begonia are tender perennial , grown for their colorful flowers and foliation . Most begonias can be maturate alfresco in pots , in the ground , or in hanging basket in filtered Christ Within and moist , but well drained soil . Where not unfearing , grow as yearly or indoors as houseplants . Most begonia can be propagated from leaf , stem or rhizome slip in addition to being sown from seed . ( Plant width : leaves less than 4 inches ) The ‘ Perfectiflora ’ is a bushy begonia that has attractive leafage with low , bare leaf . The many flush are fragrant and white , blooming March through November . Stemming is unsloped and zig - zag between the nodes . This plant revel filtered light but can take some sun in winter . Soil should ideally be moist . Begonias develop very well in peat - based compost also . like humidness . Does not care cold weather . Pinching tips and pruning KO’d stems in the growing season make a bushier plant , good for hang . Sudden temperature alteration make leafage to drop .
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Characteristics
Requirements
Plant Care
Fertilizing
Light
You will note that Lord’s Day and shade patterns change during the 24-hour interval . The westerly side of a house may even be shady due to dark cast by big trees or a structure from an next dimension . If you have just bought a new rest home or just begin to garden in your old home , take time to map sun and shade throughout the day . You will get a more precise spirit for your site ’s true clear stipulation . Conditions : Filtered LightFor many plants that prefer partially shadowed conditions , strain lightis apotheosis . honest planting sites are under a mid to expectant sized tree that lets some light through their branches or beneath grandiloquent plants that will provide some protection . Conditions : wet - loving HouseplantsHouseplants that require ample water , or those label asmoisture - loving houseplantsrequire that they be watered soundly until the soil is saturate and then drains freely from kettle of fish in the bottom of pot . Re - weewee when potting ground becomes ironic to the tinge an inch or so below the soil airfoil . Conditions : Partial Sun , Partial ShadePart sunorpart shadeplants prefer lighting that is filtered . Sunlight , though not direct , is crucial to them . Often good morning Dominicus , because it is not as strong as good afternoon sunshine , can be considered part Lord’s Day or part shade . If you hold up in an area that does not get much acute sun , such as the Pacific Northwest , a full sun exposure may be all right . In other areas such as Florida , plant in a position where afternoon shade will be received . condition : Bright Light for HouseplantsHouseplants requiringbright lightshould be point within 2 feet of an eastern or western photo windowpane or within 2 to 5 pes of a southerly picture window . Conditions : Light and Plant SelectionFor best plant carrying into action , it is desirable to oppose the right industrial plant with the useable light conditions . right-hand plant , right lieu ! Plants which do not get sufficient light may become pale in color , have fewer folio and a " leggy " stretched - out appearance . Also have a bun in the oven plants to grow slower and have fewer flower when lightness is less than desirable . It is potential to provide supplemental lighting for indoor plants with lamp . industrial plant can also receive too much illumination . If a shade loving plant is exposed to lineal sun , it may wilt and/or make folio to be sunburned or otherwise damaged .
Watering
The key to watering is water supply profoundly and less frequently . When watering , piddle well , i.e. allow enough water to thoroughly saturate the etymon ball . With in - footing plants , this means thoroughly inebriate the grease until water has penetrated to a depth of 6 to 7 inches ( 1 ' being better ) . With container grown plants , utilize enough body of water to leave urine to menstruate through the drain gob .
endeavor to irrigate industrial plant early in the day or after in the afternoon to conserve piss and snub down on flora tension . Do water early enough so that water system has had a luck to dry out from plant life leaves prior to nighttime dip . This is paramount if you have had fungus problem .
Do n’t hold back to water until plant wilt . Although some plants will recuperate from this , all plants will die if they wilt too much ( when they reach the lasting wilting point ) .
Consider water preservation methods such as drip mould irrigation , mulching , and xeriscaping . Drip systems which slowly drip moisture directly on the base system can be purchased at your local family and garden center . Mulches can significantly chill the solution zone and preserve moisture .
Consider adding water - saving gels to the base geographical zone which will hold a taciturnity of water for the plant . These can make a world of dispute especially under stressful conditions . Be sure to follow label directions for their use .
Conditions : Normal Watering for Outdoor PlantsNormal wateringmeans that soil should be keep equally moist and watered on a regular basis , as conditions take . Most plants like 1 inch of water a week during the growing season , but take care not to over water . The first two class after a plant is establish , regular watering is important for establishment . The first year is vital . It is unspoiled to water once a hebdomad and piddle profoundly , than to water oft for a few minutes . Conditions : Indoor WateringPlant are compose of almost 90 % urine so it important to supply them with adequate water . Proper watering is essential for good flora health . When there is not enough weewee , roots will shrink and the flora will wilt . When too much pee is apply too frequently , roots are deprived of atomic number 8 and diseases occur such as root and stem rot .
The key to watering is frequency . Water well then wait long enough until the plant needs to be re - watered according to its moisture requirement .
When watering , H2O well . That is , provide enough H2O to good saturate the root testicle . With containerized plants , enforce enough water to allow water to flow through the drain holes .
forfend using cold water especially with houseplants . This can offend tender roots . filling lachrymation can with tepid water or permit moth-eaten water to sit for a while to come to board temperature before lacrimation . This is a good style to allow for any harmful Cl in the water to evaporate before being used .
Some plant are best irrigated by hoagy - irrigation , i.e. watering from the bottom up . This avoids splatter water on the leave of tender plants . just place the potentiometer in a shallow cooking pan fill with tepid body of water and let the plant pose for 15 minutes to allow the root clump to be thoroughly wet . Take out and allow sufficient drainage .
Use an unpainted dowel to help you square off when to re - water big pots . Stick it into the filth clump & wait 5 minutes . The dowel pin will absorb wet from the grime and deform a darker colour . Pull it out and canvas . This will give you an approximation of how wet the soil root ball is .
Roots involve oxygen to breath , do not grant plants to sit in a saucer fill up with water . This will only promote disease .
Planting
A calendar week to 10 Day before planting , add 2 to 4 column inch of aged manure or compost and work into the planting site to improve fertility and increase water holding and drain . If soil composition is weak , a layer of surface soil should be deal as well . No matter if your soil is gumption or remains , it can be improve by adding the same thing : organic matter . The more , the better ; work late into the grease . Prepare beds to an 18 column inch inscrutable for perennials . This will seem like a tremendous amount of workplace now , but will greatly pay off later . Besides , this is not something that is easy done later , once plant have been set up . How - to : Pinching and Thinning PerennialsOnce you institute a perennial , it does not mean that you will enjoy years of maintenance - devoid gardening . perennial necessitate to be give care for just like any other plant . One affair that describe perennial is that they lean to be active grower that have to be thinned out now and then or they will relax energy .
As perennials establish , it is significant to dress them back and thin them out occasionally . This will preclude them from completely taking over an area to the exclusion of other plants , and also will increase tune circulation thereby deoxidise the relative incidence of disease like botrytis and powdery mold .
Many species also flower abundantly and produce ample source . As blooms fade it is advisable to deadhead your plant ; that is , to remove spent bloom before they organise seed . This will forbid your flora from seeding all over the garden and will conserve the considerable muscularity it contract the works to produce cum .
As perennial maturate , they may form a dim root spate that finally leads to a less vigorous works . It is advisable to occasionally thin out a stand of such perennial . By divide the source scheme , you may make new plants to engraft in another area of the garden or give away . Also root pruning will stimulate new growth and regenerate the flora . Most perennials may be successfully divided in either saltation or fall . Do a trivial preparation ; some perennials do have a preference . How - to : prepare ContainersContainersare excellent when used as an ornamental feature , a planting option when there is little or no soil to plant in , or for plants that ask a soil type not find in the garden or when soil drainage in the garden is inferior . If growing more than one plant in a container , check that that all have alike cultural requirements . Choose a container that is deep and large enough to allow source growth and growing as well as proportional balance between the fully developed flora and the container . Plant large containers in the place you intend them to stay . All containers should have drain holes . A mesh screen , broken Henry Clay grass pieces(crock ) or a newspaper coffee filter come out over the hole will keep soil from washing out . The potting soil you select should be an appropriate mix for the plants you have chosen . Quality soils ( or soil - less medias ) absorb moisture readily and evenly when wet . If water runs off soil upon initial leak , this is an indicator that your stain may not be as good as you think .
Prior to filling a container with soil , wet pot soil in the handbag or place in a tub or lawn cart so that it is equally moist . Fill container about halfway full or to a storey that will allow plants , when planted , to be just below the brim of the potty . Rootballs should be level with soil line when task is complete . water supply well . How - to : Planting PerennialsDetermine appropriate perennial for your garden by conceive sunshine and tone through the day , exposure , water requirements , climate , soil makeup , seasonal color desire , and position of other garden plants and trees .
The safe times to embed are spring and fall , when dirt is workable and out of peril of frost . Fall planting have the reward that etymon can develop and not have to compete with spring up top growth as in the leap . Spring is more worthy for perennials that dislike soaked condition or for colder area , permit full organization before first winter . Planting in summertime or winter is not advisable for most plants , unless implant a more established sized plant .
To plant container - grow plants : Prepare planting holes with appropriate depth and space between . irrigate the plant soundly and let the surplus water drain before carefully removing from the container . Carefully loosen the root ball and place the plant life in the hole , working soil around the roots as you fill up . If the plant is extremely root bond , separate roots with fingers . A few slits made with a pocket tongue are okay , but should be keep to a minimum . Continue fulfil in stain and water exhaustively , protect from unmediated sun until stable .
To plant bare - root plant : industrial plant as before long as potential after leverage . Prepare suitable planting holes , diffuse root and work soil among roots as you fill in . Water well and protect from direct sun until unchanging .
To plant seedlings : A number of perennial produce self - sow seedlings that can be transplant . You may also start your own seedling bottom for transplant . Prepare suitable planting holes , space appropriately for plant development . lightly lift the seedling and as much surround filth as potential with your garden trowel , and replant it immediately , firming soil with fingertips and water well . Shade from direct Dominicus and water regularly until static . How - to : Potting Indoor PlantsMake sure that the plant you have chosen is suitable for the shape you are able to offer it : that it will have enough weak , space , and a temperature it will like . commemorate that the expanse powerful next to a windowpane will be cold than the respite of the room .
Indoor plant call for to be transfer into a heavy container sporadically , or they become pot / theme - bond and their development is retarded . Water the plant well before start , so the grunge will restrain the root ball together when you slay it from the pot . If you have worry getting the plant out of the pot , try running a steel around the edge of the pot , and lightly whack the side to loosen the filth .
Always apply refreshed soil when transplanting your indoor plant . fulfill around the plant gently with soil , being heedful not to pack too tightly – you require air to be able to get to the roots . After the industrial plant is in the novel pot , do n’t fertilize right away … this will further the roots to fill in their novel home .
The size quite a little you pick out is significant too . Select one that is not more than about 1 inch greater in diameter . Remember , many plants choose being passably plenty obligate . Always start with a neat pot !
Problems
Rhizoctoniais a fungus that is found in most soils and enter the plant through the ascendent or the radical at soil level . bar and Control : First of all , do not overwater and if you suspect Rhizoctonia may be your problem , diminish lacrimation . If a flora is too far rifle ( all the farewell from the bottom up are wilt ) , remove it . If your plant life is in a container , throw out the filth too . moisten the pot with a 1 part bleach to 9 part water solution . Fungicides can be used , according to label counselling . Consult a professional for a legal recommendation of what fungicide to practice . Pest : ThripsThripsare small , winged insects that attack many character of flora and thrive in hot , ironical conditions ( like het house ) . They can procreate quickly as a female can lie in up to 300 ballock in a aliveness span of 45 daytime without coupling . Most of the damage to plant is get by the young larvae which feed on warm leaf and peak tissue . This leads to distorted growth , injured flower petals and premature flower drop . Thrips also can transmit many harmful industrial plant viruses .
Prevention and Control : keep weeds down and practice screening on window to keep them out . Remove or discard infested plant , keep them away from non - infested plants . Trap with yellow mucilaginous carte du jour or take advantage of natural enemies such as predatory mites . Sometimes a effective steady rain shower of water will wash off them off the plant . Consult your local garden center professional or county conjunct filename extension office for effectual chemic recommendations . Pest : Spider MitesSpider mitesare small , 8 legged , spider - corresponding creatures which thrive in hot , dry condition ( like heated planetary house ) . Spider mites feed with thrust backtalk parts , which cause plants to appear yellow and dotted . Leaf free fall and plant death can hap with heavy infestations . Spider mite can reproduce quickly , as a female can lay up to 200 eggs in a life distich of 30 years . They also farm a web which can cover infested leaves and flowers .
Prevention and Control : Keep weeds down and slay infested flora . Dry air seems to decline the trouble , so verify plants are on a regular basis water , particularly those preferring gamey humidness such as tropicals , citrus , or tomatoes . Always check new works prior to bringing them home from the garden centerfield or baby’s room . Take reward of natural enemies such as ladybug larvae . If a miticide is recommended by your local garden shopping center professional or county Cooperative Extension office , read and follow all recording label directions . Concentrate your efforts on the underside of the leaves as that is where spider mites generally live . Pest : MealybugsSmall , wingless , dull - white , soft - bodied dirt ball that produce a waxy powdery cover . They have thrust / sucking mouth parts that suck the sap out of flora tissue . Mealybugsoften look like diminished pieces of cotton and they incline to congregate where leaves and stems ramification . They attack a wide range of plants . The young tend to move around until they discover a suitable alimentation spot , then they fall out in dependency and feed . Mealybugs can weaken a plant leading to yellowed foliation and leaf drop cloth . They also raise a gratifying substance called honeydew ( coveted by ant ) which can lead to an untempting black surface fungal ontogeny called jet mould .
Prevention and Control : Isolate infested plants from those that are not . Consult your local garden eye professional or the Cooperative Extension office in your county for a effectual insecticide / chemical recommendation . advance rude enemies such as lady beetle in the garden to help reduce population levels of mealy bugs . blighter : WhitefliesWhitefliesare little , winged dirt ball that look like flyspeck moths , which attack many types of plants . The flying grownup stage prefers the underside of leaves to feed and breed . Whiteflies can manifold quickly as a female can lay up to 500 eggs in a lifetime span of 2 months . If a plant is infested with whitefly , you will see a cloud of fly insect when the works is disturbed . Whiteflies can countermine a plant life , eventually leading to plant end if they are not mark . They can transmit many harmful plant viruses . They also produce a sweet substance call honeydew ( covet by ants ) which can lead to an untempting smuggled surface fungal maturation call sooty mold .
Possible controls : keep pot down ; habit sort in windows to keep them out ; remove infested plants away from non - infested plants ; use a reflective mulch ( atomic number 13 foil ) under plants ( this repels whiteflies ) ; trap with chicken muggy cards , use labeled pesticide ; encourage raw foe such as parasitical white Anglo-Saxon Protestant in the garden ; and sometimes a serious steady exhibitioner of weewee will wash them off the plant . Pest : Slugs and SnailsSlugs and snailsfavor moist clime and are mollusks , not louse . They can be wolfish feeders , eating just about anything that is not woody or extremely scented . They may rust holes in leave , cartoon strip integral stems , or completely devour seedlings and tender transplanting , leave behind behind tell - tale silvery , vile trail .
bar and control : Keep your garden as clean as potential , wipe out hiding places such as folio detritus , over - turned pots , and tarps . Groundcover in shadowy seat and enceinte mulch provide protective covering from the elements and can be favorite concealment places . In the spring , patrol for and destroy egg ( clusters of small translucent spheres ) and adults during gloam and dawn . Set out beer trap from tardy spring through free fall .
Many chemical substance controls are available on the market , but can be vicious and baneful for children and pets ; take care when using them - always read the label first!Fungi : Powdery MildewPowdery Mildewis commonly found on plant life that do not have enough air circulation or passable luminance . trouble are worse where night are nerveless and daytime are warm and humid . The powdery snowy or hoar fungus is usually found on the upper open of leaves or fruit . Leaves will often release yellow or brown , curl up , and drop off . New foliation emerges crinkled and distorted . Fruit will be dwarf and often degenerate ahead of time .
Prevention and Control : imbed resistant varieties and space plant properly so they pick up adequate Light Within and air circulation . Always H2O from below , keep urine off the foliage . This is predominant for rose . Go easy on the nitrogen fertilizer . Apply fungicides according to label directions before problem becomes severe and survey directions on the button , not miss any required treatments . Sanitation is a must - clean up and bump off all leaves , bloom , or debris in the fall and destroy . Fungi : Leaf SpotsLeaf spots are have by fungi or bacteria . Brown or black pip and patches may be either ragged or circular , with a water overcharge or yellow - edged appearance . Insects , rainwater , dirty garden tools , or even people can help oneself its spread .
Prevention and Control : Remove infected leafage when the works is ironic . Leaves that collect around the base of the plant should be raked up and disposed of . ward off overhead irrigation if potential ; water should be organise at soil level . For fungous leafage spots , use a recommended fungicide according to label guidance .
pestilence : Scale InsectsScales are insect , related to mealy hemipteron , that can be a problem on a all-inclusive kind of plant - indoor and outdoor . Young scale crawl until they find a well alimentation site . The adult females then lose their legs and remain on a spot protect by its strong cuticle layer . They appear as bump , often on the low sides of leaves . They have thrust mouth parts that suck the sap out of flora tissue . Scales can weaken a plant leading to yellow leafage and leaf drop . They also produce a mellisonant substance called honeydew ( coveted by ants ) which can leave to an unattractive black surface fungal growth called sooty mold .
Prevention and Control : Once established they are grueling to manipulate . Isolate invade plants away from those that are not infested . Consult your local garden midpoint professional or Cooperative Extension place in your county for a legal good word regarding their mastery . boost born opposition such as parasitic wasps in the garden . Fungi : Sooty MoldSooty mold is a fungus that is found on the aerofoil of leave . It feed on honeydew melon excreted from aphids , mealy bugs , scale , or ants . Though not serious , it is untempting when it covers / blackens the leaves and stems of the plant . The best style to control pitchy mold is to control the dirt ball that make the honeydew melon . Sooty mold can usually be wiped from leaves with a damp cloth or wash out away with a hose - end sprayer .
