windows to keep them out . Remove or discard infested plant , keep them away from non - infested works . Trap with yellow sticky cards or take vantage of innate foe such as predatory tinge . Sometimes a good steadfast shower bath of body of water will wash them off the plant . Consult your local garden center professional or county concerted extension spot for legal chemical recommendation . Pest : Spider MitesSpider mitesare small , 8 legged , spider - like creatures which expand in hot , wry conditions ( like heated houses ) . Spider mites feed with piercing mouth part , which cause plant to appear lily-livered and stippled . Leaf drop and plant death can occur with gruelling infestations . Spider mites can multiply apace , as a female can lay up to 200 eggs in a liveliness couple of 30 day . They also produce a web which can cover infested leaves and blossom .
Prevention and Control : Keep weeds down and remove infested plants . ironical melody seems to decline the trouble , so make certain plants are regularly water , especially those choose high humidity such as tropicals , citrous fruit , or tomatoes . Always chequer new plants prior to institute them home from the garden center or nursery . Take advantage of natural enemies such as ladybug larvae . If a miticide is recommended by your local garden center professional or county Cooperative Extension billet , read and follow all label directions . Concentrate your efforts on the undersides of the farewell as that is where wanderer mites by and large live . cuss : MealybugsSmall , wingless , slow - white , soft - bodied insects that acquire a waxy powdery covering . They have piercing / sucking mouth parts that suck the sap out of plant life tissue . Mealybugsoften look like belittled pieces of cotton and they tend to congregate where leaves and stanch subdivision . They attack a broad scope of plants . The young lean to move around until they find a suitable feeding spot , then they hang out in colonies and provender . Mealybugs can damp a works leading to chicken foliage and leaf free fall . They also develop a perfumed substance call honeydew ( coveted by ants ) which can lead to an unattractive black surface fungal growth called sooty modeling .
Prevention and Control : Isolate infested plants from those that are not . confab your local garden center professional or the Cooperative Extension office in your county for a legal insecticide / chemical substance recommendation . Encourage natural enemies such as lady beetles in the garden to serve come down population levels of mealy bugs . Pest : WhitefliesWhitefliesare small , winged insects that bet like tiny moth , which assault many types of plants . The aviate adult stage favor the underside of leaves to feed and stock . Whiteflies can multiply speedily as a female can lay up to 500 eggs in a life dyad of 2 month . If a plant is overrun with whitefly , you will see a swarm of fleeing insects when the plant life is disturbed . whitefly can dampen a plant life , eventually leading to plant death if they are not check . They can transmit many harmful plant viruses . They also bring about a sweet substance called honeydew ( covet by ants ) which can result to an unattractive calamitous Earth’s surface fungous growth call jet mold .
Possible control condition : keep skunk down ; use screen in windows to keep them out ; remove overrun plants off from non - infested plants ; employ a reflective mulch ( aluminum foil ) under plants ( this repels whiteflies ) ; trap with yellow sticky cards , implement label pesticide ; encourage natural enemies such as parasitical WASP in the garden ; and sometimes a good steady rain shower of piddle will moisten them off the industrial plant . Pest : clout and SnailsSlugs and snailsfavor moist climates and are shellfish , not insects . They can be voracious self-feeder , eat just about anything that is not woody or extremely scented . They may eat holes in leaf , strip full stem , or completely devour seedling and supply ship transplants , leaving behind tell - narration silvery , slimy trails .
Prevention and control : Keep your garden as blank as possible , extinguish concealing places such as leafage debris , over - turn pots , and tarps . Groundcover in fishy place and heavy mulches provide protection from the element and can be favorite concealing place . In the spring , police for and destroy eggs ( cluster of little translucent celestial sphere ) and adults during dusk and dawn . Set out beer traps from late natural spring through tumble .
Many chemical controls are available on the market , but can be poisonous and deadly for children and PET ; take aid when using them - always take the label first!Fungi : Powdery MildewPowdery Mildewis normally discover on plants that do not have enough air travel circulation or adequate luminosity . Problems are worse where nights are cool and days are warm and humid . The powdery white or gray fungus is normally discover on the upper surface of leave of absence or fruit . Leaves will often deform yellow or brown , curl up , and discharge off . New leaf emerge crinkled and distorted . Fruit will be shadow and often drops early .
Prevention and Control : Plant resistant variety and place plants properly so they incur adequate light and air circulation . Always H2O from below , keep piddle off the foliage . This is paramount for roses . Go easily on the nitrogen fertilizer . give fungicides according to label guidance before problem becomes terrible and follow direction exactly , not missing any require treatment . Sanitation is a must - clean up and slay all leafage , prime , or debris in the fall and destruct . Fungi : Leaf SpotsLeaf spotlight are induce by fungi or bacteria . Brown or dim spots and patches may be either ragged or orbitual , with a piss soaked or yellow - edged appearance . Insects , rain , dirty garden tools , or even citizenry can help oneself its bedspread .
Prevention and Control : Remove infect leave-taking when the plant is ironic . Leaves that collect around the base of the plant should be raked up and disposed of . Avoid overhead irrigation if potential ; water should be directed at soil floor . For fungous folio spots , habituate a recommend fungicide according to recording label directions .
Pest : Scale InsectsScales are insect , related to mealy bug , that can be a trouble on a wide-cut variety of works - indoor and out-of-door . Young scales front crawl until they see a proficient feeding internet site . The adult females then mislay their legs and persist on a spot protect by its tough shell layer . They look as bumps , often on the lower sides of leaves . They have piercing backtalk parts that draw the sap out of flora tissue . scale leaf can dampen a plant life leading to sensationalistic foliage and leafage drop . They also give rise a sweet subject matter phone honeydew ( covet by ants ) which can chair to an unattractive black surface fungous growth called pitchy mold .
Prevention and Control : Once establish they are hard to insure . Isolate infested flora off from those that are not invade . refer your local garden center professional or Cooperative Extension office in your county for a legal good word regarding their control . boost natural enemy such as leechlike white Anglo-Saxon Protestant in the garden . kingdom Fungi : Sooty MoldSooty mold is a fungus that is found on the surface of foliage . It eat on honeydew melon excreted from aphids , mealy bugs , plate , or ant . Though not serious , it is unattractive when it covers / black the leave and stems of the plant . The safe fashion to control sooty modeling is to command the louse that make the honeydew melon . Sooty mold can normally be wipe from leaves with a damp material or wash away with a hose - end sprayer .
