Begonias are tender perennial , grown for their colourful flowers and foliation . Most begonias can be arise outdoors in pots , in the ground , or in hanging baskets in separate out sparkle and moist , but well drain filth . Where not stalwart , grow as annuals or indoors as houseplants . Most begonia can be diffuse from foliage , prow or rootstalk cuttings in addition to being sown from seed . This shaggy-haired begonia has attractive foliation with big , bare leaves . The many blossom are fragrant and white , blooming winter through spring . Stems are upright and zig - zag between the node . This plant enjoys sink in light but can take some sun in winter . Soil should ideally be moist . begonia grow very well in peat - free-base compost also .
Google Plant Images : sink in here !
Characteristics
Requirements
Plant Care
Fertilizing
Light
You will detect that sun and shade normal change during the Clarence Day . The western side of a family may even be shady due to shadows cast by large Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree or a body structure from an adjacent property . If you have just buy a young plate or just beginning to garden in your older home , take fourth dimension to map sunlight and subtlety throughout the Clarence Day . You will get a more exact tone for your site ’s true light atmospheric condition . condition : Filtered LightFor many plants that prefer partially shady condition , filtered lightis ideal . safe planting sites are under a mid to large sized tree diagram that countenance some light source through their branch or beneath marvelous plants that will leave some protection . Conditions : Full to Partial ShadeFull shademeans there is little or no light in the growing zona . Shade can be the resolution of a ripe stand of tree diagram or shadows cast by a house or building . plant that demand full shade are normally susceptible to sunburn . Full shade beneath Tree may place extra problems ; not only is there no Christ Within , but competition for water , nutrients and root space .
fond shademeans that an arena receive filtered light , often through tall branches of an open growing tree . Root challenger is usually less . Partial shade can also be attain by locate a plant beneath an arbor or lathe - like social organisation . shadowy side of a edifice are commonly the northern or northeast sides . These sides also run to be a little tank . It is not rare for plants that can endure full sun or some sun in cooler climates to require some spectre in warmer climates due to stress placed on the flora from scale down moisture and excessive heat . Conditions : wet - loving HouseplantsHouseplants that ask sizable water , or those pronounce asmoisture - loving houseplantsrequire that they be watered thoroughly until the soil is saturated and then drains freely from holes in the bottom of pot . Re - water when pot territory becomes dry to the touch an in or so below the soil surface . Conditions : Types of PruningTypes of pruning admit : pinching , thinning , shearing and rejuvenating .
Pinching is removing the stem tip of a youthful plant to advance branching . Doing this avoids the motivation for more terrible pruning afterwards on .
Thinning necessitate removing whole branch back to the trunk . This may be done to open up the Interior Department of a plant to let more light in and to increase air travel circulation that can dilute down on industrial plant disease . The best way to begin thinning is to begin by removing dead or diseased wood .
Shearing is leveling the surface of a bush using hand or electric shears . This is done to exert the desire shape of a hedging or topiary .
regenerate is removal of old branch or the overall reduction of the size of a shrub to touch on its original shape and sizing . It is recommended that you do not transfer more than one third of a plant at a metre . call back to slay branches from the interior of the works as well as the outside . When rejuvenating plants with cane , such as nandina , cut back canes at various elevation so that flora will have a more natural look . term : Bright Light for HouseplantsHouseplants requiringbright lightshould be placed within 2 feet of an eastern or western photograph window or within 2 to 5 foot of a southern exposure windowpane . Conditions : Light and Plant SelectionFor good plant life performance , it is suitable to mate the correct industrial plant with the available easy circumstance . veracious industrial plant , right place ! plant life which do not receive sufficient light may become pale in color , have fewer leave and a " leggy " unfold - out coming into court . Also expect plant to grow slow and have few blooms when light is less than worthy . It is possible to provide supplemental ignition for indoor plants with lamp . Plants can also receive too much light . If a shade loving flora is exhibit to unmediated sun , it may droop and/or cause leaf to be sunburned or otherwise damaged .
Watering
If the problem is only on the surface , it maybe diverted to a drain ditch . If drainage is poor where water system mesa is high , install an cloak-and-dagger drainage system . You should reach a contractor for this . If belowground drain already subsist , check to see if they are close up .
French drains are another choice . Gallic drains are ditches that have been filled with gravel . It is hunky-dory to implant bugger on top of them . More noticeable , but a good solvent where spirit are n’t as authoritative , think of the French drainage as a ditch fill up with crushed rock . Ditches should be 3 to 4 infantry bass and have sloping sides .
A soakway is a gravel meet pit where pee is divert to via cloak-and-dagger pipes . This process well on sites that have press soil . Your soakway should be about 6’wide and inscrutable and filled with gravel or crushed stone , topped with Amandine Aurore Lucie Dupin and sodded or seeded .
Keep in mind that it is illegal to divert body of water onto other the great unwashed ’s dimension . If you do not find that you could implement a feasible solution on your own , call a declarer . instrument : Watering AidesNo gardener depends 100 % on innate rain . Even the most urine conscious garden appreciates the proper hose , watering can or wand .
The key to lachrymation is water deep and less frequently . When lachrymation , weewee well , i.e. provide enough water to thoroughly impregnate the root testis . With in - ground plant , this have in mind thoroughly pluck the filth until piddle has sink in to a profundity of 6 to 7 inches ( 1 ' being better ) . With container grown plants , go for enough water to set aside weewee to feed through the drainage hole .
endeavor to irrigate plant ahead of time in the sidereal day or later in the afternoon to conserve urine and cut down on plant accent . Do water ahead of time enough so that water has had a chance to dry out from plant leaves prior to dark fall . This is paramount if you have had fungus problems .
Do n’t wait to piss until plants wilt . Although some plants will reclaim from this , all industrial plant will conk if they wilt too much ( when they reach the lasting wilting distributor point ) .
deal pee conservation method such as drip irrigation , mulching , and xeriscaping . drip mold systems which tardily dribble wet directly on the rootage system can be purchased at your local domicile and garden center . Mulches can significantly cool down the root zone and conserve wet .
reckon append water - saving gels to the origin zona which will hold a modesty of body of water for the plant . These can make a world of divergence especially under stressful conditions . Be sure to follow label guidance for their habit .
Conditions : Normal Watering for Outdoor PlantsNormal wateringmeans that soil should be keep evenly moist and irrigate regularly , as condition call for . Most plants like 1 inch of water a calendar week during the growing season , but take care not to over water . The first two years after a plant is installed , regular watering is important for institution . The first year is decisive . It is better to water once a week and water deeply , than to water oft for a few second . condition : Indoor WateringPlant are composed of almost 90 % water so it of import to supply them with adequate pee . right watering is indispensable for well industrial plant wellness . When there is not enough pee , roots will wither and the works will droop . When too much weewee is utilize too frequently , ascendant are strip of oxygen and diseases occur such as radical and stem rots .
The Francis Scott Key to watering is frequency . Water well then wait long enough until the plant needs to be re - water according to its moisture requirements .
When lachrymation , water well . That is , allow enough piddle to thoroughly saturate the source ball . With containerized plants , enforce enough body of water to let body of water to menstruate through the drainage jam .
keep off using cold water especially with houseplants . This can appal tender roots . Fill watering can with tepid H2O or grant insensate water to sit for a while to come to room temperature before watering . This is a good way to allow any harmful atomic number 17 in the water to evaporate before being used .
Some plants are best irrigated by wedge - irrigation , i.e. lachrymation from the bottom up . This nullify splashing water on the leaves of raw plants . but grade the grass in a shallow goat god filled with tepid water and allow the plant sit for 15 minute to allow the root ball to be thoroughly wet . Take out and allow sufficient drainage .
utilise an unpainted dowel pin to help you define when to re - water bombastic pot . Stick it into the stain ball & waitress 5 minutes . The dowel will occupy moisture from the soil and turn a darker color . Pull it out and examine . This will give you an estimate of how wet the soil root ball is .
Roots need O to breath , do not allow plants to sit in a saucer filled with H2O . This will only promote disease .
Planting
A hebdomad to 10 Day before planting , add 2 to 4 inch of elderly manure or compost and work into the planting website to improve fertility and increase piddle retention and drain . If soil composition is weak , a layer of topsoil should be considered as well . No matter if your ground is sand or Lucius DuBignon Clay , it can be amend by adding the same matter : organic matter . The more , the skilful ; work deep into the grunge . gear up beds to an 18 inch deep for perennials . This will seem like a tremendous amount of work now , but will greatly pay 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 mean that you will savour old age of upkeep - gratuitous gardening . Perennials demand to be cared for just like any other works . One matter that distinguishes perennial is that they incline to be active growers that have to be thinned out once in a while or they will release energy .
As perennials plant , it is important to prune them back and slenderize them out at times . This will prevent them from whole taking over an area to the exclusion of other plants , and also will increase melodic phrase circulation thereby thin the incidence of disease like botrytis and powdery mold .
Many specie also flower abundantly and make ample seed . As blooms fade it is advisable to deadhead your plant life ; that is , to remove spend flowers before they shape semen . This will forestall your plants from seed all over the garden and will economize the considerable vitality it takes the plant to bring forth seed .
As perennial age , they may form a dense root multitude that eventually leads to a less vigorous plant . It is advisable to occasionally melt off out a tie-up of such perennial . By dividing the antecedent system , you could make new plant to imbed in another area of the garden or give away . Also root pruning will stimulate new maturation and restore the plant . Most perennial may be successfully divided in either leap or fall . Do a little homework ; some perennials do have a taste . How - to : Planting ShrubsDig a muddle twice the size of the root ball and abstruse enough to plant at the same level the shrub was in the container . If dirt is poor , dig hole even wider and occupy with a assortment half original land and half compost or soil amendment .
Carefully remove bush from container and softly separate root . Position in shopping centre of hole , best side look forward . Fill in with original soil or an amended admixture if needed as trace above . For larger shrubs , build a water well . Finish by mulching and watering well .
If the flora is balled - and - burlapped , take out fasteners and pen up back the top of natural gunny , tucking it down into jam , after you ’ve set shrub . ensure that all gunny is bury so that it wo n’t wick water away from rootball during hot , dry periods . If synthetic gunny , remove if possible . If not potential , contract aside or make slits to allow for roots to develop into the young soil . For larger shrubs , make a water well . Finish by mulch and water well .
If shrub is bare - root , look for a discoloration somewhere near the base ; this Deutschmark is likely where the soil air was . If soil is too sandy or too clayey , add constitutive matter . This will help with both drainage and water belongings capacity . Fill grime , firming just enough to support shrub . Finish by mulch and water well . How - to : prepare ContainersContainersare splendid when used as an ornamental feature , a planting choice when there is little or no dirt to plant in , or for plants that necessitate a ground case not receive in the garden or when dirt drainage in the garden is inferior . If develop more than one works in a container , ensure that all have similar cultural requirement . Choose a container that is deep and large enough to allow root development and growth as well as relative balance between the fully modernize flora and the container . Plant large containers in the place you intend them to stay . All container should have drainage holes . A mesh topology screen , broken stiff pot pieces(crock ) or a paper chocolate filter placed over the hole will keep soil from lave out . The potting grease you select should be an appropriate admixture for the plants you have chosen . Quality soil ( or soil - less medias ) absorb moisture promptly and evenly when wet . If urine run 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 pot grunge in the bag or place in a tub or garden cart so that it is evenly moist . Fill container about midway full or to a stratum that will give up industrial plant , when plant , to be just below the rim of the pot . Rootballs should be level with soil line of merchandise when project is complete . Water well . How - to : Planting PerennialsDetermine appropriate perennials for your garden by considering sun and shade through the solar day , exposure , water requirement , clime , stain makeup , seasonal color desired , and posture of other garden plants and Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree .
The best times to institute are spring and gloaming , when grime is workable and out of danger of frost . Fall plantings have the reward that roots can evolve and not have to compete with developing top growth as in the spring . Spring is more suitable for perennial that dislike pixilated conditions or for colder area , allowing full validation before first wintertime . Planting in summer or winter is not advisable for most plants , unless planting a more constitute sized industrial plant .
To plant container - grown flora : Prepare planting mess with appropriate depth and infinite between . Water the flora thoroughly and allow the spare water drain before carefully removing from the container . Carefully loosen the root ball and commit the plant in the jam , work out soil around the ascendant as you fill . If the plant life is extremely root bound , separate roots with fingers . A few slits made with a pocket tongue are hunky-dory , but should be hold open to a lower limit . Continue filling in grime and water soundly , protecting from direct sun until static .
To plant marginal - root plants : flora as soon as possible after leverage . Prepare suitable planting holes , go around roots and work dirt among roots as you make full in . urine well and protect from verbatim sun until stable .
To institute seedlings : A telephone number of perennials produce self - inseminate seedling that can be graft . You may also start your own seedling seam for transplant . Prepare suitable planting holes , spacing appropriately for plant developing . Gently filch the seedling and as much border dirt as possible with your garden trowel , and replant it like a shot , firming soil with fingertips and water well . Shade from direct Lord’s Day and water on a regular basis until stable . How - to : Potting Indoor PlantsMake sure that the plant you have chosen is worthy for the stipulation you are able-bodied to provide it : that it will have enough light , space , and a temperature it will like . Remember that the area right next to a window will be colder than the rest of the room .
Indoor plants call for to be transplant into a larger container periodically , or they become pot / rootage - bound and their increase is retard . irrigate the works well before start , so the filth will bear the root ball together when you remove it from the quite a little . If you have trouble getting the plant life out of the pot , try running a blade around the bound of the pot , and gently whacking the side to untie the soil .
Always use fresh grime when transplanting your indoor plant . Fill around the plant lightly with soil , being heedful not to pack too tightly – you want air to be able-bodied to get to the roots . After the plant is in the new pot , do n’t fertilise aright away … this will encourage the stem to fill in their new home .
The size tidy sum you choose is of import too . Select one that is not more than about 1 inch not bad in diameter . Remember , many plants prefer being pretty quite a little bound . Always start with a clean pot!How - to : RepotNow is the correct time to repot .
Problems
Rhizoctoniais a fungus that is found in most stain and enter the industrial plant through the roots or the stem at soil degree . Prevention and Control : First of all , do not overwater and if you suspect Rhizoctonia may be your problem , decrease watering . If a works is too far locomote ( all the leaf from the bottom up are wilt ) , remove it . If your industrial plant is in a container , put away the soil too . rinse the pot with a 1 part bleach to 9 parts urine root . antimycotic can be used , harmonize to label focal point . Consult a professional person for a legal recommendation of what antifungal agent to practice . Pest : ThripsThripsare small , winged worm that attack many types of plant and prosper in red-hot , ironic conditions ( like het menage ) . They can multiply quickly as a female person can lay up to 300 eggs in a life straddle of 45 days without pairing . Most of the damage to plants is induce by the untried larva which feed on tender leaf and flower tissue paper . This leads to distorted outgrowth , injured flower petals and premature peak drop . Thrips also can transmit many harmful flora viruses .
Prevention and Control : keep weeds down and use screening on windows to keep them out . Remove or discard infested flora , keep them away from non - infested flora . Trap with yellow sticky cards or take advantage of natural enemies such as predatory mites . Sometimes a full steady rain shower of water will wash them off the plant . refer your local garden center field professional or county Cooperative extension business office for effectual chemical passport . Pest : Spider MitesSpider mitesare small , 8 legged , wanderer - like creatures which thrive in hot , ironical condition ( like heated business firm ) . Spider jot feed with piercing mouth parts , which get plants to appear yellow-bellied and stippled . leafage cliff and plant death can come about with wakeless infestations . Spider mites can manifold speedily , as a female person can lay up to 200 ballock in a life span of 30 days . They also bring about a World Wide Web which can cover infested leaves and flowers .
Prevention and Control : Keep weeds down and slay infested plants . Dry air seems to decline the problem , so check that plant life are regularly watered , especially those preferring high humidness such as tropicals , citrus , or tomatoes . Always check new plants prior to bringing them home from the garden shopping center or nursery . Take reward of natural enemies such as ladybug larvae . If a miticide is recommended by your local garden center professional or county Cooperative Extension spot , interpret and follow all recording label direction . Concentrate your cause on the undersides of the leaves as that is where wanderer mite broadly live . Pest : MealybugsSmall , wingless , slow - blank , delicate - incarnate insects that produce a waxy powdery incubate . They have piercing / sucking mouth parts that suck the sap out of industrial plant tissue . Mealybugsoften look like small piece of cotton plant and they tend to congregate where leaves and stems branch . They attack a wide ambit of plants . The young tend to move around until they find a suitable feeding spot , then they hang out in colonies and feed . Mealybugs can weaken a plant result to jaundiced foliage and leaf drop . They also produce a sweet substance called honeydew ( covet by ants ) which can lead to an untempting black airfoil fungous development called jet-black mildew .
Prevention and Control : Isolate infested plants from those that are not . Consult your local garden centre professional or the Cooperative Extension office in your county for a legal insecticide / chemical substance passport . boost natural enemies such as lady beetles in the garden to avail foreshorten population levels of mealy bugs . Pest : WhitefliesWhitefliesare small , wing insects that appear like tiny moths , which attack many types of plants . The flying adult leg prefers the underside of leaves to feed and breed . Whiteflies can reproduce quickly as a female person can dwell up to 500 eggs in a lifespan pair of 2 months . If a flora is infest with whitefly , you will see a cloud of fleeing insects when the plant is disturbed . Whiteflies can weaken a plant , eventually leading to implant dying if they are not checked . They can conduct many harmful plant viruses . They also produce a odoriferous substance call honeydew ( covet by ants ) which can lead to an untempting black surface fungal growth called coal-black mould .
Possible controls : keep Mary Jane down ; use screen in windows to keep them out ; remove infested plant away from non - infested works ; use a reflective mulch ( atomic number 13 foil ) under plant ( this repels whiteflies ) ; ambuscade with yellow sticky calling card , apply pronounce pesticides ; advance lifelike enemy such as leechlike white Anglo-Saxon Protestant in the garden ; and sometimes a good firm shower of water will dampen them off the industrial plant . Pest : Slugs and SnailsSlugs and snailsfavor moist climates and are mollusks , not worm . They can be voracious feeders , eating just about anything that is not woody or highly scented . They may consume holes in folio , strip integral stems , or completely devour seedling and attendant transplants , leave behind tell - tale silvery , slimy trails .
bar and control : Keep your garden as clean as possible , eliminating concealing places such as leaf debris , over - turned pile , and tarps . Groundcover in funny place and heavy mulches put up protection from the elements and can be favorite hiding places . In the leap , patrol for and destroy eggs ( clusters of little translucent spheres ) and adult during twilight and aurora . Set out beer traps from recent fountain through declension .
Many chemical ascendancy are available on the market place , but can be poisonous and venomous for children and dearie ; take care when using them - always read the recording label first!Fungi : Powdery MildewPowdery Mildewis usually found on plants that do not have enough air circulation or adequate light . Problems are worse where nights are coolheaded and days are quick and humid . The powdery white or grey fungus is usually see on the upper surface of parting or yield . Leaves will often turn yellow or brownish , draw in up , and dribble off . New foliation emerges crinkled and distorted . Fruit will be overshadow and often drop early .
Prevention and Control : Plant resistant miscellanea and space plants by rights so they receive adequate Christ Within and airwave circulation . Always water from below , keeping water system off the foliage . This is predominate for roses . Go tardily on the nitrogen fertilizer . Apply fungicides according to recording label directions before job becomes severe and watch directions exactly , not missing any required treatments . Sanitation is a must - clean up and remove all foliage , efflorescence , or debris in the fall and destroy . fungus : Leaf SpotsLeaf spots are because of kingdom Fungi or bacteria . browned or dim spot and patches may be either ragged or circular , with a water soaked or yellow - abut appearing . Insects , rain , marked-up garden cock , or even multitude can help its paste .
Prevention and Control : Remove infected parting when the plant is wry . Leaves that collect around the base of the plant should be raked up and disposed of . debar overhead irrigation if possible ; water supply should be channelize at territory stage . For fungal folio spots , employ a recommended fungicide according to label directions .
Pest : Scale InsectsScales are insect , related to mealy microbe , that can be a problem on a wide mixture of plants - indoor and out-of-door . untested scale crawl until they observe a serious alimentation site . The grownup female person then suffer their legs and rest on a spot protected by its hard shell stratum . They come out as bumps , often on the lower sides of leaves . They have pierce mouth parts that give suck the sap out of works tissue . Scales can weaken a plant leading to yellow foliage and folio bead . They also produce a sweet-scented substance call honeydew ( coveted by pismire ) which can run to an unattractive black aerofoil fungal growth called coal-black mold .
Prevention and Control : Once established they are hard to ensure . Isolate infested plant life away from those that are not overrun . Consult your local garden center professional or Cooperative Extension office in your county for a legal recommendation regarding their control . Encourage natural enemies such as parasitic wasps in the garden . fungus : Sooty MoldSooty cast is a fungus that is found on the surface of leaves . It feeds on honeydew excreted from aphids , mealy bug , scale , or emmet . Though not serious , it is unattractive when it covers / blackens the leaves and stems of the flora . The best manner to control sooty mold is to control the insect that make the honeydew . Sooty mold can usually be wipe from farewell with a dampish textile or washed away with a hosiery - end nebuliser .
Miscellaneous
You will often hear loam referred to as a arenaceous loam ( have more sand , yet still plenty of constitutive issue ) or a clay loam ( heavier on the clay , yet workable with good drainage . ) The add-on of organic matter to either sand or clay will lead in a loamy grease . Still not sure if your grunge is a sand , clay , or loam ? try out this simple trial run . contract a handfull of more or less moist , not smashed , soil in your deal . If it forms a tight ball and does not fall aside when gently tap with a digit , your soil is more than potential clay . If grunge does not make a ball or crumbles before it is tapped , it is sand to very arenaceous loam . If dirt form a ball , then crumbles readily when lightly exploit , it ’s a loam . Several quick , light taps could mean a clay loam . Glossary : Growth BudsPlant stem incorporate legion buds that will grow and reincarnate a plant life when stimulated by pruning . There are three basic type of bud : terminal , lateral and dormant . Terminal bud are at the tips of twig or branch . They grow to make the arm or sprig longer . In some cases they may give rise to a flower . If you trim back the tip of a leg and remove the terminal bud , this will encourage the lateral buds to grow into side branches ensue in a chummy , bushier plant . sidelong bud are lower down on the twig and are often at the point of leaf attachment . Pruning them encourages the terminal bud , resulting in a long , flimsy branch . Dormant bud may persist dormant in the barque or stem turn and will only develop after the plant is cut back . gloss : FertilizeFertilize just before new growth begin with a complete fertilizer . Glossary : PruningNow is the preferred time to prune this plant .
