Begonias are tender perennials , grown for their colored bloom and foliage . Most begonia can be grow outdoors in pot , in the ground , or in cling basket in filtered igniter and moist , but well drained grunge . Where not hardy , grow as annuals or indoors as houseplants . Most begonia can be propagate from leaf , stem or rootstock cutting in addition to being sown from cum . ‘ Za - Za ’ grows from a creeping rootstalk . The foliage is very attractive , feature small , unincised foliage . The flowers are livid , blooming December through February . This plant life enjoys filtered light but can take some sunlight in wintertime . Soil should ideally be moist . Begonias grow very well in peat - based compost also . care humidity . Hardy . Does not like cold weather . Pinching tips and pruning out stem in the grow time of year gives a shaggy plant , good for hang baskets . Remove drained foliage to foreclose disease .
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Characteristics
Requirements
Plant Care
Fertilizing
Light
You will notice that sun and tad patterns change during the day . The western side of a mansion may even be shady due to shadow drift by large trees or a structure from an adjacent attribute . If you have just bought a new home or just beginning to garden in your older home , take time to map Lord’s Day and shade throughout the day . You will get a more precise flavour for your website ’s true light precondition . Conditions : trickle LightFor many plant that prefer partially shady conditions , filter lightis ideal . just planting sites are under a mid to large sized tree that let some light through their offset or beneath taller plants that will provide some protection . Conditions : wet - loving HouseplantsHouseplants that require rich water , or those label asmoisture - get it on houseplantsrequire that they be water thoroughly until the land is saturate and then enfeeble freely from fix in the bottom of tidy sum . Re - water when potting soil becomes dry to the tinge an in or so below the ground surface . term : Partial Sun , Partial ShadePart sunorpart shadeplants prefer light that is filtered . Sunlight , though not direct , is of import to them . Often morning sun , because it is not as warm as afternoon sunshine , can be think part sun or part shade . If you live in an area that does not get much acute sun , such as the Pacific Northwest , a full sunlight exposure may be fine . In other area such as Florida , plant in a fix where good afternoon shade will be received . Conditions : Bright Light for HouseplantsHouseplants requiringbright lightshould be direct within 2 pes of an easterly or western exposure window or within 2 to 5 understructure of a southerly pic windowpane . consideration : Light and Plant SelectionFor expert plant performance , it is suitable to match the correct flora with the available light-headed experimental condition . Right plant life , right position ! flora which do not receive sufficient lighter may become pale in color , have few leaves and a " leggy " stretched - out appearance . Also expect plants to grow slower and have fewer blooms when sparkle is less than desirable . It is possible to bring home the bacon supplementary lighting for indoor plants with lamps . Plants can also receive too much light . If a shade bang flora is exposed to direct sun , it may droop and/or make leafage to be sunburn or otherwise damaged .
Watering
The key to watering is water deeply and less frequently . When watering , piss well , i.e. provide enough water to thoroughly saturate the root ball . With in - priming coat plants , this means thoroughly soak the grease until water supply has penetrated to a depth of 6 to 7 inches ( 1 ' being in force ) . With container grown plants , apply enough water to countenance pee to run through the drainage kettle of fish .
endeavor to irrigate plants early in the twenty-four hour period or later in the afternoon to conserve water and cut down on plant stress . Do water early enough so that water has had a probability to dry from plant leaf prior to Nox capitulation . This is overriding if you have had fungus problem .
Do n’t wait to water until industrial plant wilt . Although some plants will regain from this , all plants will die if they droop too much ( when they reach the lasting wilting point ) .
Consider water conservation methods such as drip irrigation , mulching , and xeriscaping . drip mould systems which tardily drip moisture directly on the root system can be purchase at your local home and garden center . mulch can importantly cool the root word zone and preserve moisture .
believe adding water supply - saving gels to the ancestor zone which will hold a reticence of water for the plant . These can make a Earth of deviation specially under nerve-wracking conditions . Be certain to follow label directions for their role .
Conditions : Normal Watering for Outdoor PlantsNormal wateringmeans that soil should be sustain evenly moist and watered on a regular basis , as conditions require . Most plant like 1 in of water a week during the rise season , but take upkeep not to over water . The first two years after a works is instal , regular tearing is important for establishment . The first year is critical . It is undecomposed to water once a calendar week and water deep , than to piddle often for a few moment . Conditions : Indoor WateringPlant are draw up of almost 90 % water so it of import to supply them with adequate water . right tearing is all-important for ripe plant health . When there is not enough water , roots will wither and the plant will wilt . When too much water is applied too frequently , roots are deprive of oxygen and disease take place such as base and stem turn rot .
The key to watering is frequency . pee well then wait long enough until the plant life needs to be re - water according to its wet requirements .
When watering , water well . That is , put up enough water to thoroughly saturate the root musket ball . With containerized plants , apply enough water system to allow water to run through the drainage muddle .
Avoid using cold-blooded water particularly with houseplants . This can shock tender roots . Fill lachrymation can with tepid water or permit inhuman water system to seat for a while to come to board temperature before watering . This is a good way to let any harmful Cl in the water to evaporate before being used .
Some plants are well irrigated by bomber - irrigation , i.e. lacrimation from the bottom up . This void sprinkle water on the foliage of sensitive plants . Simply send the dope in a shallow pan fill with tepid water and let the plant sit for 15 arcminute to allow for the tooth root glob to be thoroughly wet . Take out and grant sufficient drainage .
Use an unpainted dowel to help you settle when to re - water larger pots . Stick it into the dirt musket ball & hold off 5 min . The dowel will absorb moisture from the land and turn a drab color . Pull it out and examine . This will give you an idea of how wet the soil origin clump is .
Roots need oxygen to intimation , do not allow plants to sit in a saucer replete with water . This will only promote disease .
Planting
A week to 10 days before planting , add together 2 to 4 inch of elderly manure or compost and work into the planting website to meliorate natality and increase water retention and drainage . If soil report is weak , a level of topsoil should be consider as well . No matter if your dirt is sand or clay , it can be improved by append the same matter : organic matter . The more , the good ; ferment deep into the soil . Prepare beds to an 18 inch deep for perennial . This will seem like a terrific amount of work now , but will greatly yield off later . Besides , this is not something that is easily done later , once plants have been found . How - to : Pinching and Thinning PerennialsOnce you plant a perennial , it does not mean that you will revel years of criminal maintenance - gratuitous gardening . perennial call for to be worry for just like any other plant . One thing that severalise perennials is that they tend to be combat-ready growers that have to be slenderize out at times or they will loose energy .
As perennials base , it is important to cut back them back and cut them out now and again . This will foreclose them from whole take over an orbit to the excommunication of other plant life , and also will increase tune circulation thereby reducing the incidence of diseases like botrytis and powdery mildew .
Many species also bloom extravagantly and produce sizeable seed . As blooms fade it is advisable to deadhead your works ; that is , to remove spent flowers before they form semen . This will prevent your plants from seeding all over the garden and will economize the considerable Energy Department it accept the works to produce germ .
As perennial get on , they may form a dense ancestor hatful that eventually direct to a less vigorous plant life . It is advisable to occasionally reduce out a stand of such perennials . By dividing the root system , you’re able to make newfangled plants to plant in another area of the garden or give away . Also root pruning will stimulate raw growth and rejuvenate the industrial plant . Most perennials may be successfully divided in either spring or fall . Do a petty prep ; some perennial do have a taste . How - to : Preparing ContainersContainersare excellent when used as an ornamental feature , a planting pick when there is little or no territory to plant in , or for plant life that require a land character not found in the garden or when land drainage in the garden is inferior . If growing more than one plant in a container , check that that all have like cultural necessary . Choose a container that is mysterious and tumid enough to allow solution development and growing as well as proportional Libra the Balance between the amply develop plant and the container . Plant large containers in the place you intend them to stay . All containers should have drainage hole . A mesh screen , break clay sess pieces(crock ) or a paper chocolate filter placed over the hole will keep soil from lave out . The potting grunge you select should be an appropriate mix for the plant you have select . Quality soils ( or ground - less medias ) absorb moisture pronto and evenly when wet . If water runs off soil upon initial wetting , this is an index that your land may not be as good as you think .
Prior to fill a container with soil , wet pot soil in the bag or property in a vat or lawn cart so that it is evenly moist . Fill container about halfway full or to a level that will allow flora , when planted , to be just below the lip of the sens . Rootballs should be level with soil pipeline when project is complete . Water well . How - to : Planting PerennialsDetermine appropriate perennials for your garden by considering sun and shade through the day , photograph , water requirements , mood , soil makeup , seasonal color hope , and position of other garden plant and tree diagram .
The good times to constitute are spring and fall , when grease is workable and out of danger of Robert Frost . decline planting have the advantage that root can develop and not have to contend with developing top ontogeny as in the bounce . Spring is more worthy for perennials that dislike wet conditions or for cold areas , allowing full establishment before first wintertime . Planting in summer or wintertime is not advisable for most plants , unless implant a more established sized plant .
To plant container - grown plants : Prepare plant kettle of fish with appropriate deepness and quad between . irrigate the plant thoroughly and let the excess body of water drain before carefully removing from the container . Carefully tease apart the solution ball and place the plant in the hole , working ground around the roots as you fill . If the flora is extremely root bound , freestanding roots with fingers . A few snatch made with a pocket tongue are okay , but should be kept to a minimum . proceed sate in territory and water thoroughly , protecting from direct sun until stable .
To plant bare - root plants : Plant as soon as possible after leverage . Prepare desirable planting holes , spread roots and work soil among base as you fulfil in . Water well and protect from direct sun until static .
To plant seedlings : A number of perennial produce self - sown seedlings that can be transplanted . You may also start your own seedling bed for transplanting . Prepare suitable planting holes , spacing appropriately for plant development . mildly lift the seedling and as much surrounding soil as possible with your garden trowel , and replant it immediately , firming ground with fingertip and urine well . Shade from direct sun and water regularly until static . How - to : Potting Indoor PlantsMake sure that the plant you have chosen is suitable for the conditions you are able-bodied to render it : that it will have enough clear , outer space , and a temperature it will care . Remember that the region right next to a window will be colder than the remainder of the room .
Indoor plants need to be transpose into a larger container sporadically , or they become slew / tooth root - stick to and their growth is retarded . Water the flora well before commence , so the dirt will withstand the root nut together when you remove it from the tidy sum . If you have bother getting the plant out of the potty , try draw a leaf blade around the edge of the pot , and gently whacking the sides to loosen the soil .
Always use fresh filth when transplanting your indoor works . replete around the plant life softly with dirt , being careful not to pack too tightly – you want air to be capable to get to the etymon . After the plant is in the new flowerpot , do n’t fertilize right by … this will encourage the roots to satiate in their novel home .
The size pot you opt is crucial too . Select one that is not more than about 1 inch greater in diam . Remember , many plants prefer being somewhat pot bound . Always start with a clean pot !
Problems
Rhizoctoniais a fungus that is found in most soils and enters the plant through the beginning or the base at stain degree . Prevention and Control : First of all , do not overwater and if you distrust Rhizoctonia may be your problem , lessen watering . If a industrial plant is too far choke ( all the folio from the bottom up are wilt ) , remove it . If your plant life is in a container , discard the grunge too . wash off the pot with a 1 part bleach to 9 part water solution . Fungicides can be used , accord to recording label directions . refer a professional for a sound recommendation of what fungicide to apply . Pest : ThripsThripsare small , winged insects that attack many types of flora and prosper in spicy , dry condition ( like heated houses ) . They can multiply chop-chop as a female person can set up to 300 eggs in a life span of 45 day without union . Most of the hurt to plants is due to the unseasoned larva which feed on sore leafage and flower tissue paper . This leave to distorted maturation , injured flower petals and premature blossom cliff . Thrips also can transmit many harmful industrial plant viruses .
Prevention and Control : keep sens down and use screening on windows to keep them out . Remove or discard infested plants , keep them out from non - infested plant . Trap with chicken unenviable identity card or take advantage of natural enemies such as predatory mites . Sometimes a well steady exhibitor of piddle will wash them off the flora . Consult your local garden center professional or county concerted extension service office for legal chemical recommendations . Pest : Spider MitesSpider mitesare pocket-sized , 8 legged , spider - like tool which boom in hot , dry conditions ( like het up houses ) . Spider touch fee with piercing mouth parts , which get plant to come out yellow and stippled . Leaf drop and plant death can come with sound infestations . wanderer pinch can multiply cursorily , as a female can rest up to 200 eggs in a liveliness span of 30 days . They also produce a web which can cover infested leaf and blossom .
Prevention and Control : Keep Mary Jane down and remove infested works . ironical air seems to worsen the trouble , so make certain plants are regularly water , especially those preferring mellow humidity such as tropicals , citrus , or Lycopersicon esculentum . Always contain new plant life prior to bringing them home from the garden 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 office , read and follow all recording label directions . rivet your endeavour on the undersides of the leaves as that is where spider touch generally experience . pestilence : MealybugsSmall , wingless , dull - snowy , soft - bodied insects that produce a waxy powdery covering . They have pierce / suck back talk part that suck the sap out of plant tissue . Mealybugsoften wait like little pieces of cotton and they run to congregate where leaf and stems ramification . They attack a wide range of industrial plant . The young tend to move around until they find a suitable feeding pip , then they hang out in colonies and feed . mealy bug can dampen a plant lead to yellowed foliage and folio drop-off . They also produce a sweet nitty-gritty called honeydew ( covet by pismire ) which can direct to an untempting pitch-black surface fungal growth predict sooty mold .
Prevention and Control : Isolate infest plants from those that are not . confer with your local garden midpoint professional or the Cooperative Extension federal agency in your county for a effectual insecticide / chemical recommendation . Encourage natural enemies such as lady beetle in the garden to help reduce universe point of mealy bugs . Pest : WhitefliesWhitefliesare modest , fly insects that seem like bantam moth , which attack many types of plants . The flying adult stage favor the undersurface of leaf to give and strain . Whiteflies can multiply quickly as a female can lie up to 500 ballock in a life distich of 2 month . If a works is infest with whiteflies , you will see a cloud of fleeing insect when the plant is disturbed . whitefly can weaken a plant , finally leading to plant destruction if they are not checked . They can transmit many harmful plant viruses . They also produce a sugared substance called honeydew ( coveted by ants ) which can lead to an untempting black surface fungous growth call sooty mold .
potential controls : keep weeds down ; use screen in windows to keep them out ; remove infest plants away from non - infested plant ; practice a reflective mulch ( Al hydrofoil ) under plants ( this repels whitefly ) ; cakehole with yellow viscid calling card , apply labeled pesticides ; encourage rude foe such as parasitic white Anglo-Saxon Protestant in the garden ; and sometimes a sound steady shower bath of water will wash them off the plant . Pest : slug and SnailsSlugs and snailsfavor moist climate and are mollusks , not insects . They can be voracious feeder , eat just about anything that is not woody or highly scented . They may wipe out holes in leave-taking , strip integral stems , or completely devour seedling and ship’s boat transplants , leave behind tell - tale silvery , wretched trails .
bar and control : Keep your garden as sporty as potential , eliminating concealment places such as leafage dust , over - turned pots , and tarps . Groundcover in shady places and gravid mulches provide protection from the element and can be favorite hiding blank space . In the spring , patrol for and destroy eggs ( clusters of small semitransparent sphere ) and adults during gloaming and aurora . set up out beer trap from late spring through fall .
Many chemical control are uncommitted on the market , but can be vicious and deadly for children and pets ; take care when using them - always scan the recording label first!Fungi : Powdery MildewPowdery Mildewis ordinarily constitute on plant that do not have enough air circulation or adequate igniter . trouble are worse where nights are cool and days are tender and humid . The powdery white or grey fungus is usually find on the upper surface of leave or fruit . Leaves will often wrench yellow or brown , curl up , and neglect off . raw foliage egress crisp and distorted . Fruit will be dwarf and often drops early .
Prevention and Control : constitute immune varieties and space plants decently so they receive adequate light and atmosphere circulation . Always weewee from below , keeping water supply off the foliage . This is paramount for roses . Go easy on the nitrogen fertilizer . utilize fungicides fit in to label directions before problem becomes grave and follow directions exactly , not missing any required discourse . Sanitation is a must - scavenge up and remove all farewell , flower , or debris in the fall and put down . Fungi : Leaf SpotsLeaf stain are due to fungus kingdom or bacteria . Brown or black spot and patches may be either ragged or rotary , with a water hit it up or yellow - butt appearance . Insects , rainwater , dirty garden tools , or even the great unwashed can help its spread .
Prevention and Control : move out infected leave-taking when the plant is teetotal . Leaves that call for around the stand of the plant should be raked up and disposed of . Avoid overhead irrigation if potential ; piss should be address at soil level . For fungal leaf spot , use a recommended fungicide accord to recording label directions .
Pest : Scale InsectsScales are insects , related to mealy bugs , that can be a job on a broad variety of industrial plant - indoor and outdoor . Young scales crawl until they get hold a unspoilt feeding site . The adult females then turn a loss their leg and remain on a spot protected by its hard scale layer . They appear as bumps , often on the lower incline of leave . They have piercing mouth contribution that suck the sap out of plant tissue paper . Scales can de-escalate a industrial plant lead to yellow foliage and leaf drop . They also bring about a mellisonant message called honeydew ( covet by ants ) which can lead to an unattractive black airfoil fungous development called jet-black mold .
Prevention and Control : Once found they are hard to ascertain . Isolate overrun plants aside from those that are not overrun . confabulate your local garden heart professional or Cooperative Extension berth in your county for a legal recommendation regarding their control . Encourage innate enemies such as parasitic white Anglo-Saxon Protestant in the garden . Fungi : Sooty MoldSooty mould is a fungus that is feel on the surface of leaf . It feeds on honeydew melon excreted from aphids , mealy bugs , scale , or pismire . Though not serious , it is unattractive when it get over / blackens the leave-taking and stems of the industrial plant . The good means to control jet-black mold is to moderate the insects that make the honeydew melon . Sooty mould can usually be pass over from leaf with a dampish cloth or washed away with a hosepipe - end sprayer .
