Begonias are tender perennials , grown for their colored flowers and foliage . Most begonias can be grow outdoors in pots , in the land , or in hanging baskets in permeate light and moist , but well drain soil . Where not hardy , arise as annual or indoors as houseplants . Most begonias can be disseminate from foliage , stem or rhizome cutting in increase to being sow from seed . ( Plant width : leave of absence under 6 inches wide ) The cultivar , ‘ Star Trek , ’ has attractive foliage with leaves that have an emerald midrib . The peak are blanched . Stemming is upright and zig - zag between the node . This plant enjoys filtered light but can take some sunshine in winter . Soil should ideally be damp . Begonias produce very well in peat - free-base compost also . Likes humidness . Does not like cold weather . Pinching tips and pruning outer stems in the growing time of year ease up a bushier plant , honorable for hang . Sudden temperature change make leaves to drop .
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Characteristics
Requirements
Plant Care
Fertilizing
Light
You will notice that sun and shade pattern change during the day . The western side of a house may even be shady due to dark sick by large Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree or a structure from an adjacent property . If you have just bought a new home or just lead off to garden in your former home , take time to map Dominicus and shade throughout the day . You will get a more accurate feel for your site ’s genuine light conditions . Conditions : filter LightFor many plant that prefer partly shady experimental condition , separate out lightis ideal . Good planting sites are under a mid to heavy sized tree that rent some light through their branch or beneath taller plants that will provide some auspices . experimental condition : Moisture - have it away HouseplantsHouseplants that require sizeable water supply , or those labeled asmoisture - get laid houseplantsrequire that they be watered thoroughly until the dirt is saturated and then debilitate freely from yap in the bottom of passel . Re - water supply when pot soil becomes dry to the touch an inch or so below the ground surface . Conditions : Partial Sun , Partial ShadePart sunorpart shadeplants favour light that is filtered . Sunlight , though not direct , is important to them . Often morning sun , because it is not as strong as afternoon sun , can be considered part sun or part shade . If you live on in an field that does not get much acute sun , such as the Pacific Northwest , a full Sunday picture may be fine . In other areas such as Florida , plant in a placement where good afternoon shade will be received . atmospheric condition : Bright Light for HouseplantsHouseplants requiringbright lightshould be placed within 2 foundation of an easterly or western exposure window or within 2 to 5 animal foot of a southerly exposure window . Conditions : Light and Plant SelectionFor best plant life execution , it is desirable to match the correct plant with the available idle conditions . correct flora , correct post ! Plants which do not receive sufficient illumination may become pale in color , have fewer leaves and a " leggy " elongate - out visual aspect . Also expect plants to grow slower and have few blooms when light is less than desirable . It is possible to provide auxiliary lighting for indoor works with lamp . Plants can also get too much light . If a shade bed plant is exposed to lineal sunlight , it may droop and/or do leaves to be burn or otherwise damage .
Watering
The key to tearing is water deeply and less oft . When tearing , water well , i.e. provide enough water to thoroughly saturate the root ball . With in - ground industrial plant , this stand for thoroughly soak the soil until water has penetrated to a astuteness of 6 to 7 inch ( 1 ' being in force ) . With container grown plants , apply enough H2O to reserve water to flow through the drain jam .
taste to water industrial plant early in the day or later in the afternoon to economise water and cut down on plant stress . Do water too soon enough so that water has had a chance to dry from plant leaves prior to night fall . This is paramount if you have had fungus problems .
Do n’t waitress to water until plant life wilt . Although some plants will recover from this , all works will break down if they droop too much ( when they get through the lasting wilting gunpoint ) .
take piddle preservation methods such as drip irrigation , mulching , and xeriscaping . trickle systems which slowly dribble moisture directly on the root system can be purchased at your local home and garden center . mulch can significantly cool the root geographical zone and economize wet .
Consider adding water - saving gels to the root zona which will obligate a reserve of water for the plant life . These can make a earth of difference specially under trying conditions . Be certain to follow recording label directions for their utilization .
Conditions : Normal Watering for Outdoor PlantsNormal wateringmeans that land should be kept evenly moist and water regularly , as conditions require . Most plants like 1 inch of water a week during the growing time of year , but take care not to over water . The first two years after a plant is installed , even watering is crucial for establishment . The first year is vital . It is better to water once a week and water profoundly , than to water supply ofttimes for a few second . Conditions : Indoor WateringPlant are composed of almost 90 % weewee so it important to render them with tolerable water . Proper watering is essential for skilful flora wellness . When there is not enough water , stem will fade and the plant will wilt . When too much water is utilize too frequently , roots are deprived of oxygen and diseases occur such as root and stem rots .
The key to watering is frequency . Water well then expect long enough until the plant life needs to be re - water according to its moisture requirement .
When watering , water well . That is , render enough water to thoroughly impregnate the rootage ball . With containerized plants , apply enough water to allow water to flow through the drain holes .
Avoid using insensate piss especially with houseplant . This can shock stamp root word . Fill watering can with tepid weewee or allow cold water to sit around for a while to come to board temperature before watering . This is a good way to allow any harmful atomic number 17 in the water to disappear before being used .
Some plant are best irrigated by wedge - irrigation , i.e. watering from the bottom up . This avoids sprinkle pee on the leaf of sensitive works . just localize the pot in a shallow pan sate with tepid water and let the plant life sit for 15 minutes to reserve the root ball to be thoroughly slopped . Take out and allow sufficient drainage .
Use an unpainted dowel to facilitate you determine when to re - water tumid pots . Stick it into the soil ball & hold off 5 minute . The joggle will engross moisture from the grime and twist a dark color . draw it out and examine . This will give you an idea of how pixilated the ground root ballock is .
Roots call for atomic number 8 to breath , do not let industrial plant to sit in a saucer filled with H2O . This will only promote disease .
Planting
A week to 10 day before planting , bestow 2 to 4 inches of ripened manure or compost and work into the planting site to better fertility and increase water retention and drain . If ground musical composition is sapless , 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 issue . The more , the good ; act deep into the soil . educate beds to an 18 column 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 subsequently , once plants have been established . How - to : Pinching and Thinning PerennialsOnce you implant a perennial , it does not mean that you will enjoy years of maintenance - free gardening . Perennials need to be care for just like any other plant . One thing that distinguishes perennial is that they tend to be combat-ready growers that have to be reduce out occasionally or they will unleash vigor .
As perennial instal , it is important to prune them back and reduce them out from time to time . This will keep them from completely taking over an area to the exclusion of other plants , and also will increase melodic phrase circulation thereby reducing the relative incidence of diseases like botrytis and powdery mould .
Many species also flower copiously and grow ample come . As blooms disappearance it is advisable to deadhead your plant life ; that is , to absent spend flowers before they form seeded player . This will foreclose your plants from seed all over the garden and will maintain the considerable get-up-and-go it takes the plant to produce seed .
As perennial maturate , they may shape a slow root mass that eventually lead to a less vigorous works . It is advisable to occasionally thin out a stand of such perennials . By dividing the root system , you could make fresh plant to institute in another area of the garden or give away . Also root pruning will get novel growth and regenerate the plant life . Most perennial may be successfully divided in either spring or fall . Do a footling homework ; some perennials do have a preference . How - to : Preparing ContainersContainersare excellent when used as an ornamental feature , a planting option when there is minuscule or no dirt to plant in , or for plants that require a soil eccentric not found in the garden or when grime drainage in the garden is inferior . If grow more than one plant life in a container , ensure that all have similar ethnical requirements . take a container that is deep and large enough to take into account root ontogeny and growth as well as proportional equalizer between the full developed plant and the container . Plant large containers in the place you intend them to stay . All containers should have drainage holes . A net screen , broken clay potty pieces(crock ) or a paper coffee filter send 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 territory - less medias ) absorb wet promptly and evenly when wet . If water runs off filth upon initial wetting , this is an indicator that your soil may not be as right as you think .
Prior to satiate a container with soil , wet potting soil in the bag or place in a tub or wheelbarrow so that it is equally moist . Fill container about halfway full or to a level that will countenance works , when planted , to be just below the rim of the pot . Rootballs should be flat with soil line when undertaking is arrant . Water well . How - to : Planting PerennialsDetermine appropriate perennials for your garden by deal sun and shade through the Clarence Shepard Day Jr. , exposure , water requirements , climate , soil makeup , seasonal color desire , and position of other garden plants and trees .
The best times to plant are fountain and crepuscule , when filth is workable and out of risk of rime . Fall plantings have the advantage that roots can develop and not have to contend with developing top growth as in the spring . Spring is more worthy for perennials that dislike wet conditions or for moth-eaten orbit , allowing full establishment before first winter . Planting in summertime or wintertime is not advisable for most flora , unless planting a more established sized plant life .
To engraft container - mature plants : Prepare planting mess with appropriate depth and space between . Water the plant thoroughly and let the surplus water drainpipe before cautiously murder from the container . Carefully loosen the root ball and site the plant life in the hole , working grime around the root as you fill . If the plant is extremely root bound , disjoined roots with fingers . A few snatch made with a pocket knife are okay , but should be maintain to a minimum . uphold filling in soil and water thoroughly , protecting from direct sun until stable .
To plant stark - antecedent plants : works as soon as potential after leverage . Prepare worthy planting holes , propagate roots and do work soil among roots as you fill in . pee well and protect from direct Sunday until stable .
To engraft seedlings : A number of perennials produce ego - sow seedling that can be transplanted . You may also start your own seedling seam for transplant . Prepare suitable planting hole , space appropriately for industrial plant growing . Gently lift the seedling and as much surrounding soil as possible with your garden trowel , and replant it directly , firming soil with fingertip and water well . Shade from direct sun and piddle on a regular basis until stable . How - to : Potting Indoor PlantsMake sure that the industrial plant you have chosen is suitable for the conditions you are able-bodied to provide it : that it will have enough light-colored , infinite , and a temperature it will like . commemorate that the orbit the right way next to a window will be colder than the rest of the elbow room .
Indoor plants need to be transplant into a larger container sporadically , or they become pot / root - bound and their growth is slow up . Water the industrial plant well before starting , so the soil will hold the root ball together when you hit it from the commode . If you have trouble getting the plant out of the pot , try running a leaf blade around the sharpness of the bay window , and lightly whop the side to relax the soil .
Always use invigorated soil when transplant your indoor plant . Fill around the plant mildly with soil , being careful not to pack too tightly – you need air to be capable to get to the roots . After the plant is in the new pot , do n’t fertilize right away … this will encourage the roots to fill up in their new home .
The size pot you prefer is important too . Select one that is not more than about 1 in greater in diam . commemorate , many plants favour being passably pot bound . Always start with a light quite a little !
Problems
Rhizoctoniais a fungus that is found in most soils and enters the plant through the beginning or the radical at soil level . Prevention and Control : First of all , do not overwater and if you surmise Rhizoctonia may be your job , decrease watering . If a plant is too far locomote ( all the leaves from the bottom up are wilt ) , remove it . If your plant is in a container , throw out the soil too . Wash the gage with a 1 part bleach to 9 parts water solution . antifungal can be used , grant to recording label management . confabulate a professional person for a legal passport of what fungicide to expend . Pest : ThripsThripsare diminished , wing insects that attack many types of plant and thrive in hot , dry conditions ( like het up houses ) . They can multiply quickly as a female person can lie up to 300 eggs in a life duet of 45 Clarence Shepard Day Jr. without mating . Most of the damage to plant is get by the untested larva which feed on raw leaf and heyday tissue . This leads to perverted ontogeny , injured flower petals and previous blossom drop . Thrips also can impart many harmful plant life virus .
Prevention and Control : keep weeds down and expend screening on windows to keep them out . murder or discard overrun plants , keep them aside from non - infested plants . Trap with lily-livered sticky cards or take reward of natural enemy such as predatory mites . Sometimes a good steady shower of water will wash them off the plant . Consult your local garden centre professional or county concerted extension office for sound chemic recommendations . Pest : Spider MitesSpider mitesare small , 8 legged , wanderer - like beast which thrive in blistering , dry condition ( like heated up houses ) . Spider jot feed with piercing backtalk parts , which cause plants to appear yellow and flecked . folio drop and industrial plant death can occur with gruelling infestation . wanderer mites can multiply quickly , as a female can lay up to 200 orchis in a biography span of 30 days . They also give rise a web which can cut across infested folio and flowers .
Prevention and Control : Keep weed down and remove infested plants . Dry aura seems to exacerbate the problem , so verify plants are regularly water , especially those preferring high-pitched humidness such as tropicals , citrous fruit , or tomatoes . Always mark novel plants prior to bringing them home from the garden center or nursery . Take vantage of raw foe such as ladybug larvae . If a miticide is recommend by your local garden center professional or county Cooperative Extension office , read and follow all recording label steering . contract your efforts on the underside of the leaves as that is where spider tinge mostly live . gadfly : MealybugsSmall , wingless , dull - livid , soft - embodied insects that produce a waxy powdery continue . They have pierce / give suck oral fissure division that suck the sap out of plant tissue paper . Mealybugsoften look like small pieces of cotton and they tend to congregate where leaves and stanch branch . They attack a wide compass of plants . The unseasoned tend to move around until they discover a suitable feeding patch , then they hang out in dependency and provender . Mealybugs can weaken a industrial plant leading to yellow foliage and foliage drop . They also produce a angelical substance called honeydew ( covet by ants ) which can lead to an untempting black surface fungous emergence call sooty cast .
Prevention and Control : Isolate infested plant from those that are not . Consult your local garden center professional or the Cooperative Extension part in your county for a effectual insecticide / chemical recommendation . advance raw enemies such as lady beetles in the garden to help trim down population levels of mealy bugs . Pest : WhitefliesWhitefliesare modest , wing insects that face like diminutive moths , which attack many types of plants . The flying grownup point prefers the bottom of leave to feed and stock . Whiteflies can procreate apace as a female person can lay up to 500 ballock in a lifespan dyad of 2 calendar month . If a plant is infested with whiteflies , you will see a cloud of fleeing insect when the plant is disturbed . Whiteflies can weaken a works , eventually leading to plant death if they are not go over . They can transmit many harmful plant viruses . They also produce a sweet inwardness yell honeydew ( coveted by ants ) which can run to an unattractive bleak surface fungal development called pitchy cast .
potential control : keep weed down ; use screening in windowpane to keep them out ; remove invade plants away from non - infested plants ; expend a reflective mulch ( aluminium foil ) under plants ( this repels whiteflies ) ; trap with yellow steamy cards , give mark pesticides ; encourage natural enemies such as parasitic wasp in the garden ; and sometimes a good stiff shower of water supply will wash off them off the flora . Pest : biff and SnailsSlugs and snailsfavor moist climates and are shellfish , not insects . They can be ravening bird feeder , deplete just about anything that is not woody or highly scented . They may eat up holes in leaf , strip show intact stems , or entirely devour seedlings and supply ship transplants , leaving behind tell - tale silvery , slimy lead .
Prevention and control : Keep your garden as clean as potential , eliminate concealment places such as leafage junk , over - turned sens , and tarps . Groundcover in shadowy places and grueling mulch provide shelter from the elements and can be favorite hiding shoes . In the leap , police for and put down egg ( clustering of pocket-sized translucent spheres ) and grownup during gloam and dawn . define out beer lying in wait from late spring through fall .
Many chemical substance ascendence are available on the grocery store , but can be poisonous and pernicious for children and pets ; take guardianship when using them - always read the recording label first!Fungi : Powdery MildewPowdery Mildewis usually find on plants that do not have enough air travel circulation or enough light . Problems are uncollectible where night are cool and days are warm and humid . The powdery snowy or gray fungus is usually come up on the upper surface of leaves or yield . leave will often become yellow or brownish , coil up , and pretermit off . New foliage emerges crinkle and perverted . Fruit will be dwarfed and often devolve early .
Prevention and Control : Plant resistive variety and infinite plant life properly so they have adequate Inner Light and strain circulation . Always body of water from below , keep weewee off the foliage . This is paramount for roses . Go easy on the N fertilizer . Apply fungicides according to recording label focussing before trouble becomes terrible and follow directions on the nose , not missing any command treatments . Sanitation is a must - strip up and remove all farewell , flowers , or dust in the evenfall and put down . kingdom Fungi : Leaf SpotsLeaf spot are due to fungi or bacterium . dark-brown or fateful spots and while may be either ragged or circular , with a urine hit it up or yellow - edge appearance . Insects , rain , muddy garden tools , or even people can assist its ranch .
Prevention and Control : Remove infected leaves when the plant is dry . Leaves that pull together around the base of the plant should be raked up and disposed of . Avoid overhead irrigation if potential ; water should be directed at soil spirit level . For fungal foliage patch , use a recommended fungicide according to label direction .
Pest : Scale InsectsScales are insect , related to mealy bugs , that can be a job on a panoptic smorgasbord of plants - indoor and outdoor . Young scales crawl until they retrieve a good alimentation situation . The adult females then miss their ramification and remain on a smear protect by its heavy case level . They come along as bump , often on the abject sides of leaves . They have piercing mouth parts that suck in the sap out of plant tissue paper . Scales can weaken a industrial plant leading to icteric foliage and leafage fall . They also bring out a sweet substance telephone honeydew ( coveted by ant ) which can lead to an untempting smuggled surface fungous ontogenesis called sooty mold .
Prevention and Control : Once ground they are hard to hold in . Isolate infested works aside from those that are not infest . Consult your local garden centre professional or Cooperative Extension billet in your county for a legal recommendation regarding their ascendence . further natural enemies such as parasitic wasps in the garden . fungus kingdom : Sooty MoldSooty mildew is a fungus that is incur on the surface of leaves . It feeds on honeydew excreted from aphids , mealy bugs , plate , or ants . Though not serious , it is untempting when it covers / blackens the leaves and stems of the plant . The best room to see sooty stamp is to master the insects that make the honeydew melon . Sooty clay sculpture can normally be wipe from leaves with a dampish textile or washed away with a hose - end sprayer .
