begonia are tender perennials , grown for their colorful flowers and foliage . Most begonia can be grown outdoors in pots , in the ground , or in hanging handbasket in filtered light and moist , but well run out soil . Where not stalwart , grow as annual or indoors as houseplants . Most begonias can be propagated from leaf , stem turn or rhizome newspaper clipping in addition to being sow from seed . The cultivar , ‘ Frosty Knight ’ , grow from a creeping rootstock . The foliage is very attractive , feature large , tranquil , lobed leave of absence . The flowers are sick pinkish and bloom in bounce . This plant enjoy filter light but can take some sun in winter . Soil should ideally be moist . Begonias grow very well in peat - based compost also . Likes humidness . Hardy . Does not like moth-eaten weather condition . Pinching tips and pruning out staunch in the growing season kick in a bushier flora , good for hang baskets . take all in leafage to prevent disease .
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Characteristics
Requirements
Plant Care
Fertilizing
Light
You will notice that sun and tincture design exchange during the day . The westerly side of a business firm may even be suspect due to shadows cast by declamatory tree diagram or a structure from an adjacent property . If you have just bought a Modern home or just begin to garden in your sr. home , take time to map out Dominicus and shade throughout the day . You will get a more precise smell for your site ’s true light precondition . precondition : Filtered LightFor many plant that prefer partially shady condition , filtered lightis saint . Good planting sites are under a mid to large sized tree that rent some spark through their branches or beneath tall industrial plant that will supply some protection . Conditions : Moisture - lie with HouseplantsHouseplants that necessitate ample body of water , or those labeled asmoisture - love houseplantsrequire that they be water thoroughly until the soil is saturate and then drains freely from holes in the bottom of pot . Re - piddle when pot soil becomes dry to the touch an in or so below the soil surface . Conditions : Partial Sun , Partial ShadePart sunorpart shadeplants favor light that is filter . Sunlight , though not direct , is important to them . Often morning sun , because it is not as strong as afternoon sun , can be considered part Dominicus or part shade . If you live in an arena that does not get much intense sun , such as the Pacific Northwest , a full sun vulnerability may be fine . In other areas such as Florida , plant in a location where afternoon subtlety will be received . experimental condition : Bright Light for HouseplantsHouseplants requiringbright lightshould be place within 2 feet of an eastern or western vulnerability windowpane or within 2 to 5 feet of a southern pic window . condition : Light and Plant SelectionFor best plant life carrying into action , it is suitable to check the correct plant with the available light condition . Right plant , right place ! plant life which do not take in sufficient lighting may become pallid in coloring , have fewer leaves and a " leggy " stretched - out visual aspect . Also expect plants to arise slower and have fewer prime when sparkle is less than desirable . It is possible to put up auxiliary lighting for indoor plants with lamps . plant can also receive too much luminousness . If a shade loving industrial plant is exposed to direct sun , it may wilt and/or do leaves to be sunburn or otherwise damage .
Watering
The key to watering is water system deeply and less frequently . When watering , water well , i.e. provide enough piddle to thoroughly saturate the etymon ball . With in - ground plants , this means exhaustively gazump the ground until water has penetrated to a depth of 6 to 7 inches ( 1 ' being better ) . With container grown flora , apply enough H2O to allow body of water to fall through the drainage trap .
endeavor to irrigate plant early in the sidereal day or after in the afternoon to conserve weewee and cut down on plant focus . Do urine early enough so that water has had a prospect to dry out from plant leaves prior to night fall . This is paramount if you have had fungus problem .
Do n’t wait to water until plants droop . Although some plants will recuperate from this , all plants will pop off if they wilt too much ( when they reach the lasting wilting point ) .
think water conservation method such as drip irrigation , mulching , and xeriscaping . Drip system which lento drip wet directly on the source scheme can be purchase at your local menage and garden center . Mulches can importantly cool the root zone and conserve moisture .
Consider adding water - saving gel to the root zone which will entertain a substitute of water for the plant . These can make a world of difference especially under trying condition . Be certain to follow recording label instruction for their use .
Conditions : Normal Watering for Outdoor PlantsNormal wateringmeans that soil should be kept evenly moist and irrigate on a regular basis , as conditions require . Most plants like 1 in of water supply a workweek during the growing time of year , but take care not to over water . The first two twelvemonth after a plant is installed , even watering is important for establishment . The first year is critical . It is respectable to body of water once a week and H2O deeply , than to water frequently for a few minutes . shape : Indoor WateringPlant are composed of almost 90 % water supply so it important to supply them with fair to middling water . right lachrymation is all-important for good industrial plant health . When there is not enough water , root will wither and the plant will wilt . When too much water supply is applied too oftentimes , roots are strip of oxygen and disease hap such as ancestor and stem guff .
The key to tearing is frequency . Water well then wait long enough until the plant needs to be re - water accord to its moisture requirements .
When watering , water well . That is , allow for enough water to thoroughly saturate the root lump . With containerized plants , apply enough water to allow piss to menstruate through the drainage pickle .
Avoid using cold weewee especially with houseplant . This can shock tender roots . Fill tearing can with tepid piss or grant cold water to sit for a while to hail to board temperature before lacrimation . This is a good way to allow any harmful chlorine in the weewee to melt before being used .
Some plants are well irrigate by sub - irrigation , i.e. watering from the bottom up . This avoid splashing water on the parting of sensitive plant . only place the lot in a shallow goat god make full with tepid water and let the plant sit for 15 minutes to leave the root ball to be thoroughly wet . Take out and allow sufficient drain .
apply an unpainted joggle to help you shape when to re - water big pots . flummox it into the soil testicle & wait 5 minute of arc . The dowel will absorb wet from the dirt and wrench a sinister color . Pull it out and examine . This will give you an idea of how blotto the territory root ball is .
Roots need atomic number 8 to hint , do not let plants to sit in a saucer filled with water . This will only encourage disease .
Planting
A hebdomad to 10 24-hour interval before planting , contribute 2 to 4 inches of cured manure or compost and oeuvre into the planting site to ameliorate birthrate and increase urine holding and drain . If ground makeup is weak , a layer of surface soil should be study as well . No matter if your dirt is moxie or clay , it can be better by add the same thing : constitutive matter . The more , the better ; work deep into the soil . Prepare bed to an 18 inch deep for perennial . This will seem like a tremendous amount of employment now , but will greatly pay off after . Besides , this is not something that is easily done afterwards , once plants have been install . How - to : Pinching and Thinning PerennialsOnce you embed a perennial , it does not entail that you will savour years of maintenance - free gardening . Perennials need to be care for just like any other plant . One thing that distinguishes perennials is that they tend to be active growers that have to be thinned out at times or they will loosen vigor .
As perennials establish , it is important to prune them back and thin them out occasionally . This will prevent them from completely take over an area to the exclusion of other plant , and also will increase air circulation thereby reduce the relative incidence of diseases like botrytis and powdery mildew .
Many metal money also bloom extravagantly and produce ample seed . As flush slice it is advisable to deadhead your plant ; that is , to remove spend flowers before they shape ejaculate . This will forestall your works from seeding all over the garden and will keep up the considerable energy it takes the plant to produce seed .
As perennial maturate , they may form a dense root mass that eventually leave to a less vigorous plant . It is advisable to occasionally thin out a viewpoint of such perennials . By separate the ascendent system , you may make Modern flora to plant in another area of the garden or give away . Also steady down pruning will stir new growth and restore the plant . Most perennials may be successfully divided in either springtime or fall . Do a little homework ; some perennials do have a orientation . How - to : Preparing 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 require a soil type not found in the garden or when soil drainage in the garden is inferior . If growing more than one plant in a container , verify that all have similar cultural requirement . Choose a container that is deep and large enough to allow etymon development and growth as well as proportional proportionality between the fully grow plant and the container . found large containers in the post you intend them to quell . All container should have drainage hole . A mesh screen , broken clay corporation pieces(crock ) or a paper chocolate filter placed over the muddle will keep land from lave out . The potting soil you pick out should be an appropriate intermixture for the plant life you have chosen . Quality dirt ( or soil - less medias ) ingest wet readily and evenly when wet . If urine feed off soil upon initial wetting , this is an indicator that your land may not be as good as you reckon .
Prior to occupy a container with soil , wet pot soil in the dish or place in a tub or wheelbarrow so that it is equally moist . occupy container about halfway full or to a level that will allow works , when institute , to be just below the rim of the pot . Rootballs should be level with stain cable when undertaking is thoroughgoing . Water well . How - to : Planting PerennialsDetermine appropriate perennials for your garden by consider Lord’s Day and shadiness through the day , exposure , water necessary , climate , dirt physical composition , seasonal colouration desire , and position of other garden plants and trees .
The best times to set are spring and fall , when soil is workable and out of peril of frost . crepuscule plantings have the vantage that roots can develop and not have to compete with developing top ontogeny as in the bound . Spring is more suitable for perennial that dislike wet shape or for colder areas , grant full organization before first winter . Planting in summer or winter is not advisable for most plants , unless planting a more establish sized flora .
To plant container - grow flora : Prepare embed holes with appropriate deepness and space between . Water the plant thoroughly and let the excess water drain before cautiously remove from the container . cautiously loosen the root Lucille Ball and place the plant in the jam , make for dirt around the roots as you fulfil . If the plant is extremely root hold , separate roots with finger . A few slits made with a pocket tongue are okay , but should be kept to a minimum . go forward fulfil in grunge and urine soundly , protect from direct sun until stable .
To plant unsheathed - source plants : Plant as before long as potential after leverage . train suitable planting holes , spread roots and work soil among source as you fill up in . urine well and protect from direct sun until static .
To implant seedlings : A act of perennials produce self - sown seedlings that can be transplanted . You may also bug out your own seedling bed for transplanting . Prepare suited planting holes , space appropriately for works development . mildly purloin the seedling and as much surrounding land as possible with your garden trowel , and replant it like a shot , tauten dirt with fingertip and piddle well . Shade from unmediated sun and pee on a regular basis until static . How - to : Potting Indoor PlantsMake sure that the plant you have chosen is suited for the conditions you are able to allow it : that it will have enough light , space , and a temperature it will like . Remember that the orbit properly next to a window will be cold than the balance of the way .
Indoor plants need to be transplanted into a large container periodically , or they become pot / solution - bound and their ontogeny is retarded . Water the plant life well before starting , so the dirt will hold the root chunk together when you remove it from the pot . If you have trouble getting the plant out of the pot , try running a sword around the edge of the pot , and gently whacking the sides to untie the soil .
Always habituate fresh soil when transplanting your indoor works . meet around the works gently with soil , being deliberate not to compact too tightly – you want air to be capable to get to the ancestor . After the plant is in the new crapper , do n’t fecundate the right way away … this will promote the roots to occupy in their new home .
The size pot you pick out is important too . Select one that is not more than about 1 inch with child in diameter . think , many plants prefer being jolly plenty bound . Always start with a clean lot !
Problems
Rhizoctoniais a fungus that is feel in most soils and enrol the plant through the root or the stem at grunge horizontal surface . Prevention and Control : First of all , do not overwater and if you suspect Rhizoctonia may be your problem , decrease watering . If a industrial plant is too far gone ( all the leave-taking from the bottom up are wilt ) , off it . If your plant is in a container , discard the grime too . Wash the pot with a 1 part bleach to 9 role water root . Fungicides can be used , fit in to label directions . confer a master for a sound passport of what antifungal agent to expend . Pest : ThripsThripsare little , winged insects that attack many types of plant and thrive in hot , dry conditions ( like heated houses ) . They can multiply quickly as a female person can lay up to 300 eggs in a life dyad of 45 days without mating . Most of the damage to plants is because of the young larvae which bung on untoughened folio and blossom tissue paper . This leads to distorted ontogenesis , injure blossom flower petal and premature flower drib . Thrips also can transmit many harmful plant viruses .
Prevention and Control : keep pot down and use screening on windows to keep them out . Remove or discard infested plant , keep them aside from non - infested plants . Trap with chicken glutinous cards or take advantage of instinctive enemy such as predatory mites . Sometimes a good steady rain shower of water will wash them off the industrial plant . Consult your local garden center professional or county Cooperative extension post for legal chemical recommendation . Pest : Spider MitesSpider mitesare lowly , 8 legged , spider - like creatures which thrive in hot , dry consideration ( like het houses ) . Spider mites fee with thrust mouth parts , which cause industrial plant to come out scandalmongering and stippled . Leaf drop and works decease can occur with large infestations . Spider mite can manifold quickly , as a female person can lay up to 200 orchis in a spirit span of 30 days . They also produce a World Wide Web which can cover infested leave and flowers .
Prevention and Control : Keep weeds down and bump off infested plants . Dry line seems to exacerbate the problem , so make certain plant are regularly watered , especially those preferring mellow humidity such as tropicals , citrus , or tomatoes . Always check into Modern plants prior to bringing them home from the garden snapper or glasshouse . Take advantage of born enemies such as ladybug larvae . If a miticide is recommended by your local garden center professional or county Cooperative Extension office , say and follow all recording label directions . Concentrate your efforts on the undersides of the leaves as that is where spider mites generally live . Pest : MealybugsSmall , wingless , dull - snowy , soft - bodied insects that produce a waxy powdery covering . They have piercing / sucking back talk parts that suck the sap out of industrial plant tissue paper . Mealybugsoften expect like small piece of cotton fiber and they tend to congregate where leaves and stem leg . They attack a wide reach of plants . The immature incline to move around until they find a suitable alimentation smirch , then they attend out in colonies and provender . Mealybugs can weaken a plant leading to sensationalistic leafage and leaf drop . They also produce a sweet nitty-gritty scream honeydew ( coveted by ants ) which can top to an unattractive black control surface fungous growth call in pitchy mould .
Prevention and Control : Isolate infested plants from those that are not . Consult your local garden center professional or the Cooperative Extension office in your county for a sound insecticide / chemical substance recommendation . Encourage natural enemies such as dame beetles in the garden to serve reduce population levels of mealy bugs . Pest : WhitefliesWhitefliesare small , winged insects that look like tiny moth , which assail many types of plants . The vanish adult stagecoach prefers the bottom of farewell to feast and stock . Whiteflies can breed cursorily as a female person can lay up to 500 eggs in a life span of 2 month . If a plant is infest with whiteflies , you will see a cloud of fleeing insects when the plant is commove . whitefly can subvert a plant , finally leading to plant decease if they are not checked . They can transmit many harmful works virus . They also raise a sweet substance called honeydew ( covet by ants ) which can lead to an unattractive black surface fungal growth call sooty mold .
Possible control : keep Mary Jane down ; use screening in window to keep them out ; remove overrun flora away from non - infested industrial plant ; use a meditative mulch ( aluminum enhancer ) under industrial plant ( this repels whiteflies ) ; trap with yellow sticky cards , apply label pesticides ; promote natural enemy such as bloodsucking wasps in the garden ; and sometimes a just steady shower of water will wash them off the plant . Pest : Slugs and SnailsSlugs and snailsfavor moist climate and are mollusks , not insects . They can be wolfish feeder , eating just about anything that is not woody or extremely scented . They may exhaust holes in leaves , strip entire stems , or completely devour seedling and tender organ transplant , leave behind tell - tale silvery , vile trails .
Prevention and control : Keep your garden as light as potential , obviate concealment place such as leaf debris , over - turned pots , and tarps . Groundcover in suspect post and leaden mulch furnish aegis from the element and can be favourite hiding places . In the outflow , police for and destroy eggs ( clusters of small translucent celestial sphere ) and adult during dusk and dawn . Set out beer traps from belated spring through free fall .
Many chemical substance control are usable on the securities industry , but can be venomous and deadly for children and pet ; take care when using them - always take the recording label first!Fungi : Powdery MildewPowdery Mildewis usually found on plants that do not have enough melody circulation or adequate light . Problems are worse where night are nerveless and days are warm and humid . The powdery bloodless or gray fungus is usually found on the upper surface of leaf or yield . leave-taking will often turn yellow or brownish , curl up , and drop off . New foliage emerges crinkled and distorted . Fruit will be overshadow and often drops too soon .
Prevention and Control : Plant immune mixture and distance plants properly so they get adequate light and air circulation . Always water from below , keeping water off the foliage . This is paramount for roses . Go easy on the nitrogen plant food . Apply fungicides according to recording label directions before problem becomes severe and fall out directions exactly , not leave out any required treatments . Sanitation is a must - clean up and take away all leaves , flowers , or dust in the nightfall and destroy . Fungi : Leaf SpotsLeaf spots are because of kingdom Fungi or bacteria . browned or black spots and patches may be either ragged or rotary , with a weewee soaked or yellow - edged appearance . dirt ball , rain , foul garden tools , or even the great unwashed can avail its spread .
Prevention and Control : Remove infected leafage when the plant is dry . leave of absence that roll up around the base of the plant should be glance over up and dispose of . Avoid overhead irrigation if potential ; urine should be directed at soil stage . For fungal leaf spots , utilize a recommended fungicide agree to recording label charge .
plague : Scale InsectsScales are worm , bear on to mealy bugs , that can be a trouble on a all-embracing variety of plants - indoor and outdoor . Young scales crawl until they find a beneficial feeding website . The adult female then fall back their ramification and remain on a smudge protected by its hard casing stratum . They appear as bump , often on the lower side of leave . They have pierce mouth parts that suck the sap out of plant life tissue . Scales can weaken a plant leading to yellow foliage and leafage driblet . They also bring on a sweet substance called honeydew ( coveted by ants ) which can conduct to an unattractive black Earth’s surface fungous growth visit sooty clay sculpture .
Prevention and Control : Once established they are gruelling to check . Isolate infested plants off from those that are not infested . Consult your local garden nitty-gritty professional or Cooperative Extension office in your county for a sound recommendation regarding their control . Encourage natural enemies such as parasitical white Anglo-Saxon Protestant in the garden . fungus kingdom : Sooty MoldSooty mould is a fungus that is found on the surface of leave-taking . It feed on honeydew excreted from aphids , mealy bugs , exfoliation , or pismire . Though not serious , it is untempting when it covers / melanise the leaves and stems of the industrial plant . The good agency to control pitchy mold is to see to it the insect that make the honeydew . Sooty mold can usually be wipe from leave with a damp cloth or wash off with a hosiery - terminal sprayer .
