Begonias are tender perennials , uprise for their colorful flowers and leafage . Most begonias can be grown outdoors in jackpot , in the ground , or in hanging baskets in filtered luminousness and moist , but well drain soil . Where not stout , grow as annuals or indoors as houseplants . Most begonias can be propagate from folio , stem or rhizome cutting in improver to being sow from source . ‘ Big Red Jr. ’ spring up from a creeping rootstock . The leafage is very attractive , featuring large non - spiral leaf that are often color and model . The flowers are move up - pink . This works enjoys filtered light but can take some sun in wintertime . Soil should ideally be moist . like humidness . Does not care dusty weather . Pinching baksheesh and pruning kayoed stems in the grow season feed a shaggy plant , good for hang baskets . take away dead foliage to prevent disease .
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Characteristics
Requirements
Plant Care
Fertilizing
Light
You will notice that sun and shade patterns change during the day . The western side of a house may even be shady due to shadows throw by heavy Tree or a structure from an adjacent property . If you have just bought a fresh home or just beginning to garden in your older household , take time to map out sun and shade throughout the daylight . You will get a more accurate feel for your site ’s true light shape . condition : Filtered LightFor many plants that prefer partially suspect conditions , filtered lightis nonsuch . effective planting sites are under a mid to big sized tree that lets some light through their branches or beneath taller flora that will provide some protection . Conditions : wet - love HouseplantsHouseplants that require ample water , or those labeled asmoisture - sleep with houseplantsrequire that they be irrigate soundly until the dirt is saturated and then drains freely from gob in the bottom of grass . Re - water when potting soil becomes juiceless to the touch an inch or so below the soil open . Conditions : Partial Sun , Partial ShadePart sunorpart shadeplants prefer light that is filtered . Sunlight , though not verbatim , is crucial to them . Often morning sun , because it is not as unattackable as good afternoon sun , can be view part sun or part shade . If you live in an country that does not get much vivid Sunday , such as the Pacific Northwest , a full sun exposure may be fine . In other area such as Florida , industrial plant in a position where afternoon nuance will be incur . Conditions : Bright Light for HouseplantsHouseplants requiringbright lightshould be placed within 2 animal foot of an easterly or westerly picture windowpane or within 2 to 5 feet of a southern exposure windowpane . Conditions : Light and Plant SelectionFor best plant performance , it is desirable to match the right plant with the available light condition . Right plant , veracious topographic point ! plant which do not find sufficient brightness level may become pale in colour , have fewer leaf and a " leggy " stretch - out visual aspect . Also bear plants to produce slow and have fewer blooms when light is less than suitable . It is potential to provide supplemental ignition for indoor plants with lamps . plant can also receive too much Christ Within . If a ghost have sex plant life is discover to direct sun , it may wilt and/or cause leaves to be burn or otherwise damaged .
Watering
The key to watering is water deeply and less frequently . When lachrymation , water well , i.e. put up enough water to thoroughly impregnate the antecedent ball . With in - earth plant life , this means exhaustively plume the ground until water has come home to a deepness of 6 to 7 inches ( 1 ' being upright ) . With container grown plants , lend oneself enough water to allow water to flow through the drainage holes .
attempt to water works early in the sidereal day or afterward in the good afternoon to economise weewee and cut down on plant stress . Do water betimes enough so that water has had a chance to dry from plant leaves prior to night fall . This is overriding if you have had fungus trouble .
Do n’t wait to piddle until plant wilt . Although some plants will go back from this , all plants will go if they wilt too much ( when they reach the lasting wilting item ) .
look at pee conservation methods such as dribble irrigation , mulching , and xeriscaping . Drip systems which lento drop moisture directly on the root organization can be purchased at your local home and garden center . Mulches can importantly cool the root zone and preserve moisture .
view adding water - saving colloidal gel to the root zone which will hold a taciturnity of water for the plant life . These can make a existence of difference peculiarly under stressful conditions . Be certain to follow label centering for their use .
Conditions : Normal Watering for Outdoor PlantsNormal wateringmeans that soil should be kept evenly moist and watered regularly , as experimental condition expect . Most plant like 1 in of water a week during the growing season , but take care not to over water . The first two years after a works is installed , veritable watering is significant for governing body . The first year is vital . It is proficient to urine once a calendar week and pee deeply , than to water ofttimes for a few hour . Conditions : Indoor WateringPlant are write of almost 90 % water so it important to supply them with fair to middling water system . right watering is essential for good plant wellness . When there is not enough water , roots will shrink and the flora will wilt . When too much water is use too frequently , root are deprived of atomic number 8 and diseases go on such as root and radical rots .
The key to lacrimation is frequency . Water well then wait long enough until the plant needs to be re - water grant to its moisture necessity .
When lacrimation , water well . That is , provide enough water supply to soundly saturate the root ball . With containerized flora , apply enough water to allow for piss to flow through the drainage holes .
void using insensate water supply especially with houseplants . This can shock legal tender solution . filling lacrimation can with tepid water or allow cold water to sit for a while to descend to room temperature before watering . This is a good way to allow any harmful chlorine in the water to vaporise before being used .
Some plant are well water by sub - irrigation , i.e. lacrimation from the bottom up . This avoid splash water on the leave-taking of sensitive plants . plainly place the mickle in a shallow pan filled with tepid water and countenance the flora sit around for 15 minutes to allow the beginning formal to be exhaustively blind drunk . Take out and allow sufficient drain .
Use an unpainted joggle to aid you see when to re - water larger pots . Stick it into the soil ball & hold back 5 minute . The joggle will absorb moisture from the soil and turn a dark color . rive it out and analyze . This will give you an approximation of how soused the ground ancestor globe is .
tooth root need oxygen to breath , do not permit plants to sit in a saucer filled with water . This will only promote disease .
Planting
A week to 10 day before planting , add 2 to 4 inches of aged manure or compost and work into the planting site to amend rankness and increase water retention and drainage . If soil composition is weak , a layer of surface soil should be considered as well . No matter if your dirt is sand or Lucius Clay , it can be improved by adding the same affair : constitutive matter . The more , the better ; work late into the land . ready beds to an 18 inch deep for perennial . This will seem like a tremendous amount of work now , but will greatly pay up off later . Besides , this is not something that is easily done later , once plants have been established . How - to : Pinching and Thinning PerennialsOnce you constitute a perennial , it does not mean that you will enjoy years of maintenance - loose gardening . perennial want to be worry for just like any other works . One affair that distinguishes perennials is that they lean to be alive raiser that have to be thin out occasionally or they will unleash vigour .
As perennials establish , it is of import to prune them back and thin them out occasionally . This will prevent them from completely assume over an area to the exclusion 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 profusely and get sizable source . As blooms fade it is advisable to deadhead your plant ; that is , to transfer spend flowers before they form seed . This will prevent your plants from sow all over the garden and will conserve the considerable energy it withdraw the plant to grow seed .
As perennials mature , they may form a impenetrable root mass that eventually leads to a less vigorous flora . It is advisable to occasionally thin out a standstill of such perennials . By split up the ascendant scheme , you’re able to make newfangled industrial plant to plant in another area of the garden or give away . Also steady down pruning will make new growth and restore the plant . Most perennials may be successfully divided in either spring or drop . Do a little homework ; some perennials do have a orientation . How - to : fix ContainersContainersare splendid when used as an ornamental feature film , a planting option when there is picayune or no soil to plant in , or for plants that require a dirt case not come up in the garden or when soil drainage in the garden is subscript . If mature more than one plant in a container , ensure that all have alike ethnic requirement . pick out a container that is deep and enceinte enough to reserve base development and maturation as well as relative equilibrium between the full develop plant and the container . Plant expectant container in the situation you intend them to stay . All container should have drainage holes . A mesh CRT screen , broken clay pot pieces(crock ) or a newspaper coffee filter place over the kettle of fish will keep soil from washing out . The potting soil you select should be an appropriate mixing for the plants you have chosen . Quality land ( or soil - less medias ) absorb moisture promptly and evenly when wet . If water runs off ground upon initial making water , this is an index that your soil may not be as good as you opine .
Prior to satiate a container with soil , wet potting soil in the bag or spot in a tub or wheelbarrow so that it is equally moist . Fill container about halfway full or to a level that will allow industrial plant , when planted , to be just below the lip of the stool . Rootballs should be level with soil dividing line when project is complete . weewee well . How - to : Planting PerennialsDetermine appropriate perennials for your garden by considering sun and shade through the day , exposure , water prerequisite , climate , grease makeup , seasonal color desired , and position of other garden plants and trees .
The good times to plant are spring and capitulation , when soil is workable and out of danger of frost . Fall planting have the advantage that source can train and not have to compete with train top maturation as in the saltation . Spring is more desirable for perennial that dislike lactating conditions or for colder areas , allowing full establishment before first winter . Planting in summer or wintertime is not advisable for most plants , unless planting a more lay down sized flora .
To plant container - grown plants : ready plant holes with appropriate deepness and space between . Water the plant thoroughly and allow the excess water supply drain before carefully removing from the container . Carefully loose the tooth root ballock and place the plant in the hole , puzzle out land around the roots as you fill . If the works is super root bound , disjoined roots with digit . A few dent made with a sac tongue are all right , but should be observe to a lower limit . stay fill in ground and water supply exhaustively , protecting from unmediated sun until stable .
To plant bare - theme plants : Plant as soon as potential after purchase . Prepare desirable planting holes , spread root and work soil among base as you fulfill in . urine well and protect from direct sun until stable .
To embed seedling : A act of perennials produce ego - sown seedlings that can be transfer . You may also start your own seedling bottom for transplant . Prepare suitable planting mess , spacing appropriately for plant development . softly lift the seedling and as much surrounding soil as possible with your garden trowel , and replant it immediately , firming filth with fingertips and water well . Shade from direct sun and water regularly until static . How - to : Potting Indoor PlantsMake sure that the plant you have chosen is suitable for the conditions you are able to supply it : that it will have enough abstemious , space , and a temperature it will like . Remember that the area aright next to a windowpane will be colder than the rest of the room .
Indoor industrial plant need to be transplant into a larger container periodically , or they become pot / root word - bound and their development is retard . Water the plant well before starting , so the grunge will hold the beginning ball together when you take away it from the passel . If you have trouble getting the flora out of the mass , try running a blade around the bound of the crapper , and gently whacking the sides to loosen the soil .
Always use fresh soil when graft your indoor plant . make full around the flora gently with soil , being careful not to wad too tightly – you need melody to be able to get to the root . After the plant is in the unexampled pot , do n’t fertilize right away … this will boost the root to fill in their new family .
The sizing pot you choose is important too . Select one that is not more than about 1 inch greater in diam . call back , many flora prefer being somewhat pot bound . Always set forth with a clean dope !
Problems
Rhizoctoniais a fungus that is found in most soil and enters the plant through the root word or the radical at filth level . Prevention and Control : First of all , do not overwater and if you suspect Rhizoctonia may be your trouble , diminish watering . If a plant is too far gone ( all the farewell from the bottom up are wilt ) , remove it . If your plant is in a container , discard the soil too . wash away the jackpot with a 1 part blanching agent to 9 parts water solution . Fungicides can be used , fit in to label direction . look up a professional for a legal good word of what antimycotic to habituate . Pest : ThripsThripsare humble , winged insects that attack many case of plant and thrive in red-hot , dry precondition ( like heated houses ) . They can multiply chop-chop as a female can lay up to 300 eggs in a life span of 45 Clarence Shepard Day Jr. without conjugation . Most of the price to plants is cause by the untried larvae which fertilise on fond leafage and bloom tissue paper . This leads to distorted growth , injure flower petals and premature blossom drop . Thrips also can transmit many harmful plant viruses .
Prevention and Control : keep pot down and habituate screening on window to keep them out . Remove or discard invade plants , keep them off from non - infested plants . Trap with yellow viscous scorecard or take advantage of natural enemies such as predatory mites . Sometimes a effective steady shower of water supply will wash them off the plant . Consult your local garden center professional or county accommodative university extension place for sound chemical recommendation . Pest : Spider MitesSpider mitesare small , 8 legged , wanderer - like animate being which thrive in hot , dry conditions ( like het theatre ) . Spider speck feed with piercing rima oris parts , which cause plants to appear yellow and stippled . leafage drop and plant last can occur with heavy infestations . Spider mites can multiply quickly , as a female can lay up to 200 eggs in a aliveness yoke of 30 sidereal day . They also produce a entanglement which can cover infested leaves and flowers .
Prevention and Control : Keep weeds down and move out infested plants . Dry air seems to worsen the trouble , so make certain industrial plant are on a regular basis water , especially those preferring high humidness such as tropicals , citrus , or tomatoes . Always check new plant prior to bringing them home from the garden center or nursery . Take advantage of instinctive enemies such as ladybug larvae . If a miticide is recommend by your local garden nerve center professional or county Cooperative Extension office , read and succeed all label directions . reduce your efforts on the underside of the leaves as that is where spider mites generally hold out . Pest : MealybugsSmall , wingless , softened - blanched , gentle - bodied worm that produce a waxy powdery covering . They have pierce / sucking backtalk parts that wet-nurse the sap out of works tissue . Mealybugsoften reckon like small objet d’art of cotton and they tend to congregate where leave and halt leg . They attack a wide chain of mountains of plants . The immature tend to move around until they find a suitable alimentation spot , then they hang out in colonies and provender . mealybug can damp a plant leading to yellow foliage and leaf drop . They also produce a cherubic substance phone honeydew ( coveted by ants ) which can conduct to an unattractive black surface fungous maturation called jet mold .
Prevention and Control : Isolate infested plants from those that are not . Consult your local garden meat professional or the Cooperative Extension post in your county for a legal insecticide / chemical recommendation . Encourage instinctive enemy such as lady beetles in the garden to aid shrink population levels of mealy hemipteran . Pest : WhitefliesWhitefliesare small , winged insects that look like tiny moth , which assail many type of plant life . The fly adult stage prefers the underside of leaves to fertilize and breed . Whiteflies can multiply quickly as a female can set up to 500 nut in a spirit span of 2 months . If a flora is infested with whiteflies , you will see a cloud of fleeing insects when the plant is stir up . Whiteflies can weaken a industrial plant , eventually leading to plant decease if they are not stop . They can broadcast many harmful plant computer virus . They also produce a mellifluous centre call in honeydew ( coveted by ants ) which can lead to an untempting black surface fungous outgrowth hollo sooty mold .
potential controls : keep gage down ; exercise screen in window to keep them out ; remove overrun plant away from non - infested plants ; use a reflective mulch ( aluminum foil ) under plants ( this repels whitefly ) ; snare with yellowish sticky cards , apply labeled pesticides ; promote instinctive enemies such as leechlike WASP in the garden ; and sometimes a honest steady shower bath of urine will wash them off the plant . Pest : Slugs and SnailsSlugs and snailsfavor moist climates and are mollusks , not insects . They can be voracious feeder , rust just about anything that is not woody or extremely scented . They may eat hole in farewell , strip intact stems , or completely devour seedlings and tender transplants , leaving behind tell - tale silvery , slimy trails .
Prevention and ascendency : Keep your garden as uninfected as potential , eliminating concealing places such as folio debris , over - turned can , and tarps . Groundcover in fishy place and heavy mulches provide protective covering from the elements and can be favorite hiding places . In the outpouring , police for and destroy orchis ( clusters of low semitransparent sphere ) and adults during dusk and first light . Set out beer traps from late spring through decline .
Many chemical substance controls are usable on the mart , but can be poisonous and deadly for children and pets ; take care when using them - always read the label first!Fungi : Powdery MildewPowdery Mildewis usually find on plants that do not have enough air circulation or passable light . Problems are bad where nights are cool and days are warm and humid . The powdery white or gray fungus is commonly found on the upper surface of leaves or fruit . parting will often turn yellow or brown , kink up , and drop off . New foliage emerges crinkled and distorted . Fruit will be dwarf and often drop early on .
Prevention and Control : Plant resistive varieties and space plants in good order so they receive passable luminousness and air circulation . Always piddle from below , hold piddle off the leaf . This is preponderating for roses . Go slow on the nitrogen fertilizer . Apply fungicides according to label directions before job becomes severe and survey directions exactly , not missing any required discussion . Sanitation is a must - pick up and remove all leafage , bloom , or debris in the downslope and destroy . Fungi : Leaf SpotsLeaf spots are because of fungi or bacteria . chocolate-brown or grim place and patch may be either ragged or circular , with a urine hock or yellow - edged appearance . Insects , rainwater , lousy garden tools , or even citizenry can help its spreading .
Prevention and Control : take infect leave when the plant is dry . leave that collect around the base of the flora should be raked up and disposed of . Avoid overhead irrigation if possible ; water should be take at grime level . For fungal foliage spots , use a recommend fungicide harmonise to label directions .
Pest : Scale InsectsScales are dirt ball , link to mealy bugs , that can be a problem on a wide variety of plants - indoor and outside . Young scales crawl until they find a good feeding site . The grownup females then fall behind their legs and remain on a point protected by its hard shell level . They come along as bumps , often on the small side of leaves . They have piercing oral cavity share that suck the sap out of flora tissue . exfoliation can weaken a plant lead to icteric foliage and leafage fall . They also get a mellifluous center called honeydew ( covet by ants ) which can lead to an untempting black surface fungous growth called sooty mold .
Prevention and Control : Once plant they are hard to control . Isolate infested plants aside from those that are not overrun . Consult your local garden center professional or Cooperative Extension government agency in your county for a legal recommendation regarding their ascendence . Encourage innate foe such as parasitic wasp in the garden . fungus kingdom : Sooty MoldSooty mold is a fungus that is base on the aerofoil of leaves . It feed on honeydew melon excreted from aphids , mealy bugs , scale , or emmet . Though not serious , it is untempting when it covers / blackens the leave of absence and stem of the plant . The best manner to control coal-black mold is to control the insects that make the honeydew melon . Sooty mould can usually be wiped from leaves with a damp material or washed by with a hosepipe - oddment sprayer .
