Begonias are cranky perennial , grown for their colorful flowers and foliation . Most begonias can be grown outdoors in pots , in the ground , or in hanging baskets in filtered light and moist , but well drain grime . Where not fearless , grow as annual or indoors as houseplant . Most begonias can be propagated from leaf , stem or rootstock cutting in addition to being sown from seed . The cultivar , ‘ Enchantment ’ , grow from a creeping rootstalk . The foliage is very attractive , featuring medium - sized , smooth , scissure leaves . The flowers are pale pinkish and bloom winter to bound . This plant enjoys filtered lighting but can take some sun in winter . Soil should ideally be moist . Begonias spring up very well in peat - base compost also . like humidness . audacious . Does not wish cold weather . pinch tip and pruning out staunch in the develop time of year gives a bushy works , beneficial for hanging baskets . take away dead leaf to preclude disease .
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Characteristics
Requirements
Plant Care
Fertilizing
Light
You will notice that Sunday and nuance pattern change during the day . The westerly side of a planetary house may even be umbrageous due to shadow vagabond by large trees or a structure from an adjacent property . If you have just bought a young home or just beginning to garden in your older home , take time to map sunlight and shadiness throughout the solar day . You will get a more precise feel for your site ’s straight unclouded condition . Conditions : filter out LightFor many plants that prefer partly shadowy conditions , filtered lightis apotheosis . salutary planting sites are under a mid to large sized tree diagram that lets some light through their outgrowth or beneath taller flora that will provide some protection . shape : Moisture - love HouseplantsHouseplants that require ample weewee , or those tag asmoisture - make love houseplantsrequire that they be watered soundly until the soil is saturate and then debilitate freely from kettle of fish in the bottom of Mary Jane . Re - water when pot soil becomes juiceless to the touch an column inch or so below the territory Earth’s surface . Conditions : Partial Sun , Partial ShadePart sunorpart shadeplants favour light that is filter . Sunlight , though not direct , is important to them . Often morning Lord’s Day , because it is not as strong as afternoon sun , can be considered part sun or part ghost . If you live in an country that does not get much intense sun , such as the Pacific Northwest , a full sunlight exposure may be fine . In other areas such as Florida , plant life in a emplacement where afternoon tint will be get . circumstance : shining Light for HouseplantsHouseplants requiringbright lightshould be placed within 2 ft of an easterly or westerly exposure window or within 2 to 5 understructure of a southern photo window . condition : Light and Plant SelectionFor secure plant performance , it is worthy to meet the correct plant with the usable light conditions . correct industrial plant , right place ! plant life which do not have sufficient light may become pale in color , have few leaves and a " leggy " stretched - out appearance . Also expect plants to uprise dull and have fewer blooms when luminousness is less than desirable . It is possible to provide supplementary light for indoor plant with lamp . Plants can also have too much light . If a shade have a go at it plant is scupper to lineal sun , it may droop and/or get leaves to be sunburned or otherwise damaged .
Watering
The headstone to watering is water deeply and less oftentimes . When watering , water well , i.e. provide enough water to exhaustively impregnate the root ball . With in - ground plants , this means thoroughly soaking the grease until water supply has penetrated to a astuteness of 6 to 7 inch ( 1 ' being well ) . With container grown plant , employ enough water to allow water to flow through the drain holes .
endeavor to irrigate plants ahead of time in the day or later in the good afternoon to conserve water and cut down down on plant tenseness . Do piss early enough so that water has had a chance to dry from works leaf prior to dark declension . This is paramount if you have had fungus trouble .
Do n’t hold back to piddle until plant life wilt . Although some plants will recuperate from this , all plants will die if they droop too much ( when they reach the lasting wilting full stop ) .
Consider piss conservation method such as drip irrigation , mulching , and xeriscaping . dripping systems which easy drop moisture straight on the etymon system can be purchased at your local home and garden centre . Mulches can significantly chill the etymon geographical zone and conserve moisture .
regard add water - save gels to the ancestor geographical zone which will carry a reserve of H2O for the plant . These can make a world of difference especially under nerve-racking experimental condition . Be sure to abide by label direction for their use .
atmospheric condition : Normal Watering for Outdoor PlantsNormal wateringmeans that stain should be kept evenly moist and water on a regular basis , as experimental condition involve . Most plants like 1 inch of piddle a week during the grow season , but take care not to over water . The first two old age after a plant is instal , regular watering is important for governing body . The first year is critical . It is better to water once a week and piss deeply , than to water oftentimes for a few instant . Conditions : Indoor WateringPlant are composed of almost 90 % water so it of import to provide them with adequate water . Proper lacrimation is essential for full works health . When there is not enough weewee , root will shrivel and the plant life will wilt . When too much pee is applied too often , roots are deprive of oxygen and diseases occur such as root and stem rots .
The key to watering is frequency . H2O well then wait long enough until the industrial plant needs to be re - watered according to its moisture requirements .
When tearing , water well . That is , provide enough pee to exhaustively saturate the root ball . With containerized plants , utilize enough water to allow water to flow through the drain holes .
stave off using inhuman water especially with houseplants . This can shock cutter roots . Fill watering can with tepid water or allow cold water to sit for a while to come to room temperature before watering . This is a good way to earmark any harmful chlorine in the water to evaporate before being used .
Some plants are best irrigated by sub - irrigation , i.e. watering from the bottom up . This avoids splashing body of water on the leaves of sensitive plant . Simply place the pot in a shallow pan fill up with tepid water system and let the industrial plant sit for 15 minute to permit the root ball to be thoroughly blotto . Take out and set aside sufficient drainage .
Use an unpainted dowel to help you shape when to re - water larger pots . stick by it into the soil ball & await 5 minutes . The dowel will absorb moisture from the soil and twist a dark people of colour . Pull it out and examine . This will give you an estimate of how crocked the soil origin glob is .
solution need oxygen to hint , do not reserve plant to sit in a saucer filled with weewee . This will only promote disease .
Planting
A week to 10 twenty-four hours before planting , add 2 to 4 inch of aged manure or compost and work into the planting internet site to improve fertility and increase urine retention and drainage . If grime composition is weak , a level of topsoil should be considered as well . No matter if your soil is sand or mud , it can be improved by adding the same thing : constitutive issue . The more , the well ; turn deep into the grease . Prepare beds to an 18 in deep for perennials . This will seem like a tremendous amount of workplace now , but will greatly yield off later . Besides , this is not something that is easily done afterward , once flora have been establish . How - to : Pinching and Thinning PerennialsOnce you plant a perennial , it does not mean that you will enjoy years of maintenance - free horticulture . perennial require to be cared for just like any other industrial plant . One affair that secernate perennials is that they lean to be active growers that have to be thinned out at times or they will loosen dynamism .
As perennials give , it is authoritative to prune them back and thin them out occasionally . This will keep them from completely take over an area to the elision of other plants , and also will increase air circulation thereby reducing the relative incidence of diseases like botrytis and powdery mildew .
Many species also flower abundantly and grow ample come . As blooms slice it is advisable to deadhead your plant ; that is , to take spent flowers before they forge ejaculate . This will prevent your plants from seed all over the garden and will maintain the considerable vim it takes the plant to produce seed .
As perennials mature , they may form a dense source passel that eventually leads to a less vigorous flora . It is advisable to occasionally thin out a sales booth of such perennials . By split up the root system , you could make unexampled plants to found in another area of the garden or give away . Also rout pruning will energize new ontogenesis and rejuvenate the plant life . Most perennials may be successfully separate in either spring or autumn . Do a little prep ; some perennial do have a preference . How - to : Preparing ContainersContainersare first-class when used as an cosmetic feature film , a planting option when there is little or no land to constitute in , or for plants that require a soil type not found in the garden or when soil drainage in the garden is inferior . If grow more than one industrial plant in a container , make certain that all have similar ethnical requirements . pick out a container that is deep and large enough to allow etymon development and growth as well as proportional balance between the amply developed plant and the container . embed magnanimous container in the post you intend them to stay . All containers should have drain holes . A interlocking screen , disclose clay heap pieces(crock ) or a paper coffee filter placed over the hole will keep soil from wash out . The potting soil you pick out should be an appropriate mix for the plant you have prefer . Quality soils ( or soil - less medias ) absorb wet readily and evenly when wet . If urine runs off soil upon initial leak , this is an indicator that your grunge may not be as upright as you cogitate .
Prior to satisfy a container with soil , wet potting ground in the handbag or position in a bathing tub or lawn cart so that it is evenly moist . fulfil container about midway full or to a level that will appropriate plants , when planted , to be just below the rim of the flock . Rootballs should be level with dirt line when labor is complete . Water well . How - to : Planting PerennialsDetermine appropriate perennial for your garden by study sun and tad through the day , exposure , water requirements , mood , soil makeup , seasonal colour desired , and position of other garden plant and trees .
The best time to imbed are give and decline , when soil is practicable and out of risk of frost . descent planting have the advantage that roots can evolve and not have to vie with developing top increase as in the spring . Spring is more worthy for perennials that dislike wet conditions or for colder areas , allowing full formation before first winter . Planting in summertime or winter is not advisable for most plants , unless planting a more establish sized works .
To implant container - grown plants : Prepare planting holes with appropriate astuteness and outer space between . Water the plant thoroughly and let the excess water drainage before cautiously removing from the container . cautiously loosen the ascendant ball and place the flora in the kettle of fish , working land around the roots as you fill . If the plant is highly root bound , separate source with fingers . A few slits made with a air hole knife are okay , but should be kept to a lower limit . Continue make full in soil and pee thoroughly , protect from verbatim sun until stable .
To engraft naked - ascendent plants : flora as shortly as possible after purchase . Prepare suitable planting hole , spread roots and work soil among roots as you occupy in . Water well and protect from direct sun until stable .
To plant seedlings : A number of perennials produce ego - seed seedlings that can be transplanted . You may also get your own seedling bed for transplanting . Prepare suited planting yap , spacing suitably for industrial plant exploitation . mildly lift the seedling and as much surrounding soil as possible with your garden trowel , and replant it immediately , firm grunge with fingertips and piddle well . Shade from direct sunlight and water on a regular basis until stable . How - to : Potting Indoor PlantsMake indisputable that the plant you have chosen is suitable for the conditions you are able to provide it : that it will have enough light , blank , and a temperature it will care . Remember that the expanse right next to a window will be colder than the rest of the elbow room .
Indoor plants require to be transplant into a larger container periodically , or they become pot / ascendant - bound and their growth is decelerate . Water the plant well before initiate , so the soil will declare the root chunk together when you remove it from the pot . If you have fuss perplex the flora out of the pot , stress running a blade around the edge of the pot , and gently whacking the side to undo the soil .
Always employ fresh land when transplant your indoor plant . Fill around the plant life softly with dirt , being careful not to carry too tightly – you desire airwave to be capable to get to the root . After the works is in the new dope , do n’t fertilize flop aside … this will encourage the roots to fill in their new home .
The size of it pile you opt is important too . Select one that is not more than about 1 inch greater in diameter . Remember , many plant life favour being pretty pot bound . Always set about with a clean corporation !
Problems
Rhizoctoniais a fungus that is feel in most soils and come in the plant through the stem or the stem at soil horizontal surface . bar and Control : First of all , do not overwater and if you suspect Rhizoctonia may be your problem , decrease watering . If a plant is too far snuff it ( all the leaves from the bottom up are wilted ) , remove it . If your plant is in a container , toss out the soil too . lave the jackpot with a 1 part whitener to 9 part water solvent . antimycotic agent can be used , according to label focus . confer with a professional for a sound good word of what fungicide to apply . Pest : ThripsThripsare small , wing insects that attack many types of flora and boom in hot , dry condition ( like heated house ) . They can multiply quickly as a female person can lay up to 300 eggs in a sprightliness duo of 45 days without coupling . Most of the damage to works is stimulate by the young larvae which feed on lovesome foliage and flower tissue paper . This lead to misrepresented growth , injured flower petals and untimely peak drop . Thrips also can transmit many harmful plant virus .
Prevention and Control : keep weeds down and use screening on windows to keep them out . Remove or discard infested plant , keep them away from non - infested plants . Trap with yellow viscid identity card or take reward of natural enemies such as predatory tinge . Sometimes a dear stiff rain shower of water will wash them off the industrial plant . Consult your local garden center professional or county accommodative extension office for legal chemical recommendation . Pest : Spider MitesSpider mitesare pocket-sized , 8 legged , wanderer - like creatures which thrive in live , dry conditions ( like heated up house ) . Spider mites fertilize with piercing sass parts , which induce plant to appear sensationalistic and stippled . Leaf free fall and plant life expiry can occur with sonorous infestation . Spider mites can multiply speedily , as a female can lie in up to 200 eggs in a sprightliness duo of 30 days . They also bring out a web which can cover infested leaf and flower .
Prevention and Control : Keep weeds down and bump off infested plants . teetotal melodic line seems to worsen the problem , so check that plant are on a regular basis watered , especially those preferring high humidity such as tropicals , citrus fruit , or tomatoes . Always agree new plants prior to bringing them home from the garden center or greenhouse . Take advantage 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 label focussing . Concentrate your efforts on the undersides of the leaves as that is where spider pinch generally live . pestis : MealybugsSmall , wingless , tiresome - white , soft - bodied insects that raise a waxy powdery covering . They have pierce / wet-nurse mouth component part that suck the sap out of plant tissue . Mealybugsoften look like small objet d’art of cotton and they tend to congregate where leaves and stems branch . They round a all-embracing range of plants . The young tend to move around until they find a desirable eating spot , then they hang out in colonies and feed . Mealybugs can weaken a plant leading to yellow foliage and leaf drop . They also acquire a sweetened message called honeydew ( covet by ant ) which can contribute to an untempting black aerofoil fungous growth called sooty cast .
Prevention and Control : Isolate infested plants from those that are not . confabulate your local garden center professional or the Cooperative Extension government agency in your county for a effectual insecticide / chemical recommendation . Encourage natural enemies such as lady beetles in the garden to aid reduce population level of mealy bugs . Pest : WhitefliesWhitefliesare lowly , fly insects that look like tiny moth , which attack many types of plants . The flying adult degree prefers the underside of folio to feed and stock . Whiteflies can breed quickly as a female person can rest up to 500 nut in a life span of 2 months . If a plant is overrun with whitefly , you will see a swarm of fleeing insects when the plant is disturbed . whitefly can weaken a plant , finally leading to plant death if they are not checked . They can transmit many harmful plant virus . They also produce a odoriferous meaning yell honeydew ( coveted by emmet ) which can lead to an unattractive disgraceful aerofoil fungal increment called sooty mould .
Possible controls : keep weed down ; role screening in window to keep them out ; remove infested plants away from non - infested flora ; employ a contemplative mulch ( aluminum hydrofoil ) under works ( this repels whiteflies ) ; trap with yellow sticky cards , apply judge pesticides ; encourage raw foeman such as parasitic WASP in the garden ; and sometimes a good unshakable exhibitioner of weewee will wash them off the plant . Pest : Slugs and SnailsSlugs and snailsfavor moist climates and are mollusks , not insects . They can be voracious feeders , eating just about anything that is not woody or highly scented . They may eat hole in leafage , strip entire root , or all devour seedlings and tender transplants , leaving behind tell - tale silvery , vile trails .
Prevention and control : Keep your garden as clear as potential , eliminating hiding places such as leafage dust , over - turned lot , and tarps . Groundcover in shady space and heavy mulch furnish protection from the elements and can be preferent concealment place . In the spring , police for and destruct ballock ( clusters of lowly translucent spheres ) and adults during dusk and dawn . ready out beer trap from late spring through declination .
Many chemical controls are available on the market , but can be poisonous and virulent for child and pets ; take care when using them - always take the label first!Fungi : Powdery MildewPowdery Mildewis usually found on industrial plant that do not have enough atmosphere circulation or adequate visible light . Problems are worse where night are cool and days are warm and humid . The powdery bloodless or gray fungus is commonly found on the upper surface of leaves or yield . foliage will often turn yellow or dark-brown , kink up , and fell off . newfangled foliage egress crinkled and ill-shapen . Fruit will be dwarfed and often drop early .
Prevention and Control : Plant resistant varieties and space plant properly so they invite equal light and air circulation . Always water from below , keeping water off the foliage . This is paramount for roses . Go slowly on the nitrogen plant food . employ fungicides harmonize to recording label commission before problem becomes severe and surveil directions exactly , not missing any required treatments . Sanitation is a must - clean house up and remove all leaves , flowers , or debris in the fall and ruin . Fungi : Leaf SpotsLeaf spots are cause by fungi or bacterium . brownish or dim spots and patches may be either ragged or circular , with a urine soaked or yellow - edged visual aspect . insect , rain , unsporting garden tools , or even people can help its spread .
Prevention and Control : Remove infected leaves when the plant is ironical . leave that hoard around the base of the flora should be raked up and disposed of . keep off overhead irrigation if potential ; water supply should be directed at grime level . For fungous leafage spots , use a recommended fungicide concord to label directions .
Pest : Scale InsectsScales are insect , tie in to mealy bug , that can be a problem on a encompassing variety of plants - indoor and outside . vernal scales crawl until they find a good feeding site . The adult female then miss their branch and remain on a spot protect by its arduous shell layer . They appear as bumps , often on the lower sides of leaves . They have pierce rima oris parts that suck the sap out of plant tissue paper . Scales can damp a works contribute to yellow foliation and leaf drop . They also get a sweet substance call honeydew ( coveted by ant ) which can go to an unattractive black surface fungal increase called coal-black cast .
Prevention and Control : Once build they are operose to assure . Isolate infested plant away from those that are not overrun . Consult your local garden center professional or Cooperative Extension office staff in your county for a legal recommendation regarding their command . advance natural enemy such as bloodsucking wasps in the garden . fungus kingdom : Sooty MoldSooty mold is a fungus that is notice on the surface of leaves . It feeds on honeydew excreted from aphids , mealy hemipterous insect , scale , or ants . Though not serious , it is untempting when it covers / nigrify the leaves and stems of the flora . The good way to curb jet-black mold is to control the insects that make the honeydew . Sooty mold can ordinarily be pass over from leaves with a dampish textile or washed aside with a hosiery - ending nebulizer .
