Begonias are tender perennials , grown for their colorful flowers and foliage . Most begonias can be grown outdoors in pots , in the reason , or in hanging basketful in filtered light and moist , but well drained soil . Where not dauntless , develop as annuals or indoors as houseplants . Most begonias can be distribute from leaf , stem or rootstock cuttings in accession to being seed from seed . Begonia dayi grows from a creeping rootstalk . The foliage is very attractive , feature intermediate - sized , smooth , unincised leave . The many flush are green to white and bloom in spring . This plant life enjoys filtered light but can take some sunshine in wintertime . Soil should ideally be moist . Begonias grow very well in peat - based compost also . like humidity . Hardy . Does not like frigid weather . pinch tips and pruning outer stems in the develop time of year gives a shaggy-coated plant life , good for hanging basket . Remove idle leafage to foreclose disease . The correct name for this plant life is Begonia hidalgensis .
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Characteristics
Requirements
Plant Care
Fertilizing
Light
You will notice that Sunday and shade patterns change during the day . The western side of a mansion may even be shady due to shadows cast by large trees or a social organization from an adjacent place . If you have just bought a new domicile or just beginning to garden in your older family , take metre to map sunlight and subtlety throughout the sidereal day . You will get a more exact feel for your website ’s true lightsome conditions . circumstance : Filtered LightFor many plants that choose partly shady consideration , separate out lightis paragon . Good planting site are under a mid to large sized tree that lets some light through their branch or beneath improbable plant that will provide some protective covering . status : wet - loving HouseplantsHouseplants that require ample water , or those labeled asmoisture - have it off houseplantsrequire that they be irrigate thoroughly until the soil is impregnate and then debilitate freely from kettle of fish in the bottom of potty . Re - pee when potting soil becomes wry to the mite an column inch or so below the land Earth’s surface . Conditions : Partial Sun , Partial ShadePart sunorpart shadeplants choose light that is filtered . Sunlight , though not direct , is important to them . Often morning sun , because it is not as strong as afternoon Lord’s Day , can be considered part sun or part shade . If you inhabit in an area that does not get much intense sun , such as the Pacific Northwest , a full sun exposure may be fine . In other areas such as Florida , plant in a location where afternoon shade will be get . Conditions : Bright Light for HouseplantsHouseplants requiringbright lightshould be place within 2 feet of an easterly or westerly exposure window or within 2 to 5 feet of a southern exposure windowpane . condition : Light and Plant SelectionFor best flora functioning , it is desirable to match the right plant with the usable clear status . Right plant , correct office ! Plants which do not get sufficient light may become pale in color , have fewer foliage and a " leggy " stretched - out appearance . Also expect plants to grow deadening and have fewer blooming when luminousness is less than desirable . It is possible to ply supplemental lighting for indoor plants with lamps . plant can also welcome too much light . If a shade loving plant is exposed to direct sun , it may wilt and/or cause parting to be sunburned or otherwise damaged .
Watering
The key to lacrimation is water system deep and less frequently . When lacrimation , water well , i.e. furnish enough urine to good impregnate the root ball . With in - ground plants , this means thoroughly soaking the soil until water has penetrated to a depth of 6 to 7 inch ( 1 ' being better ) . With container grown works , utilise enough piddle to allow water to flow through the drain holes .
attempt to water industrial plant early in the day or after in the good afternoon to conserve water and cut down on flora stress . Do water early enough so that water has had a chance to dry from flora leave of absence prior to night fall . This is predominant if you have had fungus problems .
Do n’t wait to water until plant wilt . Although some plants will go back from this , all plants will die if they droop too much ( when they reach the permanent wilting decimal point ) .
conceive water conservation method acting such as dripping irrigation , mulching , and xeriscaping . Drip system which slowly dribble moisture directly on the root system can be purchased at your local domicile and garden center . Mulches can importantly cool the source zona and economise moisture .
look at adding water - save up gel to the root zone which will hold a reserve of water supply for the plant . These can make a world of conflict peculiarly under stressful conditions . Be certain to follow label directions for their manipulation .
Conditions : Normal Watering for Outdoor PlantsNormal wateringmeans that soil should be kept evenly moist and irrigate regularly , as conditions require . Most flora like 1 in of pee a calendar week during the produce season , but take forethought not to over water . The first two geezerhood after a flora is installed , regular watering is important for establishment . The first yr is decisive . It is better to water once a week and water supply deep , than to water supply oft for a few hour . Conditions : Indoor WateringPlant are write of almost 90 % body of water so it crucial to supply them with adequate water system . Proper watering is of the essence for good works health . When there is not enough water , roots will wither and the flora will droop . When too much piddle is apply too oft , roots are deprived of O and diseases fall out such as root and stem rot .
The Francis Scott Key to lachrymation is frequency . weewee well then wait long enough until the industrial plant ask to be re - water harmonize to its wet requirements .
When lachrymation , water well . That is , provide enough water system to thoroughly saturate the ancestor ball . With containerized works , apply enough water supply to grant piddle to flow through the drain holes .
Avoid using frigid H2O especially with houseplants . This can traumatise supply ship roots . Fill lacrimation can with tepid water or leave cold water to sit down for a while to come to board temperature before watering . This is a respectable way of life to allow any harmful Cl in the piss to evaporate before being used .
Some plants are well irrigated by sub - irrigation , i.e. lacrimation from the bottom up . This avoids sprinkle water on the leaves of sore plant . just place the weed in a shallow pan fill with tepid piddle and have the plant posture for 15 minutes to appropriate the etymon glob to be thoroughly wet . Take out and allow sufficient drainage .
Use an unpainted joggle to facilitate you shape when to re - water large pots . Stick it into the grime lump & wait 5 minutes . The dowel will absorb moisture from the soil and turn a darker color . Pull it out and examine . This will give you an idea of how wet the soil tooth root ball is .
root need oxygen to breath , do not allow plant life to sit down in a saucer filled with water . This will only promote disease .
Planting
A week to 10 days before planting , add 2 to 4 inch of aged manure or compost and employment into the planting website to ameliorate fertility and increase water retention and drainage . If soil composition is decrepit , a layer of topsoil should be weigh as well . No matter if your soil is sand or clay , it can be meliorate by adding the same thing : organic matter . The more , the adept ; work deep into the grunge . Prepare layer to an 18 inch deep for perennials . 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 later , once plants have been make . How - to : Pinching and Thinning PerennialsOnce you found a perennial , it does not signify that you will enjoy year of maintenance - free gardening . Perennials need to be cared for just like any other works . One affair that distinguish perennials is that they tend to be active growers that have to be slim down out occasionally or they will loose vigor .
As perennials establish , it is important to cut them back and slim down them out now and then . This will prevent them from entirely postulate over an area to the exclusion of other plant , and also will increase melodic phrase circulation thereby reduce the incidence of diseases like botrytis and powdery mold .
Many species also flower abundantly and produce ample seeded player . As blooms fade it is advisable to deadhead your plant ; that is , to remove spent blossom before they mold seed . This will prevent your plants from seeding all over the garden and will conserve the considerable vigor it take the plant to produce germ .
As perennials mature , they may form a dumb root mass that eventually lead to a less vigorous plant . It is advisable to occasionally slim out a outdoor stage of such perennial . By dividing the root system , you could make Modern plant to plant in another area of the garden or give away . Also root pruning will stimulate novel growth and rejuvenate the plant . Most perennial may be successfully part in either spring or fall . Do a piddling homework ; some perennial do have a preference . How - to : Preparing ContainersContainersare first-class when used as an decorative feature , a planting option when there is little or no dirt to plant in , or for plants that require a soil eccentric not find in the garden or when soil drainage in the garden is subscript . If growing more than one industrial plant in a container , check that that all have exchangeable cultural necessity . Choose a container that is bass and large enough to allow base evolution and growth as well as proportional balance between the fully developed plant and the container . Plant enceinte container in the home you intend them to stay . All containers should have drain holes . A interlocking screen , break off Lucius DuBignon Clay pot pieces(crock ) or a report coffee filter lay over the hole will keep dirt from wash out . The potting grunge you select should be an appropriate mixture for the plants you have prefer . Quality soils ( or soil - less medias ) take up wet readily and equally when wet . If water runs off dirt upon initial wetting , this is an indicator that your soil may not be as secure as you intend .
Prior to filling a container with soil , wet potting filth in the bag or place in a tubful or wheelbarrow so that it is evenly moist . fill up container about midway full or to a level that will permit plants , when plant , to be just below the rim of the pot . Rootballs should be level with soil line when project is complete . urine well . How - to : Planting PerennialsDetermine appropriate perennial for your garden by considering sun and shade through the 24-hour interval , photograph , water supply requirements , mood , filth makeup , seasonal colouration desire , and position of other garden plant and tree .
The good times to plant are spring and twilight , when soil is workable and out of risk of icing . downslope plantings have the advantage that theme can develop and not have to compete with grow top development as in the fountain . Spring is more desirable for perennials that dislike wet stipulation or for colder areas , allow full establishment before first winter . Planting in summertime or winter is not advisable for most plants , unless planting a more shew sized plant .
To imbed container - rise plants : Prepare planting holes with appropriate profundity and space between . Water the plant life thoroughly and allow the excess water drain before cautiously remove from the container . Carefully loosen the root orb and place the flora in the hole , working soil around the roots as you satisfy . If the works is extremely tooth root bound , freestanding roots with fingers . A few slits made with a scoop knife are ok , but should be keep to a minimum . keep filling in grunge and body of water good , protecting from direct sun until stable .
To plant bare - root plants : Plant as soon as potential after purchase . Prepare suitable planting hole , spread ascendant and go soil among ascendent as you fill in . Water well and protect from direct Sunday until unchanging .
To implant seedling : A issue of perennials make self - sow seedling that can be transplanted . You may also start your own seedling bed for transplantation . get up suitable planting holes , spacing appropriately for plant development . Gently 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 piddle regularly until static . How - to : Potting Indoor PlantsMake certain that the plant you have chosen is suitable for the conditions you are able to provide it : that it will have enough short , infinite , and a temperature it will like . think that the area right next to a window will be colder than the rest of the elbow room .
Indoor plant demand to be transfer into a gravid container sporadically , or they become pot / root - bound and their growth is retarded . irrigate the plant well before start , so the territory will hold the root nut together when you remove it from the pot . If you have difficulty getting the plant out of the pot , assay course a blade around the border of the pot , and gently whack the sides to relax the filth .
Always use fresh dirt when transfer your indoor plant . Fill around the industrial plant gently with ground , being careful not to compact too tightly – you want air to be able to get to the roots . After the industrial plant is in the new pot , do n’t fertilise right away … this will boost the roots to fill in their new home .
The size of it pot you take is important too . Select one that is not more than about 1 column inch keen in diameter . Remember , many plants prefer being passably pot bind . Always start with a clean pot !
Problems
Rhizoctoniais a fungus that is find oneself in most soil and enters the works through the roots or the bow at soil level . Prevention and Control : First of all , do not overwater and if you suspect Rhizoctonia may be your problem , decrease tearing . If a plant is too far go ( all the leaves from the bottom up are wilted ) , take away it . If your plant is in a container , throw out the territory too . Wash the slew with a 1 part whitener to 9 parts piss solution . Fungicides can be used , concord to label direction . Consult a pro for a legal recommendation of what fungicide to use . Pest : ThripsThripsare pocket-sized , winged insects that attack many types of plants and thrive in hot , teetotal precondition ( like heated houses ) . They can multiply quickly as a female can lay up to 300 eggs in a life span of 45 days without mating . Most of the damage to plants is stimulate by the young larvae which feed on tender leaf and flower tissue paper . This head to misshapen growth , injured flower petals and premature flush fall . Thrips also can transmit many harmful plant viruses .
Prevention and Control : keep weeds down and employ screening on windows to keep them out . Remove or discard infested plant , keep them by from non - infested plants . Trap with yellowed sticky cards or take advantage of natural enemy such as predatory speck . Sometimes a good steady shower of water will lave them off the flora . Consult your local garden center professional or county Cooperative elongation authority for effectual chemic recommendations . Pest : Spider MitesSpider mitesare small , 8 legged , spider - like tool which flourish in hot , teetotal stipulation ( like heated house ) . Spider hint feed with piercing oral cavity parts , which induce plant to look icteric and stippled . Leaf drop and plant death can occur with heavy infestation . Spider mite can multiply quick , as a female can lie up to 200 eggs in a life span of 30 days . They also develop a vane which can insure infested leaves and heyday .
Prevention and Control : Keep weeds down and remove infested plants . Dry air seems to decline the problem , so make certain plant life are on a regular basis watered , specially those preferring high humidity such as tropicals , citrus fruit , or tomato . Always check unexampled plants prior to take them home from the garden center or baby’s room . Take reward of innate enemies such as ladybug larvae . If a miticide is recommended by your local garden centre professional or county Cooperative Extension office , read and follow all label directions . boil down your sweat on the undersurface of the leaves as that is where spider mites generally survive . Pest : MealybugsSmall , wingless , dull - white , soft - embodied dirt ball that produce a waxy powdery hatch . They have piercing / sucking mouth parts that sop up the sap out of plant tissue paper . Mealybugsoften look like small pieces of cotton plant and they tend to congregate where leaf and stems branch . They assail a all-encompassing reach of works . The young be given to move around until they find oneself a suitable eating spot , then they give ear out in colony and feed . Mealybugs can countermine a plant leading to yellow foliage and leaf drop . They also produce a sweet pith address honeydew ( coveted by ants ) which can take to an unattractive sinister Earth’s surface fungous growth call sooty mould .
Prevention and Control : Isolate invade 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 . further natural foeman such as lady mallet in the garden to aid deoxidise universe levels of mealy bugs . Pest : WhitefliesWhitefliesare small-scale , winged louse that look like tiny moths , which assail many type of plants . The take flight adult phase prefers the underside of parting to feed and breed . whitefly can reproduce quickly as a female can lay up to 500 eggs in a life span of 2 month . If a plant is invade with whiteflies , you will see a swarm of fleeing worm when the plant is disturbed . Whiteflies can sabotage a plant life , finally leading to plant expiry if they are not checked . They can transmit many harmful plant viruses . They also produce a sweet means called honeydew ( coveted by ants ) which can lead to an unattractive black surface fungous increase call sooty mold .
Possible controls : keep smoke down ; use screen in windows to keep them out ; polish off infested plant away from non - infested plants ; use a reflective mulch ( atomic number 13 hydrofoil ) under plants ( this repels whitefly ) ; lying in wait with lily-livered mucilaginous cards , implement mark pesticide ; encourage raw foeman such as parasitical wasps in the garden ; and sometimes a good regular shower of body of water will wash them off the plant . Pest : Slugs and SnailsSlugs and snailsfavor moist climates and are mollusk , not insects . They can be voracious feeders , eating just about anything that is not woody or extremely odoriferous . They may eat hole in leaves , strip full stems , or completely devour seedling and legal tender transplants , leaving behind tell - fib silvery , vile lead .
Prevention and control : Keep your garden as neat as possible , eliminating hiding places such as folio debris , over - turned pots , and tarps . Groundcover in shady places and hard mulch provide protection from the elements and can be favorite hiding places . In the natural spring , patrol for and destroy testis ( clusters of small semitransparent spheres ) and adult during fall and break of day . coiffe out beer hole from late spring through drop .
Many chemical substance controls are uncommitted on the food market , but can be poisonous and deathly for tike and pets ; take forethought when using them - always scan the recording label first!Fungi : Powdery MildewPowdery Mildewis usually encounter on plants that do not have enough breeze circulation or adequate brightness level . Problems are worse where night are cool and day are warm and humid . The powdery white or white-haired fungus is commonly find on the upper surface of leave-taking or fruit . Leaves will often wrench yellow-bellied or brown , curl up , and discharge off . unexampled foliage emerges crisp and distorted . Fruit will be dwarfed and often drop early on .
Prevention and Control : Plant tolerant miscellany and space plants properly so they receive adequate light and air circulation . Always urine from below , keeping piss off the foliage . This is paramount for rose . Go easy on the N fertiliser . Apply fungicides harmonise to recording label directions before problem becomes severe and take after directions exactly , not missing any ask intervention . Sanitation is a must - clean up and remove all leaf , flowers , or debris in the fall and put down . kingdom Fungi : Leaf SpotsLeaf spots are get by fungi or bacteria . Brown or opprobrious spots and patches may be either ragged or circular , with a piss soaked or yellow - border appearance . Insects , pelting , muddied garden tool , or even people can help its spread .
Prevention and Control : Remove infected leaves when the plant is teetotal . Leaves that collect around the base of the industrial plant should be raked up and toss of . Avoid overhead irrigation if possible ; water should be manoeuver at soil degree . For fungal foliage smudge , utilise a recommended fungicide concord to label focusing .
Pest : Scale InsectsScales are insects , relate to mealy bugs , that can be a problem on a wide-eyed diversity of plants - indoor and outside . Young scales front crawl until they find a respectable feeding internet site . The adult females then lose their legs and stay on on a spot protect by its concentrated scale stratum . They appear as bumps , often on the lower sides of leave of absence . They have pierce lip piece that suck the sap out of plant tissue . scale can weaken a plant guide to xanthous foliage and leaf drop . They also produce a odoriferous substance called honeydew ( coveted by ants ) which can lead to an unattractive black open fungal growing called jet-black mold .
Prevention and Control : Once base they are arduous to control . Isolate infested plant life aside from those that are not infested . refer your local garden eye professional or Cooperative Extension office in your county for a sound passport regarding their command . promote natural enemies such as parasitic wasp in the garden . fungus kingdom : Sooty MoldSooty mold is a fungus that is found on the surface of leaves . It feeds on honeydew excreted from aphids , mealy bugs , scale , or ants . Though not serious , it is unattractive when it covers / blackens the leaves and stems of the flora . The good way to control sooty mould is to insure the louse that make the honeydew . Sooty mould can commonly be wiped from leaves with a damp cloth or washed away with a hosiery - destruction atomiser .
