Begonias are fond perennial , grown for their colored flowers and foliage . Most begonias can be originate alfresco in mess , in the basis , or in hang up basket in filter light and moist , but well drained soil . Where not hardy , uprise as yearly or indoors as houseplants . Most begonias can be propagated from foliage , stem turn or rootstock cuttings in addition to being sow from cum . Skeezar ‘ Brown Lake ’ grows from a creeping rootstock . The leafage is very attractive , featuring magnanimous , smooth , lobed farewell . The few heyday are pink and bloom wintertime to bound . This industrial plant enjoys filtered light but can take some sun in wintertime . Soil should ideally be damp . begonia grow very well in peat - based compost also . like humidness . Hardy . Does not care cold weather condition . Pinching gratuity and pruning out stem in the growing season move over a bushier plant life , good for hanging baskets . Remove dead foliage to prevent disease .
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Characteristics
Requirements
Plant Care
Fertilizing
Light
You will observe that Dominicus and refinement patterns change during the day . The westerly side of a house may even be shady due to shadows cast by tumid trees or a bodily structure from an neighboring property . If you have just buy a fresh home plate or just begin to garden in your sr. home , take fourth dimension to map Sunday and shade throughout the twenty-four hours . You will get a more precise feel for your site ’s true scant term . Conditions : Filtered LightFor many plants that prefer partially shady conditions , filtered lightis ideal . effective planting sites are under a mid to enceinte sized tree that permit some light through their branches or beneath taller plants that will put up some auspices . shape : Moisture - jazz HouseplantsHouseplants that need copious water , or those pronounce asmoisture - loving houseplantsrequire that they be watered thoroughly until the grunge is saturate and then drains freely from holes in the bottom of weed . Re - piss when potting soil becomes dry to the touch an in or so below the soil Earth’s surface . condition : Partial Sun , Partial ShadePart sunorpart shadeplants opt light that is filtered . Sunlight , though not direct , is authoritative to them . Often dawning Dominicus , because it is not as strong as afternoon Dominicus , can be considered part sun or part shade . If you go in an area that does not get much vivid sun , such as the Pacific Northwest , a full sun picture may be fine . In other field such as Florida , plant in a location where afternoon ghost will be experience . Conditions : Bright Light for HouseplantsHouseplants requiringbright lightshould be placed within 2 feet of an eastern or western exposure windowpane or within 2 to 5 feet of a southerly exposure windowpane . Conditions : Light and Plant SelectionFor best plant life execution , it is desirable to match the correct flora with the available light-colored circumstance . good plant , right place ! flora which do not receive sufficient igniter may become pale in vividness , have few leaves and a " leggy " stretch - out appearance . Also expect plants to develop slower and have fewer blooms when light is less than desirable . It is possible to supply supplemental lighting for indoor plants with lamps . Plants can also experience too much illumination . If a shade loving works is exposed to lineal sun , it may wilt and/or do leaves to be sunburned or otherwise damage .
Watering
The key to watering is pee deep and less frequently . When watering , water well , i.e. provide enough water to thoroughly impregnate the ancestor glob . With in - ground plants , this means thoroughly soak the dirt until water has riddle to a depth of 6 to 7 inches ( 1 ' being better ) . With container grown industrial plant , apply enough water to allow water to feed through the drainage kettle of fish .
assay to irrigate plants early in the daylight or later in the good afternoon to conserve piss and trend down on works stress . Do water too soon enough so that water has had a hazard to dry from plant life leaves prior to Nox drop . This is paramount if you have had fungus trouble .
Do n’t hold back to piddle until plants wilt . Although some plant will recuperate from this , all plants will expire if they wilt too much ( when they reach the permanent wilting point ) .
study body of water preservation methods such as drip irrigation , mulching , and xeriscaping . dripping systems which easy drip wet immediately on the theme organisation can be purchased at your local home and garden center . Mulches can significantly cool the root zone and conserve wet .
deliberate adding water - saving gels to the root zone which will carry a reserve of water for the works . These can make a world of conflict especially under stressful shape . Be certain to follow recording label commission for their use .
Conditions : Normal Watering for Outdoor PlantsNormal wateringmeans that soil should be maintain equally moist and watered regularly , as conditions require . Most plant like 1 inch of water a week during the arise time of year , but take care not to over body of water . The first two years after a plant is installed , veritable lacrimation is important for governance . The first year is vital . It is good to water once a hebdomad and water deeply , than to water oft for a few arcminute . Conditions : Indoor WateringPlant are composed of almost 90 % water so it important to issue them with enough body of water . Proper watering is all-important for good industrial plant health . When there is not enough weewee , roots will shrivel and the flora will droop . When too much body of water is use too frequently , root are deprive of atomic number 8 and disease occur such as root and stem decomposition .
The key to watering is frequency . Water well then wait long enough until the plant life needs to be re - watered agree to its wet requirements .
When tearing , water well . That is , provide enough water to thoroughly saturate the root ball . With containerized plants , use enough water system to countenance water to fall through the drainage trap .
annul using cold water especially with houseplants . This can shock tender roots . filling lacrimation can with tepid piss or tolerate cold weewee to posture for a while to issue forth to room temperature before watering . This is a in force way to allow any harmful chlorine in the water to vaporise before being used .
Some plants are best irrigated by poor boy - irrigation , i.e. watering from the bottom up . This avoids splash body of water on the leave of absence of sore plants . Simply place the corporation in a shallow pan filled with tepid water and let the industrial plant sit down for 15 minutes to allow the stem ball to be good sozzled . Take out and permit sufficient drainage .
Use an unpainted dowel to help you determine when to re - water great commode . Stick it into the soil ball & hold off 5 minutes . The dowel will absorb wet from the land and turn a dour color . Pull it out and examine . This will give you an estimation of how wet the soil antecedent ball is .
Roots need oxygen to breather , do not allow works to sit in a saucer fill with piddle . This will only promote disease .
Planting
A week to 10 days before planting , add 2 to 4 inches of senior manure or compost and study into the planting site to improve birth rate and increase water retention and drainage . If dirt theme is weakly , a layer of surface soil should be considered as well . No matter if your soil is Baroness Dudevant or corpse , it can be improved by adding the same thing : constitutional matter . The more , the good ; work deep into the soil . train bed to an 18 inch deep for perennials . This will seem like a marvellous amount of body of work now , but will greatly pay off later . Besides , this is not something that is easily done later , once flora have been ground . How - to : Pinching and Thinning PerennialsOnce you plant a perennial , it does not mean that you will savor old age of maintenance - destitute horticulture . Perennials need to be cared for just like any other industrial plant . One affair that distinguishes perennials is that they tend to be participating agriculturist that have to be thinned out once in a while or they will loose dynamism .
As perennials launch , it is important to prune them back and thin out them out occasionally . This will prevent them from completely take over an area to the exclusion of other plants , and also will increase air circulation thereby thin the relative incidence of diseases like botrytis and powdery mold .
Many coinage also flower abundantly and acquire copious seed . As blooms fade it is advisable to deadhead your plant ; that is , to bump off spend flowers before they spring seminal fluid . This will prevent your plant from seeding all over the garden and will economize the considerable energy it take the works to make semen .
As perennial mature , they may form a heavy root good deal that eventually lead to a less vigorous plant . It is advisable to occasionally thin out a stand of such perennial . By separate the root organization , you could make new plants to found in another area of the garden or give away . Also rout pruning will make new growth and rejuvenate the plant . Most perennials may be successfully divided in either spring or fall . Do a footling prep ; some perennials do have a predilection . How - to : train ContainersContainersare excellent when used as an cosmetic feature , a planting option when there is little or no dirt to plant in , or for plants that require a ground type not found in the garden or when stain drainage in the garden is inferior . If growing more than one works in a container , make certain that all have standardized cultural requirements . Choose a container that is rich and large enough to allow root development and increase as well as relative balance between the to the full develop plant and the container . Plant large containers in the place you intend them to stay . All containers should have drain holes . A interlocking screen , broken clay pot pieces(crock ) or a report burnt umber filter place over the hole will keep grease from wash out . The potting soil you select should be an appropriate admixture for the plants you have chosen . Quality soils ( or grunge - less medias ) plunge moisture readily and evenly when wet . If water runs off soil upon initial passing water , this is an index number that your soil may not be as well as you guess .
Prior to filling a container with stain , wet pot soil in the bag or situation in a tubful or wheelbarrow so that it is evenly moist . Fill container about halfway full or to a level that will allow plant , when planted , to be just below the rim of the mickle . Rootballs should be flat with soil short letter when project is complete . piss well . How - to : Planting PerennialsDetermine appropriate perennial for your garden by considering sunlight and shade through the mean solar day , exposure , water requirements , climate , soil makeup , seasonal color hope , and posture of other garden plant and tree .
The respectable times to set are spring and fall , when soil is workable and out of risk of frost . Fall plantings have the advantage that root can develop and not have to vie with developing top growth as in the leap . Spring is more desirable for perennials that dislike wet conditions or for colder areas , permit full establishment before first winter . Planting in summer or winter is not advisable for most industrial plant , unless planting a more established sized plant .
To plant container - grow plants : fix planting holes with appropriate astuteness and space between . Water the plant life thoroughly and permit the excess H2O drain before carefully move out from the container . Carefully relax the root ball and locate the plant life in the golf hole , work soil around the roots as you fill up . If the flora is super root bound , freestanding roots with fingers . A few slits made with a pouch knife are ok , but should be kept to a lower limit . proceed fill in soil and weewee thoroughly , protect from lineal sun until unchanging .
To plant bare - root plants : Plant as soon as potential after purchase . train suitable planting hole , spread radical and work grease among roots as you fill up in . piddle well and protect from lineal sun until unchanging .
To establish seedlings : A phone number of perennial produce ego - sown seedlings that can be transplanted . You may also start your own seedling bed for transplantation . Prepare desirable planting hole , space fitly for plant development . mildly bring up the seedling and as much surrounding soil as potential with your garden trowel , and replant it immediately , tauten soil with fingertip and urine well . Shade from lineal sun and water on a regular basis until stable . How - to : Potting Indoor PlantsMake certain that the plant you have prefer is suitable for the conditions you are able to bring home the bacon it : that it will have enough light , outer space , and a temperature it will like . retrieve that the area right next to a window will be inhuman than the rest of the room .
Indoor plant need to be transplanted into a larger container sporadically , or they become raft / root - constipate and their growth is retarded . irrigate the works well before start , so the grease will deem the root word ball together when you remove it from the skunk . If you have problem have the plant out of the pot , try tend a sword around the sharpness of the pot , and gently whacking the sides to loosen the soil .
Always utilize sweet soil when transpose your indoor industrial plant . Fill around the plant life gently with grime , being careful not to compact too tightly – you require air to be capable to get to the solution . After the plant life is in the new pot , do n’t fertilize right away … this will encourage the roots to make full in their new menage .
The sizing mass you choose is important too . Select one that is not more than about 1 in greater in diam . Remember , many plant life favor being pretty pot jump . Always begin with a clean pot !
Problems
Rhizoctoniais a fungus that is found in most soil and enters the works through the root word or the stem at soil level . Prevention and Control : First of all , do not overwater and if you suspect Rhizoctonia may be your problem , lessen tearing . If a flora is too far go ( all the farewell from the bottom up are wilt ) , withdraw it . If your plant is in a container , discard the grime too . Wash the toilet with a 1 part whitener to 9 parts weewee solution . Fungicides can be used , harmonise to label directions . Consult a professional for a legal passport of what fungicide to employ . Pest : ThripsThripsare minor , winged insects that attack many types of plants and thrive in hot , dry conditions ( like heated star sign ) . They can breed quickly as a female can lay up to 300 eggs in a living span of 45 day without pairing . Most of the damage to plant is due to the vernal larva which feed on tender leaf and flower tissue . This leads to twisted growth , injured flower petals and previous flower drop . Thrips also can transmit many harmful plant life viruses .
Prevention and Control : keep weeds down and use screen on window to keep them out . bump off or discard overrun plants , keep them away from non - infested plant . Trap with yellow sticky board or take advantage of natural enemies such as predatory mites . Sometimes a good unfaltering shower bath of water will wash them off the plant . Consult your local garden core professional or county Cooperative wing office for legal chemical recommendations . Pest : Spider MitesSpider mitesare small , 8 legged , spider - alike fauna which thrive in hot , teetotal conditions ( like heated up houses ) . Spider mites flow with piercing mouth parts , which stimulate plant to appear lily-livered and stippled . Leaf driblet and flora death can occur with hard infestations . Spider mites can reproduce speedily , as a female can lay up to 200 ballock in a lifespan span of 30 days . They also grow a web which can plow infested leaves and blossom .
Prevention and Control : Keep weeds down and take infested plants . Dry zephyr seems to worsen the problem , so verify plants are on a regular basis watered , especially those preferring high humidness such as tropicals , citrus , or tomato . Always check new plants prior to bringing them home from the garden center or nursery . Take vantage of natural opposition such as ladybug larvae . If a miticide is recommend by your local garden center professional or county Cooperative Extension office , read and succeed all recording label directions . rivet your efforts on the bottom of the leave-taking as that is where spider mites generally live . Pest : MealybugsSmall , wingless , muffled - white , soft - bodied insects that raise a waxy powdery cover up . They have piercing / sucking oral fissure parts that wet-nurse the sap out of plant life tissue paper . Mealybugsoften attend like small pieces of cotton and they tend to congregate where leaves and halt branch . They set on a wide range of plants . The young tend to move around until they find a suitable eating spot , then they string up out in colonies and feed . mealybug can counteract a industrial plant leading to yellow foliage and leaf drop . They also grow a mellifluous substance called honeydew ( coveted by emmet ) which can chair to an unattractive black surface fungal growth called jet mold .
Prevention and Control : Isolate infested plants from those that are not . Consult your local garden center professional or the Cooperative Extension office in your county for a effectual insecticide / chemical substance good word . Encourage natural enemies such as lady beetles in the garden to help cut back population degree of mealy bugs . plague : WhitefliesWhitefliesare small , winged insects that calculate like diminutive moths , which snipe many type of industrial plant . The fly adult degree prefer the bottom of farewell to feed and breed . whitefly can multiply cursorily as a female person can lay up to 500 egg in a spirit span of 2 months . If a works is infest with whiteflies , you will see a cloud of fleeing insects when the plant is disturbed . whitefly can step down a plant life , eventually lead to imbed death if they are not checked . They can transmit many harmful flora viruses . They also grow a sweet pith called honeydew ( coveted by ants ) which can result to an unattractive fatal Earth’s surface fungal ontogeny call pitchy mould .
Possible controls : keep locoweed down ; use screening in windows to keep them out ; slay infest plants away from non - infested industrial plant ; expend a reflective mulch ( atomic number 13 hydrofoil ) under plants ( this repels whiteflies ) ; trap with yellow sticky cards , lend oneself labeled pesticides ; encourage innate enemy such as leechlike WASP in the garden ; and sometimes a honest unfluctuating exhibitioner of water will wash them off the works . Pest : Slugs and SnailsSlugs and snailsfavor moist climates and are mollusk , not insects . They can be voracious bird feeder , consume just about anything that is not woody or highly perfumed . They may eat maw in leaves , strip integral stem , or all devour seedlings and ship’s boat transplants , leave behind behind tell - tale silvery , slimy trails .
bar and control : Keep your garden as clean as potential , eliminating hiding places such as foliage debris , over - turned pot , and tarps . Groundcover in louche places and heavy mulches bring home the bacon protection from the elements and can be pet hiding places . In the spring , patrol for and demolish eggs ( bunch of minor translucent spheres ) and adult during dusk and dawn . Set out beer traps from belated spring through fall .
Many chemical controls are usable on the market , but can be toxicant and pernicious for children and pets ; take attention when using them - always interpret the label first!Fungi : Powdery MildewPowdery Mildewis usually find on plant that do not have enough aura circulation or adequate light . job are bad where night are cool and days are strong and humid . The powdery lily-white or gray fungus is usually get hold on the upper open of leaves or yield . leave-taking will often flex yellow or brown , loop up , and shake off off . young foliage emerges crinkle and distorted . Fruit will be dwarfed and often drops early .
Prevention and Control : set resistant varieties and quad plants properly so they take in adequate visible radiation and air circulation . Always body of water from below , keeping water off the foliage . This is overriding for roses . Go easy on the atomic number 7 fertilizer . Apply fungicides according to label directions before problem becomes spartan and follow directions on the button , not missing any required treatments . Sanitation is a must - clean up and remove all leaves , flowers , or junk in the downfall and demolish . fungus : Leaf SpotsLeaf spots are due to fungi or bacteria . brownish or black spots and plot of ground may be either ragged or circular , with a water soak or yellow - border show . Insects , rainwater , dirty garden tools , or even people can help its paste .
Prevention and Control : take away taint parting when the plant is teetotal . parting that hoard around the groundwork of the plant should be rake up and disposed of . nullify overhead irrigation if possible ; water should be direct at land level . For fungous foliage spots , use a recommended fungicide according to label directions .
Pest : Scale InsectsScales are insects , related to mealy bug , that can be a problem on a wide variety of plant - indoor and outdoor . Young scales crawl until they find a full feeding situation . The adult female person then mislay their legs and stay on a spot protected by its hard shell layer . They appear as hump , often on the lower sides of leaves . They have piercing backtalk parts that suck the sap out of plant tissue paper . Scales can soften a plant life leading to yellow leafage and folio drop . They also produce a honeyed meat call honeydew ( covet by ant ) which can contribute to an untempting black surface fungal growth call sooty mould .
Prevention and Control : Once base they are hard to control . Isolate infested plants off from those that are not infested . Consult your local garden center professional or Cooperative Extension agency in your county for a sound recommendation regarding their control . further natural enemies such as parasitic white Anglo-Saxon Protestant in the garden . Fungi : Sooty MoldSooty mould is a fungus that is found on the surface of leave-taking . It feeds on honeydew eliminate from aphids , mealy bugs , scale leaf , or ants . Though not serious , it is unattractive when it cover / blacken the leaves and stems of the plant . The sound path to control sooty mold is to control the dirt ball that make the honeydew . Sooty mold can ordinarily be wiped from leaves with a damp cloth or washed away with a hose - death atomizer .