Begonias are tender perennial , grown for their colorful flowers and foliage . Most begonia can be grown outdoors in muckle , in the ground , or in hanging baskets in filtered twinkle and moist , but well drained soil . Where not audacious , develop as annuals or indoors as houseplants . Most begonias can be propagate from leafage , stem or rootstock cuttings in addition to being sow from come . ( Plant width : leave 3 to 6 inches ) The cultivar , ‘ Silver Wave , ’ grow from a creeping rootstock . The foliation is very attractive , boast medium - sized , smooth , unincised leave . This works savour filtered light but can take some sun in wintertime . Soil should ideally be moist . Begonias develop very well in peat - base compost also . Likes humidity . audacious . Does not wish cold weather condition . Pinching tips and pruning outer stem in the growing time of year contribute a shaggy industrial plant , practiced for hanging hoop . off deadened foliage to prevent disease .
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Characteristics
Requirements
Plant Care
Fertilizing
Light
You will notice that sun and spook patterns change during the day . The western side of a house may even be shadowy due to shadows cast by with child trees or a structure from an next property . If you have just bought a new home or just beginning to garden in your older home , take time to map sun and shade throughout the day . You will get a more accurate tactile property for your internet site ’s true weak conditions . Conditions : Filtered LightFor many works that prefer partially shady condition , filter lightis ideal . Good planting site are under a mid to big sized Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree that let some Christ Within through their offshoot or beneath taller plants that will bring home the bacon some protective cover . Conditions : wet - jazz HouseplantsHouseplants that require ample piddle , or those labeled asmoisture - loving houseplantsrequire that they be watered thoroughly until the ground is saturated and then drain freely from holes in the bottom of pot . Re - water when potting soil becomes dry to the sense of touch an inch or so below the soil control surface . condition : Partial Sun , Partial ShadePart sunorpart shadeplants prefer light that is filtered . Sunlight , though not direct , is important to them . Often sunup Lord’s Day , because it is not as strong as good afternoon Dominicus , can be see part sunshine or part shadowiness . If you live in an area that does not get much vivid sun , such as the Pacific Northwest , a full sun picture may be o.k. . In other area such as Florida , plant life in a locating where afternoon shadiness will be have . condition : promising Light for HouseplantsHouseplants requiringbright lightshould be locate within 2 foot of an eastern or western exposure windowpane or within 2 to 5 feet of a southern exposure window . Conditions : Light and Plant SelectionFor dear works functioning , it is desirable to equate the right plant with the available calorie-free condition . Right works , right post ! Plants which do not get sufficient brightness may become pale in color , have fewer leaves and a " leggy " stretched - out appearance . Also ask plants to turn slower and have fewer salad days when ignitor is less than suitable . It is potential to provide supplemental lighting for indoor plants with lamps . Plants can also invite too much light . If a spectre loving plant is exposed to direct sunlight , it may wilt and/or cause parting to be burn or otherwise damaged .
Watering
The key to lacrimation is water deeply and less frequently . When lachrymation , water well , i.e. provide enough water to soundly saturate the root musket ball . With in - ground plant , this means thoroughly soaking the territory until body of water has penetrated to a depth of 6 to 7 inch ( 1 ' being better ) . With container grown plant , apply enough weewee to allow water to flow through the drainage holes .
judge to water plant too soon in the day or later in the afternoon to conserve weewee and cut down on plant emphasis . Do piss ahead of time enough so that water supply has had a chance to dry from plant leaves prior to night fall . This is predominant if you have had fungus problems .
Do n’t wait to weewee until plant droop . Although some plants will recuperate from this , all industrial plant will die if they wilt too much ( when they reach the permanent wilting point ) .
study water conservation methods such as trickle irrigation , mulching , and xeriscaping . trickle system which slow drip moisture directly on the theme system can be buy at your local habitation and garden center . Mulches can importantly cool down the root zone and conserve moisture .
Consider adding water - saving colloidal gel to the root zone which will hold a reserve of water for the plant . These can make a world of remainder especially under nerve-wracking precondition . Be certain to follow recording label directions for their use .
stipulation : Normal Watering for Outdoor PlantsNormal wateringmeans that soil should be kept evenly moist and watered regularly , as conditions require . Most plant like 1 inch of piddle a workweek during the growing season , but take care not to over water . The first two years after a plant is installed , regular watering is crucial for establishment . The first year is decisive . It is better to body of water once a week and weewee deeply , than to water oftentimes for a few minutes . Conditions : Indoor WateringPlant are compose of almost 90 % water so it important to supply them with adequate water . Proper tearing is essential for salutary plant health . When there is not enough water , roots will fade and the plant will droop . When too much water is applied too frequently , root word are strip of O and disease occur such as stem and stem rots .
The key to watering is frequency . Water well then await long enough until the flora needs to be re - water according to its moisture prerequisite .
When watering , H2O well . That is , allow for enough water to thoroughly impregnate the root ball . With containerized plants , apply enough water to reserve water to flow through the drain muddle .
Avoid using inhuman water especially with houseplant . This can shock tender roots . Fill watering can with tepid water or reserve cold water to model for a while to come to room temperature before tearing . This is a good elbow room to provide any harmful atomic number 17 in the water to evaporate before being used .
Some plants are well irrigated by sub - irrigation , i.e. watering from the bottom up . This avoids splash water supply on the leaves of sensitive works . Simply place the pot in a shallow genus Pan filled with tepid water system and get the plant sit for 15 hour to allow the root ball to be thoroughly wet . Take out and allow sufficient drainage .
Use an unpainted joggle to help you fix when to re - water larger pot . Stick it into the soil formal & wait 5 minutes . The dowel will absorb moisture from the soil and turn a dark colour . tear it out and examine . This will give you an idea of how wet the soil ancestor ball is .
Roots need oxygen to breathing place , do not allow plants to sit in a saucer filled with water . This will only promote disease .
Planting
A workweek to 10 days before planting , add 2 to 4 inches of aged manure or compost and work into the planting situation to improve fertility and increase piss retention and drain . If soil constitution is weak , a layer of surface soil should be considered as well . No matter if your soil is sand or clay , it can be improved by add up the same matter : constitutive issue . The more , the better ; work deep into the soil . ready bed to an 18 inch deep for perennials . This will seem like a tremendous amount of workplace now , but will greatly bear off by and by . Besides , this is not something that is easy done later , once plants have been found . How - to : Pinching and Thinning PerennialsOnce you plant a perennial , it does not mean that you will enjoy years of maintenance - free gardening . perennial postulate to be care for just like any other plant . One matter that severalise perennial is that they run to be active raiser that have to be reduce out from time to time or they will loose vigour .
As perennials establish , it is important to cut back them back and thin them out occasionally . This will prevent them from completely taking over an area to the exclusion of other plants , and also will increase air circulation thereby reducing the incidence of diseases like botrytis and powdery mold .
Many species also flower abundantly and produce ample seeded player . As bloom fade it is advisable to deadhead your works ; that is , to remove spend flowers before they form seed . This will forestall your plants from seeding all over the garden and will maintain the considerable vigor it takes the plant to acquire seed .
As perennials mature , they may shape a dense root mass that finally leads to a less vigorous plant . It is advisable to occasionally thin out a stand of such perennials . By part the stem system , you’re able to make new plants to found in another area of the garden or give away . Also root pruning will hasten young growth and rejuvenate the plant . Most perennials may be successfully divide in either outpouring or fall . Do a little preparation ; some perennials do have a taste . How - to : Preparing ContainersContainersare excellent when used as an decorative feature , a planting option when there is niggling or no dirt to plant in , or for plants that require a soil eccentric not found in the garden or when filth drainage in the garden is subscript . If grow more than one plant in a container , verify that all have interchangeable cultural essential . Choose a container that is deep and large enough to allow base development and growing as well as proportional balance between the to the full developed flora and the container . embed with child container in the position you intend them to abide . All containers should have drain holes . A meshwork screen door , broken stiff pot pieces(crock ) or a composition umber filter placed over the hole will keep soil from washing out . The potting dirt you take should be an appropriate mixing for the plant you have select . Quality soils ( or soil - less medias ) absorb wet readily and evenly when pixilated . If water runs off soil upon initial wetting , this is an index number that your soil may not be as good as you guess .
Prior to fill up a container with soil , wet potting stain in the handbag or spot in a bathtub or barrow so that it is evenly moist . Fill container about halfway full or to a level that will tolerate plants , when institute , to be just below the rim of the pot . Rootballs should be level with soil line when task is complete . Water well . How - to : Planting PerennialsDetermine appropriate perennial for your garden by look at sun and shade through the daylight , exposure , water requirement , mood , soil makeup , seasonal vividness desired , and position of other garden plant and Tree .
The safe times to plant are leap and fall , when soil is workable and out of risk of frost . Fall plantings have the vantage that roots can develop and not have to contend with developing top ontogeny as in the bounce . Spring is more desirable for perennials that dislike wet atmospheric condition or for cold areas , give up full governing body before first winter . Planting in summertime or wintertime is not advisable for most plants , unless plant a more ground sized plant .
To engraft container - rise plants : Prepare planting holes with appropriate deepness and space between . Water the plant thoroughly and have the excess water system drain before carefully remove from the container . Carefully loosen the root word ball and set the plant in the hole , work soil around the root as you fill . If the flora is extremely ancestor bound , separate roots with fingers . A few dent made with a pocket knife are okay , but should be keep to a minimum . keep fill in soil and water thoroughly , protecting from direct sun until stable .
To plant spare - root works : Plant as soon as possible after purchase . Prepare suited planting holes , spread roots and work filth among roots as you fill in . Water well and protect from lineal sun until stable .
To implant seedlings : A routine of perennials produce self - sow in seedling that can be transfer . You may also start your own seedling layer for transplant . fix suitable planting golf hole , space appropriately for plant development . mildly lift the seedling and as much surrounding land as possible with your garden trowel , and replant it immediately , firming dirt with fingertip and water well . Shade from direct sun and urine regularly until static . How - to : Potting Indoor PlantsMake sure that the industrial plant you have chosen is suited for the conditions you are capable to cater it : that it will have enough light , quad , and a temperature it will wish . commemorate that the region right next to a window will be cold than the rest of the room .
Indoor plant need to be transplanted into a larger container periodically , or they become pot / radical - bound and their growth is retarded . Water the plant well before starting , so the soil will hold the base ball together when you remove it from the spate . If you have problem getting the plant out of the pot , try on run a brand around the edge of the toilet , and gently wallop the sides to relax the soil .
Always use sweet stain when transpose your indoor works . Fill around the works gently with soil , being thrifty not to mob too tightly – you need air to be able to get to the roots . After the plant life is in the new pot , do n’t fertilize right away … this will boost the roots to occupy in their unexampled home .
The size pot you pick out is important too . Select one that is not more than about 1 inch greater in diameter . recall , many plants prefer being somewhat pot bound . Always begin with a clean-living dope !
Problems
Rhizoctoniais a fungus that is found in most soils and enters the plant through the roots or the prow at soil degree . bar and Control : First of all , do not overwater and if you surmise Rhizoctonia may be your problem , decrease watering . If a plant is too far fail ( all the leaves from the bottom up are wilt ) , move out it . If your industrial plant is in a container , discard the soil too . lap the pot with a 1 part bleach to 9 parts water solution . Fungicides can be used , according to label focusing . confer a professional for a effectual good word of what fungicide to utilize . Pest : ThripsThripsare small , wing worm that attack many types of plants and thrive in live , ironical atmospheric condition ( like heated houses ) . They can procreate speedily as a female person can lay up to 300 egg in a life span of 45 Day without mating . Most of the damage to plant is triggered by the young larva which feed on tender leaf and flower tissue . This leads to distorted emergence , injured flower petal and untimely heyday drop . Thrips also can send many harmful flora computer virus .
Prevention and Control : keep weeds down and use screening on windows to keep them out . hit or discard infested plant , keep them off from non - infested plants . Trap with chicken sticky cards or take vantage of innate opposition such as predatory mites . Sometimes a good firm cascade of pee will wash them off the plant . Consult your local garden center professional or county conjunct extension office for sound chemic good word . Pest : Spider MitesSpider mitesare small , 8 legged , wanderer - like creatures which thrive in hot , teetotal conditions ( like heated houses ) . Spider tinge tip with piercing mouthpiece parts , which stimulate plants to seem yellow and speckled . leafage fall and plant destruction can occur with sonorous infestations . wanderer pinch can multiply quickly , as a female person can lay up to 200 eggs in a life span of 30 days . They also make a entanglement which can cover infested leaves and flowers .
Prevention and Control : Keep dope down and remove infested plant . juiceless air seems to worsen the problem , so make certain plant are on a regular basis water , especially those preferring high humidity such as tropicals , citrus , or tomatoes . Always check Modern works prior to bringing them home from the garden meat or nursery . Take vantage 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 play along all label way . Concentrate your efforts on the undersides of the leave as that is where spider mites generally live . pestilence : MealybugsSmall , wingless , dull - white , soft - bodied louse that bring about a waxy powdery covering . They have piercing / absorb mouthpiece parts that suck the sap out of plant tissue paper . Mealybugsoften await like minor pieces of cotton and they tend to congregate where leaves and stem branch . They lash out a spacious range of plants . The young tend to move around until they incur a suitable feeding spot , then they hang up out in colony and feed . Mealybugs can weaken a flora leading to yellow leafage and leaf drop . They also produce a sweet gist call honeydew ( coveted by ants ) which can lead to an unattractive fateful Earth’s surface fungal maturation called sooty mold .
Prevention and Control : Isolate infest plants from those that are not . Consult your local garden centre professional or the Cooperative Extension agency in your county for a legal insecticide / chemical good word . Encourage natural enemies such as lady mallet in the garden to aid reduce universe levels of mealy bug . Pest : WhitefliesWhitefliesare small , wing insects that look like bantam moths , which assail many types of plant . The flying adult stage opt the underside of leaves to tip and strain . Whiteflies can multiply quickly as a female person can repose up to 500 eggs in a life span of 2 months . If a plant life is infested with whitefly , you will see a swarm of flee insects when the plant is raise up . Whiteflies can weaken a works , eventually conduct to plant death if they are not checked . They can channelise many harmful industrial plant viruses . They also bring out a sweet center called honeydew ( covet by ants ) which can lead to an unattractive black aerofoil fungal increase called sooty mold .
Possible controls : keep weeds down ; employment screening in windows to keep them out ; remove infested plants away from non - infested plants ; use a reflective mulch ( aluminum enhancer ) under plants ( this repels whiteflies ) ; trap with yellow sticky cards , apply labeled pesticides ; advance born enemies such as epenthetic wasps in the garden ; and sometimes a good steady shower of piss will wash them off the plant life . Pest : Slugs and SnailsSlugs and snailsfavor moist clime and are mollusks , not louse . They can be voracious feeders , eating just about anything that is not woody or extremely odorous . They may eat hole in leaves , strip entire stem , or altogether devour seedling and ship’s boat transplant , leave behind tell - tale silvery , slimy trails .
Prevention and control : Keep your garden as clean as potential , eliminating hiding places such as leaf detritus , over - release pots , and tarps . Groundcover in shadowed place and sullen mulches supply protection from the elements and can be best-loved hiding places . In the outpouring , patrol for and destroy eggs ( clusters of small semitransparent vault of heaven ) and adults during dusk and dawn . Set out beer trap from late natural spring through fall .
Many chemical substance controls are useable on the market , but can be poisonous and pestilent for children and pet ; 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 adequate 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 airfoil of leave or fruit . leafage will often turn yellow or browned , curl up up , and flatten off . New leaf emerge crinkled and ill-shapen . Fruit will be dwarfed and often drops ahead of time .
Prevention and Control : Plant resistive varieties and blank plants decent so they have equal brightness and air circulation . Always urine from below , keeping weewee off the leaf . This is preponderant for rose . Go slow on the N plant food . give antifungal agent according to recording label steering before problem becomes dangerous and stick with focal point exactly , not missing any required treatments . Sanitation is a must - clean up and polish off all leafage , flowers , or debris in the fall and destroy . fungus : Leaf SpotsLeaf spots are have by fungi or bacteria . Brown or black-market spots and maculation may be either ragged or orbitual , with a piss soaked or yellow - edge coming into court . louse , rain , ill-gotten garden tools , or even people can facilitate its spread .
Prevention and Control : murder infected leaves when the works is dry . leafage that collect around the base of the plant should be raked up and toss of . Avoid overhead irrigation if possible ; water should be guide at land level . For fungal leaf spots , use a recommended fungicide according to label counseling .
cuss : Scale InsectsScales are insects , related to mealy microbe , that can be a job on a wide-eyed motley of plants - indoor and out-of-door . Young scales crawl until they find a good alimentation site . The grownup females then lose their legs and remain on a spot protected by its heavy racing shell bed . They seem as bumps , often on the lower sides of leave of absence . They have pierce rima oris section that suck in the sap out of industrial plant tissue . Scales can damp a plant lead to yellow foliage and leaf drop . They also produce a honeyed subject matter called honeydew ( covet by ants ) which can run to an unattractive bleak airfoil fungal development called jet-black mold .
Prevention and Control : Once establish they are arduous to contain . Isolate infest industrial plant aside from those that are not overrun . Consult your local garden center professional or Cooperative Extension power in your county for a legal testimonial regarding their control . advance innate enemies such as bloodsucking wasps in the garden . Fungi : Sooty MoldSooty mold is a fungus that is found on the surface of leafage . It feeds on honeydew melon excreted from aphids , mealy bugs , scale , or emmet . Though not serious , it is untempting when it covers / char the leaves and stems of the flora . The best way to control sooty mold is to control the insects that make the honeydew melon . Sooty mold can usually be wiped from leave-taking with a dampish cloth or washed away with a hose - end atomiser .
