Begonias are fond perennials , grown for their colorful flower and foliage . Most begonia can be grown outdoors in pots , in the ground , or in hanging handbasket in separate out twinkle and moist , but well drain dirt . Where not unfearing , grow as yearbook or indoors as houseplants . Most begonias can be propagate from leaf , stem or rootstock cut in addition to being sow from seed . ( Plant width : leaves 3 to 6 inches ) The cultivar , ‘ Maxie , ’ grows from a creeping rhizome . The foliation is very attractive , feature intermediate - sized non - helical parting that are often colored and patterned . This plant love filtered light but can take some sun in winter . Soil should ideally be moist . Begonias grow very well in peat - based compost also . like humidity . Hardy . Does not like cold atmospheric condition . purloin tips and pruning outer staunch in the growing season contribute a bushy works , honest 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 convention change during the daylight . The western side of a business firm may even be shadowed due to apparition cast by large trees or a complex body part from an adjacent property . If you have just bought a raw base or just beginning to garden in your older home base , take metre to map sun and shade throughout the mean solar day . You will get a more precise tone for your site ’s unfeigned light conditions . Conditions : percolate LightFor many plant that prefer partially shady condition , filtered lightis ideal . Good planting sites are under a mid to turgid sized tree that lets some light through their branches or beneath taller plants that will provide some protective cover . condition : wet - loving HouseplantsHouseplants that require ample piss , or those labeled asmoisture - sleep together houseplantsrequire that they be watered thoroughly until the territory is impregnate and then run out freely from hollow in the bottom of pot . Re - water when potting dirt becomes wry to the touch an in or so below the soil airfoil . Conditions : Partial Sun , Partial ShadePart sunorpart shadeplants favor light that is filtered . Sunlight , though not direct , is important to them . Often morning Lord’s Day , because it is not as strong as afternoon sun , can be considered part sun or part nuance . If you live in an area that does not get much intense sunshine , such as the Pacific Northwest , a full sun exposure may be fine . In other area such as Florida , works in a location where afternoon shade will be received . term : Bright Light for HouseplantsHouseplants requiringbright lightshould be localize within 2 feet of an eastern or western picture window or within 2 to 5 feet of a southern photo window . condition : Light and Plant SelectionFor best plant functioning , it is suitable to match the right plant with the usable faint conditions . Right plant , right place ! Plants which do not receive sufficient lightness may become pale in coloring , have few leaves and a " leggy " stretch - out appearance . Also expect flora to grow tedious and have fewer bloom when light is less than desirable . It is potential to leave subsidiary inflammation for indoor plant with lamps . Plants can also receive too much light . If a nicety loving plant life is give away to direct sun , it may droop and/or cause leaves to be sunburned or otherwise damaged .
Watering
The key to watering is H2O deeply and less frequently . When watering , urine well , i.e. supply enough water to thoroughly saturate the root ball . With in - ground plant , this means soundly overcharge the soil until water has infiltrate to a depth of 6 to 7 inches ( 1 ' being good ) . With container grown plants , apply enough water to allow water to flow through the drainage golf hole .
seek to water flora early on in the day or later in the afternoon to conserve water and swerve down on plant accent . Do water early enough so that water has had a chance to dry out from plant leaves prior to Nox fall . This is paramount if you have had fungus problem .
Do n’t wait to water until plants wilt . Although some plants will convalesce from this , all plant will become flat if they wilt too much ( when they extend to the lasting wilting point ) .
debate water supply preservation method such as drip irrigation , mulching , and xeriscaping . Drip systems which lento drip wet forthwith on the source system can be purchased at your local home and garden center . Mulches can significantly cool the origin zona and conserve moisture .
debate sum water - salve gel to the radical zone which will agree a stockpile of piddle for the plant . These can make a world of conflict especially under stressful conditions . Be sure to come after recording label directions for their enjoyment .
condition : Normal Watering for Outdoor PlantsNormal wateringmeans that ground should be keep evenly moist and watered on a regular basis , as condition require . Most plants like 1 inch of water a hebdomad during the growing season , but take care not to over water . The first two years after a industrial plant is instal , regular tearing is important for organization . The first yr is critical . It is better to water once a hebdomad and water deeply , than to water frequently for a few minutes . experimental condition : Indoor WateringPlant are composed of almost 90 % water so it significant to supply them with tolerable water . right watering is essential for estimable plant health . When there is not enough water , roots will wither and the plant life will droop . When too much body of water is go for too frequently , source are deprived of O and diseases occur such as root and stalk hogwash .
The key to watering is frequency . piddle well then wait long enough until the plant require to be re - watered according to its wet prerequisite .
When lacrimation , piddle well . That is , provide enough water to thoroughly saturate the root ball . With containerized plants , apply enough pee to earmark water to flow through the drainage holes .
avert using cold water especially with houseplants . This can shock tender root . Fill watering can with tepid water or allow cold water to seat for a while to come to board temperature before watering . This is a good manner to allow any harmful atomic number 17 in the water to evaporate before being used .
Some plant are better irrigate by torpedo - irrigation , i.e. watering from the bottom up . This avoids slop urine on the folio of raw flora . just place the pot in a shallow goat god occupy with tepid water and let the plant sit for 15 minutes to allow the root ball to be exhaustively lactating . Take out and leave sufficient drain .
Use an unpainted dowel pin to help you determine when to re - water larger pots . pose it into the soil ball & wait 5 minutes . The joggle will ingest moisture from the soil and rick a saturnine color . Pull it out and canvass . This will give you an idea of how wet the soil root ball is .
Roots postulate oxygen to breathing space , do not allow plants to posture in a dish filled with water . This will only promote disease .
Planting
A calendar week to 10 days before planting , add 2 to 4 in of aged manure or compost and work into the planting site to improve fertility and increase water retention and drainage . If grunge composition is weak , a layer of surface soil should be considered as well . No matter if your soil is sand or Lucius DuBignon Clay , it can be improved by adding the same thing : organic matter . The more , the better ; work late into the grime . gear up beds to an 18 inch cryptical for perennials . This will seem like a enormous amount of piece of work now , but will greatly pay off later . Besides , this is not something that is easily done afterward , once plants have been found . How - to : Pinching and Thinning PerennialsOnce you plant a perennial , it does not mean that you will love years of maintenance - free gardening . Perennials ask to be like for just like any other plant . One thing that pick out perennials is that they tend to be active growers that have to be thinned out on occasion or they will loose vigor .
As perennial establish , it is important to prune them back and slenderize them out at times . This will prevent them from all taking over an area to the censure of other industrial plant , and also will increase air circulation thereby boil down the incidence of disease like botrytis and powdery mildew .
Many species also flower copiously and bring forth ample source . As blooming slicing it is advisable to deadhead your plant ; that is , to remove spent flowers before they form seed . This will prevent your plant life from seed all over the garden and will economize the considerable energy it take the plant to produce seed .
As perennial grow , they may constitute a dense root batch that finally lead to a less vigorous plant . It is advisable to now and again thin out a stall of such perennials . By dividing the root organization , you’re able to make new flora to imbed in another area of the garden or give away . Also rout pruning will excite Modern increment and regenerate the plant . Most perennials may be successfully divided in either spring or fall . Do a little homework ; some perennials do have a preference . How - to : gear up ContainersContainersare excellent when used as an cosmetic feature article , a planting option when there is small or no filth to constitute in , or for plants that need a soil type not discover in the garden or when stain drainage in the garden is inferior . If growing more than one plant in a container , verify that all have similar cultural requirements . pick out a container that is deep and big enough to give up root development and growing as well as proportional balance between the fully developed plant and the container . Plant enceinte container in the piazza you intend them to stay . All container should have drain holes . A meshing filmdom , discontinue clay pot pieces(crock ) or a newspaper coffee filter order over the fix will keep soil from lave out . The potting soil you select should be an appropriate admixture for the industrial plant you have pick out . Quality dirt ( or land - less medias ) absorb moisture readily and equally when wet . If water runs off filth upon initial wetting , this is an indicator that your soil may not be as unspoiled as you call up .
Prior to filling a container with soil , wet potting soil in the bag or shoes in a bath or wheelbarrow so that it is equally moist . fill up container about halfway full or to a level that will take into account plants , when implant , to be just below the flange of the pot . Rootballs should be flat with grunge strain when labor is complete . piss well . How - to : Planting PerennialsDetermine appropriate perennials for your garden by considering sun and shade through the Clarence Day , exposure , H2O necessary , climate , grease make-up , seasonal colour desired , and position of other garden plants and trees .
The in force times to plant are bounce and crepuscule , when grease is workable and out of danger of frost . Fall plantings have the advantage that roots can produce and not have to compete with developing top emergence as in the spring . Spring is more desirable for perennials that dislike lactating stipulation or for inhuman areas , allowing full validation before first wintertime . Planting in summer or winter is not advisable for most plants , unless set a more shew sized works .
To plant container - grown works : Prepare implant hollow with appropriate depth and space between . irrigate the plant thoroughly and let the excess H2O drain before cautiously removing from the container . Carefully tease the root clod and place the plant in the hole , operate soil around the stem as you replete . If the industrial plant is passing root bind , freestanding root with fingers . A few scratch made with a pocket knife are o.k. , but should be kept to a minimum . keep filling in stain and water exhaustively , protecting from direct sun until stable .
To plant bare - radical plants : Plant as before long as possible after purchase . Prepare suited planting mess , spread roots and cultivate ground among roots as you fill in . Water well and protect from direct Lord’s Day until unchanging .
To plant seedling : A number of perennials bring on self - sown seedling that can be transplanted . You may also start your own seedling bottom for transplantation . Prepare desirable planting holes , spacing suitably for plant ontogenesis . Gently sneak the seedling and as much surrounding soil as potential with your garden trowel , and replant it straightaway , tauten soil with fingertip and water supply well . Shade from direct Lord’s Day and water regularly until unchanging . How - to : Potting Indoor PlantsMake sure that the plant you have pick out is suitable for the conditions you are able to provide it : that it will have enough light , space , and a temperature it will like . Remember that the area mighty next to a window will be colder than the rest of the elbow room .
Indoor plants need to be transplanted into a declamatory container sporadically , or they become tidy sum / beginning - bound and their growth is check . irrigate the plant well before starting , so the territory will hold the root ball together when you take it from the mickle . If you have trouble catch the plant out of the pot , test running a leaf blade around the edge of the Mary Jane , and gently whop the sides to loosen the soil .
Always use fresh soil when transfer your indoor plant . Fill around the plant gently with soil , being careful not to pack too tightly – you need air to be able-bodied to get to the roots . After the plant is in the novel pot , do n’t fertilize right away … this will boost the roots to occupy in their newfangled menage .
The size pot you choose is crucial too . Select one that is not more than about 1 in greater in diam . Remember , many plants prefer being jolly pot bind . Always start with a clean potentiometer !
Problems
Rhizoctoniais a fungus that is see in most soil and embark the plant through the ascendant or the prow at soil horizontal surface . Prevention and Control : First of all , do not overwater and if you suspect Rhizoctonia may be your trouble , decrease watering . If a plant is too far gone ( all the folio from the bottom up are wilted ) , remove it . If your plant is in a container , discard the soil too . lave the pot with a 1 part whitener to 9 parts water answer . antifungal can be used , according to label directions . Consult a professional for a effectual recommendation of what antimycotic agent to use . Pest : ThripsThripsare small , fly insects that attack many types of plants and flourish in red-hot , dry conditions ( like heated menage ) . They can breed rapidly as a female person can lay up to 300 eggs in a life twosome of 45 days without coupling . Most of the damage to plants is make by the young larvae which feed on tender leaf and flower tissue paper . This lead to misshapen increase , injured flower petals and untimely flower drop . Thrips also can transmit many harmful plant computer virus .
Prevention and Control : keep weeds down and utilise screening on windows to keep them out . take away or discard overrun plant , keep them away from non - infested plants . Trap with jaundiced sticky cards or take advantage of born enemies such as predatory mites . Sometimes a good unwavering shower of water will wash them off the plant . Consult your local garden centre professional or county Cooperative extension office for sound chemic recommendations . Pest : Spider MitesSpider mitesare little , 8 legged , wanderer - like creatures which thrive in hot , dry circumstance ( like heated houses ) . Spider tinge feed with piercing back talk parts , which stimulate works to appear chickenhearted and stippled . foliage fall and plant death can come with gruelling infestation . wanderer mites can multiply quickly , as a female can lay up to 200 egg in a life span of 30 days . They also get a WWW which can cover infested farewell and peak .
Prevention and Control : Keep weeds down and remove infested plant life . Dry air seems to worsen the trouble , so ensure plants are regularly water , especially those preferring eminent humidity such as tropicals , citrus tree , or tomatoes . Always turn back new plants prior to bringing them home from the garden center or nursery . Take reward of natural enemies such as ladybug larvae . If a miticide is recommended by your local garden center professional or county Cooperative Extension bureau , read and trace all label directions . Concentrate your efforts on the undersides of the leaves as that is where spider mite generally hold up . plague : MealybugsSmall , wingless , dull - white , soft - bodied insects that produce a waxy powdery covering . They have pierce / sucking mouth parts that suck the sap out of plant tissue . Mealybugsoften appear like minor piece of cotton and they run to congregate where leave and stems offset . They attack a wide range of plants . The young tend to move around until they find a suitable alimentation post , then they advert out in settlement and feed . Mealybugs can soften a plant lead to chicken leafage and foliage fall . They also give rise a sweet substance call honeydew ( coveted by ants ) which can extend to an unattractive disgraceful open fungal growth called sooty cast .
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 legal insecticide / chemical substance recommendation . Encourage natural enemies such as lady mallet in the garden to help reduce population levels of mealy bugs . pestilence : WhitefliesWhitefliesare small , winged worm that wait like tiny moths , which assail many types of plants . The flying adult stage prefers the undersurface of leaves to feed and breed . Whiteflies can manifold quickly as a female can repose up to 500 eggs in a life span of 2 months . If a plant is infested with whitefly , you will see a cloud of fleeing dirt ball when the plant is interrupt . Whiteflies can weaken a plant , eventually leading to plant death if they are not checked . They can transmit many harmful plant viruses . They also farm a sweet substance called honeydew ( covet by ants ) which can lead to an unattractive black Earth’s surface fungal maturation called sooty mold .
potential control : keep locoweed down ; use test in window to keep them out ; absent invade plants away from non - infested industrial plant ; habituate a reflective mulch ( aluminum foil ) under plants ( this repels whitefly ) ; trap with scandalmongering gummy menu , apply labeled pesticide ; encourage natural enemies such as parasitic wasp in the garden ; and sometimes a effective steady rain shower of H2O will wash them off the plant . Pest : Slugs and SnailsSlugs and snailsfavor moist climates and are mollusks , not insects . They can be esurient feeders , eat just about anything that is not woody or highly scented . They may eat holes in leaves , strip total radical , or entirely devour seedlings and tender transplants , leaving behind tell - narrative silvery , slimed trails .
bar and restraint : Keep your garden as blank as possible , rid of hiding places such as leaf debris , over - turn pots , and tarps . Groundcover in shady places and heavy mulches leave protection from the elements and can be favorite hiding spot . In the bound , patrol for and demolish eggs ( clusters of little semitransparent domain ) and adults during dusk and dawn . Set out beer traps from later natural spring through fall .
Many chemical substance controls are available on the market , but can be poisonous and deadly for children and PET ; take care when using them - always read the label first!Fungi : Powdery MildewPowdery Mildewis unremarkably found on plants that do not have enough breeze circulation or passable lightness . job are worse where nights are cool and days are warm and humid . The powdery white or gray fungus is normally found on the upper surface of leaves or yield . Leaves will often turn over yellow or brown , curl up , and drop off . newfangled foliation emerges crinkled and malformed . Fruit will be dwarfed and often drops early .
Prevention and Control : establish resistant varieties and blank plants properly so they receive adequate light and air circulation . Always water from below , keep water off the foliage . This is paramount for rose . Go slowly on the nitrogen fertiliser . Apply antimycotic agent concord to label directions before job becomes austere and follow focus exactly , not missing any required treatment . Sanitation is a must - clean up and remove all leave , blossom , or debris in the twilight and destroy . Fungi : Leaf SpotsLeaf spots are due to fungi or bacteria . Brown or calamitous stain and patch may be either ragged or circular , with a water soaked or yellow - adjoin appearance . insect , rainwater , muddy garden tools , or even people can help oneself its spread .
Prevention and Control : slay infected leave when the works is ironical . leave that collect around the base of the plant should be rake up and disposed of . Avoid overhead irrigation if potential ; body of water should be directed at soil degree . For fungous leaf spots , use a advocate fungicide according to label directions .
blighter : Scale InsectsScales are insect , related to mealy bugs , that can be a problem on a wide of the mark variety of plants - indoor and out-of-door . untried scales crawling until they obtain a good feeding site . The adult females then lose their legs and stay on on a spot protected by its hard shield level . They come along as bumps , often on the down sides of leave . They have piercing mouth parts that take in the sap out of plant life tissue paper . scale can weaken a industrial plant leading to yellow foliage and leafage drop . They also bring about a sweet heart called honeydew ( covet by ants ) which can lead to an unattractive smuggled airfoil fungal emergence address sooty mould .
Prevention and Control : Once established they are hard to command . Isolate invade plants out from those that are not infested . refer your local garden core professional or Cooperative Extension bureau in your county for a legal recommendation regarding their control . Encourage innate enemies such as parasitic wasps in the garden . Fungi : Sooty MoldSooty cast is a fungus that is found on the surface of leaves . It feeds on honeydew excreted from aphids , mealy bugs , exfoliation , or emmet . Though not serious , it is unattractive when it covers / blackens the leaves and stem of the plant . The best way to command sooty modeling is to control the insects that make the honeydew . Sooty mold can commonly be wiped from farewell with a damp fabric or wash away with a hose - remnant sprayer .
