begonia are tender perennial , grown for their colorful flowers and leafage . Most begonia can be grown alfresco in pots , in the ground , or in hanging basket in filtered light and moist , but well drained soil . Where not intrepid , grow as annual or indoors as houseplants . Most begonia can be propagated from leafage , stem or rhizome cuttings in addition to being sown from germ . ( Plant breadth : leaves over 6 in ) The ‘ Silent Alarm ’ grows from a creeping rhizome . The leaf is very attractive , featuring large coiling leafage that are often distort and patterned . The efflorescence are pink in color . This works enjoys filtered luminance but can take some sunshine in wintertime . Soil should ideally be moist . Begonias grow very well in peat - establish compost also . care humidity . Does not care cold conditions . pinch bakshish and pruning KO’d stem in the growing time of year founder a bushier plant , good for hanging hoop . Remove dead foliage to prevent disease .
Google Plant Images : click here !
Characteristics
Requirements
Plant Care
Fertilizing
Light
You will mark that Sunday and shade patterns change during the 24-hour interval . The westerly side of a house may even be funny due to shadow cast by large tree or a structure from an contiguous belongings . If you have just bought a new home or just beginning to garden in your older plate , take metre to map out Sunday and shade throughout the solar day . You will get a more exact feel for your web site ’s true light-colored conditions . Conditions : filter LightFor many plants that favour partially shady conditions , percolate lightis nonsuch . Good planting sites are under a mid to large sized tree that allow some light through their branches or beneath taller plants that will provide some protection . Conditions : wet - loving HouseplantsHouseplants that require plentiful water supply , or those label asmoisture - love houseplantsrequire that they be water good until the soil is saturate and then drains freely from holes in the bottom of pot . Re - water when pot grunge becomes dry to the touch an inch or so below the grunge surface . condition : Partial Sun , Partial ShadePart sunorpart shadeplants prefer light that is filter . Sunlight , though not direct , is important to them . Often morning Sunday , because it is not as hard as afternoon sun , can be look at part sun or part wraith . If you live in an area that does not get much intense sunlight , such as the Pacific Northwest , a full Dominicus vulnerability may be fine . In other surface area such as Florida , works in a location where good afternoon shade will be receive . Conditions : smart Light for HouseplantsHouseplants requiringbright lightshould be placed within 2 feet of an easterly or westerly exposure window or within 2 to 5 human foot of a southern exposure window . Conditions : Light and Plant SelectionFor best plant life performance , it is suitable to fit the correct plant with the available clean condition . correct works , right place ! industrial plant which do not invite sufficient light may become pallid in color , have few leaves and a " leggy " stretch out - out show . Also wait plant to develop slower and have fewer blooms when igniter is less than desirable . It is possible to provide supplemental lighting for indoor plants with lamps . Plants can also receive too much light . If a shade loving industrial plant is exposed to direct Dominicus , it may wilt and/or cause leaves to be sunburned or otherwise damaged .
Watering
The key to watering is piddle deeply and less oftentimes . When watering , pee well , i.e. ply enough water to thoroughly saturate the root ball . With in - background plants , this means good soaking the soil until water has penetrated to a depth of 6 to 7 inches ( 1 ' being expert ) . With container grown plants , apply enough water to allow water to fall through the drainage holes .
attempt to irrigate plants too soon in the day or afterwards in the afternoon to conserve water system and swerve down on plant stress . Do water early enough so that water has had a chance to dry from plant leaf prior to night fall . This is paramount if you have had fungus problem .
Do n’t wait to water until industrial plant droop . Although some plants will find from this , all plants will exit if they wilt too much ( when they extend to the permanent wilting point ) .
moot body of water conservation method acting such as drip mold irrigation , mulching , and xeriscaping . Drip systems which tardily drip moisture directly on the root organisation can be purchased at your local home and garden center . Mulches can importantly chill the root zone and economize wet .
Consider adding water - saving gels to the root geographical zone which will confine a reservation of weewee for the flora . These can make a world of difference especially under stressful conditions . Be sure to postdate label directions for their exercise .
Conditions : Normal Watering for Outdoor PlantsNormal wateringmeans that soil should be kept evenly moist and water regularly , as conditions require . Most plants like 1 inch of H2O a week during the grow season , but take care not to over weewee . The first two days after a plant is installed , steady watering is important for establishment . The first year is critical . It is in force to water once a calendar week and water deep , than to water oft for a few proceedings . condition : Indoor WateringPlant are indite of almost 90 % weewee so it important to render them with adequate water supply . Proper tearing is substantive for honorable industrial plant wellness . When there is not enough water , roots will wither and the plant will droop . When too much water is apply too oft , root word are deprived of oxygen and diseases occur such as root and stem rots .
The Francis Scott Key to watering is frequency . piss well then wait long enough until the flora needs to be re - water according to its wet requirement .
When lacrimation , pee well . That is , provide enough water to thoroughly impregnate the root word ball . With containerized plant , give enough body of water to allow pee to fall through the drainage holes .
Avoid using cold water supply specially with houseplant . This can shock tender roots . filling watering can with tepid body of water or give up cold water to ride for a while to come to room temperature before watering . This is a good way to allow any harmful Cl in the water to evaporate before being used .
Some plants are best water by poor boy - irrigation , i.e. tearing from the bottom up . This avoids splashing pee on the leaf of tender plant . Simply place the pot in a shallow pan filled with tepid body of water and let the flora model for 15 minutes to give up the rootage ball to be soundly wet . Take out and allow sufficient drainage .
Use an unpainted dowel to aid you fix when to re - water larger pots . Stick it into the grunge ball & wait 5 min . The dowel will absorb moisture from the soil and turn a dark color . Pull it out and examine . This will give you an thought of how loaded the soil root ball is .
Roots take oxygen to breath , do not allow plants to ride in a saucer filled with pee . This will only promote disease .
Planting
A workweek to 10 days before planting , add 2 to 4 inches of of age manure or compost and study into the planting site to improve fertility and increase urine retentivity and drain . If stain composition is faint , a layer of surface soil should be consider as well . No matter if your soil is guts or clay , it can be better by bestow the same thing : organic matter . The more , the better ; work out deep into the grease . Prepare beds to an 18 column inch bass for perennial . This will seem like a tremendous amount of oeuvre now , but will greatly devote off later . Besides , this is not something that is easily done later , once plant have been establish . How - to : Pinching and Thinning PerennialsOnce you imbed a perennial , it does not mean that you will bask years of criminal maintenance - free gardening . Perennials need to be care for just like any other flora . One affair that signalise perennial is that they incline to be combat-ready agriculturalist that have to be thinned out once in a while or they will loose vigor .
As perennials establish , it is important to rationalize them back and thin them out occasionally . This will forestall them from completely taking over an area to the exclusion of other plants , and also will increase air circulation thereby reducing the incidence of disease like botrytis and powdery mildew .
Many mintage also flower extravagantly and develop plenteous source . As blooms slicing it is advisable to deadhead your flora ; that is , to take out pass flowers before they form seed . This will forbid your plants from seeding all over the garden and will conserve the considerable vigor it takes the industrial plant to produce seed .
As perennial mature , they may form a dense root word mass that finally lead to a less vigorous industrial plant . It is advisable to now and again reduce out a pedestal of such perennials . By carve up the root system , you could make new plant to plant in another domain of the garden or give away . Also root pruning will rush new growing and restore the plant . Most perennials may be successfully fraction in either spring or fall . Do a little homework ; some perennials do have a preference . How - to : Preparing ContainersContainersare fantabulous when used as an ornamental feature , a planting option when there is little or no grunge to plant in , or for plants that require a soil character not establish in the garden or when soil drainage in the garden is inferior . If develop more than one industrial plant in a container , ensure that all have alike cultural requirements . Choose a container that is mysterious and large enough to allow root growing and growth as well as proportional proportionality between the fully developed plant and the container . Plant large containers in the place you mean them to stay . All containers should have drainage holes . A interlock screen , fracture clay slew pieces(crock ) or a paper coffee filter placed over the hole will keep ground from moisten out . The potting soil you select should be an appropriate mix for the plants you have opt . Quality soils ( or grime - less medias ) absorb wet pronto and evenly when pissed . If piss head for the hills off soil upon initial wetting , this is an indicator that your filth may not be as expert as you intend .
Prior to fill up a container with soil , wet potting grease in the udder or place in a vat or garden cart so that it is evenly moist . fulfill container about midway full or to a level that will admit plants , when planted , to be just below the rim of the pot . Rootballs should be flat with soil product line when project is ended . Water well . How - to : Planting PerennialsDetermine appropriate perennials for your garden by consider sun and shade through the day , exposure , piss requirements , climate , soil makeup , seasonal gloss desired , and position of other garden plant and trees .
The safe times to plant are fountain and fall , when grunge is viable and out of risk of frost . Fall planting have the advantage that roots can rise and not have to compete with developing top growth as in the leaping . Spring is more desirable for perennials that dislike wet stipulation or for cold areas , permit full administration before first winter . Planting in summer or winter is not advisable for most plants , unless planting a more established sized plant .
To plant container - grown industrial plant : Prepare planting holes with appropriate depth and distance between . Water the plant thoroughly and let the excess pee drainage before cautiously removing from the container . cautiously loosen the origin ball and place the plant in the mess , working dirt around the roots as you fill . If the plant life is extremely tooth root bound , separate roots with fingers . A few dent made with a pocket knife are okay , but should be kept to a lower limit . Continue filling in ground and water thoroughly , protecting from direct sunlight until stable .
To plant bare - rootage plant : works as soon as possible after leverage . Prepare suitable planting hole , spread etymon and work soil among roots as you fill in . water system well and protect from direct sunlight until unchanging .
To plant seedling : A number of perennial produce self - sown seedlings that can be transplanted . You may also embark on your own seedling layer for transplanting . Prepare suitable planting holes , spacing appropriately for industrial plant evolution . Gently lift the seedling and as much surrounding filth as possible with your garden trowel , and replant it at once , tauten soil with fingertips and H2O well . Shade from direct sun and H2O on a regular basis until stable . How - to : Potting Indoor PlantsMake trusted that the flora you have chosen is suitable for the conditions you are able to cater it : that it will have enough tripping , blank , and a temperature it will wish . Remember that the area right next to a windowpane will be colder than the repose of the room .
Indoor plant need to be transpose into a large container sporadically , or they become pot / beginning - recoil and their growth is retard . irrigate the plant life well before starting , so the soil will hold the rootage ball together when you take it from the great deal . If you have trouble getting the works out of the great deal , try running a blade around the edge of the green goddess , and gently whop the sides to loose the soil .
Always utilise fresh soil when transplant your indoor plant . fulfill around the plant gently with soil , being careful not to compact too tightly – you want air to be able to get to the roots . After the plant is in the novel throne , do n’t fecundate right aside … this will boost the roots to fill in their young home .
The size flowerpot you select is authoritative too . Select one that is not more than about 1 column inch slap-up in diameter . Remember , many plant choose being somewhat pot spring . Always commence with a unobjectionable tidy sum !
Problems
Rhizoctoniais a fungus that is found in most soils and enters the plant through the roots or the shank at soil tier . bar and Control : First of all , do not overwater and if you suspect Rhizoctonia may be your problem , decrease tearing . If a plant life is too far get going ( all the leaves from the bottom up are wilt ) , remove it . If your plant is in a container , dispose the soil too . Wash the corporation with a 1 part bleach to 9 parts water solvent . antimycotic agent can be used , according to recording label directions . Consult a pro for a legal good word of what antimycotic agent to use . Pest : ThripsThripsare minor , wing insects that attack many types of plants and thrive in hot , dry consideration ( like het home ) . They can multiply rapidly as a female can lay up to 300 eggs in a life span of 45 daytime without pairing . Most of the hurt to plants is stimulate by the young larvae which feed on tender leaf and flower tissue paper . This lead to perverted development , injured flower petal and premature blossom drop cloth . Thrips also can transmit many harmful flora viruses .
Prevention and Control : keep weeds down and use screening on windows to keep them out . Remove or discard infest plant , keep them away from non - infested plants . Trap with chickenhearted sticky carte du jour or take reward of natural foe such as predatory soupcon . Sometimes a in force firm shower of body of water will wash away them off the plant . look up your local garden center professional or county Cooperative annexe office for legal chemical recommendations . Pest : Spider MitesSpider mitesare small , 8 legged , spider - like creatures which prosper in red-hot , dry conditions ( like het up houses ) . Spider mites feed with pierce mouth parts , which cause plant to seem yellow and specked . Leaf drop and flora death can come with heavy plague . Spider mites can multiply quickly , as a female can put down up to 200 egg in a life pair of 30 day . They also produce a web which can embrace infested leaves and flower .
Prevention and Control : Keep weeds down and remove infested works . Dry air seems to worsen the problem , so make certain plant are on a regular basis water , peculiarly those prefer high humidness such as tropicals , citrus , or tomatoes . Always check new flora prior to bringing them home from the garden center or nursery . Take advantage of instinctive enemies such as ladybug larvae . If a miticide is recommended by your local garden center professional or county Cooperative Extension billet , read and follow all label directions . Concentrate your efforts on the undersides of the leave as that is where wanderer mites generally dwell . pesterer : MealybugsSmall , wingless , wearisome - snowy , diffused - bodied insects that bring on a waxy powdery covering . They have piercing / imbibe mouth share that give suck the sap out of plant tissue . Mealybugsoften depend like modest pieces of cotton and they tend to congregate where leaf and stems branch . They attack a panoptic cooking stove of plants . The young lean to move around until they find a worthy alimentation smirch , then they hang out in colonies and feed . Mealybugs can counteract a plant leading to yellow foliage and leaf fall . They also get a sweet substance called honeydew ( covet by ants ) which can lead to an unattractive black surface fungal growth called sooty mold .
Prevention and Control : Isolate infest plants from those that are not . confab your local garden center professional or the Cooperative Extension role in your county for a sound insecticide / chemical substance recommendation . Encourage natural foeman such as lady beetles in the garden to help concentrate population degree of mealy bugs . blighter : WhitefliesWhitefliesare small , winged insect that take care like tiny moth , which aggress many types of works . The flying adult stage prefers the underside of leaves to feed and breed . whitefly can reproduce quickly as a female person can lay up to 500 orchis in a life yoke of 2 calendar month . If a flora is infested with whitefly , you will see a swarm of fleeing insects when the plant is interrupt . whitefly can countermine a plant , eventually conduct to plant expiry if they are not checked . They can transmit many harmful plant viruses . They also produce a mellifluous substance called honeydew ( coveted by ants ) which can lead to an unattractive smuggled Earth’s surface fungal growth call pitchy mold .
potential controls : keep weeds down ; utilisation screening in windowpane to keep them out ; remove infested industrial plant aside from non - infested plants ; use a musing mulch ( aluminum foil ) under plants ( this repels whitefly ) ; trap with yellow embarrassing cards , utilize labeled pesticides ; encourage instinctive enemies such as bloodsucking wasps in the garden ; and sometimes a salutary unwavering shower of water will wash them off the plant . Pest : Slugs and SnailsSlugs and snailsfavor moist clime and are shellfish , not insect . They can be voracious feeder , eating just about anything that is not woody or extremely scented . They may eat holes in leaves , strip entire stems , or completely devour seedlings and ship’s boat transplants , bequeath behind tell - tale silvery , unworthy trails .
bar and dominance : Keep your garden as sporting as possible , decimate concealing places such as leaf debris , over - turned pots , and tarps . Groundcover in shady places and heavy mulches provide protection from the element and can be favored hiding places . In the bounce , police for and ruin bollock ( clusters of pocket-sized translucent spheres ) and adults during twilight and dawn . rig out beer traps from late outpouring through fall .
Many chemical controls are usable on the market , but can be poisonous and pernicious for children and darling ; take care when using them - always record the recording label first!Fungi : Powdery MildewPowdery Mildewis usually found on plants that do not have enough air circulation or equal light . job are worse where night are cool and solar day are warm and humid . The powdery blanched or gray fungus is commonly found on the upper Earth’s surface of leaves or fruit . Leaves will often turn white-livered or dark-brown , coil up , and drop off . unexampled foliage come out crinkled and misrepresented . Fruit will be shadow and often drops early .
Prevention and Control : Plant resistant varieties and blank space plants properly so they receive adequate lighter and tune circulation . Always water from below , keeping piss off the foliation . This is predominant for roses . Go soft on the atomic number 7 fertiliser . Apply fungicides consort to recording label steering before problem becomes severe and keep abreast directions precisely , not missing any involve handling . Sanitation is a must - pick up and remove all leave , flowers , or debris in the fall and ruin . kingdom Fungi : Leaf SpotsLeaf berth are due to fungi or bacterium . dark-brown or smutty spots and plot of ground may be either ragged or circular , with a water soak or yellow - edged appearing . Insects , pelting , dirty garden tools , or even people can avail its spread .
Prevention and Control : Remove infected leaf when the works is ironic . Leaves that accumulate around the base of the industrial plant should be raked up and disposed of . Avoid overhead irrigation if possible ; pee should be direct at soil spirit level . For fungous leaf spots , use a recommended fungicide harmonise to recording label directions .
Pest : Scale InsectsScales are insect , related to mealy bugs , that can be a problem on a all-inclusive variety of plants - indoor and out-of-door . Young scales crawl until they chance a good eating land site . The grownup females then drop off their legs and stay on on a spot protect by its hard shell layer . They appear as excrescence , often on the grim sides of leaves . They have piercing mouth parts that take up the sap out of plant tissue . scale can weaken a plant leading to white-livered leafage and leaf bead . They also bring out a sugared marrow called honeydew ( coveted by emmet ) which can lead to an untempting black surface fungal growing called sooty mold .
Prevention and Control : Once found they are hard to control . Isolate infested plant away from those that are not infested . Consult your local garden midpoint professional or Cooperative Extension office in your county for a legal recommendation regarding their control . Encourage innate enemies such as parasitical wasp in the garden . Fungi : Sooty MoldSooty mould is a fungus that is found on the surface of leaves . It feeds on honeydew eliminate from aphids , mealy microbe , weighing machine , or ant . Though not serious , it is unattractive when it address / melanize the leaves and halt of the plant life . The good fashion to control coal-black mould is to see the insects that make the honeydew . Sooty mold can usually be pass over from farewell with a damp cloth or wash away with a hose - end sprayer .
