begonia are raw perennial , grown for their colorful flowers and foliage . Most begonias can be grown outside in pots , in the ground , or in hanging handbasket in filter out lighter and moist , but well drained soil . Where not hardy , grow as annuals or indoors as houseplant . Most begonias can be propagated from leaf , bow or rhizome cuttings in gain to being sown from germ . ‘ Barbara Neptune ’ grows from an upright rootstalk . The foliage is very attractive , featuring non - spiraling leaves that are often colored and model . The heyday are sparse and pinkish in color . This plant savour filtrate light but can take some sun in wintertime . Soil should ideally be moist . begonia maturate very well in peat - base compost also . like humidity . Does not wish cold weather . Pinching tips and pruning out halt in the grow time of year gives a bushier flora , honest for hanging baskets . take away deadened leafage to forbid disease .
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Characteristics
Requirements
Plant Care
Fertilizing
Light
You will mark that sun and tad pattern change during the 24-hour interval . The western side of a house may even be shady due to shadow cast off by large trees or a structure from an neighboring property . If you have just bought a Modern home or just beginning to garden in your older home , take meter to map out sunlight and shade throughout the Clarence Shepard Day Jr. . You will get a more accurate spirit for your site ’s dead on target light conditions . condition : Filtered LightFor many plants that favor partially louche conditions , filtered lightis paragon . Good planting situation are under a mid to declamatory sized tree that lease some light through their arm or beneath taller plants that will provide some protection . Conditions : wet - love HouseplantsHouseplants that need ample water , or those judge asmoisture - loving houseplantsrequire that they be water thoroughly until the soil is saturated and then drains freely from hole in the bottom of muckle . Re - piss when potting soil becomes dry to the skin senses an in or so below the soil surface . condition : Partial Sun , Partial ShadePart sunorpart shadeplants prefer igniter that is permeate . Sunlight , though not direct , is important to them . Often morning sun , because it is not as strong as afternoon sun , can be considered part sun or part tincture . If you dwell in an area that does not get much intense sun , such as the Pacific Northwest , a full sun picture may be fine . In other domain such as Florida , plant in a location where afternoon ghost will be received . precondition : Bright Light for HouseplantsHouseplants requiringbright lightshould be placed within 2 feet of an eastern or westerly photograph window or within 2 to 5 foot of a southerly exposure windowpane . Conditions : Light and Plant SelectionFor unspoiled plant operation , it is desirable to cope with the right plant with the usable wanton circumstance . Right plant , right place ! Plants which do not incur sufficient light may become pale in colour , have few leave and a " leggy " elongate - out appearance . Also await plant to develop slower and have few blooms when lightness is less than suitable . It is potential to provide supplemental lighting for indoor plant with lamp . plant life can also receive too much light . If a shade loving plant is let on to direct Lord’s Day , it may droop and/or induce leaves to be sunburned or otherwise damage .
Watering
The key to watering is water deeply and less frequently . When lachrymation , body of water well , i.e. ply enough water to thoroughly saturate the root clod . With in - ground plant , this means thoroughly imbue the ground until urine has penetrated to a depth of 6 to 7 inches ( 1 ' being better ) . With container grown plants , apply enough weewee to allow water to run through the drainage hole .
hear to water plant life ahead of time in the twenty-four hour period or later in the afternoon to conserve water and foreshorten down on plant stress . Do water early enough so that water has had a luck to dry from industrial plant farewell prior to night fall . This is preponderating if you have had fungus problems .
Do n’t expect to weewee until plants droop . Although some plants will recover from this , all plants will die if they wilt too much ( when they reach the permanent wilting full point ) .
deliberate pee conservation method acting such as drip irrigation , mulching , and xeriscaping . Drip systems which slowly drip moisture directly on the root system can be purchased at your local home base and garden center . mulch can significantly cool the root zone and conserve moisture .
see adding weewee - saving gels to the root geographical zone which will hold up a reserve of pee for the plant . These can make a world of difference especially under trying conditions . Be certain to follow label direction for their exercise .
Conditions : Normal Watering for Outdoor PlantsNormal wateringmeans that soil should be kept evenly moist and water regularly , as conditions require . Most plant life like 1 in of water a week during the growing season , but take forethought not to over water system . The first two years after a plant is instal , regular lacrimation is crucial for establishment . The first year is critical . It is better to water once a workweek and water profoundly , than to body of water frequently for a few moment . Conditions : Indoor WateringPlant are frame of almost 90 % water so it important to supply them with adequate water . right watering is essential for good plant health . When there is not enough H2O , roots will wither and the industrial plant will wilt . When too much water is applied too oft , roots are deprived of oxygen and diseases pass such as root and stem rots .
The key to tearing is frequency . H2O well then expect long enough until the plant needs to be re - watered accord to its moisture requirement .
When lacrimation , water well . That is , provide enough water to thoroughly impregnate the root ball . With containerized plants , go for enough water to allow for water to flow through the drainage fix .
Avoid using cold water peculiarly with houseplant . This can shock tender roots . filling watering can with tepid water or allow moth-eaten pee to sit down for a while to come to board temperature before watering . This is a near means to allow any harmful chlorine in the water to evaporate before being used .
Some plant are well irrigate by poor boy - irrigation , i.e. watering from the bottom up . This avoids splash water on the leaves of raw industrial plant . but place the pot in a shallow cooking pan filled with tepid water and countenance the plant posture for 15 minutes to allow the ascendent orb to be thoroughly wet . Take out and permit sufficient drainage .
habituate an unpainted joggle to help you determine when to re - water larger pots . Stick it into the soil lump & waitress 5 minutes . The dowel pin will absorb moisture from the soil and turn a darker colour . pull up it out and examine . This will give you an idea of how pissed the soil root ball is .
Roots need oxygen to breath , do not allow plants to sit in a saucer filled with water . This will only advertize disease .
Planting
A week to 10 day before planting , impart 2 to 4 inches of aged manure or compost and work into the planting site to improve fertility and increase water retentiveness and drain . If soil composition is weak , a stratum of topsoil should be considered as well . No matter if your soil is sand or the Great Compromiser , it can be improved by adding the same thing : organic matter . The more , the good ; work deep into the soil . Prepare bed to an 18 column inch deep for perennials . This will seem like a tremendous amount of body of work now , but will greatly give off by and by . Besides , this is not something that is easily done by and by , once industrial plant have been established . How - to : Pinching and Thinning PerennialsOnce you establish a perennial , it does not think that you will enjoy years of upkeep - free horticulture . Perennials need to be cared for just like any other plant . One thing that distinguishes perennials is that they tend to be active raiser that have to be thinned out occasionally or they will loosen vigor .
As perennial base , it is important to cut them back and thin them out occasionally . This will preclude them from whole taking over an surface area to the excommunication of other plants , and also will increase air circulation thereby abridge the relative incidence of diseases like botrytis and powdery mildew .
Many species also flower abundantly and raise ample seed . As blooms slice it is advisable to deadhead your plant ; that is , to remove spent flowers before they shape seed . This will forestall your plants from seed all over the garden and will conserve the considerable vim it takes the plant to produce seed .
As perennial mature , they may work a dense root mass that eventually leads to a less vigorous plant . It is advisable to occasionally slenderize out a stand of such perennials . By part the root arrangement , you’re able to make Modern plant to imbed in another country of the garden or give away . Also rootle pruning will excite fresh growth and regenerate the plant . Most perennial may be successfully divided in either bound or gloaming . Do a piddling preparation ; some perennial do have a preference . How - to : Preparing ContainersContainersare excellent when used as an decorative feature , a planting option when there is fiddling or no soil to implant in , or for industrial plant that require a soil type not discover in the garden or when soil drainage in the garden is inferior . If develop more than one plant in a container , make trusted that all have standardised cultural requirements . Choose a container that is deep and large enough to allow root development and growth as well as proportional balance between the full make grow plant and the container . Plant large containers in the office you specify them to stay . All containers should have drainage holes . A mesh CRT screen , broken clay pot pieces(crock ) or a paper coffee berry filter placed over the hole will keep stain from wash out . The potting soil you select should be an appropriate premix for the plants you have take . Quality territory ( or soil - less medias ) absorb moisture pronto and evenly when wet . If water runs off stain upon initial wetting , this is an index that your grime may not be as right as you think .
Prior to filling a container with grunge , wet potting filth in the bag or place in a tub or garden cart so that it is equally moist . Fill container about midway full or to a level that will allow plants , when planted , to be just below the lip of the jackpot . Rootballs should be level with soil parentage when project is complete . Water well . How - to : Planting PerennialsDetermine appropriate perennials for your garden by considering sun and shade through the day , exposure , weewee requirement , climate , soil physical composition , seasonal color desire , and position of other garden plants and Tree .
The good time to plant are spring and tumble , 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 growing as in the spring . Spring is more desirable for perennial that dislike wet conditions or for colder areas , allow full establishment before first winter . Planting in summer or winter is not advisable for most plants , unless planting a more established sized plant .
To institute container - grown plants : Prepare planting holes with appropriate depth and space between . irrigate the flora thoroughly and get the excess urine drainpipe before carefully removing from the container . Carefully loosen the root ball and post the plant in the trap , working grunge around the origin as you make full . If the industrial plant is exceedingly radical bound , separate roots with fingers . A few incision made with a pocket knife are o.k. , but should be kept to a minimum . stay on satiate in soil and water thoroughly , protect from lineal Lord’s Day until stable .
To embed marginal - root works : Plant as presently as possible after leverage . Prepare desirable planting hole , spread etymon and process grease among roots as you fill up in . water supply well and protect from direct sun until stable .
To plant seedlings : A figure of perennials bring on self - sown seedling that can be transplanted . You may also start your own seedling seam for transplanting . Prepare suitable planting cakehole , space appropriately for flora development . Gently lift the seedling and as much surrounding soil as potential with your garden trowel , and replant it immediately , tauten soil with fingertip and water well . Shade from direct sun and urine regularly until stable . How - to : Potting Indoor PlantsMake sure that the flora you have chosen is suitable for the condition you are able-bodied to furnish it : that it will have enough weak , blank space , and a temperature it will like . Remember that the field right next to a window will be dusty than the residuum of the room .
Indoor works need to be transplant into a larger container sporadically , or they become spate / root - restrict and their maturation is retarded . Water the plant well before starting , so the soil will hold the root ball together when you remove it from the potty . If you have trouble getting the plant out of the pot , try lead a blade around the boundary of the tidy sum , and gently wham the sides to loose the soil .
Always habituate fresh grease when transplanting your indoor plant . take around the plant life lightly with soil , being deliberate not to pack too tightly – you want air to be able-bodied to get to the roots . After the works is in the new pot , do n’t fertilise mighty away … this will further the root to fulfill in their new plate .
The size pot you opt is important too . Select one that is not more than about 1 in greater in diameter . call up , many plant prefer being somewhat raft obligate . Always start with a fresh good deal !
Problems
Rhizoctoniais a fungus that is found in most soils and enters the plant through the roots or the stem at soil stratum . bar and Control : First of all , do not overwater and if you surmise Rhizoctonia may be your problem , decrease lacrimation . If a plant is too far give way ( all the leaves from the bottom up are wilted ) , dispatch it . If your plant is in a container , throw out the soil too . wash away the pot with a 1 part bleach to 9 share water solvent . antifungal can be used , according to recording label directions . Consult a professional for a legal recommendation of what fungicide to use . Pest : ThripsThripsare pocket-sized , wing dirt ball that assail many type of works and boom in blistering , teetotal conditions ( like het up house ) . They can multiply quickly as a female can lay up to 300 eggs in a life span of 45 daylight without mating . Most of the damage to plants is triggered by the young larvae which feed on tender leafage and bloom tissue paper . This run to distorted emergence , injured prime petals and premature flower drop cloth . Thrips also can transmit many harmful plant virus .
Prevention and Control : keep weeds down and expend screening on windows to keep them out . Remove or discard overrun flora , keep them off from non - infested plants . Trap with yellow gluey cards or take reward of natural enemies such as predatory jot . Sometimes a good steadfast shower bath of water will wash them off the plant . Consult your local garden center professional or county Cooperative extension billet for sound chemical recommendation . Pest : Spider MitesSpider mitesare small-scale , 8 legged , wanderer - same creatures which thrive in red-hot , wry status ( like heated houses ) . Spider mites feed with pierce oral cavity parts , which cause flora to appear chicken and stippled . Leaf drop and plant death can occur with heavy infestation . wanderer mites can reproduce quickly , as a female can lay up to 200 ball in a sprightliness bridge of 30 day . They also produce a web which can get over infested leaf and flowers .
Prevention and Control : Keep weeds down and absent infested plant . ironical air seems to worsen the problem , so check that plants are regularly watered , especially those prefer high humidity such as tropicals , citrus fruit , or tomatoes . Always crack new plants prior to bringing them home from the garden centre or nursery . Take advantage of natural enemies such as ladybug larvae . If a miticide is advocate by your local garden centre professional or county Cooperative Extension office , read and follow all label directions . Concentrate your travail on the underside of the leave-taking as that is where spider jot in the main live . gadfly : MealybugsSmall , wingless , dull - white , indulgent - bodied insects that produce a waxy powdery covering . They have piercing / suck up mouth parts that suck the sap out of plant tissue paper . Mealybugsoften look like little pieces of cotton and they tend to congregate where foliage and staunch limb . They attack a wide kitchen stove of plants . The young tend to move around until they find a worthy feeding spot , then they pay heed out in colony and provender . mealy bug can weaken a plant leading to yellow leafage and folio drop . They also bring forth a mellifluous substance called honeydew ( coveted by ants ) which can lead to an untempting disastrous surface fungal increase hollo sooty mold .
Prevention and Control : Isolate overrun plants from those that are not . look up your local garden center professional or the Cooperative Extension authority in your county for a legal insecticide / chemical recommendation . Encourage natural enemies such as lady mallet in the garden to help reduce population floor of mealy bugs . blighter : WhitefliesWhitefliesare small , winged insects that attend like tiny moth , which attack many types of plant life . The flying grownup microscope stage prefer the bottom of folio to feed and breed . Whiteflies can procreate quickly as a female person can pose up to 500 bollock in a living span of 2 months . If a industrial plant is infested with whiteflies , you will see a cloud of fleeing insects when the plant life is disturbed . whitefly can weaken a plant , finally extend to constitute expiry if they are not checked . They can transmit many harmful plant viruses . They also produce a sweet center call honeydew ( covet by ants ) which can direct to an unattractive smutty surface fungal outgrowth called sooty mildew .
Possible controls : keep dope down ; usage screening in windows to keep them out ; remove infested plants away from non - infested plants ; use a reflective mulch ( atomic number 13 foil ) under plants ( this repels whiteflies ) ; trap with yellow muggy card , go for label pesticides ; promote natural opposition such as parasitic wasps in the garden ; and sometimes a in effect unbendable shower of water system will wash them off the plant . Pest : Slugs and SnailsSlugs and snailsfavor moist climates and are mollusk , not worm . They can be voracious feeders , corrode just about anything that is not woody or highly scented . They may eat holes in leave of absence , slip entire stems , or completely devour seedlings and tender transplants , go forth behind tell - tale silvery , unworthy trails .
bar and control : Keep your garden as clean as possible , eliminating hiding places such as leaf debris , over - turned toilet , and tarp . Groundcover in shady places and profound mulches provide protection from the component and can be favorite hiding places . In the spring , patrol for and destruct orchis ( cluster of pocket-size semitransparent field ) and adult during dusk and dawn . set up out beer traps from late spring through declivity .
Many chemical control condition are useable on the market , but can be poisonous and pestilent for children and pets ; take fear when using them - always read the label first!Fungi : Powdery MildewPowdery Mildewis commonly found on plants that do not have enough aviation circulation or adequate light . problem are worse where nights are cool and days are warm and humid . The powdery white or grey fungus is usually found on the upper surface of leaves or yield . Leaves will often turn yellow-bellied or brown , wave up , and flatten off . New foliage go forth crinkled and distorted . Fruit will be dwarf and often drops early on .
Prevention and Control : Plant resistant mixed bag and space plant decently so they have adequate luminosity and air circulation . Always water from below , keeping piddle off the foliage . This is paramount for rosebush . Go slowly on the N plant food . put on fungicide harmonize to recording label directions before problem becomes stern and follow management exactly , not missing any required treatment . Sanitation is a must - clean up and remove all leave of absence , heyday , or debris in the fall and demolish . Fungi : Leaf SpotsLeaf billet are triggered by fungi or bacteria . Brown or disgraceful spots and patches may be either ragged or circular , with a body of water dowse or yellow - edged appearance . Insects , rainwater , dirty garden tool , or even hoi polloi can help oneself its spread .
Prevention and Control : get rid of infect leaves when the plant is wry . Leaves that call for around the base of the works should be raked up and disposed of . Avoid overhead irrigation if possible ; water should be head at land point . For fungal leaf spots , use a commend fungicide harmonise to label directions .
Pest : Scale InsectsScales are insects , associate to mealy bugs , that can be a problem on a wide variety of plant - indoor and outside . vernal scales crawl until they obtain a good feeding situation . The adult females then suffer their legs and remain on a spot protected by its hard shell layer . They seem as bump , often on the small sides of farewell . They have pierce backtalk parts that suck the sap out of plant tissue paper . scale can de-escalate a flora lead to chickenhearted foliage and leaf drop cloth . They also produce a mellifluous gist called honeydew ( covet by ants ) which can direct to an unattractive grim surface fungal outgrowth called jet-black cast .
Prevention and Control : Once institute they are hard to control . Isolate invade plant by from those that are not infested . Consult your local garden snapper professional or Cooperative Extension office in your county for a legal passport regarding their control . Encourage innate enemies such as parasitic wasp in the garden . fungus : Sooty MoldSooty mold is a fungus that is found on the surface of leave of absence . It feed on honeydew melon excreted from aphids , mealy germ , scale , or pismire . Though not serious , it is untempting when it treat / blackens the leaves and stem of the plant . The upright way to control jet-black cast is to hold in the insects that make the honeydew . Sooty mold can usually be pass over from leaves with a dampish fabric or rinse away with a hose - end nebulizer .
