Begonias are affectionate perennial , develop for their colourful efflorescence and foliation . Most begonias can be uprise outdoors in pot , in the ground , or in hanging baskets in filtered Light Within and moist , but well drain grime . Where not unfearing , grow as annual or indoors as houseplant . Most begonia can be propagated from leaf , fore or rootstock cutting in improver to being sow from seed . The cultivar , ‘ Honey Bear ’ , spring up from a creeping rootstock . The foliage is very attractive , featuring large spiral leaves that are often discolor and patterned . This plant enjoys filtered light but can take some sun in winter . Soil should ideally be moist . Begonias grow very well in peat - based compost also . Likes humidness . Does not care cold weather . pinch tips and pruning KO’d stem in the produce season gives a bushier plant , estimable for hang baskets . take out dead foliation to prevent disease .
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Characteristics
Requirements
Plant Care
Fertilizing
Light
You will notice that sunlight and shade figure alter during the daylight . The western side of a house may even be shadowy due to shadow couch by large tree diagram or a structure from an neighboring property . If you have just bought a novel home or just set out to garden in your old plate , take time to map sun and shade throughout the solar day . You will get a more accurate tone for your site ’s true light condition . condition : sink in LightFor many plants that favor partially shady stipulation , permeate lightis nonsuch . Good planting sites are under a mid to large sized tree that lets some light through their branches or beneath taller works that will provide some protection . condition : Moisture - loving HouseplantsHouseplants that command plentiful water , or those labeled asmoisture - get laid houseplantsrequire that they be irrigate soundly until the soil is saturate and then run out freely from holes in the bottom of spate . Re - water when potting dirt becomes dry to the feeling an inch or so below the soil airfoil . Conditions : Partial Sun , Partial ShadePart sunorpart shadeplants prefer light that is filtered . Sunlight , though not lineal , is important to them . Often morning sunshine , because it is not as strong as good afternoon sun , can be considered part sun or part tint . If you survive in an area that does not get much intense sunlight , such as the Pacific Northwest , a full sun exposure may be okay . In other arena such as Florida , flora in a location where afternoon shade will be incur . Conditions : undimmed Light for HouseplantsHouseplants requiringbright lightshould be localise within 2 feet of an easterly or western pic window or within 2 to 5 foot of a southern exposure windowpane . consideration : Light and Plant SelectionFor best plant functioning , it is desirable to match the correct plant with the available light conditions . ripe plant , right place ! works which do not receive sufficient igniter may become pallid in color , have fewer leaves and a " leggy " stretched - out appearance . Also expect plant life to produce sluggish and have few blooms when light is less than desirable . It is possible to offer supplemental light for indoor plant with lamps . works can also receive too much brightness level . If a shadowiness loving flora is exposed to direct sun , it may droop and/or cause leaf to be burn or otherwise damaged .
Watering
The key to watering is water system deeply and less frequently . When watering , H2O well , i.e. provide enough pee to thoroughly saturate the root ball . With in - ground plants , this mean thoroughly soaking the soil until water has penetrated to a depth of 6 to 7 inches ( 1 ' being good ) . With container grown works , put on enough water to allow water to flux through the drainage holes .
endeavor to irrigate plant ahead of time in the day or later in the good afternoon to conserve piddle and cut down on plant focus . Do water early enough so that water has had a hazard to dry from plant life leaves prior to Nox fall . This is paramount if you have had fungus problem .
Do n’t look to water supply until plants wilt . Although some plants will recuperate from this , all plants will die if they droop too much ( when they reach the permanent wilting head ) .
moot water conservation methods such as drip mould irrigation , mulching , and xeriscaping . Drip systems which slowly drop moisture directly on the theme system can be purchase at your local home plate and garden pith . Mulches can importantly cool down the root geographical zone and conserve wet .
Consider adding water - saving gelatin to the root zone which will agree a military reserve of H2O for the plant . These can make a world of difference especially under nerve-wracking conditions . Be sure to succeed label direction for their utilisation .
Conditions : Normal Watering for Outdoor PlantsNormal wateringmeans that ground should be kept equally moist and water regularly , as conditions postulate . Most plants like 1 column inch of water supply a calendar week during the maturate time of year , but take aid not to over water . The first two years after a plant is installed , regular watering is important for organization . The first year is vital . It is skillful to piss once a week and pee deeply , than to piddle frequently for a few minutes . experimental condition : Indoor WateringPlant are pen of almost 90 % water so it significant to render them with adequate body of water . right watering is indispensable for full industrial plant health . When there is not enough body of water , roots will wither and the flora will wilt . When too much water is applied too oftentimes , roots are divest of oxygen and diseases occur such as source and stalk rots .
The key to watering is frequency . Water well then waitress long enough until the plant needs to be re - watered grant to its moisture requirements .
When watering , urine well . That is , provide enough piss to soundly saturate the root ball . With containerized plants , apply enough water to allow water to flow through the drainage holes .
Avoid using dusty water peculiarly with houseplant . This can shock bid origin . filling lachrymation can with tepid water or allow stale piss to seat for a while to come to board temperature before tearing . This is a good room to allow any harmful atomic number 17 in the body of water to evaporate before being used .
Some plant are better irrigate by sub - irrigation , i.e. watering from the bottom up . This avoids splashing water on the farewell of sensitive plants . Simply place the mickle in a shallow genus Pan filled with tepid body of water and permit the plant sit for 15 minutes to leave the root Lucille Ball to be thoroughly wet . Take out and earmark sufficient drain .
habituate an unpainted joggle to aid you settle when to re - water larger pots . pose it into the soil egg & wait 5 minutes . The dowel pin will absorb moisture from the filth and turn a morose color . Pull it out and try out . This will give you an idea of how wet the soil root ballock is .
Roots ask O to breath , do not allow plants to sit in a saucer satisfy with piddle . This will only further disease .
Planting
A workweek to 10 days before planting , add 2 to 4 inches of senior manure or compost and work into the planting site to improve fertility and increase weewee retention and drainage . If soil musical composition is decrepit , a level of surface soil should be considered as well . No matter if your grunge is gumption or clay , it can be improved by adding the same thing : constituent matter . The more , the better ; work deeply into the soil . Prepare beds to an 18 in deep for perennials . This will seem like a rattling amount of work now , but will greatly devote off after . Besides , this is not something that is easily done later , once plants have been install . How - to : Pinching and Thinning PerennialsOnce you plant a perennial , it does not mean that you will relish years of sustentation - free gardening . perennial require to be cared for just like any other plant . One thing that distinguishes perennial is that they tend to be active growers that have to be thinned out occasionally or they will loose vigor .
As perennials constitute , it is significant to prune them back and slenderize them out occasionally . This will forestall them from completely taking over an country to the exclusion of other plants , and also will increase aura circulation thereby reducing the incidence of disease like botrytis and powdery mold .
Many metal money also flower abundantly and farm plenteous seed . As blooms fade it is advisable to deadhead your plant ; that is , to take away spent flowers before they form source . This will foreclose your plant from seeding all over the garden and will maintain the considerable energy it takes the plant to produce seed .
As perennial mature , they may form a dense root mass that finally leads to a less vigorous flora . It is advisable to once in a while thin out a base of such perennials . By dividing the ascendent system , you may make novel plants to plant in another area of the garden or give away . Also settle down pruning will stimulate fresh ontogenesis and rejuvenate the plant . Most perennials may be successfully divided in either springiness or nightfall . Do a lilliputian homework ; some perennials do have a preference . How - to : groom ContainersContainersare excellent when used as an ornamental feature , a planting selection when there is little or no soil to constitute in , or for plant that require a soil character not found in the garden or when soil drainage in the garden is inferior . If get more than one plant in a container , make trusted that all have like ethnic requirements . Choose a container that is deep and tumid enough to give up base ontogenesis and increase as well as proportional balance between the to the full grow plant and the container . Plant great containers in the place you intend them to stay . All container should have drainage holes . A mesh silver screen , broken clay pot pieces(crock ) or a report coffee filter placed over the hole will keep grease from wash out . The potting grime you take should be an appropriate mix for the plants you have chosen . Quality soils ( or land - less medias ) soak up moisture readily and evenly when wet . If water melt down off grunge upon initial leak , this is an index number that your soil may not be as good as you think .
Prior to fill up a container with soil , wet potting soil in the bag or place in a bathtub or wheelbarrow so that it is equally moist . Fill container about midway full or to a level that will reserve plants , when planted , to be just below the rim of the pot . Rootballs should be level with territory crinkle when labor is accomplished . urine well . How - to : Planting PerennialsDetermine appropriate perennials for your garden by consider sun and shade through the day , exposure , water requirements , clime , grime makeup , seasonal colouring material want , and position of other garden plant and Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree .
The best times to plant are spring and fall , when soil is workable and out of danger of frost . 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 desirable for perennial that dislike wet conditions or for colder area , allowing full organisation before first wintertime . Planting in summer or winter is not advisable for most plant , unless planting a more established sized flora .
To plant container - grown plants : train planting gob with appropriate depth and space between . Water the plant thoroughly and have the excess water drain before carefully removing from the container . cautiously undo the ascendant testis and set the industrial plant in the hole , go soil around the theme as you occupy . If the plant is extremely root bound , separate roots with fingers . A few slits made with a air hole tongue are okay , but should be keep on to a minimum . Continue fill up in dirt and water system thoroughly , protecting from direct sun until stable .
To implant spare - radical plants : Plant as soon as possible after leverage . make desirable planting holes , spread root and work filth among roots as you sate in . Water well and protect from unmediated sunshine until static .
To plant seedling : A turn of perennial produce self - sown seedlings that can be transplanted . You may also start your own seedling bed for transplanting . Prepare worthy planting holes , spacing fitly for flora development . Gently lift the seedling and as much beleaguer grunge as possible with your garden trowel , and replant it forthwith , firm soil with fingertip and water well . Shade from lineal sunshine and water on a regular basis until stable . How - to : Potting Indoor PlantsMake trusted that the plant you have chosen is desirable for the condition you are able to furnish it : that it will have enough light , space , and a temperature it will wish . Remember that the area right next to a window will be cold than the remainder of the room .
Indoor plants call for to be transplanted into a large container sporadically , or they become pot / radical - bound and their growth is retarded . Water the works well before start out , so the grunge will hold the root ball together when you remove it from the bay window . If you have trouble getting the flora out of the pot , seek running a blade around the bound of the hatful , and gently whop the sides to loosen the soil .
Always use bracing soil when transplant your indoor plant life . Fill around the works gently with soil , being careful not to pack too tightly – you want air to be capable to get to the roots . After the plant is in the fresh pot , do n’t fertilise right away … this will encourage the roots to satiate in their new dwelling house .
The size bay window you take is important too . Select one that is not more than about 1 column inch greater in diameter . Remember , many plant choose being somewhat pot bind . Always start up with a sportsmanlike pot !
Problems
Rhizoctoniais a fungus that is regain in most soils and get into the industrial plant through the rootage or the stem at soil storey . bar and Control : First of all , do not overwater and if you suspect Rhizoctonia may be your problem , decrease tearing . If a plant is too far gone ( all the leave-taking from the bottom up are wilted ) , remove it . If your plant life is in a container , discard the soil too . wash off the pot with a 1 part bleach to 9 parts piss solution . Fungicides can be used , agree to label direction . Consult a professional for a effectual good word of what fungicide to use . Pest : ThripsThripsare small , wing insects that snipe many type of works and thrive in red-hot , ironic conditions ( like heated houses ) . They can procreate cursorily as a female can repose up to 300 eggs in a liveliness pair of 45 days without sexual union . Most of the wrong to plants is because of the vernal larvae which feed on tender leaf and prime tissue paper . This leads to distorted growing , injured heyday flower petal and untimely flower free fall . Thrips also can transmit many harmful plant virus .
Prevention and Control : keep weeds down and use screening on window to keep them out . take out or discard infest plants , keep them away from non - infested plant . Trap with yellow gummy cards or take reward of natural enemy such as predatory speck . Sometimes a good steady cascade of water will lap them off the plant . Consult your local garden center professional or county conjunctive extension office for effectual chemic recommendations . Pest : Spider MitesSpider mitesare small , 8 legged , wanderer - like animate being which prosper in hot , dry conditions ( like het up houses ) . Spider mites feed with pierce rima oris parts , which cause plants to appear chickenhearted and speckled . Leaf drop and industrial plant decease can happen with heavy infestations . Spider mites can multiply quickly , as a female can lay up to 200 eggs in a life span of 30 days . They also produce a web which can cover infested leaves and flowers .
Prevention and Control : Keep weeds down and absent infested plants . Dry air seems to decline the job , so check that plants are on a regular basis watered , especially those preferring high humidity such as tropicals , citrus , or tomatoes . Always control raw industrial plant prior to impart them home from the garden center or nursery . 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 , record and follow all label directions . digest your efforts on the bottom of the leaves as that is where wanderer mites generally live . Pest : MealybugsSmall , wingless , dull - blank , flabby - bodied insects that produce a waxy powdery covering . They have piercing / breastfeed mouth part that suck the sap out of plant life tissue paper . Mealybugsoften look like small pieces of cotton and they incline to congregate where leaf and stems branch . They attack a across-the-board range of plants . The young tend to move around until they find a suitable feeding spot , then they hang out in colony and feed . Mealybugs can undermine a industrial plant guide to xanthous foliage and folio cliff . They also produce a sweet substance yell honeydew ( coveted by pismire ) which can lead to an untempting bootleg airfoil fungous growth called sooty mold .
Prevention and Control : Isolate invade plants from those that are not . Consult your local garden center professional or the Cooperative Extension office in your county for a effectual insecticide / chemical testimonial . promote instinctive enemies such as madam beetles in the garden to help boil down universe layer of mealy hemipterous insect . Pest : WhitefliesWhitefliesare small , wing insects that look like bantam moth , which attack many type of plant . The flying adult microscope stage prefers the underside of leave-taking to fertilise and breed . Whiteflies can multiply quick as a female can lie up to 500 eggs in a sprightliness distich of 2 month . If a plant is infested with whitefly , you will see a swarm of fleeing worm when the works is disturb . whitefly can weaken a plant , finally leading to plant death if they are not checked . They can transmit many harmful plant virus . They also give rise a sweet-smelling meat called honeydew ( coveted by ants ) which can moderate to an unattractive black aerofoil fungal growth called sooty mold .
potential control : keep Mary Jane down ; use sieve in windows to keep them out ; remove infested plants aside from non - infested plants ; use a reflective mulch ( Al enhancer ) under plants ( this repels whiteflies ) ; yap with xanthous sticky circuit board , practice labeled pesticides ; encourage natural enemy such as parasitic white Anglo-Saxon Protestant in the garden ; and sometimes a good steady exhibitioner of water will wash them off the plant . Pest : Slugs and SnailsSlugs and snailsfavor moist climate and are mollusks , not insects . They can be voracious confluent , consume just about anything that is not woody or extremely scented . They may eat holes in leaves , strip entire stems , or completely devour seedlings and ship’s boat transplants , leave behind tell - tale silvery , wretched trail .
bar and command : Keep your garden as clear as potential , get rid of hiding shoes such as leaf debris , over - turned pots , and tarps . Groundcover in shady place and heavy mulch provide protection from the element and can be favorite hiding places . In the spring , patrol for and destroy eggs ( bunch of humble translucent empyrean ) and adults during dusk and dawn . Set out beer traps from late spring through fall .
Many chemical ascendancy are available on the market , but can be poisonous and deadly for nestling and favorite ; take care when using them - always learn the recording label first!Fungi : Powdery MildewPowdery Mildewis usually found on plants that do not have enough air circulation or equal light . Problems are worse where nights are cool and days are warm and humid . The powdery white-hot or gray fungus is unremarkably found on the upper open of leave or yield . Leaves will often turn white-livered or brown , curl up , and drop off . New leafage emerges crinkled and distorted . Fruit will be dwarfed and often drops early .
Prevention and Control : institute resistant varieties and space plant right so they take in adequate illumination and air circulation . Always water from below , keeping piss off the leafage . This is overriding for roses . Go slowly on the nitrogen plant food . Apply fungicides according to label directions before problem becomes austere and follow directions incisively , not missing any required treatment . Sanitation is a must - clean up and remove all leaves , flowers , or debris in the fall and destroy . Fungi : Leaf SpotsLeaf patch are make by kingdom Fungi or bacteria . Brown or black smear and patches may be either ragged or round , with a water gazump or yellow - butt on appearance . insect , rainfall , dirty garden tool , or even people can help its spread .
Prevention and Control : absent infected leave when the industrial plant is dry . Leaves that gather around the substructure of the plant should be raked up and disposed of . deflect overhead irrigation if possible ; H2O should be place at soil level . For fungous leaf spots , use a recommended fungicide allot to label counselling .
pestilence : Scale InsectsScales are insect , link up to mealy bug , that can be a trouble on a all-embracing variety of plant - indoor and outdoor . Young scale crawl until they find a good feeding site . The adult female then miss their legs and continue on a spot protected by its hard shell layer . They appear as bumps , often on the lower side of leaves . They have piercing oral fissure parts that suck the sap out of plant tissue . Scales can counteract a plant leading to sensationalistic leaf and leaf pearl . They also grow a sweet substance called honeydew ( coveted by ants ) which can lead to an unattractive black surface fungal growth called coal-black mold .
Prevention and Control : Once established they are hard to control . Isolate invade plant away from those that are not infested . Consult your local garden center professional or Cooperative Extension situation in your county for a legal recommendation regarding their command . promote natural enemies such as parasitic wasps in the garden . Fungi : Sooty MoldSooty mold is a fungus that is found on the surface of foliage . It feeds on honeydew pass from aphids , mealy bugs , scale , or ants . Though not serious , it is unattractive when it cover / nigrify the leave and stems of the plant . The unspoiled direction to control sooty clay sculpture is to control the insects that make the honeydew melon . Sooty mould can usually be wiped from leaves with a damp textile or washed away with a hose - end spray .
