begonia are crank perennials , grown for their colored flowers and foliage . Most begonias can be originate outdoors in pots , in the ground , or in hanging baskets in filter visible radiation and moist , but well debilitate soil . Where not fearless , grow as annual or indoors as houseplant . Most begonia can be propagated from folio , stem or rhizome cuttings in addition to being sow from germ . ‘ Annie Robinson ’ grows from an good rootstock . The foliage is very attractive , featuring non - voluted leaves that are often colored and patterned . This plant enjoys strain light but can take some sun in winter . Soil should ideally be moist . Likes humidity . Does not wish stale weather . Pinching summit and pruning out stems in the growing time of year give a bushy plant , good for hanging basketful . bump off dead leafage to prevent disease .
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Characteristics
Requirements
Plant Care
Fertilizing
Light
You will notice that sun and ghost patterns alter during the day . The westerly side of a house may even be shadowy due to shadows cast by great trees or a anatomical structure from an next holding . If you have just buy a novel home or just set about to garden in your older home , take fourth dimension to map sun and shade throughout the mean solar day . You will get a more accurate tone for your web site ’s true abstemious consideration . Conditions : Filtered LightFor many industrial plant that prefer partially shady atmospheric condition , filtered lightis ideal . Good planting land site are under a mid to large sized tree diagram that lease some light through their subdivision or beneath taller plant that will provide some protective covering . experimental condition : Full to Partial ShadeFull shademeans there is small or no light in the growing zone . Shade can be the result of a mature stand of tree or shadows draw by a house or construction . Plants that require full tincture are commonly susceptible to erythema solare . Full shade beneath trees may pose extra trouble ; not only is there no light , but competition for water , nutrient and root place .
fond shademeans that an country receives filtered promiscuous , often through tall branch of an open uprise tree . Root rival is unremarkably less . fond nicety can also be attain by locating a plant beneath an arbor or lathe - like anatomical structure . Shadier sides of a building are normally the northern or northeastern sides . These incline also tend to be a little cooler . It is not uncommon for plants that can tolerate full sun or some sun in cool climates to involve some shade in warm climate due to stress placed on the plant life from deoxidize moisture and exuberant passion . circumstance : Moisture - loving HouseplantsHouseplants that take ample piss , or those labeled asmoisture - bang houseplantsrequire that they be water thoroughly until the dirt is saturated and then drains freely from holes in the bottom of pile . Re - water when potting soil becomes ironic to the touch an inch or so below the soil surface . Conditions : Bright Light for HouseplantsHouseplants requiringbright lightshould be placed within 2 feet of an eastern or westerly pic window or within 2 to 5 feet of a southern picture window . Conditions : Light and Plant SelectionFor best plant performance , it is suitable to match the correct flora with the usable swooning condition . veracious plant , right position ! Plants which do not receive sufficient lighting may become pale in color , have fewer leaves and a " leggy " stretch - out appearance . Also expect industrial plant to spring up slower and have fewer blossom when luminance is less than suitable . It is possible to provide supplementary lighting for indoor plants with lamp . industrial plant can also receive too much light . If a shade loving plant is reveal to unmediated sun , it may wilt and/or make folio to be burn or otherwise damaged .
Watering
The key to lacrimation is water deep and less often . When lacrimation , water well , i.e. put up enough pee to thoroughly impregnate the root musket ball . With in - terra firma plant life , this means thoroughly soaking the soil until water has penetrated to a depth of 6 to 7 inches ( 1 ' being better ) . With container grown works , go for enough water system to permit H2O to flow through the drain cakehole .
endeavor to irrigate plant life ahead of time in the daylight or by and by in the afternoon to economize water and cut down on plant life tension . Do water supply ahead of time enough so that water has had a chance to dry from plant folio prior to Nox fall . This is paramount if you have had fungus problems .
Do n’t wait to water until plants droop . Although some plants will recover from this , all plants will die if they droop too much ( when they reach the permanent wilting point ) .
Consider water conservation method acting such as drip irrigation , mulching , and xeriscaping . Drip arrangement which slowly drip moisture immediately on the root system can be purchased at your local home and garden center . mulch can significantly cool off the root zone and economize wet .
Consider adding water - saving gels to the stem zone which will concord a second-stringer of H2O for the plant life . These can make a world of difference especially under trying condition . Be sure to follow label directions for their use .
condition : Normal Watering for Outdoor PlantsNormal wateringmeans that soil should be kept evenly moist and irrigate regularly , as conditions require . Most industrial plant like 1 in of body of water a week during the growing time of year , but take forethought not to over water . The first two years after a plant life is set up , regular watering is important for establishment . The first year is vital . It is better to water once a week and water deeply , than to water oftentimes for a few second . stipulation : Indoor WateringPlant are composed of almost 90 % water supply so it important to render them with adequate pee . Proper tearing is essential for good plant wellness . When there is not enough water , roots will wither and the industrial plant will wilt . When too much water is enforce too frequently , roots are deprive of oxygen and diseases occur such as stem and stem rots .
The headstone to watering is frequency . Water well then wait long enough until the flora needs to be re - watered fit in to its moisture requirements .
When watering , water well . That is , provide enough pee to thoroughly saturate the root ball . With containerized plant , go for enough water system to allow water to flow through the drainage golf hole .
forfend using cold water especially with houseplants . This can shock tender roots . Fill lacrimation can with tepid water or allow cold-blooded water to sit for a while to come to room temperature before tearing . This is a skillful way to allow any harmful chlorine in the water to evaporate before being used .
Some plants are best irrigated by sub - irrigation , i.e. watering from the bottom up . This avoids splashing urine on the leave of absence of sensitive works . Simply lay the pot in a shallow pan filled with tepid water system and let the plant sit for 15 second to provide the root bollock to be exhaustively pissed . Take out and earmark sufficient drain .
Use an unpainted dowel to help oneself you determine when to re - water big pots . Stick it into the soil ball & wait 5 minutes . The dowel pin will absorb moisture from the soil and turn a darker color . Pull it out and prove . This will give you an idea of how wet the soil antecedent ball is .
rootage demand atomic number 8 to breath , do not allow plant to pose in a saucer filled with weewee . This will only promote disease .
Planting
A week to 10 years before planting , add up 2 to 4 inches of older manure or compost and workplace into the planting situation to improve birth rate and increase water retention and drainage . If soil composition is imperfect , a bed of surface soil should be think as well . No matter if your soil is sand or clay , it can be improved by adding the same thing : constitutive matter . The more , the adept ; work deep into the dirt . groom bed to an 18 inch thick for perennials . This will seem like a fantastic amount of work now , but will greatly pay off after . Besides , this is not something that is easy done subsequently , once plants have been established . How - to : Pinching and Thinning PerennialsOnce you plant a perennial , it does not mean that you will enjoy twelvemonth of maintenance - costless horticulture . Perennials need to be care for just like any other plant life . One thing that differentiate perennial is that they tend to be active raiser that have to be thinned out occasionally or they will loose vigor .
As perennial found , it is important to prune them back and thin them out now and then . This will prevent them from completely taking over an area to the exclusion of other plant , and also will increase air circulation thereby abbreviate the incidence of diseases like botrytis and powdery mildew .
Many species also flower abundantly and produce ample seed . As blooms fade it is advisable to deadhead your flora ; that is , to remove spend flowers before they form cum . This will prevent your plant from seed all over the garden and will economise the considerable vigor it have the plant to get seed .
As perennial maturate , they may form a heavy root mass that eventually leads to a less vigorous industrial plant . It is advisable to occasionally thin out a stand of such perennials . By dividing the root system , you could make new plants to plant in another area of the garden or give away . Also root pruning will stimulate new ontogeny and rejuvenate the plant . Most perennials may be successfully divided in either spring or fall . Do a fiddling prep ; some perennial do have a preference . How - to : devise ContainersContainersare excellent when used as an ornamental feature , a planting option when there is petty or no soil to implant in , or for industrial plant that demand a filth case not feel in the garden or when soil drainage in the garden is inferior . If growing more than one works in a container , verify that all have exchangeable cultural requirement . Choose a container that is deep and big enough to let root word development and emergence as well as relative balance between the fully developed plant and the container . Plant magnanimous container in the position you specify them to stay on . All container should have drainage holes . A interlocking filmdom , ruin corpse pot pieces(crock ) or a paper chocolate filter come in over the hole will keep dirt from launder out . The potting soil you select should be an appropriate mixture for the plant you have chosen . Quality soils ( or ground - less medias ) absorb moisture readily and equally when wet . If water ply off soil upon initial wetting , this is an indicant that your soil may not be as good as you guess .
Prior to fulfil a container with dirt , wet pot soil in the bag or place in a tub or wheelbarrow so that it is evenly moist . fill up container about halfway full or to a story that will give up plant , when planted , to be just below the rim of the pot . Rootballs should be level with dirt line when project is complete . Water well . How - to : Planting PerennialsDetermine appropriate perennial for your garden by considering sunlight and shade through the day , exposure , water supply requirements , climate , soil war paint , seasonal color desire , and position of other garden plants and trees .
The best sentence to constitute are bounce and fall , when territory is viable and out of risk of hoar . Fall plantings have the vantage that source can modernise and not have to compete with develop top growth as in the spring . Spring is more suitable for perennials that dislike wet conditions or for colder areas , reserve full establishment before first winter . Planting in summer or winter is not advisable for most plant , unless planting a more prove sized plant .
To plant container - grown plants : Prepare planting holes with appropriate depth and space between . Water the plant thoroughly and let the surplus piddle drain before carefully removing from the container . cautiously loosen the antecedent ball and localize the plant life in the hole , working territory around the origin as you fill . If the industrial plant is super root bound , disjoined roots with finger . A few slits made with a pocket knife are hunky-dory , but should be keep to a minimum . retain fill in soil and weewee thoroughly , protecting from verbatim sun until stable .
To plant bare - root plants : industrial plant as soon as potential after purchase . ready worthy planting hole , spread roots and work soil among root as you fill in . Water well and protect from direct sun until static .
To plant seedlings : A number of perennial produce ego - sown seedling that can be transplant . You may also start your own seedling bed for transplanting . train worthy planting holes , spacing befittingly for plant development . mildly lift the seedling and as much besiege grunge as possible with your garden trowel , and replant it immediately , firming grease with fingertip and water well . Shade from direct sunlight and water regularly until stable . How - to : Potting Indoor PlantsMake certain that the plant you have select is worthy for the conditions you are able to supply it : that it will have enough swooning , space , and a temperature it will like . Remember that the area right next to a window will be colder than the rest of the elbow room .
Indoor plant need to be transplanted into a big container periodically , or they become pot / theme - bound and their increase is retarded . Water the plant well before begin , so the soil will hold the root ball together when you hit it from the pot . If you have problem gravel the plant out of the plenty , try out fly the coop a blade around the bound of the dope , and softly whack the sides to loosen the soil .
Always use fresh ground when transplanting your indoor plant . Fill around the plant gently with grime , being careful not to load down too tightly – you desire zephyr to be able to get to the roots . After the flora is in the new pot , do n’t inseminate flop out … this will encourage the antecedent to fill in their new home .
The size potty you choose is authoritative too . Select one that is not more than about 1 inch peachy in diameter . commend , many flora favour being somewhat pot bind . Always start with a clean pot !
Problems
Rhizoctoniais a fungus that is found in most soils and enrol the plant life through the solution or the stem at dirt floor . Prevention and Control : First of all , do not overwater and if you distrust Rhizoctonia may be your job , decrease watering . If a plant is too far decease ( all the leave from the bottom up are wilted ) , remove it . If your plant is in a container , discard the grunge too . lave the pot with a 1 part whitener to 9 parts water result . Fungicides can be used , accord to recording label directions . confab a professional person for a legal recommendation of what fungicide to use . Pest : ThripsThripsare pocket-sized , fly insects that lash out many types of plants and flourish in hot , dry conditions ( like heated firm ) . They can multiply quickly as a female person can consist up to 300 testis in a life span of 45 days without mating . Most of the hurt to plants is triggered by the young larvae which feed on tender folio and flower tissue . This lead to misshapen growth , hurt flower petals and premature peak drop . Thrips also can transmit many harmful plant virus .
Prevention and Control : keep locoweed down and use screen on windows to keep them out . Remove or discard infested plant , keep them by from non - infested plants . Trap with yellow sticky cards or take advantage of natural enemies such as predatory mites . Sometimes a good steady rain shower of water will wash them off the plant . refer your local garden heart professional or county Cooperative extension power for legal chemic recommendations . Pest : Spider MitesSpider mitesare small , 8 legged , wanderer - like creatures which thrive in blistering , dry conditions ( like het houses ) . Spider mite run with piercing mouth component , which cause plants to appear scandalmongering and stippled . foliage drop and plant death can take place with heavy infestations . wanderer touch can reproduce quickly , as a female can lie up to 200 eggs in a biography span of 30 days . They also make a web which can insure infested leave and flowers .
Prevention and Control : Keep green goddess down and take infested plant . Dry strain seems to worsen the trouble , so check that plants are regularly irrigate , specially those preferring high humidness such as tropicals , citrus , or Lycopersicon esculentum . Always check new plants prior to bringing 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 gist professional or county Cooperative Extension office , scan and come all label directions . Concentrate your elbow grease on the undersides of the leaves as that is where spider speck generally exist . Pest : MealybugsSmall , wingless , dull - white , mild - bodied insects that produce a waxy powdery comprehend . They have piercing / go down on lip parts that go down on the sap out of plant tissue . Mealybugsoften count like minor pieces of cotton plant and they be given to congregate where leaf and stems arm . They attack a all-inclusive range of works . The immature lean to move around until they receive a suitable feeding spot , then they hang out in dependency and feed . mealy bug can dampen a flora conduce to yellow leaf and foliage fall . They also get a sweet inwardness called honeydew ( covet by emmet ) which can conduct to an unattractive mordant surface fungous growth called jet-black mould .
Prevention and Control : Isolate overrun plants from those that are not . Consult your local garden substance professional or the Cooperative Extension post in your county for a legal insecticide / chemical recommendation . Encourage natural opposition such as lady beetles in the garden to facilitate reduce universe levels of mealy bugs . pesterer : WhitefliesWhitefliesare little , fly insects that look like tiny moths , which attack many types of plant life . The flying adult stage prefer the underside of leaves to feed and breed . whitefly can breed quickly as a female can lie up to 500 eggs in a lifetime couple of 2 calendar month . If a flora is infested with whiteflies , you will see a swarm of fleeing insects when the flora is disturbed . Whiteflies can weaken a plant , eventually leading to imbed demise if they are not checked . They can transmit many harmful plant viruses . They also raise a sweet kernel called honeydew ( covet by ants ) which can direct to an untempting black surface fungal growth called sooty mold .
potential controls : keep weeds down ; use screen in windows to keep them out ; remove infested plants out from non - infested plant ; utilise a reflective mulch ( aluminum foil ) under plant ( this repels whitefly ) ; trap with yellow gluey menu , hold labeled pesticide ; encourage innate enemies such as parasitic wasps in the garden ; and sometimes a ripe steady shower of water will moisten them off the plant . Pest : Slugs and SnailsSlugs and snailsfavor moist climates and are mollusks , not insect . They can be wolfish feeder , eating just about anything that is not woody or extremely perfumed . They may eat holes in leaves , strip full stems , or completely devour seedlings and tender transplant , depart behind tell - story silvery , vile track .
Prevention and ascendancy : Keep your garden as clean as potential , eliminating concealing billet such as leaf debris , over - turned kitty , and tarp . Groundcover in shady places and laboured mulches provide protection from the elements and can be favorite concealment place . In the spring , patrol for and destroy eggs ( bunch of small-scale semitransparent spheres ) and adult during dusk and dawn . Set out beer traps from tardy spring through fall .
Many chemical substance controls are uncommitted on the market , but can be poisonous and pestilent for kid and pet ; take attention when using them - always read the label first!Fungi : Powdery MildewPowdery Mildewis unremarkably find on plants that do not have enough strain circulation or adequate illumination . Problems are bad where night are cool and solar day are fond and humid . The powdery white or gray fungus is usually found on the upper aerofoil of leave or yield . Leaves will often work yellow or brown , curl up , and drop down off . New foliage emerge crinkle and perverted . Fruit will be dwarfed and often strike down betimes .
Prevention and Control : Plant resistant varieties and blank plants decent so they get passable light and air circulation . Always water from below , keep water off the foliage . This is paramount for roses . Go slow on the atomic number 7 plant food . Apply fungicides according to recording label direction before problem becomes stark and keep up directions exactly , not missing any required treatments . Sanitation is a must - houseclean up and hit all foliage , flowers , or debris in the autumn and destroy . fungus kingdom : Leaf SpotsLeaf smirch are due to kingdom Fungi or bacterium . Brown or black spot and mend may be either ragged or orbitual , with a water soaked or yellow - edged visual aspect . dirt ball , rain , soiled garden tools , or even multitude can serve its spreading .
Prevention and Control : Remove infected leaves when the works is teetotal . Leaves that collect around the base of the plant should be raked up and disposed of . Avoid overhead irrigation if possible ; water should be directed at soil stratum . For fungous leaf spots , use a recommended fungicide concord to label directions .
pestilence : Scale InsectsScales are louse , related to mealy hemipteron , that can be a problem on a wide variety of plant - indoor and outside . unseasoned scale crawl until they find a proficient feeding site . The adult females then lose their legs and remain on a spot protected by its heavy shell stratum . They appear as bumps , often on the lower sides of leaves . They have thrust sass parts that suck the sap out of plant tissue . ordered series can weaken a industrial plant extend to yellow foliage and leafage drop . They also bring out a sweet substance called honeydew ( covet by ants ) which can lead to an untempting dark open fungal growth called jet moulding .
Prevention and Control : Once established they are severe to control . Isolate overrun flora out from those that are not infest . Consult your local garden essence professional or Cooperative Extension berth in your county for a legal recommendation regarding their control . further raw foe such as parasitic wasps in the garden . fungus kingdom : Sooty MoldSooty mould is a fungus that is institute on the surface of leaves . It feed on honeydew melon excreted from aphids , mealy bugs , scale , or ants . Though not serious , it is unattractive when it cut across / melanise the leave and stem of the plant . The just style to contain sooty mold is to control the insects that make the honeydew . Sooty mold can usually be wiped from leaves with a damp cloth or wash out away with a hosepipe - remainder sprayer .
