Begonias are warm perennial , grown for their colourful flowers and foliation . Most begonia can be grow outdoors in flock , in the background , or in hang baskets in filter visible radiation and moist , but well drain soil . Where not hardy , raise as annuals or indoors as houseplants . Most begonia can be distribute from leaf , stem or rhizome cutting in addition to being sown from seed . ( Plant width : leaves over 6 inches ) The cultivar , ‘ Ventura Blvd . , ’ develop from a creeping rhizome . The foliage is very attractive , featuring turgid non - spiral leaves that are often colored and pattern . This plant enjoys permeate light but can take some sun in wintertime . Soil should ideally be moist . Begonias uprise very well in peat - based compost also . Likes humidity . Does not care cold weather . nobble pourboire and pruning outer stem in the growing season gives a bushier plant life , good for hanging baskets . Remove dead leaf to forbid disease .
Google Plant Images : clack here !
Characteristics
Requirements
Plant Care
Fertilizing
Light
You will notice that sunshine and shade pattern change during the day . The westerly side of a business firm may even be shady due to shadows cast by with child trees or a structure from an adjacent property . If you have just bought a newfangled home or just beginning to garden in your older home , take time to map sun and tincture throughout the sidereal day . You will get a more accurate feel for your land site ’s true faint conditions . Conditions : sink in LightFor many plants that prefer partially shady experimental condition , sink in lightis nonpareil . Good planting internet site are under a mid to great sized tree that lets some light through their limb or beneath magniloquent plants that will put up some protection . Conditions : wet - loving HouseplantsHouseplants that need ample piddle , or those labeled asmoisture - loving houseplantsrequire that they be watered thoroughly until the soil is saturate and then drains freely from holes in the bottom of kitty . Re - water when potting stain becomes dry to the touching an in or so below the soil Earth’s surface . Conditions : Partial Sun , Partial ShadePart sunorpart shadeplants favour light that is dribble . Sunlight , though not verbatim , is important to them . Often forenoon Lord’s Day , because it is not as strong as afternoon sun , can be considered part Lord’s Day or part wraith . If you live in an region that does not get much vivid sun , such as the Pacific Northwest , a full Sunday exposure may be ok . In other areas such as Florida , plant life in a placement where good afternoon spectre will be received . Conditions : Bright Light for HouseplantsHouseplants requiringbright lightshould be placed within 2 feet of an eastern or westerly exposure window or within 2 to 5 foot of a southerly exposure window . condition : Light and Plant SelectionFor proficient plant operation , it is desirable to pit the correct plant with the available swooning conditions . correct industrial plant , right place ! industrial plant which do not encounter sufficient light may become pallid in color , have fewer leaves and a " leggy " stretched - out appearance . Also anticipate plants to get sluggish and have fewer blooms when brightness level is less than desirable . It is possible to provide supplemental firing for indoor plants with lamps . Plants can also find too much light . If a shadiness loving industrial plant is uncover to unmediated Lord’s Day , it may wilt and/or have leave-taking to be sunburned or otherwise damaged .
Watering
The samara to watering is body of water deep and less frequently . When watering , urine well , i.e. provide enough water to good saturate the source ball . With in - ground plants , this means thoroughly soaking the soil until weewee has penetrated to a deepness of 6 to 7 inches ( 1 ' being upright ) . With container grown plants , use enough water to permit water to flow through the drainage holes .
endeavor to water plant early in the mean solar day or later in the afternoon to maintain piddle and cut down on plant stress . Do water early enough so that water system has had a chance to dry from works leaves prior to Nox fall . This is paramount if you have had fungus problems .
Do n’t wait to water until plants wilt . Although some plants will recover from this , all plants will give out if they wilt too much ( when they pass on the permanent wilting peak ) .
view water supply conservation methods such as drip irrigation , mulching , and xeriscaping . Drip systems which easy drip wet now on the root organization can be buy at your local home and garden center . mulch can significantly cool the root zone and maintain moisture .
Consider sum water - saving gels to the root geographical zone which will hold a reserve of water for the industrial plant . These can make a world of difference especially under stressful condition . Be sure to follow label directions for their consumption .
shape : Normal Watering for Outdoor PlantsNormal wateringmeans that soil should be kept evenly moist and water regularly , as condition require . Most plants like 1 inch of water a week during the growing season , but take care not to over piddle . The first two class after a plant is installed , unconstipated watering is important for establishment . The first class is critical . It is better to water once a week and piddle deep , than to urine frequently for a few minute . experimental condition : Indoor WateringPlant are composed of almost 90 % water so it important to supply them with enough water . Proper watering is essential for good plant health . When there is not enough water , root will fade and the industrial plant will wilt . When too much water system is applied too frequently , roots are deprive of O and disease occur such as root and root guff .
The key to lacrimation is frequency . pee well then wait long enough until the plant needs to be re - water grant to its wet requirement .
When watering , water well . That is , furnish enough water to thoroughly saturate the source ball . With containerized plants , apply enough water to allow water to flow through the drain cakehole .
Avoid using cold water especially with houseplant . This can shock pinnace ascendent . Fill watering can with tepid water or allow stale water to sit for a while to come to board temperature before lachrymation . This is a sound way to allow any harmful atomic number 17 in the piss to evaporate before being used .
Some plants are well irrigate by wedge - irrigation , i.e. lachrymation from the bottom up . This avoids splashing pee on the leaves of sensitive plants . Simply set the pile in a shallow pan fill with tepid water and let the industrial plant sit around for 15 minutes to give up the antecedent orb to be soundly wet . Take out and allow sufficient drainage .
Use an unpainted dowel to aid you specify when to re - water larger pots . Stick it into the land ball & hold back 5 minutes . The dowel will imbibe moisture from the soil and wrench a moody color . Pull it out and examine . This will give you an idea of how blind drunk the grime etymon egg is .
Roots need atomic number 8 to breather , do not allow for works to sit down in a dish sate with water . This will only push disease .
Planting
A calendar week to 10 years before planting , tally 2 to 4 inches of aged manure or compost and work into the planting website to amend natality and increase piddle retentivity and drain . If soil composition is weak , a layer of topsoil should be consider as well . No matter if your stain is grit or Henry Clay , it can be improved by adding the same thing : organic matter . The more , the better ; mold deep into the soil . Prepare bottom to an 18 column inch recondite for perennial . This will seem like a marvellous amount of employment now , but will greatly pay off later . Besides , this is not something that is easy done later , once industrial plant have been show . How - to : Pinching and Thinning PerennialsOnce you imbed a perennial , it does not mean that you will enjoy days of maintenance - free gardening . Perennials involve to be give care for just like any other plant . One thing that distinguishes perennials is that they lean to be active growers that have to be thinned out occasionally or they will unleash vigour .
As perennial found , it is important to prune them back and thin them out occasionally . This will keep them from totally taking over an area to the exclusion of other plant , and also will increase air circulation thereby reducing the incidence of diseases like botrytis and powdery mildew .
Many species also blossom abundantly and produce ample source . As blooms disappearance it is advisable to deadhead your plant ; that is , to remove spent flowers before they form seed . This will prevent your plants from seeding all over the garden and will keep up the considerable vigor it takes the plant to produce seed .
As perennial grow , they may constitute a heavy root spate that eventually leads to a less vigorous plant . It is advisable to from time to time thin out a tie-up of such perennials . By dividing the root system , you could make new works to plant in another arena of the garden or give away . Also rootle pruning will excite novel growth and rejuvenate the works . Most perennial may be successfully divided in either outflow or dusk . Do a little prep ; some perennial do have a preference . How - to : Preparing ContainersContainersare fantabulous when used as an ornamental characteristic , a planting option when there is picayune or no soil to establish in , or for plant life that necessitate a soil case not found in the garden or when dirt drainage in the garden is inferior . If turn more than one plant in a container , verify that all have similar cultural requirement . Choose a container that is abstruse and bombastic enough to let root maturation and ontogenesis as well as proportional equaliser between the in full developed industrial plant and the container . Plant tumid container in the place you mean them to bide . All container should have drain holes . A net screen , broken clay pot pieces(crock ) or a newspaper coffee filter placed over the maw will keep soil from wash off out . The potting soil you select should be an appropriate mix for the plants you have chosen . Quality ground ( or soil - less medias ) absorb moisture readily and equally when blotto . If weewee runs off soil upon initial wetting , this is an index that your dirt may not be as beneficial as you think .
Prior to fill up a container with territory , wet pot territory in the old bag or place in a tub or wheelbarrow so that it is evenly moist . Fill container about halfway full or to a level that will allow flora , when planted , to be just below the flange of the wad . Rootballs should be unwavering with soil railway line when project is complete . urine well . How - to : Planting PerennialsDetermine appropriate perennial for your garden by considering Lord’s Day and shade through the Clarence Day , exposure , weewee requirements , climate , stain composition , seasonal color desired , and position of other garden plants and trees .
The best clock time to plant are spring and fall , when territory is workable and out of danger of frost . Fall planting have the advantage that roots can develop and not have to compete with developing top emergence as in the spring . Spring is more desirable for perennials that dislike wet shape or for stale areas , let full institution before first winter . Planting in summertime or winter is not advisable for most plant , unless plant a more give sized plant .
To implant container - grown plants : machinate embed holes with appropriate deepness and space between . Water the industrial plant thoroughly and let the redundant water drainpipe before carefully slay from the container . Carefully loose the origin ball and place the plant in the hole , working soil around the roots as you fill . If the plant is super root bound , freestanding roots with fingers . A few slits made with a air pocket knife are okay , but should be kept to a lower limit . proceed filling in soil and weewee thoroughly , protecting from direct sun until static .
To plant bare - root plants : plant life as presently as potential after purchase . organise suitable planting hole , disseminate roots and sour soil among ascendant as you fill in . water system well and protect from direct sunshine until stable .
To establish seedlings : A identification number of perennials produce ego - sow in seedlings that can be transplant . You may also set out your own seedling bed for transplanting . Prepare suitable planting holes , space appropriately for plant growing . Gently lift the seedling and as much circumvent soil as possible with your garden trowel , and replant it immediately , firming soil with fingertip and water well . Shade from direct sun and water on a regular basis until stable . How - to : Potting Indoor PlantsMake certain that the plant you have chosen is suitable for the conditions you are able to ply it : that it will have enough easy , blank space , and a temperature it will like . Remember that the area right next to a windowpane will be cold than the remainder of the room .
Indoor flora need to be transplanted into a larger container periodically , or they become pot / root - bound and their growth is retard . Water the flora well before starting , so the grime will deem the root musket ball together when you dispatch it from the tidy sum . If you have fuss getting the industrial plant out of the muckle , render run a blade around the edge of the pot , and lightly whop the side to loosen the soil .
Always use fresh soil when transpose your indoor industrial plant . Fill around the industrial plant gently with territory , being careful not to pack too tightly – you want air to be capable to get to the roots . After the plant is in the young pot , do n’t fertilize right away … this will encourage the roots to fill in their new dwelling .
The size of it kitty you choose is important too . Select one that is not more than about 1 inch greater in diam . Remember , many plants prefer being moderately pot bind . Always start with a clean pot !
Problems
Rhizoctoniais a fungus that is found in most soils and enters the plant through the roots or the root at soil tier . bar and Control : First of all , do not overwater and if you suspect Rhizoctonia may be your trouble , lessen tearing . If a plant is too far gone ( all the leaves from the bottom up are wilted ) , bump off it . If your plant is in a container , toss the stain too . Wash the pot with a 1 part bleach to 9 parts water solution . antifungal can be used , according to label direction . confabulate a professional for a legal testimonial of what fungicide to use . Pest : ThripsThripsare diminished , winged dirt ball that attack many types of plant and thrive in hot , ironic conditions ( like heated up houses ) . They can manifold quickly as a female person can lie up to 300 eggs in a life-time twosome of 45 day without conjugation . Most of the damage to flora is because of the immature larvae which fee on tender leaf and flower tissue . This direct to perverted ontogeny , injured bloom flower petal and premature prime cliff . Thrips also can transmit many harmful plant viruses .
Prevention and Control : keep dope down and use screening on windows to keep them out . Remove or discard infested plants , keep them out from non - infested plants . Trap with white-livered sticky card or take advantage of rude enemy such as predatory speck . Sometimes a beneficial unfaltering exhibitor of urine will wash them off the plant . confab your local garden center professional or county Cooperative telephone extension office for legal chemical good word . Pest : Spider MitesSpider mitesare small , 8 legged , spider - similar creatures which boom in hot , dry conditions ( like heated mansion ) . Spider mites fee with piercing mouth portion , which cause plants to appear yellow and stippled . Leaf fall and plant life demise can occur with gravid infestations . Spider hint can reproduce quickly , as a female person can lay up to 200 ball in a aliveness pair of 30 days . They also produce a web which can embrace infested leave and flower .
Prevention and Control : Keep mourning band down and remove infested plants . Dry air travel seems to worsen the problem , so ensure plants are regularly water , specially those preferring high-pitched humidness such as tropicals , citrus , or tomatoes . Always check new plant prior to make for them home from the garden center or nursery . Take advantage of rude enemy 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 directions . Concentrate your efforts on the undersurface of the leaves as that is where spider hint broadly live . pesterer : MealybugsSmall , wingless , dull - white , balmy - bodied worm that produce a waxy powdery cover . They have pierce / suck mouth constituent that suck the sap out of flora tissue paper . Mealybugsoften look like humble piece of cotton and they run to congregate where leafage and stems branch . They attack a all-embracing range of plants . The young tend to move around until they feel a suitable feeding spot , then they hang out in colonies and feed . Mealybugs can weaken a flora leading to yellow foliation and leafage fall . They also produce a sugared substance called honeydew ( covet by ant ) which can lead to an untempting black surface fungal growth called sooty mold .
Prevention and Control : Isolate infested industrial plant from those that are not . Consult your local garden center professional or the Cooperative Extension agency in your county for a effectual insecticide / chemical passport . advance natural enemy such as madam beetles in the garden to assist reduce universe tier of mealy bug . gadfly : WhitefliesWhitefliesare small , winged insects that front like tiny moths , which attack many types of plants . The flying grownup stage prefers the underside of leaves to feed and breed . Whiteflies can multiply quickly as a female person can lie in up to 500 eggs in a living duet of 2 months . If a plant life is infested with whitefly , you will see a swarm of take flight louse when the plant is disturbed . whitefly can weaken a plant , eventually leading to implant end if they are not checked . They can transmit many harmful plant viruses . They also produce a sweet substance called honeydew ( coveted by pismire ) which can lead to an unattractive disastrous surface fungous growth called sooty mold .
Possible control : keep weeds down ; purpose screening in windowpane to keep them out ; remove infested plants aside from non - infested plant ; use a reflective mulch ( aluminum transparency ) under plants ( this repels whiteflies ) ; trap with yellow embarrassing card , apply labeled pesticides ; encourage natural enemies such as parasitical wasps in the garden ; and sometimes a good steady cascade of water will moisten them off the flora . Pest : slug and SnailsSlugs and snailsfavor moist climates and are shellfish , not insects . They can be voracious feeders , eat just about anything that is not woody or highly sweet-smelling . They may eat hole in leaf , strip intact stems , or completely devour seedling and tender transplants , depart behind tell - tale silvery , slimy trails .
Prevention and control : Keep your garden as clean as possible , wipe out concealment places such as leaf detritus , over - turned pots , and tarps . Groundcover in shady places and heavy mulch provide protection from the elements and can be favorite hiding place . In the spring , police for and destroy nut ( clump of small translucent spheres ) and adult during crepuscule and dawn . fructify out beer sand trap from tardy bound through fall .
Many chemical substance control condition are available on the market place , but can be toxicant and deadly for nipper and dearie ; take care when using them - always read the label first!Fungi : Powdery MildewPowdery Mildewis usually found on plants that do not have enough air circulation or passable light . Problems are spoiled where nights are coolheaded and days are fond and humid . The powdery lily-white or grey fungus is usually found on the upper surface of leaves or fruit . Leaves will often become white-livered or brown , curve up , and shed off . New foliage emerges crinkled and misshapen . Fruit will be dwarfed and often drops early .
Prevention and Control : establish resistant varieties and space plants the right way so they get adequate light and air circulation . Always water from below , keep water off the foliation . This is overriding for roses . Go easy on the N fertiliser . put on antimycotic grant to label centering before problem becomes grave and follow directions incisively , not missing any require intervention . Sanitation is a must - make clean up and remove all leaves , flower , or rubble in the capitulation and destroy . Fungi : Leaf SpotsLeaf spots are due to fungi or bacteria . Brown or black muscae volitantes and patches may be either ragged or circular , with a water souse or yellow - edged show . Insects , rain , dirty garden tools , or even people can help its banquet .
Prevention and Control : Remove infect leaves when the plant is teetotal . foliage that collect around the base of the works should be crease up and throw out of . Avoid overhead irrigation if possible ; water should be directed at soil level . For fungal folio post , use a advocate fungicide grant to label direction .
Pest : Scale InsectsScales are dirt ball , touch on to mealy bugs , that can be a problem on a wide salmagundi of plants - indoor and outside . immature scales Australian crawl until they find a practiced eating site . The adult female then lose their legs and remain on a touch protected by its intemperate shell layer . They come along as bump , often on the lower sides of leave of absence . They have piercing oral fissure parts that suck the sap out of plant life tissue . Scales can soften a flora leading to yellow foliage and foliage dip . They also bring forth a mellifluous substance called honeydew ( coveted by ants ) which can run to an unattractive shameful surface fungal growth called sooty mold .
Prevention and Control : Once established they are severe to control . Isolate infested plant life aside from those that are not overrun . Consult your local garden middle professional or Cooperative Extension office in your county for a legal recommendation regarding their ascendency . Encourage natural enemies such as parasitic wasp in the garden . kingdom Fungi : Sooty MoldSooty cast is a fungus that is establish on the surface of leaf . It feeds on honeydew melon excreted from aphids , mealy bugs , scurf , or ant . Though not serious , it is unattractive when it cover / melanize the leaves and stems of the plant . The best means to control sooty mold is to control the worm that make the honeydew . Sooty mold can usually be wiped from leaves with a damp cloth or washed away with a hosepipe - end nebulizer .
