begonia are cranky perennials , grown for their colorful heyday and leafage . Most begonia can be grown outdoors in pots , in the ground , or in cling hoop in filtered light and moist , but well drained dirt . Where not hardy , grow as yearbook or indoors as houseplants . Most begonias can be propagated from leaf , radical or rhizome cutting in addition to being sow in from cum . ( Plant width : leave 3 to 6 inches ) The cultivar , ‘ May Taft , ’ grows from a creeping rhizome . The leafage is very attractive , featuring intermediate - sized , bland , lobate leaves . This industrial plant enjoys filtered light but can take some sun in winter . Soil should ideally be moist . begonia grow very well in peat - ground compost also . Likes humidness . dauntless . Does not wish cold atmospheric condition . Pinching tips and pruning out stems in the grow time of year sacrifice a shaggy industrial plant , dependable for hanging baskets . Remove dead foliage to prevent disease .
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Characteristics
Requirements
Plant Care
Fertilizing
Light
You will notice that sun and shade pattern change during the day . The western side of a house may even be fly-by-night due to shadow cast by declamatory tree or a structure from an contiguous property . If you have just buy a Modern home or just beginning to garden in your old home , take time to map sun and ghost throughout the twenty-four hours . You will get a more accurate flavour for your site ’s true idle conditions . Conditions : Filtered LightFor many plants that prefer partly shady conditions , filter lightis apotheosis . Good planting web site are under a mid to great sized Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree that let some light through their subdivision or beneath taller plant that will provide some protective covering . atmospheric condition : Moisture - enjoy HouseplantsHouseplants that require plenteous water , or those labeled asmoisture - loving houseplantsrequire that they be watered thoroughly until the soil is saturate and then debilitate freely from holes in the bottom of heap . Re - water when pot land becomes dry to the touch an inch or so below the stain surface . Conditions : Partial Sun , Partial ShadePart sunorpart shadeplants prefer light that is filtered . Sunlight , though not verbatim , is significant to them . Often morning time sun , because it is not as strong as good afternoon sunlight , can be considered part sun or part tad . If you live in an area that does not get much acute sun , such as the Pacific Northwest , a full sun photograph may be ok . In other areas such as Florida , plant life in a location where afternoon nicety will be received . Conditions : Bright Light for HouseplantsHouseplants requiringbright lightshould be place within 2 feet of an eastern or western exposure windowpane or within 2 to 5 feet of a southern exposure window . Conditions : Light and Plant SelectionFor best plant performance , it is desirable to match the correct plant with the uncommitted light atmospheric condition . correct industrial plant , right situation ! plant which do not receive sufficient lighter may become pale in color , have fewer leaves and a " leggy " stretched - out appearance . Also expect plants to raise slow and have few rosiness when light is less than desirable . It is possible to provide supplementary lighting for indoor plants with lamps . plant life can also receive too much light . If a shade loving flora is exposed to unmediated sunlight , it may wilt and/or do leave to be burn or otherwise damaged .
Watering
The key to watering is piddle deeply and less often . When tearing , weewee well , i.e. provide enough water system to thoroughly saturate the root ball . With in - ground plant , this means thoroughly soak the soil until water has penetrate to a depth of 6 to 7 inches ( 1 ' being better ) . With container grown works , apply enough water to take into account water to run through the drainage holes .
sample to water plants early in the day or later in the afternoon to conserve piddle and trim down down on plant strain . Do water ahead of time enough so that water has had a chance to dry from plant leaves prior to nighttime fall . This is preponderant if you have had fungus problems .
Do n’t wait to water until plants wilt . Although some industrial plant will recover from this , all plants will die if they droop too much ( when they reach the permanent wilting full point ) .
Consider water conservation methods such as trickle irrigation , mulching , and xeriscaping . Drip systems which slowly drip moisture at once on the root system can be purchased at your local home and garden substance . Mulches can significantly cool the root word zone and conserve moisture .
Consider impart pee - save up gels to the root zone which will hold a reserve of water for the flora . These can make a world of conflict especially under stressful condition . Be certain to follow label instruction for their habit .
circumstance : Normal Watering for Outdoor PlantsNormal wateringmeans that soil should be kept evenly moist and water on a regular basis , as conditions require . Most flora like 1 in of water a workweek during the growing season , but take care not to over urine . The first two geezerhood after a plant is installed , regular watering is important for establishment . The first year is decisive . It is better to water once a week and water deep , than to weewee oft for a few minute . weather : Indoor WateringPlant are composed of almost 90 % water so it important to ply them with adequate water . Proper watering is essential for good plant health . When there is not enough water , roots will wither and the plant will droop . When too much water is applied too frequently , base are strip of O and disease occur such as root and stem rots .
The key to watering is frequency . Water well then wait long enough until the plant take to be re - water according to its wet requirements .
When watering , pee well . That is , provide enough water to thoroughly saturate the root ball . With containerized plants , hold enough pee to tolerate piss to flow through the drain yap .
Avoid using cold H2O particularly with houseplant . This can shock tender roots . Fill watering can with tepid water or set aside frigid piddle to sit down for a while to come to room temperature before lachrymation . This is a good room to allow any harmful atomic number 17 in the water to vaporize before being used .
Some plants are best irrigate by submarine - irrigation , i.e. lachrymation from the bottom up . This annul splashing water on the leaves of sensitive industrial plant . merely place the pot in a shallow pan filled with tepid water supply and let the plant sit for 15 minutes to allow the theme ball to be thoroughly crocked . Take out and allow sufficient drainage .
employ an unpainted dowel to help you regulate when to re - water larger pile . hold fast it into the grease ball & wait 5 minutes . The joggle will imbibe moisture from the stain and turn a sinister color . Pull it out and examine . This will give you an idea of how wet the soil root ball is .
Roots need oxygen to breath , do not allow plant to sit in a dish aerial filled with weewee . This will only promote disease .
Planting
A calendar week to 10 days before planting , add together 2 to 4 inches of aged manure or compost and work into the planting site to meliorate birth rate and increase urine holding and drain . If soil composition is imperfect , a layer of surface soil should be considered as well . No matter if your soil is Amandine Aurore Lucie Dupin or corpse , it can be improve by adding the same matter : constituent affair . The more , the in effect ; sour deep into the soil . Prepare bed to an 18 inch deep for perennial . This will seem like a tremendous amount of work now , but will greatly pay off subsequently . Besides , this is not something that is well done afterward , once plants have been established . How - to : Pinching and Thinning PerennialsOnce you plant a perennial , it does not mean that you will enjoy years of maintenance - gratuitous gardening . perennial ask to be cared for just like any other plant . One thing that recognize perennials is that they incline to be active cultivator that have to be slim out occasionally or they will loose vigor .
As perennials establish , it is significant to prune them back and thin them out occasionally . This will prevent them from totally taking over an sphere to the exception of other plants , and also will increase air circulation thereby reducing the relative incidence of diseases like botrytis and powdery mold .
Many species also flower profusely and produce ample come . As blooms fade it is advisable to deadhead your plant ; that is , to remove spent flowers before they shape cum . This will prevent your plant from seeding all over the garden and will conserve the considerable energy it contain the industrial plant to produce seed .
As perennials mature , they may imprint a obtuse root mass that finally leads to a less vigorous plant . It is advisable to occasionally thin out a viewpoint of such perennial . By divide the source scheme , you’re able to make new plants to implant in another area of the garden or give away . Also settle down pruning will provoke young growth and rejuvenate the flora . Most perennial may be successfully divided in either spring or fall . Do a petty homework ; some perennials do have a druthers . How - to : Preparing ContainersContainersare excellent when used as an decorative feature , a planting option when there is little or no soil to institute in , or for plants that demand a soil type not found in the garden or when soil drainage in the garden is deficient . If growing more than one plant in a container , verify that all have standardised cultural requirements . take a container that is deep and large enough to permit root maturation and growth as well as proportional balance between the fully acquire plant and the container . Plant large container in the position you stand for them to continue . All container should have drainage holes . A mesh screen , broken clay pot pieces(crock ) or a paper coffee bean filter placed over the hole will keep soil from wash out . The potting soil you select should be an appropriate mix for the works you have select . Quality soils ( or soil - less medias ) absorb moisture promptly and equally when squiffy . If body of water runs off dirt upon initial wetting , this is an index that your soil may not be as good as you think .
Prior to filling a container with soil , wet pot soil in the dish or place in a tubful or wheelbarrow so that it is equally moist . occupy container about halfway full or to a spirit level that will allow plants , when plant , to be just below the brim of the dope . Rootballs should be unwavering with soil line when labor is complete . Water well . How - to : Planting PerennialsDetermine appropriate perennials for your garden by considering Lord’s Day and ghost through the sidereal day , exposure , water requirements , climate , soil makeup , seasonal color desired , and place of other garden plants and trees .
The serious time to plant are spring and fall , when soil is viable and out of danger of rime . Fall plantings have the vantage that root can develop and not have to compete with developing top increment as in the bounce . Spring is more desirable for perennials that dislike wet condition or for cold country , allowing full establishment before first wintertime . Planting in summer or winter is not advisable for most plant , unless planting a more established sized industrial plant .
To plant container - grown plants : groom plant jam with appropriate depth and place between . irrigate the plant thoroughly and rent the surplus water system drainpipe before cautiously removing from the container . Carefully untie the root musket ball and localize the plant in the hole , working soil around the stem as you fill . If the plant is extremely root reverberate , freestanding roots with fingerbreadth . A few slits made with a pocket tongue are okay , but should be kept to a minimum . Continue filling in land and urine thoroughly , protect from direct sun until unchanging .
To plant barren - beginning works : Plant as soon as possible after purchase . Prepare suitable planting holes , circularize ancestor and lick grime among roots as you fill in . water system well and protect from unmediated sun until static .
To plant seedling : A number of perennial farm self - sown seedling that can be transplanted . You may also start up your own seedling seam for transplanting . Prepare suitable planting holes , spacing appropriately for plant development . Gently lift the seedling and as much surrounding soil as potential with your garden trowel , and replant it straight off , tauten territory with fingertips and water system well . Shade from direct sun and water supply regularly until unchanging . How - to : Potting Indoor PlantsMake trusted that the plant you have chosen is suitable for the weather condition you are able to provide it : that it will have enough light , blank , and a temperature it will like . think back that the area right next to a window will be insensate than the residue of the room .
Indoor plants take to be transpose into a prominent container periodically , or they become pot / root - tie up and their growth is retarded . irrigate the plant well before start , so the grunge will hold the root ball together when you remove it from the pot . If you have trouble getting the plant life out of the pot , try run a blade around the edge of the pot , and gently whacking the sides to untie the soil .
Always apply fresh soil when transplanting your indoor plant life . Fill around the plant gently with soil , being careful not to carry too tightly – you want air to be capable to get to the roots . After the flora is in the new pot , do n’t fertilize right away … this will advance the solution to meet in their new family .
The size pot you choose is significant too . Select one that is not more than about 1 inch slap-up in diam . think , many plants choose being moderately quite a little bound . Always start with a clean pot !
Problems
Rhizoctoniais a fungus that is observe in most soils and enter the flora through the roots or the prow at dirt level . Prevention and Control : First of all , do not overwater and if you suspect Rhizoctonia may be your problem , decrease lachrymation . If a works is too far get going ( all the leaves from the bottom up are wilted ) , remove it . If your plant is in a container , discard the grunge too . wash out the can with a 1 part blanching agent to 9 parts piss solution . Fungicides can be used , according to label directions . confabulate a master for a legal recommendation of what antifungal to use . Pest : ThripsThripsare small , fly insects that aggress many case of plants and thrive in red-hot , ironic conditions ( like heated star sign ) . They can procreate quickly as a female person can lay up to 300 eggs in a life span of 45 days without mating . Most of the equipment casualty to plant is triggered by the new larvae which feed on tender foliage and peak tissue paper . This leads to ill-shapen growing , injured flush petals and premature blossom drop-off . Thrips also can channel many harmful plant viruses .
Prevention and Control : keep weeds down and use screening on window to keep them out . hit or discard infested plant , keep them off from non - infested plant . Trap with yellow muggy card or take reward of natural enemies such as predatory mites . Sometimes a good steady shower of water supply will lave them off the plant . Consult your local garden center of attention professional or county concerted extension office for effectual chemic recommendation . Pest : Spider MitesSpider mitesare little , 8 legged , spider - like creatures which thrive in red-hot , dry condition ( like heated up houses ) . Spider mites course with piercing mouthpiece role , which cause works to seem yellow and dotted . Leaf drop and flora death can happen with heavy infestations . wanderer mites can multiply quickly , as a female person can lay up to 200 eggs in a life span of 30 days . They also bring out a web which can cover infested leave and flower .
Prevention and Control : Keep weeds down and remove infested plants . teetotal air seems to worsen the problem , so make certain plants are regularly watered , specially those preferring high humidness such as tropicals , citrous fruit , or tomatoes . Always check unexampled plant prior to bringing them home from the garden core or nursery . Take advantage of natural enemies such as ladybug larvae . If a miticide is recommended by your local garden center field professional or county Cooperative Extension office , read and follow all recording label direction . Concentrate your efforts on the undersides of the leaves as that is where spider mites generally exist . Pest : MealybugsSmall , wingless , dull - white-hot , piano - embodied insects that produce a waxy powdery shroud . They have piercing / suck lip parts that suck the sap out of plant tissue paper . Mealybugsoften bet like small pieces of cotton and they tend to congregate where leaf and stems arm . They attack a wide reach of plants . The young tend to move around until they find a suitable eating spot , then they hang out in colonies and feed . Mealybugs can weaken a plant precede to yellowed foliation and leaf drop . They also produce a angelical substance called honeydew ( coveted by ants ) which can conduct to an unattractive black control surface fungous growing call off sooty mold .
Prevention and Control : Isolate infested plants from those that are not . Consult your local garden heart and soul professional or the Cooperative Extension office in your county for a legal insecticide / chemical substance recommendation . Encourage raw enemy such as lady beetles in the garden to avail reduce population levels of mealy bugs . Pest : WhitefliesWhitefliesare little , fly insect that look like tiny moths , which attack many type of plant . The flying adult stage prefers the underside of leave to feed and breed . whitefly can multiply apace as a female can lay up to 500 eggs in a life span of 2 calendar month . If a plant is infested with whiteflies , you will see a cloud of take flight insects when the flora is touch . Whiteflies can weaken a plant life , finally leading to plant death if they are not checked . They can transmit many harmful flora viruses . They also bring forth a odoriferous substance called honeydew ( covet by emmet ) which can direct to an unattractive calamitous open fungous growth called sooty mould .
Possible control : keep Mary Jane down ; use screen in windowpane to keep them out ; remove infested plants away from non - infested plants ; use a reflective mulch ( Al foil ) under plant ( this repels whitefly ) ; trap with yellow sticky cards , employ labeled pesticides ; boost natural enemies such as parasitic WASP in the garden ; and sometimes a good steady cascade of water will wash them off the plant . Pest : biff and SnailsSlugs and snailsfavor moist climates and are mollusks , not insects . They can be voracious feeder , eating just about anything that is not woody or highly sweet-scented . They may eat holes in leave-taking , landing strip entire stems , or completely devour seedling and tender transplants , leave behind tell - tale silvery , wretched trails .
bar and control : Keep your garden as clean-living as possible , eliminating hiding places such as leaf debris , over - turned pots , and tarps . Groundcover in shady places and wakeless mulch provide protection from the element and can be favorite concealing places . In the springiness , patrol for and destruct ballock ( clustering of pocket-sized semitransparent sphere ) and grownup during twilight and morning . localise out beer traps from former spring through fall .
Many chemical substance controls are uncommitted on the mart , but can be poisonous and deadly for children and pets ; take care when using them - always read the recording label first!Fungi : Powdery MildewPowdery Mildewis usually notice on plants that do not have enough air circulation or adequate light . Problems are worse where nights are coolheaded and days are warm and humid . The powdery ashen or gray fungus is usually observe on the upper surface of leaves or yield . leaf will often wrench chickenhearted or brown , wave up , and throw off . New leaf emerges crinkled and distorted . Fruit will be dwarf and often drop early .
Prevention and Control : set resistant varieties and space plant the right way so they invite decent light and air circulation . Always pee from below , keep water supply off the foliage . This is preponderating for rosiness . Go easy on the nitrogen fertilizer . Apply fungicides according to recording label directions before problem becomes dangerous and follow direction just , not missing any required treatments . Sanitation is a must - make clean up and transfer all farewell , peak , or debris in the fall and destroy . fungus : Leaf SpotsLeaf spots are due to fungus kingdom or bacterium . brownish or black spot and darn may be either ragged or circular , with a water soaked or yellow - edged appearance . Insects , rainwater , dirty garden tools , or even people can serve its spread .
Prevention and Control : Remove infected leaves when the flora is ironical . Leaves that compile around the pedestal of the plant should be raked up and disposed of . void overhead irrigation if potential ; water should be channelize at filth level . For fungal leaf patch , expend a recommended fungicide consort to label guidance .
Pest : Scale InsectsScales are insects , related to mealy bugs , that can be a problem on a wide variety of plants - indoor and outdoor . youthful scale creep until they find a good alimentation site . The grownup female then lose their legs and remain on a spot protected by its hard shell level . They appear as bumps , often on the low sides of leaves . They have piercing mouth parts that suck the sap out of works tissue . scale can weaken a plant leading to yellow leaf and foliage drib . They also give rise a odoriferous substance called honeydew ( coveted by pismire ) which can leave to an untempting dark surface fungous increase called sooty mold .
Prevention and Control : Once install they are hard to control . Isolate infested industrial plant off from those that are not overrun . confer your local garden center professional or Cooperative Extension office in your county for a sound testimonial regarding their restraint . promote natural enemy such as parasitic white Anglo-Saxon Protestant in the garden . Fungi : Sooty MoldSooty clay sculpture is a fungus that is found on the surface of foliage . It feeds on honeydew melon excreted from aphids , mealy bugs , scale , or ants . Though not serious , it is untempting when it pass over / sear the leaves and stem of the plant . The best elbow room to keep in line sooty mold is to operate the insects that make the honeydew melon . Sooty molding can usually be wipe from leaves with a moist cloth or lave off with a hose - end sprayer .
